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How to Be Happy at Work: The Power of Purpose, Hope, and Friendship
Life's too short to be unhappy at work "I'm working harder than I ever have, and I don't know if it's worth it anymore." If you're a manager or leader, these words have probably run through your mind. So many of us are feeling fed up, burned out, and unhappy at the constant pressure and stress, the unending changes, the politics--people feel as though they can't give much more, and performance is suffering. But it's work , after all, right? Should we even expect to be fulfilled and happy at work? Yes, we should , says Annie McKee, coauthor of the bestselling Primal Leadership . In her new transformative book, she makes the most compelling case yet that happiness--and the full engagement that comes with it--is more important than ever in today's workplace, and she sheds new light on the powerful relationship of happiness to individual, team, and organizational success. Based on extensive research and decades of experience with leaders, this book reveals that people must have three essential elements in order to be happy at
272 pages, Paperback
Published September 11, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 5, 2018
Emotionally intelligent norms of resonant teams: Seek to understand each other's viewpoints and feelings; Actively care for people; Respect and accept people for who they are; Connect with people around a higher purpose and dreams; Engage in open, honest dialogue; Don't shy away from conflict, but don't harm people or relationships; Be reliable and consistent to build trust; Take the lead, and also be a good follower, and; Celebrate success. Norms that support a sense of belonging: Create a shared language, special ways of describing your work, values, and goals; Create team traditions and rituals, e.g. ways of celebrating team success or mark special occasions; Share playful times and fun; Talk with one another, and not at one another; Get to know each other personally, and; Find something to care about, and love, in everyone.
July 2, 2019
There's lots of good information in here, and some of it is immediately helpful. I really feel like this should've been divided into two books because there's so many points that are touched upon, but she doesn't really give ample time to discuss them. It ends up feeling both not long enough - because there's more to be said - and too long, because she just adds more and more lightly-touched subjects.
January 27, 2018
This is basically a book about how to approach work in a way that is holistic and integrated into our lives. The underlying questions that drive the book are "what does fulfilling work look like?" and "what are the reasons that we do anything at all?" So there's good food for thought regarding the question of work for human flourishing, and also even the formulation of a theology of work. One concrete area where there are possible applications is the classroom. Teaching and learning, after all, constitute the nurturing of a work culture toward particular, specific ends.
Also important to a healthy work culture is the idea that rigor should coexist with a sense of play. Rigor, after all, does not inherently mean drudgery, just as truth (in the observations of G.K. Chesterton) need not be separable from humor. A sense of play is important for creativity-- that's when the ideas really flow-- and discipline exists for a higher purpose, not for its own sake. We often learn more effectively when we are in an environment where we are unafraid to make mistakes, where we make room for others; where we could be tossed in the deep end in doing some serious grappling, but we're still having way too much fun to care.
Also important to a healthy work culture is the idea that rigor should coexist with a sense of play. Rigor, after all, does not inherently mean drudgery, just as truth (in the observations of G.K. Chesterton) need not be separable from humor. A sense of play is important for creativity-- that's when the ideas really flow-- and discipline exists for a higher purpose, not for its own sake. We often learn more effectively when we are in an environment where we are unafraid to make mistakes, where we make room for others; where we could be tossed in the deep end in doing some serious grappling, but we're still having way too much fun to care.
January 4, 2022
Written by an author who admire as a human being, this book dispels many of the myths in the workplace. The big one for me is friendships in the workplace - historically discouraged but McKee gives us enough reasons to pursue such friendships. A motivating book on not only why it’s important to be happy at work but how to go about achieving it.
May 29, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book. While possibly lofty in its goals, it does speak to be basic needs for feeling fulfilled in the workplace while encouraging ownership in making certain you find those needs. I recommend also as a resource on building team culture. The book has useful exercises that attempt to bring the ideals of this book to earth in a practical way but does lack some details on acting out pretty difficult ideals in the workplace.
March 30, 2018
This had a lot of practical advice and questions to think about in our work lives.
