What’s Your Pleasure?

I recently watched a report on CBS Sunday Morning about the science behind pleasure seeking. Of course it got me thinking about how we find pleasure at work.

When we experience pleasure, certain parts of our brain are stimulated. Unfortunately, for many people, pleasure is often associated with times away from work – vacations, family time, recreation, delicious meals, etc.

So I’m curious about what you think it takes to connect “pleasure”, “work” and “engagement” in the same sentence?

I define engagement at work as those times when you are satisfied, energized & productive. I guess the question is…does being satisfied, energized & productive give you pleasure? Are the two synonymous? What do you think?

My challenge for you is to intentionally connect to pleasure at work every single day. Start a Pleasure Journal (now that will make your coworkers curious!). What makes you smile? What gets your endorphins humming?

The great news is that the answer is different for each of us. There’s no shortage of pleasure opportunities at work. It’s often a matter of perception. One scientist in the story I saw described research where subjects drank wine that they were told was very rare and expensive. The majority thought it was delicious and special when in fact is was a low priced wine without any notoriety or awards. The perception of quality gave these folks pleasure. Interesting, isn’t it?

Start paying attention to what gives you pleasure at work. Here are a few of the responses that I frequently hear:

Autonomy                                    Laughter
Good friends                               Making a difference
Problem solving                         Learning something new
Creativity                                     Being appreciated

I’ve barely scratched the surface with this list. The ball is in your court now. Start that Pleasure Journal and please send me an email to let me know what’s at the top of your list.

I get pleasure creating tools for you to use in your workplace to improve employee engagement. One of those tools is my newest book for healthcare leaders. Please check out the video…I think you will get some pleasure from it!