Are You Happy At Work? 12 Questions To Ask Yourself

Every Thursday is Tip Day.
This Thursday: 12 tips to create a happier (and more productive) workplace.

I just finished First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. I'd heard about it for years, but I didn't actually pick up a copy until a smart friend told me to read it.

The authors did a study with the Gallup Organization to find a way, among other things, to measure strong workplaces, ones that would attract and retain the most productive employees.

They came up with a list of twelve questions, where, if employees answered "yes" and were happier in their workplaces, they tended to work in business units with higher levels of productivity, profit, retention, and customer satisfaction - which shows that there is a link between how employees feel and how they perform.

This is a good list to use if you're a manager who wants to create a happier and more productive work environment, or if you're a job seeker/holder who wants criteria by which to judge a workplace.

Also, if you're not happy at work, and you're trying to Identify the problem, take a look at this list. It suggests strategies for improving your situation. Not everything is within your control, of course, but perhaps you could identify for your boss what you need to change #2 from "no" to "yes" or to shift responsibilities so you get #3. Or can you make an effort to gain #10?

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel like my work is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work? [But don't have an office affair!]
11. In the last six months, have I talked with someone about my progress?
12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

The first six questions have the strongest links to business outcomes (productivity, profitability, retention, and customer satisfaction).

I was also interested to see that the study suggested that people's opinions of their workplaces are more determined by their immediate manager than by the overall company. It was their direct manager - not money, benefits, perks, or a charismatic leader at the top - that was the critical element for people.

* I always find something interesting to read at The Art of Non-Conformity.

* New to the Happiness Project? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed. Or sign up to get email updates in the Feedblitz box near the top right-hand corner of my blog.

Comments

[community1]

To help you with employment issues, the following may interest you:

10 Stressful Jobs That Are Worth It
http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2009/08/10-stressful-jobs-that-are-worth-it.html

10 Top Questions To Ask In Job Interview
http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2009/08/10-top-questions-to-ask-in-job-interview.html

8 Tips Using Twitter, Facebook For Your Job Search
http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2009/08/-8-tips-using-twitter-facebook-for-your-job-search.html

20 Jobs That Earn $20 An Hour
http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2009/08/20-jobs-that-earn-20-an-hour.html

5 Ways Companies Mistreat Job Seekers
http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2009/08/5-ways-companies-mistreat-job-seekers.html

[brooklyncitizen]

Are you supposed to be happy at work?

[LMurphy418]

Let's see... I'm unemployed and searching for a job. Honestly, the last thing I'm thinking about is if I'm happy at work. I can think if I would be happy at my job I was laid off from. I do not believe this article was appropriate for the times. Maybe a few years ago but now? Nope.

[brooklyncitizen]

Agreed.

[TomZart]

LABOR


Our workers are our saviors
The redeemers of every race.
From those who built the pyramids
To the rockets for outer space.

With our fingers weary and worn
And our eyelids heavy and red
We feel we've earned God's blessings
As we lay down our sleepy head.

After death there’ll be lots of rest
Though the living must suffer toil
For every thing that man must have
Comes from the air, the sea and soil.

"Yes" labor is part of life on earth
For without it we make no gains.
By work we receive life's rewards
As fortunes are made by our pains.


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[wietog]

Here are the REAL 12 questions to ask:

1) Is my boss an a-hole?
2) Am I smarter than my superiors?
3) Are executive decisions being made based on ego?
4) Is the company being run by the founder's son? (run!)
5) Is there any level of sexual discrimination going on?
6) Do I trust HR?
7) Can I open the window(s)? Is there a window?
8) Do I have at least a month of vacation time?
9) Am I being paid what I'm worth?
10) Am I able to use my talents and expertise or do I find that I have to fight and strategize just to get my work done?
11) Does the top half of the company look down on the other half?
12) Am I being micromanaged?

And here are a few bonus questions:

13) Am I able and supported to contribute to the company's success or is the environment structured to favor those who are self-serving?
14) Are our customers and vendors respected?
15) Are the executives wasting money on themselves?
16) Is efficiency a priority?
17) Are there private bathrooms (stalls are for livestock)?
18) Do I get a decent break to eat and be human every day?
19) Am I treated like a servant or adolescent or am I respected and valued?
20) Am I getting anywhere?

[MsCanuck]

Numbers 12 and 19 are soooo true.

[lmvd3]

Oh yes, Number 19 is a good one.

[DixieMelody]

Just my opinion, but much better and more relatable than those in the article.

[makesmewonder]

You have really nailed it with your list. Questions #2 and 12 reveal why a lot of companies lose their best talent.

[VA Jill]

These were the exact questions asked in our most recent "employee satisfaction survey" in the large healthcare concern where I am employed. I don't think most of us are so very happy there, but most of the reasons are personal and not business. It's about on par with anyplace else I've worked, on personal terms at least, but the benefits are pretty good, which is why a lot of us have to stay.

[NewDem08]

Interesting. They must be standard questions - we were asked the identical questions at the large healthcare org. where I used to work. It was such a joke. Senior management had meetings with all of us to "massage" our answers and brainstorm what to say. Apparently positive numbers influenced pay or budget or something for them.

I didn't know a single individual who liked working there, and the turnover was constant. I still get an anxious feeling in my stomach whenever I drive past the buiding!

[jamiroquai0]

yeah right.