February 11, 2018
Happy at work? Pigs on the runway? Actually, it's a challenging subject. We spend enough of our days working and this is a serious research-based look at the ingredients that make us feel good about going to work each morning. Basically broken down into three areas. Does our work have a purpose that we can value? Do we feel hopeful that our actions can make a difference? Do we connect with people in a positive way? (This area has tended be overlooked - the traditional view is that we go to our work to work and not to make friends. But, the science now recognises that we are profoundly social creatures and our relationships make a critical difference to our well-being - at home and work).
What can we do? Well, as in all things psychological, it's a choice. We can go to work and focus on bad things and be miserable and rude, or we can choose to be different. Maybe it's not rocket science!
As a boss, the challenge is how I make these things happen for me, and for people who work for me. I do try! But it's always a work in progress. It's a big challenge because stress can wear us out and make us cynical - this is also discussed. The book's author appears wise, grounded and mostly insightful about the challenges. The research is solidly presented, sometimes perhaps a little too stolidly. It is aimed as a self-help book for individuals with some interesting practical exercises. But maybe individuals also need the organisation to be on board with some of these issues if they are going to have an impact. Definitely worth a read.
What can we do? Well, as in all things psychological, it's a choice. We can go to work and focus on bad things and be miserable and rude, or we can choose to be different. Maybe it's not rocket science!
As a boss, the challenge is how I make these things happen for me, and for people who work for me. I do try! But it's always a work in progress. It's a big challenge because stress can wear us out and make us cynical - this is also discussed. The book's author appears wise, grounded and mostly insightful about the challenges. The research is solidly presented, sometimes perhaps a little too stolidly. It is aimed as a self-help book for individuals with some interesting practical exercises. But maybe individuals also need the organisation to be on board with some of these issues if they are going to have an impact. Definitely worth a read.
October 13, 2017
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/ar...
Life is too short to be unhappy at work.
The best leaders in our organizations, at the very top and all the way down to the shop floor, understand that people matter, feelings matter, and it’s job number one to create a climate where people feel good about what they’re doing where they’re happy, engaged and ready to share their talents.
If we want our employees to be at their best, we need to care about their emotional well-being as well as their physical well-being.
3 things that matters at work:
#1 People need to feel that they are making a +ve impact on something that's important to them i.e. they need to feel their work is purposeful, and it's tied to values they care about.
#2 Optimism that work is tied to a personal vision of the future. The organization’s vision isn’t enough. As good as it may be, we have to know that what we’re doing ties to a personal vision of our future.
#3 Friends at work. Belonging to a tribe. We’re with people that we respect and who respect us in return. We need warmth, we need caring, and we need to feel supported.
"We do need to know that what we do matters at work, that we are doing something that is tied to our future, and that the people we work with are great."
Happiness trap at work:
1. "Should" trap instead of authentic motivation (cf. ignoring the source within; devaluing happiness).
2. Ambition trap (cf. Raj Raghunathan's concept of chasing superiority; external scorecard vs inner scorecard).
3. Helplessness trap (cf. being overly needy; distrusting life).
"What choices can we make in the middle of that culture? We don’t have to be victims of our organizational culture, and we don’t have to be victims of that bad boss you might have or maybe you’ve had in the past. We can make choices about what we do with our time, our energy and our emotional stance."
"We still need to feel like we belong, we need to feel that we’re cared for, and we need to be able to care for others in return. If we’re working far away, we’ve got to take extra time and make a concerted effort to build those relationships in a different kind of way than if we’re in person."
See Oprah Winfrey's interview with Howard Schultz of Starbucks on creating a company culture:
https://youtu.be/ltkJ5mGHd1I
Life is too short to be unhappy at work.
The best leaders in our organizations, at the very top and all the way down to the shop floor, understand that people matter, feelings matter, and it’s job number one to create a climate where people feel good about what they’re doing where they’re happy, engaged and ready to share their talents.
If we want our employees to be at their best, we need to care about their emotional well-being as well as their physical well-being.
3 things that matters at work:
#1 People need to feel that they are making a +ve impact on something that's important to them i.e. they need to feel their work is purposeful, and it's tied to values they care about.
#2 Optimism that work is tied to a personal vision of the future. The organization’s vision isn’t enough. As good as it may be, we have to know that what we’re doing ties to a personal vision of our future.
