“People used to believe that you didn’t have to be happy at work to succeed. And you didn’t need to like the people you work with, or even share their values. ‘Work is not personal,’ the thinking went. This is bunk,” writes the University of Pennsylvania’s Annie McKee.
“My research with dozens of companies and hundreds of people — as well as the research conducted by the likes of neuroscientists Richard Davidson and V.S. Ramachandran and scholars such as Shawn Achor — increasingly points to a simple fact: Happy people are better workers. Those who are engaged with their jobs and colleagues work harder — and smarter… The early findings about the links between people’s feelings and engagement are fascinating. There are clear similarities in what people say they want and need, no matter where they are from, whom they work for, or what they do. We often assume that there are huge differences across industries and around the world but the research challenges that assumption.”
To be fully engaged and happy, virtually everyone tells us they want three things:
1. A meaningful vision of the future: “When people talked with our research team about what was working or not in their organizations, and what helped or hindered them the most, they talked about vision. People want to be able to see the future and know how they fit in.”
2. A sense of purpose: “People want to feel as if their work matters, and that their contributions help to achieve something really important. And except for those at the tippy top, shareholder value isn’t a meaningful goal that excites and engages them. They want to know that they — and their organizations — are doing something big that matters to other people.”
3. Great relationships: “We know that people join an organization and leave a boss. A dissonant relationship with one’s boss is downright painful. So too are bad relationships with colleagues. Leaders, managers, and employees have all told us that close, trusting and supportive relationships are hugely important to their state of mind — and their willingness contribute to a team.”
Must watch: Shawn Achor argues that happiness inspires productivity in this related TED Talk.