In this post I
am planning to explore what it is that impacts our level of happiness in the
workplace.
As I started
writing, I came across the following article which references studies that
provide empirical evidence that “happiness isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.”
And that we are all motivated by different things. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/finally-empirical-evidence-what-drives-happiness-work-chester-elton
This is true. Of course this is
true. The engagement survey that I
designed in my last role was based entirely on this foundation – that because we
all have different drivers of engagement (or satisfaction or happiness) then
first you need to understand what those drivers are before measuring how the
company is performing against them.
However,
despite the evidence, I still believe that at a high level there are common
themes that impact our happiness in the work place. So here's my take on it, but I welcome your own ideas and opinions about what impacts your happiness at work.
No. 1:
People
When I interview
candidates I always ask them what gets them excited about going to work. And the answer I’m given 9 time out of 10 is “the
people”.
The people we
interact with for 40+ hours a week have a huge impact on how we feel about
stepping out of our front door at 6am on a cold Monday morning. This doesn’t mean we all want the same things
from those people. Just that we want
what we want from them and if we don’t get it, that will negatively impact
us. Some people love social environments
where everyone takes coffee and lunch breaks together. Some people just want to get their head down
and not be asked about their weekends.
Some people need to bounce ideas around and others don’t want to hear
anybody else’s opinion whatsoever. Some
people like banter in the office and others find any kind of clowning around
during office hours inappropriate.
The point is that we are all different, but
the one thing we have in common is the fundamental human need to “belong”. And that means finding an environment where
we can be ourselves – our particular nuances are acknowledged and
respected. Be they introverts or
extraverts, optimists or pessimists – we are all more likely to be happy if our
style is accepted and appreciated rather than dismissed and disrespected.
No. 2:
Progress
The second
factor that I believe impacts happiness at work is Progress. Again, progress can mean many different
things to many different people. It
could mean opportunities for promotion or salary increase. Understanding how your work contributes to
the strategic goals of the organisation.
Personal and professional development.
Being at the forefront of technical or scientific advancement. Or it could simply mean saving the pennies
towards the mortgage.
I understand
there are people who are genuinely delighted to come to work every day in the
same environment with the same people and do the same work day-in-day-out for their whole career. But I believe these people are
the minority, and most people feel frustrated with stagnation.
The description
of life as a journey is prevalent and one that resonates with me – the work we
do is part of the journey that we are on.
And we also contribute to the journey of the organisations we work for. Progress, in whatever form is about that
journey and feeling like the work we do is enabling us to take a step forward
in whatever way it may be.
No 3:
Meeting Expectations
Lastly, and
most strongly, I believe that happiness at work is impacted by Meeting
Expectations. A very good friend of mine
was offered a job in an environment that was described to her as a “vipers’
nest”. Being forewarned, she was able to
make the decision that she was resilient enough to face the challenge, she
braced herself for it and she loved the job.
They were right. It is a vipers’
nest. But she was ready for it and goes
to work every day in the right frame of mind to work within in.
I believe that
employers constantly mis-sell reality in order to appeal to the candidates they
want to hire. They either make the work
sound more interesting than is it, or the career prospects or the environment. The consequence is simply a workforce of
disappointed individuals. “You said there
was a good team environment but it’s brutally competitive”, “You said you would
manage me but then palmed me onto someone else”, “You said you didn’t believe
in processes and now they are everywhere”, “You said you were innovative but
you reject every new idea anyone suggests” etc etc etc… None of these qualities
in a company are necessarily bad as long as you’re expecting them and then you
can make an informed decision about whether a job is right for you or not.
One of my most
unhappy times at work was doing a very dull admin job after being made
redundant from a glitzy graduate job in the city during the 2001 dip. My expectations were dashed in two ways –
firstly I was no longer the high powered business woman I thought I was going
to be – I was making tea! And secondly I
only took the admin job because the CEO (knowing I was ambitious) had said after
3 months she would put me on a path in the company and train me up. This it transpired was an outright lie. It was never the intention, and really they
just wanted me to file quietly and make better tea. It wasn’t what I had hoped for fresh out of
university, but if they had just been honest and said, “here’s the deal, this
is the work that needs doing but you can listen to the radio while you work and
all the biscuits are free”, then I wouldn’t have got my hopes up for anything else.
I would have accepted my reality and been content within it for as long as it
lasted. Or maybe I wouldn’t have taken
the job. But either way, I would have
been happier and they would have had an employee who was ready to do what they
needed.
Correctly
setting expectations about the people, about the progress, about the work – I believe
is absolutely critical in creating a happy workforce.
So yes, we are
all unique individuals. Of course we
are. But from what I’ve read, what I’ve
heard, observed and what I’ve felt, I believe that People, Progress and Meeting
Expectations are three fundamental elements to enabling happiness at work.
