26/08/2024
🌟 What truly brings happiness at work? It's a complex topic with various perspectives.
If you google "factors that make you happy at work," you'll find lists ranging from 5 to 25 essential elements.
Today, let's simplify it to five key factors that align with our fundamental human needs. These are taken from the US Surgeon General's guidelines for wellbeing in the workplace.
💥 Safety: This is the most important one. You need to feel you are safe at work. Safe against bullying or discrimination and that your job is secure. It also means you feel safe to speak up - you feel psychological safety.
💥 Connection and Community: You need to feel you are included and part of a team, and that you have the support you need around you.
💥 Autonomy: Empowerment to control your work, trusted to take charge, and not unfairly blamed fosters a sense of ownership and flexibility, resonating with our need for autonomy.
💥 Purpose: Feeling that you have control over your work and that you are trusted and won’t be blamed if anything goes wrong. You need to feel some sense of ownership.
💥 Opportunities for Growth: Finally you need to feel that there is a future in your job, that you are going to grow. This is based on the human needs for learning and a sense of accomplishment.
But where do salary and benefits fit into this equation? They're intertwined with security and recognition. You need a big enough salary to feel safe and recognised for your work.
While there's no one-size-fits-all formula for team happiness, focusing intentionally on these five pillars is a good start.
Remember, happiness is subjective and ever-evolving. While we can't guarantee happiness, we can create nurturing environments that maximise its likelihood.
Just as a skilled gardener tends to their plants, providing optimal conditions for growth, we can cultivate the seeds of happiness within our teams. 🌱
