I don't think I am Robinson Crusoe when I say that we all require some satisfaction from our work. And it is not hard to feel satisfied when you recognise those little nuggets of positive feedback or recognition that have you saying at the end of your workday, "today was a great day, or I really enjoyed my day".
Given the amount of time spent at work, the standard of living and the sense of identity and belonging that a job can afford us, happiness at work is also closely linked to our overall life satisfaction.
Satisfaction at work is not always about being paid well. We have many intrinsic needs to be met to ensure we are satisfied with our work. These include:
- Sense of competency - a sense of knowing that "I can do it!"
- Sense of autonomy - the ability to shape your work environment so you can perform to the best of your ability.
- Sense of relatedness - the need to belong to and connect with others.
If all three needs are being met, we are likely to feel far better about ourselves overall and have increased motivation and engagement in our work.