How I Judge My Job

Amongst the many Post-it Notes stuck to the bottom edge of my computer monitor I keep a checklist for evaluating my job situation. I reference it a lot in "watercooler" catchups with friends and colleagues. In no particular order:

• Boss. Do I have a manager who I respect and who respects me, who I can collaborate with and gives me autonomy?
• Day-to-day: Is my day-to-day work satisfying or stressful? Are goals realistic or disconnected from available resources and time?
• Mission/Vision: Is the overarching mission of the company in line with my values? Is this "right livelihood"?
• Growth: Am I treading water with routine tasks, or am I learning and growing?
• Pride in product: Am I happy with my output and my team's output? Is it creatively genuine? Does it express something meaningful? Or, is it compromised by unrealistic time and budget constraints?
• Relationships. Are my interactions with colleagues relationship-based? Or, is it primarily transactional, i.e. give me what I need and move on? (I just added this one the other day, but it should have been on the list long ago.)