Aug 20, 2012

Joy At Work?

Joy_framed.jpg
For those who want to be speechless and inspired by work, the place to start is charting a course to create joy at work.

Why joy? Joy is an outcome of doing something that makes you happy. Joy is contagious. It has a force of energy that moves people forward with optimism.


Three things to help with the journey:

Increase freedom
The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint” 

Create purpose
For joy to emerge at work, the team must revisit why it exists and reclaim a shared purpose. It’s a purpose that calls you forward to accomplish something bigger than any one person. 

Align strengths and work
Learn what each person’s strengths are and then shift work around them.

None of the three items above can be thought about alone. They must escape your brain and be shared with your team. To create joy requires a community of committed people: committed to each other, their own growth and a common calling that dares them to be bold in their work.

Joy at work is possible, but you’ll need to shed conventional beliefs about how work is done and the relationship between managers and employees. The very exploration of both can generate joy at work. But you must take the first step and recognize that how things are today is simply not working.

4 comments:

  1. i'm cutting and pasting and printing this out- we are having PD all week with a brand spanking new team of educators....


    xxalainaxx

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  2. Joy, enthusiasm, optimism is there when any job starts but it fades quickly.My husband has always been amazed about all the meetings companies have that accomplish absolutely nothing. And the frustration because of it. The points mentioned here are noteworthy. Particularly, the need to have a 'common calling and a purpose that calls you to accomplish something bigger than any one person.'

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  3. I have found JOY in every job I have had. I also found that every team needs that 'JOY GUY/GAL' to help fan the flames.

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  4. I would say that the Curiosity team at JPL is pretty much the embodiment of this entry!

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