Could the biggest opportunity for change be right where you are?
In 2001, organisational psychologists Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane Dutton introduced the concept of job crafting: small, self-directed adjustments people can make to better align their roles with their skills, interests, and values.
More than two decades of research now supports the idea, with studies showing that job crafting can boost motivation, purpose, and performance — in roles ranging from frontline workers and customer service officers to engineers and executive leaders.
What It Looks Like
Job crafting typically focuses on four areas already within your control:
1. Tasks - Shift how you spend your time. Try doing more of what you enjoy — whether that’s solving problems, planning, mentoring, or creating.
2. Relationships - Build stronger connections with people you already work well with. Seek out new partnerships.
3. Mindset - Reframe how you view your role. The work might be the same, but how you see it can shift.
4. Resources - Improve the tools and systems around you. For example, changing routines, finding more efficient processes, or carving out space for focused work.
How to get started
Wrzesniewski and colleagues suggest a simple way to identify what to adjust:
Map your role — List core tasks. Draw boxes for each group of tasks adjusting their size to show how much time or energy they require.
Highlight what matters — Mark what feels purposeful, engaging, or well-aligned.
Redesign — Draw a version of your role with small changes. What would you add, reduce, or reshape?
Test one shift — Choose one change to try — and observe what happens.
Why It’s Useful Mid-Career
Mid-career roles often expand in scope and complexity — but not always in alignment with a person’s strengths or long-term direction.
Job crafting offers a way to reorient your work without changing roles. It’s a low-risk, evidence-based way to shape your day-to-day working life.
How would you reshape your role?
References
Berg, J. M., Dutton, J. E., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2008). What is job crafting and why does it matter? Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship.
Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J. E. (2001). Crafting a job: Revisioning employees as active crafters of their work. Academy of Management Review.
Wrzesniewski, A., Dutton, J. E., & Berg, J. M. (2021). Job crafting: A visual guide. Harvard Business Review, Spring Issue.
