I just listened to Moira Gunn’s interview with Dennis Bakke on IT Conversations, in reference to his new book, “Joy At Work: A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job.” Dennis cuts straight to what it means to be happy at work, that is, to be treated like a human. Humans are joyful when they are put in a position to make decisions that affect the team.
It’s great to have parties, health club memberships, donuts, and competitive vacation plans, but these are all superficial benefits. Real happiness comes from being treated like an individual and given the opportunity to make decisions that add value. Surprisingly enough, people are motivated to work hard when they know their work makes a difference (!!). A company’s culture cannot be the determining factor for successful, happy employees when the culture consists of concerts and outings. Instead, the culture must be infested throughout the traditional decision-makers of an organization—who must stop delegating and start distributing their power. It’s really a mind set.