
What does happiness at work mean? - adlrocha
https://adlrocha.substack.com/p/adlrocha-what-does-happiness-at-work
======
grawprog
>people at white collar jobs are generally happier than people at blue collar
jobs (let me add that I hate this way of classifying jobs, but it comes pretty
handy for my current discussion). This seems like a clear result of what I
just mentioned. Blue collar workers definitely work for money. They most
probably aren’t aligned with their employers or companies’ goals, and they see
their jobs as monotone means for making a living, without a mission in mind.

I dunno, I was pretty satisfied at my last 'blue collar' job with everything
but the money and the hours. I got to make things every day rich people paid
tens of thousands of dollars for, I got to operate and maintain large
expensive machines, we all had pretty much complete autonomy, we just followed
the schedule, each did our part and made some really nice things. The people I
worked with were all great, there was no 'office politics' bullshit, no
manager fuckery, we all just showed up every day and got things done. Our
goals aligned with the owners, make the customers happy so the business kept
getting work and we all kept getting paid.

Everyone that worked there really cared about the business and worked hard to
make it successful. Leaving that place was honestly one of the harder things
i've done in my life. It was a sad day when I left.

~~~
taneq
I spend a lot of time with 'blue collar' tradespeople, and from everything I
can see, they enjoy their jobs more than most 'white collar' people. There's
far less decision fatigue, stress about long term decisions made with too
little information, and feeling responsibility for things outside of your
control. The emphasis is more on bite-sized, straightforward chunks of work
that you can finish in a day or two and feel good about it.

I'm sure there are non-technical office jobs that lack the 'white collar'
pitfalls I've listed above, but they all seem to involve dealing with far too
many people.

~~~
vsareto
I don't think many white collar jobs have as much of that stress as you'd
think. There are definitely some high stress jobs because of their effects on
other people (doctors, lawyers, etc), but there are also some incredibly low
stress white collar jobs that nearly put people into catatonic boredom.
Getting a job that can be automated, but your boss doesn't realize it can be
automated, is a good example. Automating some of these jobs can require as
little effort as learning Python for 2-3 months and hacking together some
scripts. Blue collar workers likely have a higher attention floor - due to
safety reasons around large machines usually. Some white collar jobs can be
slept through.

~~~
pythonaut_16
So your advice for low stress white collar work is... find one that you can
automate easily so you don't have to do it?

~~~
pingyong
The problem is then you still have to go there and pretend to work - sitting
in front of a screen for 8 hours while doing nothing probably sucks the life
right out of you.

------
batchelor
You lost me when I saw the attempt with a formula. There is no formula and
it's pretentious to think you can distill the variables.

Try this book: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by
Matthew B. Crawford

"A philosopher/mechanic's wise (and sometimes funny) look at the challenges
and pleasures of working with one's hands

Called "the sleeper hit of the publishing season" by The Boston Globe, Shop
Class as Soulcraft became an instant bestseller, attracting readers with its
radical (and timely) reappraisal of the merits of skilled manual labor. On
both economic and psychological grounds, author Matthew B. Crawford questions
the educational imperative of turning everyone into a "knowledge worker,"
based on a misguided separation of thinking from doing. Using his own
experience as an electrician and mechanic, Crawford presents a wonderfully
articulated call for self-reliance and a moving reflection on how we can live
concretely in an ever more abstract world."

~~~
crispinb
A really thoughtful book - one of the best things I've read on the topic of
work I think. Something like his thinking is kind of in the air amongst
younger folk I know, many of whom are seeking more embodied and rounded ways
to live than what has been presented to them as the desirable norm.

~~~
maroonblazer
FYI he's got a new book coming out and discusses it on Coleman Hughes'
podcast.

[https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-13-self-driving-
car...](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-13-self-driving-cars-matthew-
b-crawford/id1470490447?i=1000465166283)

~~~
crispinb
Thanks for the pointer.

------
Thorentis
Poor article in my opinion. As soon as I saw the "Individual’s Sensitivity
Vector" which was literally just a single row matrix of undefined variables, I
closed it. That matrix added absolutely no value to either the equation or the
article. It was there purely to make the article look more scientific. And the
article was not scientific at all. Your white vs. blue collar happiness
assertion was unsubstantiated aside from anecdotal evidence. Adding pointless
equations with "fancy" notation does not make anecdotes more reliable as
evidence.

