How To Reduce the Joy Gap at Work?

There's a struggle in the pursuit of happiness and joy at work. Happiness is a comprehensive evaluation of how we feel about our life and how we connect with other people. On the other hand, joy is an intense momentary experience of a positive emotion, which includes those little moments that make you feel genuine wellness.

We're challenged amid a pandemic to find happiness because many of the things we used to enjoy are hard to access right now. We can also feel guilty of experiencing joy in a time like this where there's a lot of tragedy and struggles around us.

Offices should be places that feel engaging and stimulating positively. According to Harvard Business Review, "In any team environment, joy arises from a combination of harmony, impact, and acknowledgment — all of which business leaders can engender in their organizations."

This is why so many workplaces have adapted to these needs bringing outside in making spaces more open, breathable, and colorful. The companies in the world with the best work environment don't look like offices anymore. Instead, many of them resemble gorgeous homes to live in.

Also read: 5 MYTHS THAT DEFINE PRODUCTIVITY AND AFFECT YOUR WORK RATE

There is a 2018 study that was done by A.T. Kearney, which talks about how there is an expectation from the leadership teams today that the employees should feel happiness or joy at work. But the reality is just 35% of them feel joy at work, which means there's a massive 65% of the employees who are not happy.

Human nature intrinsically seeks joy, a sense of purpose, and connection with their work and the people they work with. When employers don't provide the right kind of environment for employees to feel connected, disengagement is the outcome. These are the three elements needed in an organization to making joy a priority at work:

Harmony

It is all about how you work well with teams and how you're clear about your role, functions, and responsibilities. If there's no overlap in the parts, that is one of the critical factors of employee engagement.

Impact

The outcomes of an organization's dynamics are essential because you know how your talent is being utilized in the organization, how your work or the day-to-day tasks impact the business outcomes, and how it creates value for the organization. Is there a proper mapping between your skillset and competencies and the work that you are doing? Recognize the role you are playing within the team. Companies need to create that collaborative environment where people jointly own the success.

Acknowledgment

Recognition is the most important element because you're creating a collaborative environment where there is shared ownership of outcomes, and there are celebrations of success. There are proper rewards and recognition mechanisms. However, companies must recognize everyone's contributions.

Employers can address several organizational challenges and employee disengagement elements with three things: the proper organization design, the right culture, and the right goal management framework. If companies want to create a workplace with engaged employees, it's essential to address several of these embedded challenges and find proper solutions.