Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Every year surveys come out on the state of happiness in the workplace. And every year they seem to be consistent about one thing: people aren’t happy at work. The question is why?
People often blame their boss. In all fairness, many in management lack the skills to lead others and have never been trained. Employers commonly promote their top performers, seemingly oblivious to the fact that what meant success as an individual could be detrimental to motivating and managing others. It happens in all industries.
But bosses are an easy target, and naming them doesn’t require much thought. They can’t all be that bad. But when asked to explain why they’re not happy, people are unsure what to say. Commutes can be long; deadlines and pressures hard to deal with; or maybe that next promotion never comes. All these factors could turn people off to their jobs. But there might be a more simple explanation. Many people just don’t like their jobs.
We all know what it’s like to interact with someone who loves their job. We can feel the positive energy, whether they are taking our order for lunch or our blood pressure during a check-up. We also know what it’s like to deal with people who are unhappy: snarky comments, complaints, and low energy. Maybe those things describe us at our jobs. Yikes!
Is it really fair to pin all that on our boss? Probably not. We need to take responsibility and look at the work we’re doing. The job might be fine, just not for us. Maybe we’re more interested in analyzing situations, wondering how pieces fit together, and struggle with details. Or we like to influence others, but never get the chance.
A recent poll said as many as 70% of Americans felt unhappy at their jobs. Maybe if we look more at the work we’re doing we can find roles that fit better with what motivates us outside of work.