Being Happy at Work

I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning about how the executives and board members of companies that make food products, or are in the restaurant business, often sample those products before they are brought out to the market.

A lot of research and testing done before that, of course, but one of the things that I noted was how everyone in the pictures that they took of these executives, everyone was smiling. They all had these big grins on their faces as they were tasting a Super Pretzel, a Krispy Kreme doughnut, or whatever else the company made. It made me wonder if I should go into the food business, but am I as happy as the people in those pictures?

I looked at my job and I can confidently say I am, but I’m aware that there are many people who aren’t happy at work, and if that describes you, consider a few options.

The first is to try to identify what the gap is. Is there a misalignment in values between yours and the employer, do you just not like the kind of work you’re doing, or what’s causing that unhappiness? If it’s a matter of values you might consider another opportunity.

The second thing you might do is to check around and see if other people are unhappy as well, and if that may tell you more about that entire company, not just the job itself.

And the third thing is to explore other options. The kind of blue sky, “what would you do if you could do anything you want?” kind of thinking.

You do deserve to be happy at work no matter what you’re doing, and I personally hope you are.

Question: I’d love to hear from you—what have you done to boost your happiness at work, or to help others find it? Feel free to share an idea or experience in the comments.