There are Four P's in Happy

Identifying the key ingredients for 9-5 success

Many of us struggle with finding happiness at work; chasing the elusive ideal where all the
elements coexist in perfect balance, providing the balance for our lives.  However, we often find
ourselves at a loss to define exactly what those elements are.  I was searching for my own
happiness when Joanne Gordon’s book, Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why  jumped out at me in the career section of my local library.   

Published in 2004, Be Happy at Work covers the return to career altruism that surfaced in the
post-9/11 career landscape, when people began searching for meaning in their 9-5 beyond just salary.  Although many started that search long before, the 9/11 tragedy really brought home the notion that life is too short and no money can match the value of being happy with your life and
your work.  

The author tells her own story which brought it home for me.  Gordon explains that while working in marketing and advertising a client of hers died suddenly.  Although the gentleman was very
stressed at work it would be conjecture to assume that work related stress was a factor in his
death; however, Gordon took it as her cue to go back to school and pursue her passion for
writing as a career.

While the book encapsulates the happy profiles of 100 women, their stories resonate regardless of gender and encapsulate four common denominators or the Four P’s:

Process:   You’ve got to like what you do and the process of doing it.  “It” can be talking to
people, crunching numbers, writing, working with your hands, driving, singing, or making the
donuts – happy workers find joy in “it”.  There’s a comfort and a rhythm in the day to day tasks
that add to the happiness, without it the job loses some of its luster.  For example, a manager
responsible for the tactical execution gets bumped up to the next level where they strategize
instead of execute.  The happiness factor goes down as a result.  Identifying those things that
make you whistle while you work is a good starting point.

Purpose:  The mission, the meaning, the ultimate goal of what you do matters, too. Lately,
people want to feel good about why they do what they do.  What purpose does it serve?  Does it provide a service, fill a need, or make someone’s life better?  Each of Gordon’s “Happy 100”
found something with a purpose they could get behind.  Whether it’s providing safety instruction, making great soundtracks for the movies, teaching children how to read or feeding the hungry,
the purpose is of your work is just as important as the process… and the people.

People:  Employees often spend more time at work than at home.  Eight or more hours per day -- whether working in an office, in a cubicle or travelling side by side by train, plane or automobile – is a long time to spend with people you don’t like or respect.  Therefore, the company you keep, no pun intended, can have profound impact on your job satisfaction.  When employees get a along with their customers, coworkers and bosses the happiness quotient multiplies.

Proactive: Whether you’re evaluating a job offer or just taking stock of your current situation,
keep process, purpose and people in mind.  Then the final step is being proactive in creating
your own happiness at work.  Do your homework; figure out what you want, what works and
what doesn’t.  Talk to your boss; seek out a career coach, or a mentor. Start investigating other
companies, jobs, industries that have the right balance – then advisedly make your move. 

Keep these four P’s in mind as you take control of your job situation or career.  Knowing what
makes you happy is a great place to start.

Social Media or Digital Schizophrenia: Dooce, The Stripper and LinkedIn

Heather Armstrong vented about her boss on her blog and got fired. She was totally within her right to exercise freedom of expression, but still she was fired for exercising that freedom in a digital form. (The irony: she may have been right about her boss, otherwise she might still be employed.)

How about the NYC public school teacher who recently blogged about her experience as a prostitute before she became an elementary school teacher? Mayor Bloomberg himself yanked her out of the classroom.

Take LinkedIn… if you are linked to your boss you may be limited in the amount of open digital networking you can do. Worse yet, human resource professionals regularly scout their employees LinkedIn pages. While the scouting may be innocent, can frequent updates to your profile trigger a call from HR with a pink slip? What if your boss or HR team Googles you – what will they find? Do you really want your HR exec following you on Twitter?

What I really don’t like is when companies go gung-ho about social media and insist that you identify yourself with the company digitally. Think about it… Is your current job your “identity”? Nothing is forever, right? If you should ever leave the company, can you de-twitter, un-link and dis-like your company? Probably not as easy as hitting the delete button, I suspect.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article the author explained the need for a positive electronic identity - an alter-ego, an elecronic Clark Kent for whom no mardi-gras, or jello shots videos exist. Creating a digital dossier that presents you in a positive light is fine for most of us – especially when you’re looking for a job and you need to convey a professional image. But I maintain that its virtually impossible to keep Superman separate from Clark Kent.  Even the best superhero struggles to keep the two worlds separate (well, maybe except for Tony Stark, but he's different.) 

In real life, its just not that easy.  For example, let's say your latest Facebook post announces that you’re currently shopping your screenplay to Hollywood movie studios and you have a deal pending. That seems like an innocent post, but your current employer could take that as a signal that you’ll be leaving soon, or as an explanation for your extension’s recent increase in phone calls to the coast.

Clearly, I have a problem with the whole digital thing. I just can’t figure out how you can be your whole, authentic self online unless you are self-employed, independently wealthy or otherwise financially secure. But then again if you are wholly authentic, self-employed, independently wealthy and otherwise financially secure, should you really be posting your life’s details online?

As my Mom said when she found (and read) my diary when I was 14, don’t put anything in writing that you wouldn’t want anyone else to read.