I used to think I was happy at work simply because I was a Glass Half Full kind of girl. Someone who looks on the bright side of life and seeks out the good in every situation.
In my blissful ignorance, I’d thought that everybody felt how I did. I thought everyone was surrounded by colleagues who contributed to that happiness. In many cases where I worked, they created that happiness, and it was only when reflecting on those people for this newsletter that I realised how fortunate I’ve been.
Work doesn’t make everyone happy. In fact, 27% of people in the UK say they feel sad at work.
So how on earth have I managed to avoid this daily disaffection and remain full of beans for the whole of my working life?
I’ve distilled it down to three key things, here goes:
1.Understanding why my contribution mattered.
The best leaders in any working environment are the ones who ensure that everyone feels valued and that their contributions really matter. Each thing that each person does needs to feel like a vital component in a much bigger and more important shared goal. Right from my first job, if I felt that my contribution mattered, I felt that I mattered. And I took that feeling of confidence and pride home with me, so I felt good not just in the workplace but outside of it too.
2.Working with extraordinary teams
This doesn’t happen by accident. Again, it’s the result of intelligent leadership. First it involves what I call “good casting” – hiring the right people for each role. But that’s only half of it. For teams to work happily and productively, their leaders have to foster an “all on the same side” mentality, a culture of complete trust and mutual respect. Every person knows their worth and everyone can depend on everyone else to support them if necessary. When things were going well, I didn’t really notice this but during the inevitable tough times, I was so grateful to be part of a really awesome team. And what is happiness if not gratitude?
3.Seeing people unleash their potential.
It’s always fabulous to see this happening to other people or to feel it happening to you. This is a direct consequence of the two things above. When people feel valued and trusted, they feel free to be innovative and creative. Suddenly they see how good they are, they see how much they’ve improved and how what they’re doing benefits everyone. Being happier at work generally makes people more successful. And that success brings further happiness. And that happiness brings further success. You see? It’s a truly virtuous circle.
We spend a third of our lives at work so, by remembering these three things, I believe we can make our work a much happier place for everyone.
People often think work is about realising and unleashing their own potential, but at Unleash & Engage, I’ve realised it’s all about helping others unleash theirs.
And I can honestly say I’ve never been happier.