Happy Employees: Why High Standards Create True Workplace Satisfaction

In the Declaration of Independence it says that we have certain “inalienable” rights, among them being the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Unfortunately, in the workplace, some employees have shortened the last part to just "happiness" and have conveniently forgotten about the "pursuit".

And the pursuit is everything! Know anybody who feels they are overpaid? Anyone who was given something for nothing and became a better person because of it? That kind of happiness is fleeting, needs more and more “stuff” to sustain it, encourages a selfish worldview, and again, forgets about the pursuit.

What the Pursuit Has to Do with Happy Employees

So what is this pursuit? And what does it have to do with happy employees and real workplace satisfaction?

When you volunteer your time and talents for another person or an organization, you are in the pursuit. When you’re engaged in problem solving with a team to make things better, you are in the pursuit. When you’re teaching, mentoring, educating, or training, you are in the pursuit.

The pursuit is about something outside of you. It’s the work that forms the foundation of building a better you — even though the focus isn’t on you at all.

You see, the things that really make us happy in the workplace, over long periods of time, are things like self-confidence, self-esteem, the ability to help another human being, a team, or an organization grow. And those can’t be given — they must be earned.

The more we have to overcome, the harder the problems are, the more we persevere and finish what we set out to do, the happier we are. Because it is the work that builds the confidence and self-esteem required for true happiness. It is the chase for excellence that excites and engages us. It is about the pursuit.

Want Happy Employees? Set High Standards.

So leaders, use this paradox to your advantage and SET HIGH STANDARDS!

You want happy employees, right? Then don’t settle for average — it will bore them and it will breed unhappy.

Instead:

• Partner with them to take things to a new level

• Help them see the big picture of your organization

• Show them where they fit and why it matters

• Challenge them

• Hold them accountable

• Encourage them

• Praise them

• Celebrate their success

Happy employees aren’t created by perks. They are created by purpose, contribution, and the pursuit of growth.

Happiness Is the Result — Not the Goal

Happiness is a result, not a goal. And the road to true happiness is called the pursuit. Never forget that.

If this message reshaped how you view motivation and workplace culture, discover more practical leadership tools inside our Learning Hub. Build stronger teams, higher standards, and happier employees.