A Recipe for Happiness at Work
“In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it.” —John Ruskin
I recently came across these words by art critic, philosopher, and writer John Ruskin and they got me thinking about the current status of the workforce today. We’ve all heard about or have possibly experienced the effects of what’s being called The Great Resignation. But I’ve been thinking about how to solve this problem so that people can be empowered, successful, and happy in their careers.
A Good Fit
Ruskin says that people must be fit for the work if they are to be happy in it. I interpreted this to mean that we as business leaders and owners must ensure that the people we’re bringing onto our teams are going to be successful in the role. I don’t just mean that they can do the work—that should be the very minimum. I mean that they will thrive and grow in the role, that they will have accountability, and that they will be empowered to work in whatever ways are best for them. And, perhaps most importantly, that the job is the best fit for them. This is how I’m interpreting “fit” for the job. So how can we ensure this?
First, I suggest being clear with your prospective new hires right from the start by asking questions about them—and not the typical trick interview questions that make people feel like they’re being interrogated. Ask them what they like. Ask them what makes them feel good in their work. Ask them about the type of environment that is most conducive to their productivity. Ask them what excites them about the position. And let them know you’re asking because you genuinely care about their success and want to ensure that the job is the right fit for them and not the other way around.
Asking these types of questions lets the prospective hire know that you care about them, that you want them to be successful, and reinforces the idea that they are more than just a resume that slid across your desk. By putting people first in all we do (what I call the human element strategy), we can build a corporate culture of respect, loyalty, and a place where people love to be.
Don’t Work Too Much
The term work-life balance gets used a lot. And while I do believe in having a healthy balance between our professional and personal lives, I want to expand on what I think Ruskin might have been alluding to, while adding a bit of a modern take to it.
Endless meetings with no clear agenda, constant micromanagement, and confusing processes that don’t yield positive outcomes are sure to lead people to feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration, as well as the sense that they’re working hard but not achieving anything. When we confuse activity with accomplishment—when we look busy but aren’t moving forward—we’re thwarting both the growth of our businesses as well as the growth of our employees. When people feel productive, empowered, and can see tangible outcomes from their hard work, they feel inspired to keep going and work becomes a joyful part of life.
I encourage everyone to evaluate their processes to ensure that you’re not wasting time or spending time on tasks that aren’t necessary. Doing so can lead to increased productivity and accomplishing your goals and tasks in a timely way. When our systems run efficiently—and people are empowered to ask questions—then our work becomes more efficient as well. So, ask yourself and the people around you some tough questions to determine if you’re wasting time and working too much. Ensure that all of your meetings have a clear outcome and are driven by a well-thought-through agenda that everyone has at the outset. Working too much can certainly lead to burnout and frustration, and some of that can be avoidable by ensuring you and your employees are spending the right amount of time on the right tasks.
Success Is Key
As I’ve mentioned briefly above, people must feel successful in their work if they’re going to do a good job and stay with your company. It is up to us as business leaders to ensure that our employees have a sense of success. If they don’t, they’ll leave. So how can you ensure this with your staff? Again, the human element comes into play here. Ask questions. Listen to the answers. Then act accordingly. Ask your employees what makes them feel successful. Ask them if they’re getting enough of that sense of success in their current role. If not, adjust and find ways to ensure that they do more of the work that is fulfilling for them.
As a leader, you are not required to have all the answers. But you are responsible for finding out how to best lead your team. Remember not to micromanage, as this leads to feelings of distrust and will most certainly hinder your employees’ sense of success. Make sure that you truly believe in a culture that supports your employees and behave accordingly. It’s your job as a leader to listen and respond, not dictate and command. When people feel supported and valued and they know they’re doing work they’re proud of, they will get the sense of success from their work that may be lacking for others who are merely doing a job.
The Takeaway
There is no one-size-fits-all method of leadership and I know that there are a lot of variables that contribute to running and growing a business. But I also know that happy employees don’t leave their jobs. Remember to ask questions, listen to the answers, ensure you’re spending time on the right tasks, and, above all, that your employees know that you care about them and their success. This is the recipe for building a great company where employees love to come to work. Ruskin certainly seemed to think so and I agree.
What have been your experiences with employee satisfaction? What are your thoughts on Ruskin’s three things that people need to be happy at work? Please share your feedback in the comments below.
Bill Billions
August 31, 2022 @ 12:06
Good morning, Jay. Thank you for sharing this very helpful post. You have done a good job of communicating important insights for us to apply.
As I read it, I have two different groups of people in mind. I run an acting school, so I am thinking about 1) people who have worked for us, as stated above, and 2) our students. Retention is vital for us, so we are always seeking to do a better job to communicate with our people how much we believe in them and how much we care about them.
We are training people to work in the film industry at the highest level (Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Hunger Games, etc.), so the three categories you have listed are a particular challenge.
1) The Right Fit — It takes a very special person to make it in the film industry. Great film actors come from all sorts of backgrounds and have all kinds of personalities, but they have one thing in common. There is something about them that makes them special. Among many other things, they need to want it very much, have a commitment to it that is sustainable for the long haul, and do it with a light touch and with joy.
2) Don’t Work Too Much – I can see two ways of applying this one. 1) Because actors are always looking for work, they can sometimes find themselves doing things that keep them busy but do not develop their talent or advance their careers. They might feel good that they are working hard, but what they are doing is not actually bearing fruit. 2) When one is doing good work, it may come in fits and spurts. One might find himself working long, hard hours for a sustained period of time, followed by periods of down time without work. So, one might “work too much” for a few weeks and then not work at all for a few weeks. Perhaps in the aggregate it balances out, but our vision is to create a system where film actors and crew may work under more reasonable and manageable conditions.
3) Success – If success is measured by booking a role on a mainstream film or television show, where it may feel as though the wins are few and far between, then people are prone to get discouraged. To counter this, there need to be wins along the way that can somehow be measured, regular, and satisfying so that the individual does not lose heart and quit.
Thank you again, Jay, for your help and insight. You have given us plenty to think about and work on. We appreciate you.
Jay
September 26, 2022 @ 09:20
Thank you for taking the time to respond here. You raise some excellent points.
Coming to a point of understanding the need to successfully communicate clearly and effectively, particularly with employees, is the first step in creating a “happiness at work” culture. Doing more than supervising and telling people what to do, conveys that it’s “not about you” it’s “about them.” Bill, it’s great that you are thinking these things through and considering them, which suggests that you are a good leader.
In your “The Right Fit” comment you have captured the essence of what I believe Ruskin was proposing. It brings to mind my advice on successful employee interviews. During those occasions the focus is not interrogating the potential employee, it’s about determining if the job fits the candidate’s goals, objectives and, in fact, their dream.
In your comment on “Don’t Work Too Much” you are alluding to the important guidance of “don’t confuse activity with accomplishment.” You’re right about work sometimes coming in “fits and spurts.” As you say one might work long and hard for a period of time, followed by periods of down time. So, as you say, one might “work too much.” Your comment, “in the aggregate it balances out” is what we hope is the outcome. But in any case, working too much, whether it’s correctly focused or not, will lead to burnout. So as leaders we must be sensitive to not only “is the work effective” but also if it’s “too much.”
On your “Success” comment, determining if an employee feels successful by following through on these three Ruskin discussion topics, in my opinion, is an important approach. That is, is the fit right, is the employee overworking, and is there a feeling of success? The essence of Ruskin’s advice is communication. Ongoing complements and frequent interchanges asking questions on job satisfaction and accomplishments leads to feelings of happiness at work and that your company is a great place to work.
I appreciate your responses and hope I’ve addressed some of what you bring up.