Do you believe that a happy employee is a better employee? It’s true – a happy employee is much more likely to be more productive, more dedicated, and more loyal. It’s your responsibility at the leader/manager to understand what makes your employees happy. Considering that the phrase “happy employee” can be interpreted in different ways, so it’s up to you to figure out what’s true for different individuals. How do you do that? Simple – talk to your employees. Even though ideally this conversation should first take place during the person’s job interview, it’s never too late to start talking.
Although there are many components to a person’s happiness, this week’s blog will address the satisfaction brought on by meaning. Humans have an intrinsic need to find meaning – meaning in the world around us, our lives, what we do, and ultimately ourselves. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that people who see their work as meaningful, will be much more fulfilled (and happy) with what they do.
Your task is to first find out what’s meaningful to an employee, and then to help that employee find meaning in what they do. Daunting as this mission may appear, it can be accomplished fairly easily. Once again, open and ongoing communications are a crucial part of our success (this is an ongoing task, not a one shot deal). Each employee must understand the importance of what they do each and every day that they show up for work, and how that fits into the greater picture of the company as a whole. There is a reason for the existence of every single position within your company (or at least there really should be). You have to make sure that your employee knows that reason and is able to understand how he contributes to the overall success of the company. It’s that kind of ongoing contribution that brings meaning to what we do.
