with Dr. Tracy Brower, PhD
Sociologist, Author, Speaker
Happiness at work is something many of us strive for, yet often find elusive. I was delighted to meet a thought leader on this very topic, Dr. Tracy Brower. We first connected when I facilitated a panel for the Hacking HR conference on Navigating the Most Critical Trends Shaping the Future of the Workforce. During this lively conversation, we realized we had a lot in common. I was curious about her lens as a Sociologist versus mine as a Psychologist, so got my hands on her latest book, The Secrets to Happiness at Work, which is a beautiful book full of visuals and practical ways to find joy at work.
Episode 55 | The Secrets to Happiness at Work
What led you to focus on happiness at work?
Dr. Brower explains how the lack of happiness she was seeing out there inspired her to research and explore this topic. She observed how people were feeling de-energized, disconnected, not feeling that their voice counted, and/or disliking their leader. It seemed a lot of people were feeling dissatisfied with work, and that work wasn’t creating the conditions for happiness.
Tell us about your recently published book: The Secrets to Happiness at Work: why did you write it and for whom?
She describes writing the book to empower and inspire people, based on the research evidence. “There is so much we can influence in our environment and our thinking.” This includes the choices that we make around work and how we show up. According to Tracy Brower, “we can reset and re-energize, and empower ourselves to create the conditions for happiness.” The book is for all types of workers and workplaces, not just professional environments.
Dr. Brower explains that a surprise was the incredible amount of research out there on happiness. Happiness at work spills over into our lives. When we are happier we are better at achieving our goals, performing, are more committed and more energized. Indeed, happiness at work has lots of great business benefits!
What can we do to create more joy and fulfillment in our work?
Find Purpose. When we have a greater sense of purpose we feel happier. Tracy likes to say “dream small”; focus on smaller purposes versus feeling everything has to be a huge accomplishment. Reminding ourselves that what we do impacts others and that we matter, whatever we do.
Create Connection. We can create the conditions for happiness by being intentional about the connections we make with colleagues. Maintaining relationships, and demonstrating reciprocity over time makes a difference. Remember to be curious about others, which is a step towards empathy. We can connect through technology as well as face-to-face, but it’s about finding a common ground and getting to know people we work with.
A quote from the book is that “comparison is the thief of joy.” Dr. Brower reminds us to stop comparing ourselves to others. Instead, giving generously of your time and supporting others is key to our happiness.
We can create the conditions for happiness by being intentional about the connections we make with colleagues.
What advice do you have for people who believe that you work for a living and you find joy only outside of work?
A myth, Dr. Brower explains, is that you can’t be happy at work; that happiness is something you find outside of work. She encourages those who think this way to take control of their mindset and remind themselves how their work matters. “Creating the conditions for happiness at work means looking for opportunities to grow, to learn, to stretch.” She encourages finding ways to make work better and contribute to improving things. There are of course things outside of our control, but there are absolutely things in our control.
When it comes to money and happiness, we need to be compensated fairly for the value we’re bringing. Beyond a certain amount of earnings, your happiness won’t scale with your paycheque. According to Dr. Brower’s research, if you spend your money on things you will be less likely to feel happy as compared to spending on experiences. This is because experiences tend to lock into your memory and include connections with others. Tracy shares a great analogy she heard: your paycheque is like a really great dinner; it fills you up for the night but doesn’t fulfill you the next day. Fulfillment comes from other things, like connection, contribution and personal growth.
“Creating the conditions for happiness at work means looking for opportunities to grow, to learn, to stretch.” Dr. Tracy Brower
The world is full of challenge and uncertainty. How can cultivating happiness at work help us stay resilient and hopeful through difficult times?
The number one way we learn is by watching and listening to others. Each of us has a greater influence than we realize. When we bring our best, when we seek to be helpful and optimistic, it significantly influences those around us.
Dr. Brower explains how one of the primary ways we bond is going through hard times together. When we’re happier we tend to be more resilient and bounce back/bounce forward. Post-traumatic growth is a thing: when we go through tough times we become more clear about our priorities and what/whom matters most.
What books do you recommend?
“Spark” by John J. Ratey MD – about the brain and exercise (who happens to be the May 14 episode of Where Work Meets LifeTM)
“Friends” by Robin Dunbar – talks about the importance of networks and relationships.
Each of us has a greater influence than we realize. When we bring our best, when we seek to be helpful and optimistic, it significantly influences those around us.
If you could have one wish for a better world when it comes to happiness, what would it be?
Tracy Brower shares how she wishes for us to embrace the role of work to be an opportunity to express our gifts and talents. To learn, grow and express our best through whatever work we do. She reminds us to turn off the news and social media more often so we could have a break from bad news. We need to spend more time living versus looking or scrolling (or fearing).
About Dr. Tracy Brower, PhD, MM, MCRW:
Dr. Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist studying work-life fulfillment and happiness. She is the author of a new book, The Secrets to Happiness at Work as well as her previous book, Bring Work to Life. She is the Vice President of Workplace Insight for Steelcase and a contributor to Forbes.com and Fast Company. Tracy’s work has been translated into 17 languages and she is an award-winning speaker with over 25 years of experience working with global clients to achieve business results.
Tracy is on the board of the United Way of Greater Ottawa County and on the executive council of the Design Museum Everywhere. In addition, she is an executive advisor to Like|Minded, Coda Societies and to the MSU Master Industrial Mathematics Program. Tracy’s work has been featured in TEDx, The Wall Street Journal, Work-Life Balance in the 21st Century (book), Globe and Mail (Canada), InsideHR (Australia), HR Director (UK), T3N (Germany), Real Estate Review Journal, Fortune.com, Inc. Magazine, HBR (France) and more. Tracy holds a PhD in Sociology, a Master of Management in Organizational Culture, and a Master of Corporate Real Estate with a workplace specialization.
Learn more about Dr. Tracy Brower:
“The Secrets to Happiness at Work” by Tracy Brower
“Bring Work to Life by Bringing Life to Work” by Tracy Brower