~~~
jasonmp85
Seconded. The arguments were already amorphous and inscrutable BEFORE some
gobbledegook equations showed up.

------
monadic2
> Blue collar workers definitely work for money. They most probably aren’t
> aligned with their employers or companies’ goals, and they see their jobs as
> monotone means for making a living, without a mission in mind.

There are white collar workers that buy their employers' bullshit?

------
trustfundbaby
I heard a podcast on the economist that made an impact on me with regards to
this very question [https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2019/11/15/what-is-the-
se...](https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2019/11/15/what-is-the-secret-to-a-
great-working-relationship) ... it said that after your basic financial needs
are met (wrt to salary) the important things in getting satisfaction at work
are

Workers need to have

1\. A sense of Agency (power and control)

2\. Sense of Collegiality/solidarity/respect and knowledge that they will not
be undermined (care and closeness)

3\. Know that when they are told "you're in charge" it really means that, and
there isn't a hidden message behind it (respect and recognition)

~~~
chrisweekly
Mastery, autonomy and purpose are the big 3 I took away from one of those cool
whiteboard videos (rsa animate?)

------
dntbnmpls
A nice paycheck? What else do you work for? Do people really search for
happiness at work?

> people at white collar jobs are generally happier than people at blue collar
> jobs

Because white collar workers get paid more for less work in nicer settings?
I'm betting CEOs are happier than their underlings.

> Blue collar workers definitely work for money.

So do white collar workers.

> and they see their jobs as monotone means for making a living

Sounds familiar in the white collar world.

> without a mission in mind.

The mission is to make the shareholders/stakeholders money. It's the same
whether you are white collar or blue collar. Maybe blue collar workers are
smart enough not to buy corporate PR unlike some white collar workers.The
entire article reads like every mass produced self-help nonsense.

> They are happy about being obsessed with their job and their mission.

You just described a corporation's wet dream - a mindless, hopeless corporate
kamikazi singularly focused on the mission. But are they really? Or do they
use the obsession to mask their dissatisfaction with life? Is obsession with
their job and their mission really something to be happy about? Seems rather
dystopian.

~~~
artonge
You're right, pay check is one of the reason to work, and also one of the
condition to be happy at work. But there is others, like: \- work/life
balance. \- autonomy/work load balance. \- acknowledgement of the work done by
the company. The manager or else. \- clear vision of what the company is doing
and the role you have in it.

There is a lot more, and a lot of companies don't provide that to their
employees.

There is a nice startup[0] that tries to bring happiness at work to other
company. What is in for the company ? Better productivity of the employees and
less turn over.

