Happy? At WORK?

Can it be? Is it possible to utter those three words in the same sentence? HAPPY AT WORK????

As a transformational consultant, I work with quite a few different kinds of clients , so I get to see lots of different ways people look at their jobs. A couple of weeks ago I did a keynote presentation for a group of telephone workers. The presentation they chose from a list I provided them was "It Doesn't Have to be a Dilbert World" where we compared the world of Dilbert with a Good to Great workplace.

It's always interesting to me how people, no matter what occupation or what length of time they're been in the workforce, can always relate to Dilbert. Why is that? Haven't we learned enough yet to get rid of that mentality?

Maybe it's lucky for me we haven't, because the belief that things can be different is what keeps me employed. In order for there to be "different," there has to be something to compare, so for now it's a good thing, I guess.

Alexander Kjerulf has built a business on the belief that people can be happy at work. And not many people are as happy as Alex, so he must be on to something. Josh Williams believes that the best way he can be happy at work is to be his own boss, so he's chronicling his adventures at his blog The Happy Secret.

I'm of the firm belief that people really can be happy when they realize that their happiness is a choice they can make right now, in spite of (or perhaps because of) their circumstances.

Although I can't understand the language, there is a really fun video project out there called Happy at Work - I think it's from Belgium. If you want to see some people who choose to be happy, check this out. Even though I can't understand what he's saying, I get the message - we can all be happy no matter what we're doing!



Do you know people who really are happy at work? Let's start a meme here highlighting those organizations and individuals instead of the Dilbert ones!!