Finding the sun in all the crap - What’s the secret to a Happy Workplace?
Phil Nielson from Christchurch, New Zealand has one of the most unpleasant jobs that you could think of. Since the devastation of the earthquake on the 22nd February 2011 people have been left homeless and without toilets. With nowhere to do their dirty business, hundreds of portaloos have been placed around the city. Phil’s job is to empty the portaloos every day. His office was also affected by the quake and his computer system is not working, so he needs to travel around the city using his memory to find which portaloos need emptying. His job is hard enough as it is but he can’t always clean every portaloo in time and sometimes they can get “a bit too much to handle”. When this happens, people shout abuse and blame Phil. On his worst days, he can come across a toilet where people have put their personal waste in a plastic bag and shoved it down the toilet. It takes him up to an hour to clear those blockages, and he has to do it by hand. For many of us when we don’t feel like going to work, we’d still rather go to work than work one day in Phil’s job. Fascinatingly, Phil wakes up each day and enjoys the day ahead, sure there are moments where he wishes he was doing something else but overall he is happy. So what is Phil’s secret? How is it that someone who cleans toilets for a living is happy but for many of us out there the thought of Monday arriving and having to spend another week at work can be a nightmare?
There are the people who are fortunate enough to have found their dream job, perfect work environment and the ideal pay. They love going to work and couldn’t think of another way to spend their day. Then there is the rest of the population whose work is a necessity that is required to pay bills and support their family. If we’re happy in our job then we’re extremely lucky but if not, well that’s just a fact of life. This way of living is what Freud calls the “reality principle”, where we work in order to survive. The decisions we make on a regular basis are not focused on short term rewards rather we choose to forgo instant happiness in favour of long term, gratifications. Work hard now, retire happy.
The actual reality is that happiness is not the destination rather it is part of the journey. It is an emotion that only you can control; a mindset that you are responsible for. That is the secret.
Do you know that after sleeping we spend the majority of our lifetime at work? If that much time is dedicated to working, doesn’t it make sense that we enjoy ourselves rather than dreading this time and thinking of it as a chore? The great news is that everyone has the potential to be happy. Happiness is a choice. No one can tell you how to be happy but if you are actively looking for happiness I can guarantee you that you will have more chances of finding happiness than if you are not seeking it.
The reasons that keep us from being happy are different for everyone. Many of us just dislike the work that we do. The role wasn’t what we thought it would be, or this isn’t the industry we dreamt that we would be working in. A recent research by Leadership Management Australasia reveals “More than 60 per cent of the workforce either hate their jobs or couldn’t really care less about their work as long as they get a pay cheque."[1]
Try to identify the reason behind your unhappiness at work. Do you feel like you have a meaningless job or you have to deal with a crappy manager every day or do you have difficult co-workers and they’re making each day hell? It’s important to acknowledge that the perfect work place doesn’t actually exist. Some aspects will be boring and there will also be annoying people you can’t run away from but if you look hard enough you’ll be able to find sunshine in all the crap. Phil did. How? He readjusted his lenses of perspective. Instead of dwelling on how smelly and disgusting his job was he focused on how much he was helping people“When they've been full of rubbish bags and stuff like that, those are the days when you want to give up. Then some little old lady says thank you because she's not doing it on a paint bucket, and then that makes up for it."[2] - Phil Neilson
Perspective with purpose and meaning is an age old recipe for happiness. Have a think about your workplace. What drew you there in the first place? Does your industry benefit society in some way? What are the positive aspects about working there? Do you make someone else’s job easier because you do your job efficiently? Is your current job a stepping stone and you’re building your skill set so that you’ll have the right experience to climb the ladder to your dream job? Remember, a professional athlete has to train for hours each day for many years before they get to compete in the Olympic Games. Your purpose defines who you are and when your job fits into the larger picture, your work stops being a necessity but rather a fulfilling way to spend your time. By shifting your perspective and find meaning in your job you can create a more positive work experience which in return will create a sense of happiness at your workplace. Obtaining happiness isn’t necessarily about eliminating all the negative aspect of your job; it’s about being happy even though these things are happening.
There is a story about a widow who was forced to work in order to support her two children after her husband passed away. She had no qualifications or work experience and ended up with a job at the checkout counter at her local supermarket. She hated that most of her co-workers were half her age, and that her friends would see her working in a role that she felt was beneath her. After a few months, the regional manager came to visit and spoke of possible career paths available within the supermarket. Recognizing the opportunity, the widow decided then and there that she would work her way up to management. Each day, she found new things to learn and do, and her job suddenly became more exciting. She quickly realized her age was a positive thing, and she was respected by her co-workers because of her maturity and life experience. She was promoted within a few months and is still happily working at the supermarket.
Do keep in mind happiness is like a shoe. One size or style doesn’t fit everyone. Your purpose and meaning won’t be the same as the next person. Similarly, happiness means different things to different people. Happiness doesn’t always necessarily mean being bubbly and bouncy and the life of the party all day long. You can be happy quietly sitting at your desk and taking pride in your work or it could be the feeling of happiness that you get when you generate ideas for that new work project. Concentrate on the little things that make you happy, add a sprinkle of perspective and purpose and you’ll soon find each workday is more enjoyable than the day before.
References:
Foster, Rick & Hicks, Greg. Happiness Leadership and Health: The Connection (2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiLp89DJ6SA
Hsieh, Tony. Delivering Happiness (2010) http://fora.tv/2010/05/26/Zappos_CEO_Tony_Hsieh_Delivering_Happiness
Kjerulf, Alexander. Happy Hour is 9 to 5 (2007) http://positivesharing.com/happyhouris9to5/
Morton, Rachel. The Smelliest job in Christchurch (2011) http://www.3news.co.nz/The-smelliest-job-in-Christchurch/tabid/423/articleID/201425/Default.aspx
Ihaka, James. More than half see work as a big yawn (2011) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/employment/news/article.cfm?c_id=11&objectid=10715569
The pursuit of Happiness (obtained 2011) http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/