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Global Mind Leaders - "Happiness Traps: How We Sabotage Ourselves at Work"
Article
Title
"Happiness Traps: How We Sabotage Ourselves at Work"
Description
The drive to achieve goals and further our careers pushes us to be and do our best. But when ambi- tion is coupled with hypercompetitiveness and a single-minded focus on winning, we get into trou- ble. We become blind to the impact of our actions on ourselves and others; relationships are damaged and collaboration suffers; we start chasing goals for the sake of hitting targets; and work begins to lose its meaning.
by Annie McKee ( Harvard Business Review ).
Idea In Brief
THE CONUNDRUM
Why are so many of us who can shape our professional lives unhappy at work? And what can we do about it?
Why are so many of us who can shape our professional lives unhappy at work? And what can we do about it?
THE TRAPS
We often fall into destructive mindsets and ways of working that make us unsatisfied and ultimately less successful. Some of the most common of these “happiness traps”—ambition (win at all costs); doing what's expected rather than what we want; and overwork— seem productive on the surface but are harmful when taken to the extreme.
We often fall into destructive mindsets and ways of working that make us unsatisfied and ultimately less successful. Some of the most common of these “happiness traps”—ambition (win at all costs); doing what's expected rather than what we want; and overwork— seem productive on the surface but are harmful when taken to the extreme.
THE PATH FORWARD
Finding happiness at work begins with honing your emotional intelligence to grasp which trap has ensnared you. Then you can foster three things that are known to increase professional satisfaction: meaningful work, enduring hope, and workplace friendships.
Finding happiness at work begins with honing your emotional intelligence to grasp which trap has ensnared you. Then you can foster three things that are known to increase professional satisfaction: meaningful work, enduring hope, and workplace friendships.
