On June 30, 2003, John St. John, CEO of Skill Tree, had a dream that would inspire a book and new way of thinking about job fulfillment: “I had a great career but something was missing, something didn’t feel right.” In what I called “a small book with a big heart”, St. John’s book, “The Gift Table” (www.skilltree.net), is an engaging metaphor that gave me a new perspective on job and life fulfillment.

In his dream, St. John was transported to a place with beautiful green hills and a picnic table that seemed to stretch around the world. People began showing up at the table; when they arrived at the table, a gift appeared before them. He explained, “Everyone has a gift to share with others. If you don’t share that gift, than life is not fulfilling.” So, the key to job fulfillment is getting your “giftedness in gear”. His book includes “Ten Gift Tenets” – we focused on four of them:

Expanding Your Comfort Zone: We need to venture outside our comfort zone; he adds: “Our comfort zone should be ever expanding”. For example, someone whose gift is writing can use that gift in new areas, such as starting a blog at work.

Quiet Reflection: St. John suggested: “In order to find out what’s inside you, you’re going to need to spend time reflecting”. We all leave ourselves clues about our gift. Think about those times you feel fulfilled in life or at work is a good start. Why did you feel fulfilled? What gift was at work? It’s like you're an onion and you're peeling the layers to get to the core.

Doing What is You: “For everyone, we have something we do that comes relatively easy compared to others who have to work really hard”, St. John said. Many of us have obligatory roles in life, such as parent, manager, worker, etc. However, each of us has at least one gift that is truly us and truly gives us joy. He adds there are two things you can do to achieve fulfillment: operating in your gift or drawing from someone else’s gift.

The Power of Charity: St. John transcends the idea of giving because a person is in need: “By giving your gift, you may be filling an entire group or community”. When we are in our “gift zone”, we become a magnet or attractor – people naturally like being around others that are in their gift zone. This results in new relationships, new ideas and new synergy.

You can watch my discussion with John St. John on Sunday, July 12, 7:30 – 8:00 PM on "Good Work NOW!" on Access Sacramento Channel 17. An abbreviated, 10 minute version of the episode is available at www.goodworknow.com

Background / Disclosure:

The purpose of this article is to share key points and tips from my interviews and discussions with local residents and experts about work issues and invite readers to watch it on "Good Work NOW!" if they want more details. Good Work NOW! is a weekly, non-commercial public access television show produced at Access Sacramento and is a volunteer effort by Brian Moffitt, his guests and crew (Daniel Lorenzo, Jemuel Johnson, Molly Lynch, Marge McCreary, and Scott Trend). Brian Moffitt received his doctorate in education from the University of San Diego, is the Organizational Development Manager for the City of Sacramento and adjunct graduate faculty with the University of San Francisco. "Good Work NOW!" is a 30 minute talk show and its mission is to help viewers find a job, develop their career or business or improve morale or productivity. It airs every Sunday evening at 7:30 – 8:00 PM on Channel 17 and streams at www.AccessSacramento.org, with an encore streaming every Monday, 11:30 – 12:00 noon. If you have any questions or comments or have a story or expertise that will help others find or create good work, please email brianmoffitt@comcast.net.