(ok, still another post to go before I talk about my personal happiness)
Remember the previous happiness post… 50% of your happiness genetically based, 10% from circumstances… with 40% based on actions/activities that we control? Now lets look at work happiness… picture these two factory floor cultures:
Twenty+ years have passed. Since I worked in the manufacturing plant ahead of its’ time. World class safety, quality, productivity… and excellent morale on the factory floor. It was a “pay for skills” plant. The more skills you learned, the more equipment you were certified on, the more places you could flexibly move to in the plant… the higher your hourly wage. It was a “Star Leadership” plant too. Self directed workforce, eliminating direct supervision… High Performance Work Teams in action. Employees on the floor rotating leadership responsibility for HR issues, financials, quality, etc.
I viewed the pay for skills strategy we built into that facility from the financial perspective. More skills, more flexibility powered more productivity. Productivity we could share with the employees thru higher wages. At the time, I never thought of the happiness impact. That crucial 40% of happiness based on actions/activities. We freed the factory workers to make choices. We gave them incentives to maximize their pay, but also to maximize their happiness. Impact that 40%… learn, grow, vary their work day. Do new things routinely.
Then my last plant. Welcome to you job (punch press operator). Run this machine. Or, in some instances, the machine runs you. All… day… long. Day after day, week after week, month after month. Sure, eventually you could bid out to another job. And then, run another machine. All… day… long. Day after day, week after week, month after month. Till maybe, someday you bid out again to do something else. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
For the latter plant, their 50% of genetic happiness was of course locked in. The 10% of happiness was the circumstances they found themselves working in… this plant. The other 40%? Sadly, by the nature of the culture, the actions/activities options were vastly reduced. Stripped away for all but the most persistent. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Compare the two happiness cultures. Bothe plants hd the same 50% genetic happiness locked in. The 10% happiness from work circumstances were much better at the first plant. But the key 40%, was also far, far superior at the first plant. Freedom to choose, to learn, to grow, to have the chance to apply a wide variety of skills. Every day, something new.
I pity the poor immigrant factory worker
Whose strength is spent in vain
Whose heaven is like Ironsides
Whose tears are like rain
Who eats but is not satisfied
Who hears but does not see
Who falls in love with wealth itself
And turns his back on me — Bob Dylan