#3 Friends at work. Belonging to a tribe. We’re with people that we respect and who respect us in return. We need warmth, we need caring, and we need to feel supported.
"We do need to know that what we do matters at work, that we are doing something that is tied to our future, and that the people we work with are great."
Happiness trap at work:
1. "Should" trap instead of authentic motivation (cf. ignoring the source within; devaluing happiness).
2. Ambition trap (cf. Raj Raghunathan's concept of chasing superiority; external scorecard vs inner scorecard).
3. Helplessness trap (cf. being overly needy; distrusting life).
"What choices can we make in the middle of that culture? We don’t have to be victims of our organizational culture, and we don’t have to be victims of that bad boss you might have or maybe you’ve had in the past. We can make choices about what we do with our time, our energy and our emotional stance."
"We still need to feel like we belong, we need to feel that we’re cared for, and we need to be able to care for others in return. If we’re working far away, we’ve got to take extra time and make a concerted effort to build those relationships in a different kind of way than if we’re in person."
See Oprah Winfrey's interview with Howard Schultz of Starbucks on creating a company culture:
https://youtu.be/ltkJ5mGHd1I
April 13, 2018
Yeahhhhhhhh...I’m gonna go ahead and not finish this one. I gave it 100 pages but I can’t swallow one more sentence of idealistic hooey. This was written by one of those “looks like somebody’s got a case of the Monday’s” people. I just know it in my soul.
If you’re really unhappy at work, go ahead and use the time you’d have spent reading this book some other way to make you happy. Apply for jobs. Write a Jerry McGuire style manifesto. Destroy a printer with a baseball bat. Anything. I’m sure it’ll be more productive and satisfying than this book.
If you’re really unhappy at work, go ahead and use the time you’d have spent reading this book some other way to make you happy. Apply for jobs. Write a Jerry McGuire style manifesto. Destroy a printer with a baseball bat. Anything. I’m sure it’ll be more productive and satisfying than this book.
April 14, 2019
I actually saw her speak at the HLC conference in Chicago a few days ago. I bought her book at the conferences. I think one of the best things she talks about in this book is the power of friendships at work. You do need friends in the workplace. I've been lucky that at my current and last previous places of employment, I've had good friends. They make the workplace fun to come to. In addition, even if they're not friends, I enjoy most of the people I work with. I thought McKee's book hit the nail right on the head.
May 20, 2017
I was asked recently by one of my colleagues at work, what would make me quit my job. I tried to think for a few seconds and then I said that I would file my resignation if I am no longer happy at work.
I've seen several studies that indicate that too many of us around the world are expressing dissatisfaction at work one way or the other. Some studies say that 8 out of 10 people are not fully engage at work. This is somehow appalling given that most of are spending almost one-third of our lives in the office or some other form of work setting.
Fortunately, this book addresses the lack of happiness in organizations as well as within ourselves. The title of the book is straight forward, How to Be Happy at Work. At first I thought that this could be about stress management, relaxation, and healthy habits. Then I realized that this is being published by Harvard Business School Press so there could be some business cases here.
After reading the book, I found myself realizing several things that I've never considered before. Things such as hope and developing friendship at work, never became part of my resolve when I want to be happy. I understand that you need to find personal meaningful purpose on what you are doing to be motivated to do your job as I read in one of the articles in HBR but I haven't considered the friendship aspect at work.
This book gives me different stories including that of the author. She came from a very humble beginnings, now I realized, and she is a product of hard work and resilience. I can relate to some of the other stories not because I was in the same situation but due to the fact that I've seen people in similar cases.
If there is one thing that I can take away from this book, it is that I now understand how to develop happiness for me and for others around me. Things would be a lot better to anyone or any organization if people know how to cultivate happiness with each other. This book is inspiring and reading this makes me happy.
I've seen several studies that indicate that too many of us around the world are expressing dissatisfaction at work one way or the other. Some studies say that 8 out of 10 people are not fully engage at work. This is somehow appalling given that most of are spending almost one-third of our lives in the office or some other form of work setting.
Fortunately, this book addresses the lack of happiness in organizations as well as within ourselves. The title of the book is straight forward, How to Be Happy at Work. At first I thought that this could be about stress management, relaxation, and healthy habits. Then I realized that this is being published by Harvard Business School Press so there could be some business cases here.
