We spend a large portion of our lives in the office. So wouldn’t it be wonderful to feel joyful while we’re there? It might seem like an unachievable goal. But according to author Alex Liu, it is possible to instill joy in the workplace. Managers simply need to incorporate three things into the work environment:

  1. Harmony – Each person on a team has certain things that he or she excels at. If those strengths are utilized, and everyone can work together to achieve something greater than they can on their own, it’s a wonderful feeling. But to achieve this type of harmony, managers need to encourage team members to play to their strengths. Team members need to understand what’s expected of them. And everyone needs to trust each other, and value each other’s efforts.
  2. Impact – It’s important for employees to know that their contributions are vital to the success of the team. They need to understand that they’re truly contributing to the team’s achievements. Accomplishing a challenging task as a team, and knowing that your efforts had a positive impact is incredibly rewarding.
  3. Acknowledgement – It’s important to celebrate a team’s successes. And when team members are acknowledged for their efforts (both by managers and fellow team members), it can further enhance their feelings of joy and accomplishment.

Liu, A. (2019, July 17). Making joy a priority at work. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2019/07/making-joy-a-priority-at-work