When Work Interferes with Happiness

You're the boss of a busy and successful business. You're an employee of a busy and successful workplace.  Yet, success comes in different shapes and sizes. Let's start with the big boss:

An owner can work themselves into an early grave and allow the business to own them, if they allow it. Rents go up, employees can become lackadaisical. Frustrations result not only by outside uncontrollable forces, but at times, at their own hand. A common complaint by owners is feeling alone, even when surrounded by the best workers money can buy.

Flip the coin, and an employee will call out the owner for not understanding their stresses and lack of control over their 8-hour day.  Somehow the two forces that form a successful business must meet in the middle, despite different goals. The owner's finish line is to sell the business and retire. The employee is on a day-by-day basis to keep a steady paycheck coming in, so they can pay the bills.

No one is human without the emotion of resentment. During those lean months, when business has fallen off, an owner doesn't pay themselves, but keeps a steady paycheck coming in for the help. They have to dig into a previous good month's profit to keep the business afloat. Too many bad months, and the business can go under. A business and its employees need one's full nurturing.

In a retail situation, if possible, an employee should be given the opportunity to work on a commission, along with their salary. The words: "The business' success is your success" doesn't hit home, unless they see the difference on their paycheck. Sometimes, the mark-up on items doesn't allow for a commission, but there's ways around this: If the employee only sells items over $100.00 or if they hit a certain (reasonable) amount each month. (Employees - understand that if taking a commission, there would be an adjustment to a weekly salary.)  

“Neither side is (or should be) a psychiatrist to the other. If co-workers are having it tough at home, ask for space to be given, but not leeway for unprofessional (and abusive) behavior. If a breech should occur, where a fuse is short, apologize immediately. A reminder - an accepted apology doesn't give the person permission to behave poorly again.”

Indignations can seethe when employees see their boss go on vacations or take excessive time off from work, while the money is seemingly raking in. Some bosses are merely figureheads, who a beleaguered worker on the frontline has to take demanding orders from. The worker might have to take the hit for this disaster waiting to happen.

In order for this village to work, a two-way street of communication has to prevail. The employer can treat the staff to lunch. Words of praise for a job well-done go a long way. Appreciation works both ways. "Thank you for being a fair and nice boss," would mean the world to an employer. 

One can never forget the power play in position. If a boss doesn't deserve respect in an employee's eye, the employee needs to quit - or change their thought process. If the employer doesn't respect the employee, the employee needs to find out why or / and leave. No one deserves to be demeaned. A suggestion box should always be open, but an employee needs to understand that the boss may have already tried the idea or knows that it can't work.

If an employee thinks they're smarter or better than the boss, they can go open their own business. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. If a boss thinks they're too experienced or above their staff to listen to their employees' suggestions and dismiss any input, then the employee knows where they stand. That falls under the demeaning category.

 Any suggestion has to be done without sounding like criticism or superiority. The suggestion recipient has to thank them for the input and kindly explain to them why it won't work (details not necessary), but to encourage them to keep presenting ideas. 

A final note in the agreement between employee and employer: Neither side is (or should be) a psychiatrist to the other. If co-workers are having it tough at home, ask for space to be given, but not leeway for unprofessional (and abusive) behavior. If a breech should occur, where a fuse is short, apologize immediately. A reminder - an accepted apology doesn't give the person permission to behave poorly again. 

Politics and religion should be off-bounds in a place of business. Sharing personal details should be done over lunch or after work hours. Why? If a friendship of sharing doesn't work out, nothing changes at work. It's still bearable. Don't get me started on cellphones. 

Everybody should be cognizant that we all have something going on in our lives. We know work tensions can occur at various rates. Sometimes we have to give more than we get back and vice-versa. Pulling the weight of another person is teamwork, unless it's a constant. A bully at work needs to be put in their place or reported. 

The boss and employees are: Mothers / Fathers; Sons / daughters/; Sisters / brothers. A boss has two overheads to carry - the business and their home. An employee has to ask permission for time off and depend on the actions of others to keep bread on the table. 

It's said: Do what you love and never work a day in your life. This is easier said than done. Yet definitely worthwhile to seek. One can start their passion part-time, as to not disrupt the income flow. 

The best bosses and employees somehow manage to keep work at work. Immediately when they get home, family becomes their priority. A "How was your day?" doesn't turn into an hours-long bitch and moan fest. They don't rush to finish up a day's work or prepare for work the next day.

Instead, they paint, garden, do a sport, get ready for dinner and a movie. For one's mental health, work has to be like an intermittent diet - eight hours, we work; 16 hours, we take care of ourselves. 

You're the boss of a busy and successful business. You're the employee of a busy and successful workplace. If there's never joy and it has nothing to do with attitude - get out. There's only one key to success when you realize a business is merely a microcosm of life - and that’s happiness.