The 3-Part Formula for a Happy Employee

The 3-Part Formula for a Happy Employee

The 3-Part Formula for a Happy Employee: The past weekend was full of holiday events with people in my life I met through work, who have now become friends. At one time or another many of the guests at an open house all worked at the same company, which was led at that time by the party host. Now we’re at different organizations, some still employees, some consulting and others are entrepreneurs.

As we shared experiences and compared notes, it became clear that some people were working in environments that helped them thrive and feel very positive about their jobs. Others fled constrained and misunderstood by their company leadership.

I was reading an article on AdAge.com about the best companies in their industry to work for, and what set them apart from the others. The piece states, “employees who adore their bosses, understand their company’s vision and feel valued.” It’s so simple but yet extremely complex, too.

We know that the most important factor in whether someone is happy at their job is ‘social connection.’ The relationships you have with your coworkers. And the relationship with your boss is the most important one relationship there is regarding whether you will be a happy worker. If you work for a crappy boss, your chances of happiness at work are far lower than the average.

Understanding the company’s vision is one where a lot of publicly traded companies lose the employee’s admiration. They are so focused on Wall Street and shareholder value that employees and customers are secondary. And trust. They can tell. And if you ever have a question about that you can check social media. Customers will let you know whether things are going well or not. And if customers aren’t happy, neither are the employees.

The last component is feeling valued. That one pretty much goes says it all. You want to feel like your contributions matter to the over result. That your experience and insight make a difference. At least that’s how I feel. And the research confirms it. If only more companies could get this right.

Do you have those three components at your job?

READ MORE: 20 Simple Acts of Kindness for Work