Rediscovering Joy in the Work We Do
This past weekend, my granddaughters and I raked leaves into a big pile and jumped in. Then we put the pile back together and did it again. And again. There were smiles and laughter, followed by more raking. Apparently, rebuilding the pile is part of the admission price.
There were no expensive tickets. No elaborate preparations. About two minutes with a rake, and we had everything we needed. What stayed with me afterward was how much joy came from something so simple. The girls weren’t waiting for a bigger experience. They were enjoying the one right in front of them, and they were perfectly happy to repeat it.
Somewhere along the way, many of us adults get out of practice at that. And I wonder if the workplace is one of the places where we’ve lost it most.
We spend a significant portion of our lives working. We solve problems, manage competing priorities, navigate difficult relationships, and work hard to deliver on our commitments. We measure productivity, quality, efficiency, and results. All important things, particularly in the complex technical environments where many of us spend our careers.
But how often do we stop to consider whether people actually enjoy what they’re doing?
I’ve spent much of my career working with engineers, technical professionals, and leaders. Some of the most rewarding moments I’ve witnessed weren’t necessarily the big milestones or celebrations. They were the moments when a team finally solved a problem that had been frustrating them for weeks. When an engineer discovered something new. When a young professional gained confidence in an ability they didn’t know they had. Or when a team accomplished something difficult together and took genuine pride in the result.
Those moments remind us that work can be more than a collection of tasks and obligations.
We were created to work. And I believe we were meant to find joy in that work.
That doesn’t mean every assignment will be enjoyable. There will always be difficult customers, frustrating problems, missed commitments, and days when nothing seems to go according to plan. Excellence requires discipline, accountability, and a willingness to do difficult things, even when we don’t particularly feel like doing them.
But somewhere along the way, we’ve allowed the demands of work to overshadow the satisfaction that should come from doing it well.
I wonder how much of that is influenced by the environments we create as leaders.
When people spend their days navigating unnecessary bureaucracy, recovering from preventable mistakes, or worrying about how their leaders will react to bad news, it’s difficult to find much joy in the experience. Even talented, motivated professionals can become discouraged when the system around them makes success unnecessarily difficult.
On the other hand, when people understand why their work matters, have the tools and authority to do it well, and are surrounded by colleagues who share their commitment to excellence, something changes.
They begin to take ownership. They develop confidence. They celebrate one another’s successes. They discover that solving difficult problems can actually be fun.
This is an important part of what we mean at Exceptional Difference when we talk about building a Culture of Excellence. It’s not simply about improving performance metrics, although those outcomes matter. It’s about creating an environment where people can thrive while doing meaningful, challenging work.
And leaders have an obligation to help create that environment.
We can’t manufacture joy through another employee engagement initiative, an occasional team lunch, or a motivational poster on the wall. Those things may have their place, but genuine satisfaction comes from something deeper. People want to know their contributions matter. They want to grow, to succeed, to be trusted, and to work alongside others who care about doing things well.
They also want to enjoy the journey along the way.
As November begins, we’ll hear a lot about gratitude. It’s a good time to reflect on the people and opportunities we’re thankful for. But perhaps it’s also an opportunity to consider how grateful we are for the work we get to do, and whether we’re helping the people around us experience that same sense of purpose and satisfaction.
My granddaughters didn’t need an elaborate plan to find joy that afternoon. They simply saw an opportunity, jumped in, and enjoyed the experience. Even the work of rebuilding the pile became part of the fun.
I don’t want to oversimplify the challenges of leadership by comparing them to a pile of leaves. But I do think there’s something worth learning from that afternoon.
We were created for joy. We were created for work. And we were meant to love what we do.
Perhaps one of our greatest responsibilities as leaders is to help people rediscover that connection.
What might change in your organization if people found more joy in the work they do every day?
It may not require another major initiative. Sometimes, it may simply require us to look differently at what’s already right in front of us.
Maybe even two minutes of raking.
Next Steps
Contact us or visit www.exceptionaldifference.com to learn more about our offerings and how we can help you and your team rediscover the joy of engineering. Our Thriving workshop, Leadership Growth Cycle, and the Exceptional Engineering Experience are just a few examples of our offerings that will help you become more engaged, more valuable, and more joyful in all that you do.
Follow us on LinkedIn and check out our website to stay connected and learn about our upcoming offerings.