If it makes you happy ...

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.