After reading the book, I found myself realizing several things that I've never considered before. Things such as hope and developing friendship at work, never became part of my resolve when I want to be happy. I understand that you need to find personal meaningful purpose on what you are doing to be motivated to do your job as I read in one of the articles in HBR but I haven't considered the friendship aspect at work.
This book gives me different stories including that of the author. She came from a very humble beginnings, now I realized, and she is a product of hard work and resilience. I can relate to some of the other stories not because I was in the same situation but due to the fact that I've seen people in similar cases.
If there is one thing that I can take away from this book, it is that I now understand how to develop happiness for me and for others around me. Things would be a lot better to anyone or any organization if people know how to cultivate happiness with each other. This book is inspiring and reading this makes me happy.
April 4, 2019
This book is rated way too low for it to be a 3.5 star book. It sounds as if the readers never answered the questions or did the questionnaires that she provided so that they could figure out their current and future work situations better. There is no point in judging the book harshly when (more than likely) you do no work that helps the book be worth reading.
I will give it a 5 just to boost up the rating. However, McKee is not wrong for pointing out how a sense of belonging and happiness at work lead to increased work performance. The book’s listings of her past works with Daniel Golman make me want to check more of his books out, especially when both are emphatic about how emotional intelligence and empathy at work can help employees performance and coexist better.
I love her stories about the Indian doctor name Kali, A woman who nearly lost her daughter in a car accident and, as a result, decided to change her work life and views, and the executive Bruno, even though he was a difficult person to deal with this for his company collapse and ultimately decided to declare him its savior as he was vindicated for its demise way before. I also loved her advice is on how meditation does not have to be a long period activity and how working harder after struggling is not a solution. Unfortunately, my mother never knew anything about the latter part. It shows you who is smart enough to read a good book and who is not, particularly if she disrespects her own parents and treats your twin sister better as a means to intimidate you.
I will give it a 5 just to boost up the rating. However, McKee is not wrong for pointing out how a sense of belonging and happiness at work lead to increased work performance. The book’s listings of her past works with Daniel Golman make me want to check more of his books out, especially when both are emphatic about how emotional intelligence and empathy at work can help employees performance and coexist better.
I love her stories about the Indian doctor name Kali, A woman who nearly lost her daughter in a car accident and, as a result, decided to change her work life and views, and the executive Bruno, even though he was a difficult person to deal with this for his company collapse and ultimately decided to declare him its savior as he was vindicated for its demise way before. I also loved her advice is on how meditation does not have to be a long period activity and how working harder after struggling is not a solution. Unfortunately, my mother never knew anything about the latter part. It shows you who is smart enough to read a good book and who is not, particularly if she disrespects her own parents and treats your twin sister better as a means to intimidate you.
January 21, 2023
Disappointingly mediocre book. While I agree with McKee that happiness at work is important, and her big ideas seemed like reasonable ways to accomplish it, the actually nitty-gritty of this book is well… a bit vague. Yes, it's all well and good to talk about the need for meaning and purpose at work, but when the anecdotes she shares are largely of big, flashy leaders of companies, there's not a lot here for Average Joes to pick up on.
Part of my issue is that the way McKee presents her ideas sounds like she thinks they're totally revolutionary, but yet they all seem pretty much common sense to me. Perhaps what she says is more controversial in the States, but in the UK I don't find too many people saying that they shouldn't have meaning at work, or that it's wrong to be friends with your colleagues. One of McKee's reflection activities asks us, "Consider why you think you shouldn't be friends with your colleagues," as if we'd never thought that maybe being friends with the people we see every day is a good idea…
Essentially, the ideas in this book are sensible enough, but they're written in such a general way, with anecdotes I can't relate to and with reflection ideas that don't fit my situation, so it wasn't any practical use to me.
Part of my issue is that the way McKee presents her ideas sounds like she thinks they're totally revolutionary, but yet they all seem pretty much common sense to me. Perhaps what she says is more controversial in the States, but in the UK I don't find too many people saying that they shouldn't have meaning at work, or that it's wrong to be friends with your colleagues. One of McKee's reflection activities asks us, "Consider why you think you shouldn't be friends with your colleagues," as if we'd never thought that maybe being friends with the people we see every day is a good idea…
Essentially, the ideas in this book are sensible enough, but they're written in such a general way, with anecdotes I can't relate to and with reflection ideas that don't fit my situation, so it wasn't any practical use to me.
