Does Happiness = Job Satisfaction

When blogging as a member of the ASQ Influential Voices team I begin by saying ASQ CEO Paul Borawski in his blog A View from the Q asked the question...so why should this month be any different...this month Paul talks about Happiness and Job Satisfaction.

 

I will start with a few definitions from Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary

     hap·pi·ness noun \ˈha-pē-nəs\
1: British : that is for hire for a given service or period British

          1 obsolete : good fortune : prosperity

          2 a : a state of well-being and contentment : joy
             b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience

    work noun \wərk\

          activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something:

          a : sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result

          b : the labor, task, or duty that is one's accustomed means of livelihood 

          c : a specific task, duty, function, or assignment often being a part or phase of some larger activity

    job adj

         
         2: used in, engaged in, or done as job work individual is with his or her job. The happier people are within their job, the more satisfied they are said to be. Logic would dictate that the most satisfied (“happy”) workers should be the best performers and vice versa.

         3: of or relating to a job or to employment

    sat·is·fac·tion noun \ˌsa-təs-ˈfak-shən\
         a : fulfillment of a need or want
         b : the quality or state of being satisfied : contentment
         c : a source or means of enjoyment : gratification

 

I digress - Webster does not have a definition for Job Satisfaction but they do have a definition for another type of 'Job'...something you might do to create a glass bottle.

From Wikipedia - Job satisfaction describes how content an


Now the question is, what do I think?!?!
Let me begin by stating something that I have always said about my career as a Quality Professional, "I love what I do but I don't always like where I am doing it".  Does this make me a happy worker.  Not always.  Happiness and Job Satisfaction and closely linked and have multiple variables such as:

• Is the work itself satisfying?
• Do I enjoy the environment in which I am performing my work?
• Do I enjoy the company of the people I am working with?
• What is the culture of the organization and do I fit into that culture?
• It the organization progressive?
• Am I making a difference in the organization?

And there are some soft variables that have effected my satisfaction including:

• the commute (is it too long?)
• the external environment to the facility (can I find a decent place or places for lunch or do I have to bring it with me?)
• the benefits (enough vacation time, flexible schedules, is it financially satisfying?)
• is there room for personal and professional growth

Currently, I am happy with my job. 

• The job itself presents many challenges. 
• I enjoy the team with which I am working.
• I feel I am adding value while improving my own skills.
• There are many frustrations that I face daily, however, these frustrations are the ingredients for making the job a challenge and providing me with satisfaction.

If it were easy they'd get someone else to do it!

Selling Quality

About a 1 1/2 years ago I was invited to be a part of the ASQ Influential Voices team (see the list of bloggers running down the right side of this page). This team responds monthly to questions posed by ASQ CEO Paul Borawski in his blog A View from the Q. This month Paul discusses the topic of 'Selling Quality'.

My first questions with regard to this topic is "should we need to sell quality?". Unfortunately, my answer is yes, and I am sure most readers would agree. The reason I say unfortunately is because we do have to sell...my experience is that most purchasers of a product or service will place price before quality. I my experience you typically get what you pay for. Good costs less than Great typically but will never last as long...example: years ago I worked in an IT management function. We were purchasing new laptops for about a dozen employees including myself. One of my Technicians identified a company that produced Dell clones at an extremely discounted rate. We purchased 12. Over the next 12 months every one of them was returned to the supplier for replacement mother boards. In the long run my laptop lasted the longest of all 12. I managed to keep mine alive for nearly 3 years. within that 3 years the supplier went out of business. Needless to say, we got what we paid for. Had we purchased Dell's I believe they would have outlasted and outperformed the clones 3 fold.

Next - to whom must we, the quality professionals, sell quality? We must sell quality to everyone - the customer, the consumer, our organization's leadership and our company's producers (line operators, supervisors, etc.). We are the stewards of the practices of quality and the quality profession, therefore, it is in our organization's best interest that we walk the talk and be able to influence others to do the same. I just had a Quality sell moment that I'd like to share (you may need to read between the lines). I am sitting in Panera with my daughter. She is doing school work while I write. When we arrived we stepped up to the cashier (customer service) to place our order and I recieve a warm hug from my friend Nicole. I had no idea she worked here. Nicole is the Asst. Manager of this restaurant. She treated both Danielle and me like VIPs. This did not surprise me since we've had a good friendship for quite some time now. While sitting and writing I've observed Nicole 'doing her job'. At the table next to us she asked the newly seated patrons if everything was okay. The woman at the table said she had asked for apple slices as opposed to an apple. Nicole happily abliged the woman bringing her a big bowl full of apple splices. She also explained that the slices are not normally served as a side order but are for a particular salad. This act of Customer Service above and beyond will likely bring this patron back to this restaurant. Nicole was selling quality to a customer without necessarily knowing that was what she did.

The sale of quality can be direct or indirect. Influencing Senior Management to make sound decisions based on factual data is our best tool for selling quality. Continaully satisfying our customers with superior products and prerformance paves the road to company success.

STEM - Scientists, Technologists, Engineers, and Mathematicians

In his Feb 2012 blog, in A View From The Q, ASQ CEO Paul Borawski discusses the need for students to enter the STEM -Science Technology, Engineer and Mathematics professions. He discussed the fact that his daughter is visiting colleges in anticipation of a fall entry into an Engineering program. Paul, first of all congratulations on your daughters upcoming graduation and her acceptances to her chosen institutions of higher learning for the nobel profession of Engineering. Second, I applaud you as a parent for helping her see the future at such a young age and guiding her to realize that there is more to life than Facebook and YouTube!

Okay, that last line was kind of personal on my part. I, too, have a daughter graduating this June with eyes toward a college career. She has applied to and been accepted at numerous schools for Biology (we too are looking at the sciences). And, even though her face is glued to her Facebook page or watching YouTube videos as often as she is in her books she is achieving high honors in school and working diligently toward fulfilling our hopes for her successful future.

While I don't have a vast sampling plan I can look at the Hendrick Hudson (HenHud) High School (HHHS), Montrose, NY Class of 2012 as a benchmark of the future. At least 4 of my daughters closest friends applied for Engineering and Science related programs, 2 or 3 are looking at Film, several applied for general Business and others are undecided.

So this benchmarked sample indicates to me that approximately 30% of the graduating population is looking into STEM opportunities.

All I ask is that statisticians not attack my sampling plan nor my rash pronouncement of the future based on the limited sample size.

Yesterday my son told me his proposed class list for his Jr year at HHHS. While he chooses not to take Physics (a New York State regents track course) he is looking at several AP sciences, AP Stats and of course AP Calculus (this is an 'of course' because his girfriend's mom is the AP Calc teacher!). So there is hope for another generation of science / math type within my family.

Having so many teens around us that are looking at the sciences is encouraging to me. Maybe our kids see the future and the future is the US will once again become a mecca of manufacturing! We can only hope!

Welcome! New Influential Voices

It is my pleasure to welcome the 16 new Influential Voices bloggers to the world-wide list of voices recruited by ASQ to share their perspective on Quality with anyone who cares to read / listen!

You join a great team that can only be made better by your active participation.
I am humbles by all your achievements and look forward to sharing experiences and reading your perspective on the same topics each month.

WELCOME!

On a separate note, I am saddened to see some of our team leave this year.
I understand that life changes and some of us need to move on periodically.
To those that have stopped being a member of the Influential Voices team remember, you still have a blog and you still have a voice...do not hesitate to chime in from time to time!

With my deepest respect,
David