Happiness at work

Positive psychology is gaining in popularity. No longer is it enough to find ways to cure mental illness, but psychologists are now researching ways to help people live more fulfilling lives. I wanted to dig in deeper to see what positive psychology has to say about happiness at work. Does happiness really matter for productivity? And if it does, what can we use from the current research that can be applied in today’s workplace?

The Gallup Management Journal Employee Engagement Survey shows a strong correlation between employee engagement and happiness. Happy employees are more equipped to handle change and new challenges. According to another Gallup poll, employees who considered themselves happy spent 80% of their work time on task, versus unhappy employees who only spent 40% of their time on task. Professor Teresa Amabile from Harvard Business School studies employee innovation and performance. Her research discovered that employees were more creative on the days when they were on a good mood.

To increase happiness, there are elements we can control and some that we can’t. Research suggests that some people are born to be sunnier personalities than others. But, even the grumpsters can increase their level of happiness by focusing on the controllable factors. Our level of fulfillment improves, when we find a greater purpose and focus in our daily activities, play to our strengths, learn and grow, and have meaningful relationships. A good workplace can contribute to these happiness drivers.

Purpose and meaning

Organizations that are able to communicate a greater purpose and create an emotional attachment with their employees can reach over 50% increase in discretionary effort. Organizational communications and employment branding do part of this, but the most critical role falls to the managers who create the link between the organizational goals and the day-to-day work.

Strengths and growth

Recognizing individual strengths and letting employees leverage them not only creates happiness, but is a wise investment for the company. The most intense level of happiness is experienced in Flow, where the level of challenge is highest and skills are stretched to meet it. Continuous learning and growth guarantees on-going opportunities to reach Flow.

Meaningful relationships

One of the strongest engagement drivers is to have a best friend at work. Human connections create a sense of purpose and belonging. Organizations should be cautious of evaluation and reward systems that incentivize individualism and internal competition. Cultures that nurture teamwork and service orientation are more likely to promote happiness and loyalty.

Last but not least, positive language by itself is a self fulfilling prophesy. When employees and managers pay attention to positive events, they are more likely to feel happy. Positive feedback, gratitude and recognition are small gestures that go a long way to promote happiness and productivity. What’s the downside?

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Lighthouse management: Are you visible to your people?

As a leader of your organization, think of yourself as a lighthouse. You provide direction and assurance in the dark. People look up to you. Everything you do is very visible. The higher you get, the more attention your actions and decisions attract. Being a lighthouse is not for the faint of heart. Is all the scrutiny and responsibility worth the rewards? Make up your mind, because a lighthouse without a light is quite useless.

Light up the vision

The lighthouse manager brings clarity to the team or the organization. Every initiative and task has a purpose and is connected to the overall goals of the company. The leader is the one who reminds the team of the ultimate purpose when it’s hard to prioritize, and pulls people back from the tactical noise when it gets in the way of what really matters.

Light up the values

The lighthouse manager walks the talk. S/he leads by example and illustrates the core values of the organization with every action and decision. People notice what managers disapprove, tolerate, approve or encourage, so the lighthouse manager is very intentional about it.

Light up in tough times

In stormy weather, lighthouses are more important than ever. People need assurance that everything will be OK, that the company will survive this. They need a clear vision of how to get through the worst and what their role will be in it. Lighthouse managers will make themselves even more visible in times of change or trouble.

You don’t need to be with your people every second of the day. You just need to provide a frequent cadence of brightness, enough to provide confidence that they and the organization are on the right track.

Do you LOVE your job? Rediscovering passion at work.

What keeps puzzling me is how some people are passionate about their work and some are not. Look at the healthcare workers who dropped everything to go and help the victims in Haiti. There are scientists who spend nights at their labs to find a new solution to our energy crisis and Olympic athletes who sacrifice their normal youth for one chance to be number one. But these jobs are so alluring and have a higher purpose, we say. But what about the lady at my grocery store who packs my purchases faster than anyone else? She sorts them by kind to make it easier to unpack, and does all this with a smile. You can tell she is proud of her work. And I know software developers who love coding so much they take their laptops to bed. There are also doctors, scientists, media personalities and athletes who are not passionate about what they do. My claim is that it’s not about the job; it’s something else.

In the old days, we used to have artisans and craftsmen, who learned their profession through apprenticeship and years of practice. They even assumed their last names based on their trade. They marked their work with their initials and made sure it was well done. In the age of mass production and standardization, employees can still carry the mark of ownership and pride to their work. This is a personal choice. You can be today’s craftsman of your own trade.

We also have our natural skills and talents. Some of them are more obvious and transferable to a career than others. The greatest gift parents can do for their children is to let them explore their gifts and interests and guide them to the right path, not necessarily the one they had in mind in the first place. If we get to do something that comes easy for us, the passion follows. Maybe it’s not the whole job, but a part of your job.

When we talk about a calling, it has to do with making a difference. If I work for a charitable organization or an emergency room, the impact is easy to see. However, every organization is necessary and has a purpose in its own way. Find out how your company’s products are used, how customers experience the solutions, and what is needed to strive towards the company’s vision. Make sure you see the connection between your line of work and why your company exists. Then decide to be the best that you can be.

The most intense moments of recorded happiness are experienced at work during flow. When we set challenging goals for ourselves, avoid interruptions and give our best, our chances to get into the flow increase. That is passion. It can happen in any job.

In today’s economy, it may sound a bit arbitrary to talk about passion. Those who don’t have a job feel stuck and forced to take whichever job they may get. Those who are already in a rut are painted in a corner and can’t leave in the fear of not finding a more fulfilling position. Even in this situation, job passion can be achieved. Make a long term plan to get to your final destination that matches your natural gifts and the work environment you desire. In the meanwhile, create opportunities to get into the flow and take pride in whatever you do in your current trade.

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Copyright 2010 Liisa Pursiheimo-Marcks, all rights reserved.
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