Dual Approach to Civil Service Satisfaction: Why Wanting and Liking Postings Matters
But what is it that drives you to keep going, even when faced with obstacles and setbacks? The key to doing great work is to love what you do. - Steve Jobs
Postings play a crucial role in the careers and lives of civil servants. The value of a posting depends on its rank in a State's hierarchy. Generally, postings in economic ministries or as managing directors of corporations rank higher. In North India, the home department holds a higher status. Over time, the pecking order changes; for example, the land revenue department has dropped in significance in many states.
The pecking order reflects a desire for certain posts, and people often assume that wanting aligns with their liking - civil servants seek postings because they enjoy them. However, research by University of Michigan neuroscientist Kent Berridge and his team reveals that: (1) wanting and liking rarely go hand in hand, and (2) the brain’s structure and processes make wanting about nine times stronger than liking.
To want or like something differs: wanting involves pursuing high-ranked postings and the ease and pleasure they bring, while liking them comes from enjoying the process of solving problems specific to the post.
For example, a civil servant may aspire to become a municipal commissioner. Achieving this post brings ease and pleasure. However, liking this posting fuels the motivation to daily handle everyday tasks that matter to residents, such as ensuring daily garbage removal, reliable water supply, timely pothole repairs, and resolving grievances.
At the beginning of their careers, civil servants often experience a strong connection between wanting and liking, as seen in responses from UPSC interview candidates. For some, this connection lasts a lifetime, but for most, the wanting system eventually takes over, and the liking system diminishes.
To keep the enjoyment system functioning, one must find joy in each step of the problem-solving process. Resolving problems adds meaning to a career and provides a sense of purpose to life.
Soon, a virtuous cycle sets in: regularly facing and solving problems builds capability; this capability makes problem-solving enjoyable and enhances the civil servant’s reputation; eventually, problem-solving becomes second nature. This cycle keeps the liking system alive and active.
Civil servants, private sector and other employees can gauge if their enjoyment system is working by observing these signs:
The thought of going to the office each morning energizes them.
They tackle office tasks with engagement and enthusiasm, not boredom or restlessness.
Confronting and solving problems feels natural and easy.
They avoid denying or avoiding problems, expecting issues to resolve themselves or be handled by someone else, or waiting for a new posting.
This requires a more active, engaged way of existing in the world. It demands more than technical know-how; it involves a nuanced political judgment in prioritizing what matters to people, making sound trade-offs during decision-making, and learning to build consensus.
