Happy and Healthy in the Workplace

Happy and Healthy in the Workplace

Motivation, Motivation, Motivation! As employees and employers we are either motivating ourselves or each other from minute to minute each day. The article written by Abraham Maslow in 1943 describes the cause and effect of this word motivation. Each person has their own agenda, whether at work or at home, that is their driving force to feel satisfied. As we begin to look at his theory and ourselves in the next few pages, we have to ask ourselves "What are we doing to climb to the top of that pyramid?"

Speaking from personal experience as a former employer of many employees, I look at this project as a way for me to look back at the things I did as an employer and for the future how I want to be a better employer. The needs are the same whether you are one top of the food chain or just standing at the bottom of the ladder getting ready to begin the long track up. We want to know that our needs for the immediate are taken care of. We have a place to live, running water, a warm bed and enough food to sustain our bodies. For most of us that is not an issue however for a lot of people today those are giant issues right now. If you don't feel safe at home you take that feeling with you everywhere you go. I was once told by a former employer this statement "Everywhere you go, There you are." I don't think when I heard those words I truly understood what he meant until much later in my career. However it is very much true about everyone. We take with us our needs in hope that they will be met by our jobs, bosses or ourselves as we go through our day. I have noticed that the people who seem to have their lower needs met have the respect of others because they think they have it all going right and they want what they have. Happiness, peace and a strong sense of self is what most people are looking for. Yeah we all want to be wealthy, live in a big house, have a great car and an exciting life but reality says we just want to belong somewhere in the middle and be ok.

If we feel we are valued in our job, we walk a little taller. If we get the praise for the job well done, we get respect from others that says we are doing a good job. And with that comes respect from others which might just put us in the in crowd and acceptance is added. We all have the desire to be respected, to have self esteem and self respect in our lives. For myself personally, I am at the self-actualization faze of my career path. The path of what my full potential might be is still yet to be determined, however the search is an ongoing process for me. I have been in the same industry for many years and have always wanted to make a career change for something else, anything! However I know that I love working with people, growing people and motivating a team. I know without a doubt it is one on my greatest talents.

When looking for the best job