HOW TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR TWO CENTS TOWARD A HAPPIER WORKPLACE. by Joan Marques
Okay, the first thing that doesn't seem to fit in the business perspective
here is probably the word "happier" in the title. Happiness has, so far, not
particularly been the number one word when business people think of
effectiveness, efficiency, and increasing returns on investments, right?
They may even consider the word happy somewhat "mushy," and therefore
inapplicable when they're talking diehard dollars. And yet, happiness may be
one of the most important contributors in the process of elevating a good
business to great levels, and transforming an ailing organization into a
lucrative one.
The reasons are simple: a happy workplace attracts good, nice, and competent
workers who want to BE there, and STAY there! These workers will therefore
perform to their very best to elevate the organization to healthy and
profitable levels, so that it will be around for a long time. Happy
employees will be more willing to cooperatively bring sacrifices in hard
times, as conservation of the atmosphere of conviviality that they created
together is important to them. And on top of all the good: these workers
will exude their cheerfulness to places far outside the workplace!
And then there is, of course, the two cents, which is not necessarily what
many of us would care to bring their daily sacrifices for. Fortunately, this
part may not need too much dwelling on, for almost every reader will catch
the metaphorical use of "two cents" as a modest but hopefully well-valued
contribution of one person -you- to the work environment. And for the ones
who refuse to perceive it that way: don't forget that every million starts
with one cent.
Now that the title of this write-up has hopefully been justified, it is time
to concentrate on the concrete set of actions: how to contribute your two
cents toward a happier workplace.
1. Keep up your spirit! It all starts with you, and this is no news:
Confucius mentioned it long ago, and undoubtedly a large number of other
wizards before and after him as well: Happy people make happy cities and,
consequently, happy counties, happy states, happy nations, and a happier
world. So, if you are in the right state of mind, willing to help, trust,
encourage, and be honest toward others, the likelihood that they will treat
you the same way in return is significant. It's called interconnectedness:
the realization that we are all connected to each other and that we can
perform and feel better if we understand and cooperate instead of degrade
and backstab. So, bring your best mood along to work, and show your
helpfulness and your care. It may not work with everybody right away, but
gradually, the outcomes will be rewarding.
2. Perform to your best capacity! Even if it seems that your efforts go
unnoticed. Sometimes it takes a while before the right person steps into the
right position in order to become aware of your input. But that day will
come, as sure as can be. And in the meantime you should not underestimate
the fact that good vibes are never overlooked in the universe. In other
words: if the reward doesn't come at work, it will show up somewhere else.
3. Value small blessings. Nice weather, a colleague that hands you a flower
or a homemade cookie from her daughter; a supervisor who compliments your
stylish way of dressing; a subordinate who thanks you for your mentoring
efforts in the past months: if you can generate encouragement and motivation
out of the little things that happen to you, your mood will have more highs
than lows, and that, in turn, will affect your workplace positively as well.
4. Unmask seeming set-backs. If you can distinct the positive lesson to be
learned from everything that happens to you, in- and outside the workplace,
you will find yourself having much less of a victimized outlook on the
world.
5. Stay alert! Be aware of the bigger picture at work: the how and why of
what you're doing. But also: be aware of changes in the atmosphere. You can
only invest so much of yourself in an undertaking, but when you've tried and
tried and tried, and your feelings of hopelessness increase instead of
decrease, it might be time to consider a change of environment. And, hey,
there's nothing wrong with change, as you may already know, right? Change
makes you stronger and even more alert. Just don't change for change's sake.
Use your intuition to determine the right moment.
All five points mentioned in this article trickle back to one central issue:
you! It's all in your hands. And although points 3 and 4 may not seem
targeted directly toward a happier workplace, they are. How? They change
your perspective from neutral or negative to strongly positive, which will
definitely influence your workplace in a pleasant way.
As for point 5: sometimes the establishment of a happy workplace may not
just require a change of attitude, but something way more radical: a change
of environment! As mentioned before: it's all about you. You have to make
sure that you are - and stay - happy. And some workplaces just don't offer
the right climate to make you happy, or to even try changing the way things
are there. However, you can easily figure those environments out: when you
detect high levels of absenteeism or turnover, you may rest assured that
your decision to switch workplaces is the right one. In any other case: keep
trying: you'll succeed at last.
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About the Author:
Joan Marques, holds an MBA, is a doctoral candidate in Organizational
Leadership, and a university instructor in Business and Management in
Burbank, California. You may visit her web site at www.joanmarques.com
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