From pressure at work to pleasure at work

A client asked me to put together a box where I had to focus on the shift from pressure at work to more pleasure at work. This was so inspiring to do, it made me want to write about it in this month’s blog. I think it’s great to see that companies are working on this. Companies and people are finally taking their employees, work happiness, and company culture seriously. With Out of My Boxes I want to support these companies, create more gratitude for the work employees do for a company. With that in mind, I started my company so that together we can make that change.

How do you keep workload and job happiness balanced?

In 2018, one-third of Dutch employees reported experiencing high workloads. I think we all experience a high workload from time to time. That in itself isn’t strange or bad. It gets annoying when it’s a permanent feeling and makes you dread working. In 2018, employees indicated that their workload felt like it was too high because of:

– Having to do a lot of work (46.3%)
– Having to work very fast (36.4%)
– Having to work extra hard (30.5%)

Let’s face it, because of Covid-19, these numbers have gotten higher rather than lower. So employees could use some help boosting their happiness at work. Did you know that helpfulness from team leaders/organization leads to better organizational performance, productivity, and creativity within the team? That’s why today I’m sharing a few tips on changing work pressure to job happiness!

Employee vitality, how important is it for your business?

Happiness at work is a piece of your employees’ vitality. By now almost everyone knows that this isn’t only about the physical aspect, but also about the mental aspect. These two parts of our vitality interact with each other. The better our mental health is, the more we can handle physically. Without frustrations or worry, we can better handle those workload surges. Vital employees have a clear head, and motivate and inspire others. As a company, you can contribute to the wellbeing of your employees, helping them find more happiness at work.

What determines happiness at work – 8 pillars

What exactly happiness at work looks like is different for everyone. Everybody has something else that makes them happy. But Monitoring group has designed a model with a number of pillars on happiness at work. This not only helps you to see where your company is at; it also shows you can increase the happiness of your employees.

• Trust. How do you show that you trust your people? Give your employees the confidence that they can do something independently and also challenge them at all times. You can do this by giving them a certain task or project, or by letting them work independently.
• Fun. How do you make sure that people enjoy their work and workspace, and that they feel comfortable enough to relax and laugh at work? You create some fun on the workplace by organizing get-togethers such as a weekly team lunch, a relaxing moment at the coffee machine, and/or team building activities. Make sure you do this on a monthly basis and as a team to keep the teamwork spirit high.
• Connection. How do you connect people to each other and to the organization’s goals? Ask your colleagues. Send them an email asking them how they experience connection on the work floor. Connection is created by working on the same project, seeing each other face to face, and being alright with taking on a vulnerable stance within the team. This happens especially during the more informal moments at work, such as during lunch, when sharing peer-to-peer experiences, or while on a short coffee break at the coffee machine.
• Meaningfulness. How do you give people the feeling that their work contributes to something beautiful, good or important? Meaningfulness to me is the search for value, meaning and the purpose of your work. Meaningfulness really has an active charge in that respect. So how do you get your employees to take on the same mentality and role with their colleagues, to improve the overall happiness at the office? There are numerous possibilities for this but gratitude, happiness at work and team building are the most important. Thanking your employees with a bouquet of beautiful flowers, a chocolate surprise left on the desk closing in on a deal, or a nice event as a kickoff for your new goals will be greatly appreciated!
• Appreciation. How do you show that you appreciate the efforts your people put into work? Salary is an important way of showing your appreciation, but sincere compliments are even more important. People want to feel seen and heard. So express your appreciation: “This work is really made for you”; “Your presentation was really excellent yesterday”; “You’re a real winner”; “Keep up the good work”.
• Autonomy. How do you show that your colleagues can decide for themselves how they do their work? Guidance on how best to do your work is important, but more important is showing that you have faith in your team and/or employees by letting them discover their own way of working. With this, listening to your employees, their needs and concerns, is key to increase job satisfaction.
• Competence. How do you make sure people continue developing and using their talents? Challenge them. Let them carry out new projects/assignments. Today’s millennials are all about learning – that’s the trend now. Do you want to create job happiness? Then challenge them, to take that step, to step out of their comfort zone and grow.
• Satisfaction. How do you make your colleagues feel like they’re on a role and doing a good job? Start the day with a morning meeting and write on the board what you want to have done that same day. After the catered afternoon lunch, discuss again where you are and what you plan to have done that day. At the end of the day, reward the team for their hard work and end the workday. 

Conclusion: As a company, you can certainly do something to ensure that the experience at work changes from pressure to having fun and enjoying work. Not necessarily by alleviating work pressure surges, but by investing in work happiness. Curious how I can help you with that? Together we can discuss the possibilities and see what fits your company.