February 15, 2021
The activities within the book can be useful, but as a whole, this book comes from a place of privilege even if lip service is given to those who have less. The author talks about how she came from being unhappy in a minimum wage job (implying that if she can do it, anyone can), but then also says that her sister moved 6000 miles to watch her kids while she went to school. This is not an option for many of us. Additionally, she tried to make connections between finding hope at work and Apartheid, bad bosses and the Holocaust, and a child who was in a car accident and being unhappy at your job. These comparisons were at best, tone deaf, and at worst, actively offensive. She also implies that you should stay away from people with clinical depression at work and refers to people with disabilities as "the disabled" (even though person first language is the accepted language for most people).
July 17, 2022
After reading this book , I was able to identify my values : long lasting impact, super competency, efficiency , innovation. These values I care about and want to lead my life though this .
I was able to identify the purpose of my work and meaning of my job . How can I make a difference in my life and make this world a better place .
The tools that I got in my disposal are a) wake up call b) happiness traps such as should rules , denial , hope , friendship at work place , cultivating optimism and nurturing past memories, reframing the challenges.
This book has also made me believe that I have a control over my life to the extent that I can be happy and be successful at the same time . In fact , being happy is a most powerful tool for me to grow intellectually and emotionally. By deafening, we get so many disadvantages, but we ultimately can overcome these obstacles.
I was able to identify the purpose of my work and meaning of my job . How can I make a difference in my life and make this world a better place .
The tools that I got in my disposal are a) wake up call b) happiness traps such as should rules , denial , hope , friendship at work place , cultivating optimism and nurturing past memories, reframing the challenges.
This book has also made me believe that I have a control over my life to the extent that I can be happy and be successful at the same time . In fact , being happy is a most powerful tool for me to grow intellectually and emotionally. By deafening, we get so many disadvantages, but we ultimately can overcome these obstacles.
December 24, 2019
How to Be Happy at Work The Power of Purpose, Hope, and Friendship
Annie McKee
Grade: A-
Tags:
Borrowed Book
First Read
Self Help
This book was lent to me at a time in my life where I've been struggling with my work identity. McKee offers helpful tips and anecdotes of people who were in similar situations. She talks the pros and cons of starting fresh with a new job versus sticking it out and making your situation better at your current job. Overall a good read, but it did take me a long time to get through it. I don't typically read self help titles but I'm glad I was lent this one. I most likely would not reread this but I do feel I will keep the lessons in mind the next time I feel like I'm struggling.
Annie McKee
Grade: A-
Tags:
Borrowed Book
First Read
Self Help
This book was lent to me at a time in my life where I've been struggling with my work identity. McKee offers helpful tips and anecdotes of people who were in similar situations. She talks the pros and cons of starting fresh with a new job versus sticking it out and making your situation better at your current job. Overall a good read, but it did take me a long time to get through it. I don't typically read self help titles but I'm glad I was lent this one. I most likely would not reread this but I do feel I will keep the lessons in mind the next time I feel like I'm struggling.
October 14, 2017
Like other books in this genre, it relies on platitudes about finding your calling and making a job into a lifestyle. Modern work is full of pointing fingers at those not in control and going to the same consultants to convince employees that they know better how work should be done. You cannot take a soul sucking experience and add smiley stickers onto it and state happiness is within. The basic premise is, if you are not happy at work, make work fun and find some friends at the job. In the modern remote office, that is ridiculous. See the Harvard Business Review’s article Lonely at Work
March 23, 2022
This was an impulse purchase at a used book store (not just because I share my maiden name w/ the author) . This was a worthwhile read for me, as I transition into a new position at work next week. Good PD / leadership books help me recalibrate my way of thinking and reset to a more positive attitude at work. I think this book is especially timely considering many of us office workers have spent pretty much two years teleworking full time. Our work relationships have degraded significantly during that time, which impacts productivity, morale, motivation to do a good job, being emotionally invested in our coworkers, and willingness / commitment to stick with an office / team / employer.