[0] Wittyfit. Full disclosure: I worked for them. They are not alone in the
field, but I think they are the only one to have a scientific research based
product.

~~~
dntbnmpls
> But there is others, like: - work/life balance. - autonomy/work load
> balance. - acknowledgement of the work done by the company. The manager or
> else. - clear vision of what the company is doing and the role you have in
> it.

Yes. This is by now decades old rehashed trope in corporate america.

> There is a nice startup[0] that tries to bring happiness at work to other
> company. What is in for the company ? Better productivity of the employees
> and less turn over.

Just like happier cows produce more milk/money. So ultimately, the workers and
happiness are just a means to an end ( more money for the shareholders ).

> [0] Wittyfit. Full disclosure: I worked for them. They are not alone in the
> field, but I think they are the only one to have a scientific research based
> product.

Let us pray that "scientific" research doesn't one day conclude unhappy
workers lead to higher productivity.

Dystopian indeed.

------
aniham
I don’t know that having a clear mission adds much to happiness at work unless
it’s coupled with proper execution; otherwise it’s just a stream of
frustrations. Also I’d imagine most blue collar jobs have pretty clearly
stated missions, so to speak. Make people’s yards beautiful. Build beautiful
houses.

Based on personal observations, I’d say the thing that makes the biggest
difference in terms of work satisfaction/“happiness” is pride in your work. In
the past few months alone I’ve had numerous delightful conversations with
cafeteria workers about the food they are serving; and some with goodwill
workers on the store layout they’ve helped plan and items they’ve curated.
Contagious enthusiasm, definitely more than I experience in planning meetings
and company all hands.

------
zeequreshi
Regardless of the colour of the collar, it is 3 things that can make work
happy for anyone.

1\. Certain level of predictability (Faith in the larger mission of the
company and where it is headed).

2\. Opportunities to operate in new domains and potential to constantly learn
new things (mutual growth).

3\. An environment where trial and error (and thus failure) is encouraged.

------
AnimalMuppet
If I like the people I work with, and management is mostly sane, that goes a
really long way. If the money's good, that's close to perfect. Think _hard_
before you walk away from that - it's not real easy to find again.

------
yboris
Very related: _Self-determination theory_. The acronym to remember is "CAR":

 _Competence_ \- Seek to control the outcome and experience mastery.

 _Autonomy_ \- Desire to be causal agents of one's own life and act in harmony
with one's integrated self.

 _Relatedness_ \- Will to interact with, be connected to, and experience
caring for others.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-
determination_theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory)

I feel like these three components strongly contribute to happiness at work.

------
cryoshon
for me, happiness at work means four things:

1\. a worthwhile mission that i find meaningful 2\. competency and
effectiveness at serving that mission 3\. freedom from interference from
management and other people who typically get in the way of being productive
4\. compensation at the level commensurate to the value that i add

i assume for most people a job which met the above four factors would be a job
where the person is happy. i also assume that employers intuitively grasp the
above points. however, to squeeze as much value out of a worker as they can, i
also know that employers intuitively understand how to exploit their ability
to minimize their provision of the factors which they are poorly able to
provide -- like money -- to make up fofr others. in essence, this means that
is is reasonable to assume that most employers will intentionally game the
four factors to offer as little as possible while still retaining the
employee. this is also exactly how "passion jobs" like science and video game
coding are habitually underpaid and abused.

i'll be honest, i've only found this combination of factor at the first job i
had. in the 8 years since then, it's been a lot of compromising or
surrendering on #1, facing hard realities about my talents regarding #2,
suffering through #3 with a smile, and swallowing my pride to carry #4 as best
i can without letting the resentment become visible. in other words, finding
"happiness at work" has, for me, been a pipedream in comparison to the more
immediate concern of avoiding misery at work.

~~~
snarf21
I agree with you on all points.

There is a different approach that I've been following to some success. Break
these 4 things into two pieces. Turn "work" into work and just make it #4.
Punch the clock, limit overtime, try to treat it like a blue collar job.

In your spare time, find the other fulfillment. Whether it is volunteering or
a hobby (you can teach others too!) or creation, you can find the meaning you
are missing at work here instead. I design board games. This prevents me from
side projects which are just more hours sitting at a computer. It is different
and pushes different skills and even as I make these, it is something tangible
I can hold and show others and even have fun playing. Then there is the whole
benefit of going to conferences or game nights with other like minded
individuals. This also tends to create happiness from within instead of
externally. It breaks you from the "as soon as [event]" or "if only [event]"
mindsets that can lock you in inaction.

------
j45
Finding meaning at work is not always the same as finding meaning in your
work.

Earlier in my career I had many lessons I would have learned in any position.

Once I realized that and let myself learn from any opportunity, an
appreciation for self growth happened, which lead to a realization that
empowering others to have tech work for them meant a lot more to me than I
realized.

------
RestAndVest
For me it would be: 1\. Give me clear goals. 2\. Give me the training to
complete them. 3\. Regularly monitor me how I do them. 4\. Pay me decently.

Too bad that my current job is living up only to point 4 :(

------
Razengan
The same as happiness out of work: Contributing to the greater good, not
fucking up the world, pursuing your interests and providing for your
companions in life.

