Joyful Noise

Do you find joy in your job? I’m not asking if you like your job, but if you find joy in the basic, at the heart of your job. When you started your professional life, I bet there was a part of you that really desired or even felt that being joyful, positive, or happy about going to work was what you wanted. You worked hard to earn that license, proud of the accomplishment, and you were ready to take on the world.

Since then, have you lost that spark, the attitude, the…joy?

 The positive outlook and desire to go to work is essential for ultimate job satisfaction. It increases your productivity, innovation, and performance at work (Manion, 2003). How you get to that joy at work can take many paths which will require you to do some self-reflection on your current job. Then you will have to do some work if where you are currently is not where you want to be ultimately.

Middaugh (2014) looked at joy at work and noted that people feel once they become successful, they will be happy. I am not sure that thought is entirely correct. Yes, becoming successful in your position does bring around a sense of pride, of accomplishment, of fulfilling a need to be valued. That alone, I believe, is not  going to guarantee joy at work.

The foundation of joy according to Middaugh (2014) though is supportable from the experiences I have had in a professional career. First you set out to create a work environment where you like going to work. Building a great team, defining the roles, looking for the right people for the team, and setting a vision all encourage positive work environments. You need to foster or create a work environment where you know you will enjoy working. Dreading to come to work, or to face daily challenges and not improving them does not support your goal.

Choosing to work for the right organization for you is another aspect of finding joy at work according to Middaugh (2014). The simple task of finding the organization whose mission, core values, and culture can seem impossible at times. Networking with colleagues, talking with other professionals in the organization other than nurses, looking at the strategic plan of the organization, and observing where they invest their resources are great indicators of what the organization values. If what you see is not what you want in an organization, then look for another organization.

Building strong interpersonal relationships helps build better feelings of joy at work (Manion, 2003). When you start to building stronger relationships with peers, both in and out of your profession, you have a sense of connectedness with the organization. Likewise these relationships help during times of crisis or disagreements. When challenges arise and you have an established positive relationship with another colleague, then it is easier to walk through the resolution process to solve the problem. You are more confident in what you know and in the support that you and your colleague are on the same team.

Another great aspect about having a positive outlook on your job and finding your joy at work is that your attitude spreads (Manion, 2003; Middaugh, 2014). A joyful attitude can positively affect your fellow workers and organization. You can be the change in your unit or organization that it needs to take it to the next level of excellence. Imagine if you and your fellow leaders looked forward to coming into work.

So what is stopping your joy at work? Answer these questions:

1. Are you building a positive work culture?
2. Are you working for the correct organization for you values?
3. Are you building strong interpersonal relationships at work?
4. Are you helping to build joy in your organizations?

So what is your next step to create joy at your work? Don’t forget to take a colleague along for this journey. Working on this habit together can really pay dividends.

Leading with you,

Dean

References:

Manion, J. (2003). Joy at work! Creating a positive workplace. Journal of Nursing Administration, 33(12), 652-659.

Middaugh, D. J. (2014). Can there really be joy at work? Medsurg Nursing, 23(2), 131-132.

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