June 28, 2022
Awesome book - and an easy read overall. McKee makes some great points that everyone can relate to. Every company that I worked at, where I felt I part of a strong, supportive team were some of the best jobs I ever had. It’s always important to have a vision, a sense of purpose and short and long term goals and I think we all need to be reminded of that! Additionally, the author argues that we should be friends with our coworkers and friendly with our bosses and I agree! It’s also important to stay positive, uplifting and solution oriented. Be sure to have a highlighter or pen and pad close by to take some notes while reading this gem!
April 18, 2024
I read this book for a work book club, and it was great for discussion purposes. Most of the exercises at the ends of the chapters are personal (literally written about your coworkers), so we didn’t all share what we wrote but the questions did help the conversation.
This book is very high-level and inspirational, rather than deep and action-oriented. I was still able to pull a lot of good actions from the book to implement into my work life which I enjoyed.
It can be a quick read or longer if you choose to take part in the exercises, which I recommend doing so!
This book is very high-level and inspirational, rather than deep and action-oriented. I was still able to pull a lot of good actions from the book to implement into my work life which I enjoyed.
It can be a quick read or longer if you choose to take part in the exercises, which I recommend doing so!
September 15, 2019
Good book for wrapping your head around ways to find happiness at work among the noise of dysfunctional behavior. Practical advice and insights into for changing the things you can and finding ways to create your own happiness. I borrowed this book from the library. My advice is you can do that to see if you have an interest intake c if deeper. By that I mean this book has corresponding c a to iTunes in each chapter that help you find depose meaning and strengthen your happiness.
July 2, 2022
My dad picked this out for me lol
Anyway I breezed through it in one sitting and just scanned for the practical tips and read some of the anecdotes — pretty useful and insightful ways to reframe your thinking and adopt in your day-to-day life.
But I do think it’s more suitable / relevant for someone who has been working for a while and feeling disillusioned with life hahaha rather than a fresh grad!
Anyway I breezed through it in one sitting and just scanned for the practical tips and read some of the anecdotes — pretty useful and insightful ways to reframe your thinking and adopt in your day-to-day life.
But I do think it’s more suitable / relevant for someone who has been working for a while and feeling disillusioned with life hahaha rather than a fresh grad!
April 9, 2018
McKee's work, while not necessarily earthshaking, is informing and an affirmation of my current organization/position. Much of what is written here is about emotional intelligence, something that I have read quite a lot about; self-awareness and awareness of others. The work also affirms creating learning plans, something that I am also passionate about.
August 1, 2019
Interesting book. It kind of confirmed what I already knew about work but I found it comforting to read other people's' stories. It's nice to know I'm not alone. Some situations didn't really relate to me.... which was a shame since the author had some good insights. I think people who are executives and leaders in companies would benefit more from this book than myself.
February 3, 2020
There were several helpful ideas and practical applications in this book. However, sometimes it seemed as if the author boiled things down into simplistic solutions that are not as applicable when you're not the CEO. Overall, I appreciated the book and will return to it to help me further develop emotional intelligence as a team lead.
July 6, 2021
I will be taking a graduate class with this author in a few weeks, and we were assigned several of her books. There is solid information in here that I look forward to discussing. It is geared to work in general, not people in leadership roles, which I think adds a layer of complexity not addressed.
March 10, 2018
Overall, a well-written self-help book of strategies to use to cope with the pressure put on their employees by organizations. Very helpful...the idea of resonant microcultures really struck home. Enjoyable and educational.
April 28, 2021
Couldn't even make it through the whole book. A self help book on how to be happy at work that spends all it's time talking about things that the average worker can't control without quitting their job and randomly lucking into their dream job is not helpful. Cannot recommend.
June 8, 2023
Lots of interesting insights into how to find more satisfaction while at work. There was nothing Earth shattering suggested, but included small changes that can be made to be more productive inside and outside of work. Overall a good professional development book!
November 25, 2017
I was a little hesitant when I started this book because I thought it was one of those feel good, be happy no matter the situation, but it actually turned out to be better than I imagined.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews