How to be happy at work...

I just finished reading a book by Annie McKee called How to Be Happy at Work: The Power of Purpose, Hope, and Friendship.  I was interested in how to improve workforce engagement in general, and I thought that this book would provide some helpful insights.  I thought that the overall themes discussed in the book were helpful.  McKee emphasizes that happiness is an active choice that requires both individual effort and a healthy, supportive work culture (see my posts, "The mathematics of happiness", "Attitude creates reality", and "Success is not the key to happiness" for more on this point).  To that end, generating happiness at work is all about developing the right mindset and cultivating a positive work environment.  

McKee discussed three key drivers of happiness: 

1. Meaning and purpose: McKee argues (convincingly) that when you can connect your work to a greater cause or vision, work will be more fulfilling

2. Self-awareness: We need to understand our own emotions, strengths, values, and motivations in order better align our work with what is important to us.

3. Positive relationships: We need to build and develop supportive, collaborative, and trust-based relationships with our co-workers and managers.  Working in a positive social environment improves motivation, satisfaction, and engagement. 

Richard Clarke writes a blog called "Boosting Happiness at Work" and posted "The real secret to being happy at work - Understand your own needs..." on LinkedIn last year.  Importantly, he suggested that we need to be asking ourselves the question, "What do I need to be happy?"  If we find it hard to answer that question, perhaps we can get some help from the following fourteen statements that are used in the Indeed.com Workplace Wellbeing Survey:

My work has a clear sense of purpose.

I feel happy at work most of the time.

I feel stressed at work most of the time.

I am paid fairly for my work.

There are people at work who give me support and encouragement.

There are people at work who appreciate me as a person.

I can trust people in my company.

I feel a sense of belonging in my company.

My manager helps me succeed.

My work environment feels inclusive and respectful of all people.

My work has the time and location flexibility I need.

In most of my work tasks, I feel energized.

I am achieving most of my goals at work.

I often learn something at work.

It's striking to me that several of these statements involve McKee's purpose, self-awareness, and positive relationships!  Similarly, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report in 2022 entitled "Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing") that highlighted five essentials to finding happiness at work - safety, community, autonomy, opportunities for growth, and purpose.  Again we hear about the importance of having a sense of purpose and being part of a community.

I don't know if reading Annie McKee's book or even perusing the U.S. Surgeon General's special report will help you unlock the key to workplace happiness.  However, I do think that both the book and the report provide some important insights and are great places to start.  Given that we spend nearly 1/3 of our lives at work, we should be happy at work!