April - May seemed loaded with happiness blog posts across the globe - something to do with the northern hemispshere Spring perhaps ? Throwing off SADS - Seasonal Affect Disorder Syndrome - from cold winters ?
ASQ's Paul Borawski recently posed the question to ASQ Global Influential Voices for Quality Bloggers - are Quality Professionals Happy on the Job ? It all arose because of a study showing that Software Quality Assurance Engineers were the happiest professionals. I've been enjoying the comments of my fellow ASQ Global Influential Voices for Quality Bloggers as they explore Happiness in their Worlds.
As a Quality Manager in Manufacturing & Labs I could certainly face times when it was frustrating and a real uphill battle - but there were times of breakthroughs - like achieving EU CE Mark Certification for my company's products. A lot of hard work but delight to have achieved it.
However as David, my "significant other" is in governance in an IT Project Management world, and the conversation kicked off from the IT world, I decided to quiz him about what made him happy about his job. Specifically he is the Manager of the IT Program Management Office in an Australian Government Research institution - his role ? To mentor IT Project Managers to bring projects in on time, on budget and achieve the customers' requirements. Needless to say - lots of governance related discussions in our home over a glass of wine or two.
What matters to David as a Manager in IT Quality & Governance are :
In the meantime I'd like to share some links I've received in 2012 on Happiness & Optimism :
As for me - a final note - happiness comes from "living" my favourite quote - as shared in my Facebook account
"...care more than others think is wise;
…risk more than others think is safe;
…dream more than others think is practical;
…expect more than others think is possible."
ASQ's Paul Borawski recently posed the question to ASQ Global Influential Voices for Quality Bloggers - are Quality Professionals Happy on the Job ? It all arose because of a study showing that Software Quality Assurance Engineers were the happiest professionals. I've been enjoying the comments of my fellow ASQ Global Influential Voices for Quality Bloggers as they explore Happiness in their Worlds.
As a Quality Manager in Manufacturing & Labs I could certainly face times when it was frustrating and a real uphill battle - but there were times of breakthroughs - like achieving EU CE Mark Certification for my company's products. A lot of hard work but delight to have achieved it.
However as David, my "significant other" is in governance in an IT Project Management world, and the conversation kicked off from the IT world, I decided to quiz him about what made him happy about his job. Specifically he is the Manager of the IT Program Management Office in an Australian Government Research institution - his role ? To mentor IT Project Managers to bring projects in on time, on budget and achieve the customers' requirements. Needless to say - lots of governance related discussions in our home over a glass of wine or two.
What matters to David as a Manager in IT Quality & Governance are :
- Recognition
- Respect
- Reasonable level of Resources so that projects can be managed & controlled
- Interesting Projects - creating a sense of challenge & achievement
- Innovation - opportunities to use or be exposed to new technologies
- An Organizational Management Structure & Culture that has the maturity to not set unrealistic deadlines in an arbitrary manner - interesting of course in a politically charged paradigm at times
- Having good Project Management methodologies with established tool kits rather than being hamstrung by old disfunctional technologies
- Opportunities to work with Aligned Team Members - but also with those who have a life beyond IT - (travelling is always a favourite topic and one workmate even inspired him to have our family start raising chickens as an eco-thing!)
In the meantime I'd like to share some links I've received in 2012 on Happiness & Optimism :
- 10 Things Science says will make you Happy
- 6 Ways to become more Optimistics
- 50 Ways to Nurture Your Happiness
- Optimistic Enthusiasm as a Form of Realism & more from Seth Godin
- 10 Psychological Keys to Job Satisfaction - one of my favourites !
- Top 10 Ways to find Joy at Work
- The Science of Happiness - fundamentally " Stop and smell the roses," and premised on the idea that experience itself, or "pursuit," is the true fountain of happiness"
- The Happy Secret to Better Work - " find a way to become positive in the present"
- 10 Habits You Must Quit to be Happy
- Why Happiness Matters in Networks
- Why Learning Leads to Happiness - it's not just the money "As we get older, it is more important to find things to do that light up our lives," James says. Our minds are central to this effort, and thrive when we are finding new things for them to do"
As for me - a final note - happiness comes from "living" my favourite quote - as shared in my Facebook account
"...care more than others think is wise;
…risk more than others think is safe;
…dream more than others think is practical;
…expect more than others think is possible."
