by Helen Krag
On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you at work? I encourage you to jot down that number. Is it the right number for you, or do you seek to change it in some way? Read on for 6 ways you can boost your own level of happiness at work …
Being happy at work is less about our circumstances, more about how we choose to respond to them. Tony Robbins, leadership and success guru, offers a useful framework for6 Human Needs that typically drive our behaviours. As human beings, we are adept at finding ways to satisfy these needs – some of which are positive and resourceful for us, and others are less so. Let’s take a look at the 6 …
1. Certainty (or comfort).
Most of us require a degree of certainty in our work, and yet there are surprisingly few things about which we can be completely certain. Some people find high levels of uncertainty stressful, and others may try to manufacture certainty by controlling what is around them. If certainty is out of your control (and it often is), ask yourself which parts you can control. It may only be your own response … but at least you own this completely!
Remember that a high degree of certainty can lead to boredom, so a balance is usually healthy.
2. Variety
If too much certainty leads to boredom, then variety may be the antidote. We all need surprises and challenges to feel fully alive. Variety is one of those things that can seriously affect our state (i.e. how we feel) at work, so if it’s not there in the right measure, this could be a practical one to address. A director who has worked for the same FMCG company for over 20 years finds variety by participating in external research and action groups to address health and environmental issues which affect the industry she is in.
Seek variety not just in what you do, but in how you do it too.
3. Significance
We all have a need for significance – a sense that we are unique, and that we have a special purpose and meaning for our lives. This may be manifested in potentially negative ways – by needing to be seen to be extremely busy for example, or by developing an unusual problem that sets us aside from others. Fortunately, there are plenty of positive ways to be significant. An office manager sets herself apart through her exceptional telephone manner. Customers love to speak to her, because she always has time for them and a smile on her face.
4. Connection & Love
In some ways the need for significance, and to be unique, distances us from others, and violates our need for connection with others. In the workplace the need for connection may drive some of us to join cliques or silos, which is not always healthy. So for those feeling out on a limb, the solution is to find opportunities to truly connect with others. A project manager builds connections with individuals in her project team by asking them for their opinions on key issues and by really listening to what they have to contribute.
A simple rule of thumb to remember (and this applies to all the human needs) is that if you give consistently what you wish to receive, you tend to get it back from others.
5. Growth
On this planet, everything that is alive is either growing or dying. It doesn’t matter what we have achieved, or how well we are acknowledged in our work – if we don’t continue to grow and develop, the chances are we will be unhappy and unfulfilled. An engineer at the top of her grade is mentoring two promising new starters to help her develop the skills required for a management role.
6. Contribution
We all have a need to go beyond ourselves, and to do things in our lives and work that serve the greater good. The very act of contributing can bring about a profound experience of joy and fulfilment. A marketing director shares how the most rewarding part of the work she does in her job in the events industry is the results she achieves through being part of a committee dedicated to environmental concerns.
Unselfish contribution could just be the ultimate secret to the joy that so many people wish to have in their lives.
Take Action
Unhappiness at work may be driven by a need not been fully met, or by it being met in a way that doesn’t quite fit with the person we really want to be.
Thinking about your x out of 10, which of the above needs can you address in a different way to move you to x+1?
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