Great things happened in my Kingdom this week! The blog was read literally all over the world, I almost lost my mind! Then I found myself obsessing on my stats. And trying to figure out what to write next that engages the Maltese Islands!

Then I logged on Facebook and my friend shared a blog about Applause in your work. It made me think…HARD. The applause/views from as far as Australia were amazing. But was it important? Would I love my job without it? WOULD YOU? DO YOUR EMPLOYEES?

Encyclopedia Britannica calls Human Resources “subcategory of general management, focusing exclusively on the management of human resources, as distinguished from financial or material resources”. Basically keep everyone safe, following the rules, paid, insured and happy. HAPPY, did you laugh just a little? How does one keep their employees happy? It’s not money, that’s number 10 on the list of importance for employees. Purpose, Goals, responsibility, autonomy, flexibility, attention and opportunities were the Top 7. (Issie Lapowsky | Inc. magazine).

Money was number ten and attention was six! We need to focus on managing our resources. Make sure employees are doing what they love or at least like. Give them a way to work an interest or a skill into their position. Be sure they have a goal and a plan for growth if that’s what they want. Do you know what your employee’s five-year plan is? Are you included in it? If not, ask why. Everyone likes recognition sometimes, ask your employees what would make them happy. Gym memberships, lake passes or lunches once a week.

If you are an employee, do you have a plan? How are you working to achieve it? Or is it a five year wish and hope my boss reads my mind and gives me everything I’ve dreamed of? Employers are struggling to rebuild, they may not have had time to ask you. Get in front of your boss and tell them. You want to grow together, ask how to make that happen. There is nothing like loyalty and motivation! Sometimes, a job is just that, it’s hard for it to be amazing. Can you LOVE being a garbage man? Every job is what YOU make of it. I have the happiest garbage man, he smiles, makes conversation. He messes with the kids at the bus stop and they love him. He could be miserable all day waiting for applause, but he makes his own internal happiness. He picks out what he likes about his job and focuses on that piece.

In the blog I mentioned by Seth Goodin he says “If it’s finished, the applause, the thanks, the gratitude are something else. Something extra and not part of what you created. To play a beautiful song for two people or a thousand is the same song, and the amount of thanks you receive isn’t part of that song.” So find your music and enjoy it. If people applaud that’s nice, but that won’t make you happy every day. Enjoying what you do will.

What makes you most happy at work? What has your employer done to recognize you that you’ve really enjoyed? Comment Below, we’d love to hear from you!