Your Psychological Contract

When you look at the world of work, contracts are everywhere.

Fixed-term, temporary, zero-hours, short-term, supplier, consultancy…

…the list goes on.

All tangible.

All with the nitty gritty laid out in black and white.

Yet the world of work is not this clean or clinical.

Interactions and requirements are much more complex.

Because underneath it all there are the psychological contracts.

Intangible understandings based on expectations, beliefs, trust and fairness.

Intangible Understandings

According to the CIPD Factsheet, ‘The Psychological Contract’ published in February 2024, these intangible ‘exchange relationships’ are based on ‘understanding of mutual responsibilities’ and what each party ‘expects to receive’.

For example, individuals’ expectations and beliefs may be linked to, job security, access to flexible working, management support, investment in long-term employability and career development.

And balance, as always, is key.

If yours is off balance it can impact your motivation, performance, job satisfaction.

It might be part of what’s making you want to make a move.

Untangling the Intangible

Testing the efficacy and validity of your psychological contract(s) might feel like a tricky undertaking.

However, using a few simple anchors as starting points can help with your exploration.

Here’s something to help get you started…

For each of the four elements,

1. Motivation,
2. Employability,
3. Performance, and
4. Satisfaction,

Do the following…

Whether current or new, with greater insight and understanding, you can re-balance, re-invent, re-energise your psychological contract(s) today and into the future.

Header image courtesy of Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash