The Impact of Happiness on Work

I have had several jobs that I have absolutely loved.  Correction, it wasn't the job that I loved but the people I worked with that really made the job enjoyable.  Getting to have those interactions made any of the tasks that were not as pleasant much easier to deal with.  I believe that every job I have had I have stuck with (except for teaching in a high school because that was not a team environment) mostly because of the relationships that I have built-in each one with my co-workers.   

 

The key to building those relationships is most definitely trust.   

• Trusting that you work for a company that is respectable 
• Having co-workers that will look out for you 
• The ability to speak up to help improve things 
• Bosses that balance the needs of the company with the needs of employees 

Let's face it, companies are in the business of making money.  When you are looking at the bottom line, one of the factors that weigh on that is the turnover rate of employees.  Some employees are a bad fit for the job.  It makes sense for those employees to leave or be let go after a short period of time.  For the most part, those should be occasional happenings.  We all make mistakes and hiring the wrong person once in a while can be just that.  If it happens often, you need to look at what is causing high rates of turnover.   

• Are we not informing the candidate about the actual position? 

• Is the pool of candidates not giving us the types of people that we need to fill the position? 

  Are we not paying enough? 
• Is the screening of applicants insufficient? 
• Do we take the best of the worst to "have a body" in there? 

• Can we give actual examples of the work that they will be doing as part of the interview process to see: 

• If they have the skills needed to do the job 
• We have some objective evidence that we are selecting the best person 

• Is the candidate a good fit for the team? 

• Getting a panel review from the potential co-workers 
• Taking all perspectives into account. 
• Are they filling the gap in the team make-up? 

Once the new team member arrives, let's get them to feel part of the team as quickly as possible.  Setting up some one-on-one time with each of their co-workers so everyone can get to know one another.  You can provide them a list of potential questions they may want to ask their co-workers but also leave some room for them to ask what is important to them.  And it should not be a one-way conversation.  The existing team members need to find out about their new colleagues as well.  If there are some people that will be working more closely with the new colleague, have them spend even more time.  I get that we're all busy but if this person does not feel successful or appreciated and they leave we are ALL going to be even busier covering that position until the next new person can start.  That could be months depending on the position.  Plus, we have all been the "new person" and we know how it feels to be trying to learn names, titles, procedures, and (oh by the way!) the new job that they were hired for.   

 

Having a feeling that your contributions matter is important as well.  Whether you are a new person or have been there for years, you should want to contribute to making things better.  A couple ways of doing that include: 

• Before anyone speaks about how to address an issue, take a few moments to have each person write down their thoughts, and then have everyone read out their thoughts.   
• Some of us introverts need some time to think about what we are going to say 
• If the extroverts start talking first there may not be air in the room for a differing opinion which could be a detriment to addressing the issue. 
• If there are several ways to address the issues, have each person vote with no abstentions.  You may not get things addressed the way you want but if this is a consistent manner of handling tasks those on the opposing side have a better chance of buying in if they know that they will have other opportunities in the future. 

 

I cannot say enough about how important working for a great boss is.  Having worked for several that were great and several that were....not, I find it really contributes to the overall atmosphere of the team.  Someone that explains the "Why" of a situation and not just the "What."  There are times when we don't always get the "Why," even from the good ones, but putting things into context helps the team with embracing changes. 

 

I am currently working on a 90+% remote team.  Being a remote worker has its benefits and drawbacks.  When new people join these things are even more important.  New people want to be seen as team players.  But it is up to all of the experienced members of the team to make them feel welcomed and be willing and able to either answer their questions of pointing them in the right direction.  When I joined the team, it was over 4 months before I had met any of my co-workers in person.  This makes me so thankful for the fact that we can use video chats to get to know people.  Having the technology to have conversations where you can see as well as talk to each other makes a world of difference.  When we do get together it is like we have been working side-by-side and we have some great conversations. 

 

With the travel restrictions that are ongoing, some of my new colleagues will have their first work anniversary before they meet anyone in person.  When we finally are all able to get together, those relationships will grow even stronger.