------
ExtremisAndy
For me, happiness at work consists of three things:

1) The people I work for and with are kind and respectful

2) I am able to do the job well (and don't mind doing it)

3) It pays enough for me to live without struggling financially

Basically, any job that meets the above 3 is one I'll try to keep as long as
possible. Not very exciting, but all I ask for from my professional life.

~~~
CaptArmchair
Pick 2, you can't have all 3.

The 2nd bullet point hides loads of complexity once you attempt to define what
"well" means. Is it you asserting that you were able to do your work your
preferred way, even when that doesn't align with the organisation interests?
Or is it you simply following orders to the satisfaction of your boss because
you feel that external validation is important?

The 3rd bullet point hides complexity as well. Because that depends entirely
on the lifestyle you are trying to attain / support.

For instance, a sense of agency and freedom are important to you, as well as
having a large impact. Well, you won't find that in a strictly operational
role, so you will have to move up the ladder. But then you may find that you
will have to compromise on 1 since you can't keep everyone happy.

Maybe you are fine with an operational job. Nothing to difficult. And
encouragement and support from management / co-workers, as well as deriving
purpose from what you do is enough to satisfy 1 and 2. But then you find that
your paycheck is enough to get by, but not enough to support more then 1
child. Even though you really want a large family.

Hence, why you can't have all three of those to a T.

Also, there's only "happiness in life" and even that concept is vague and hard
to define, because ultimately is based on a set of complex trade-offs and cost
opportunity calculations you make throughout all aspects of life. Your
professional life is an innate part of that.

------
discopicante
I appreciate the author's thought exercise and sharing it here.

A few thoughts:

1\. Instead of the outdated descriptions of using the color of a collared
shirt, consider a description of knowledge labor vs. service labor vs. manual
labor.

2\. Autonomy has been identified as a key (maybe even _the_ ) attribute for
happiness doing a job, regardless of profession.

3\. Aligned missions is a nice to have but temporary and fleeting.
Expectations of this will inevitably lead to disappointment.

~~~
raxxorrax
> Instead of the outdated descriptions of using the color of a collared shirt

Now that I finally learned the difference between all the collars, dismissed
is as an odd American characteristic, you are planning to get rid of it again?

> 3\. Aligned missions is a nice to have but temporary and fleeting.
> Expectations of this will inevitably lead to disappointment.

While I generally do think it futile to formalize happiness and an occupation
I initially would associate with desperate unhappiness, I don't understand
this objection. I believe having a common goal is quite important for any for
of corporation. Why would it be fleeting? It has to be voluntarily of course
to meet the autonomy requirement, which I believe to be correct. The happiest
workers I ever met actually stay at one company for very long times.

Even if I think that formalization isn't possible, I think there is at lot of
merit in trying.

------
maroonblazer
"Happiness" seems too squishy and vague a word to be of any use. I prefer
"satisfaction". I think of it as a kind of geometric mean of happiness,
smoothing out the extreme ups & downs that "happiness" can be subject to.

Not sure it's any easier to translate into an equation but it's certainly
easier to reason about.

~~~
chapium
You can really take a deep dive into category theory if you want to analyze
what "happiness" is.

------
known
Self-actualization in
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs)

------
johnwheeler
Being treated with respect and valued. It’s that simple.

------
hi5eyes
autonomy, mastery, purpose \- steven pinkers motivation

~~~
hi5eyes
correciton daniel pink - Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

------
imvetri
Escaping from meaningless work, mentoring juniors how to learn the correct
thing.

------
5etho
anyone read this book bullshit jobs? I plan to do it

------
elf25
go watch about two years worth of 'Dirty Jobs' and you'll find a bunch of
happy blue collar workers who fit what you describe. Possibly more of them
register happier than white collars.

~~~
thrower123
Blue collar work rarely has the kind of uncertainty and open-endedness that
white-collar work routinely does. It might be physically strenuous, but it's
rarely mentally tortuous.

You clock in, do what they tell you, when it's done you ask for more to do,
and when it's time to go home, you clock out and leave it behind.

------
gowld
This is embarrassingly pretentious, classist, and provincial.

~~~
erland
Any reasons you would actually think that?

