Becker's Hospital Review

45 EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP BECKER'S 7 th Annual Meeting Register at www.beckershospitalreview.com/ conference/ April 27-30, 2016 | Hyatt Regency, Chicago 2016 A Hospital Worker Has the Most Satisfying Job in the World — You'd Be Surprised Which One By Tamara Rosin W hy do we work? e obvious answer is to make a living. But is this the whole answer? When people who feel truly fulfilled by their job are asked why they do their work, money is rarely part of their answer, according to Barry Schwartz, PhD, a psychologist. In his article published by TED Talks, Dr. Schwartz said the list of nonmonetary reasons people give for doing their work is both long and compelling. Satisfied workers are engaged in their work. ey have au- tonomy and discretion, and they achieve a level of mastery or expertise. ey learn things that help them develop as better workers and people. Most importantly, satisfied workers find the work they do meaningful — they believe they make a difference in the world and help touch other people's lives in positive ways. In contrast, the overwhelming majority of the world is dis- satisfied and disengaged in their jobs. A Gallup survey published in 2013 found only 13 percent of workers feel engaged by their jobs. While many people believe that a routine, pay-driven, soul-killing job is the price we have to pay to live in the world, Dr. Schwartz argues nearly everyone wants more from work than just a paycheck, and the conditions of our jobs play a large role in determining if more is available. is is the underlying concept of his book Why We Work. Furthermore, it is not just professionals — such as physi- cians, lawyers or teachers — who are satisfied by their work. Ac- cording to Dr. Schwartz, many nonprofessionals go beyond their job descriptions to make a meaningful impact in their organiza- tions and in the world. For instance, an unlikely category of hospital workers ex- pressed surprisingly high satisfaction in their jobs, according to an excerpt from Dr. Schwartz's book. Luke, a pseudonym for a custodian in a major teaching hospital, has a long list of respon- sibilities in his job description, including "collect and dispose of soiled linen" and "stock restroom supplies." Not a single item on the list requires him to interact with another human being. However, aer completing in-depth interviews with Luke and other hospital custodians, researcher Amy Wrzesniews- ki, PhD, discovered the custodians' "official" duties were only a small part of their jobs, and a large part was to make the patients and their families feel comfortable. e janitors told stories about times they cheered patients up when they were feeling sad, when they encouraged them or diverted their attention from their pain and fear and gave them a willing ear if they felt like talking. Luke and the other custodians wanted something more from their custodial work. What they sought was shaped by the goals of the organization: to promote health, cure illness and relieve suffering. ese aims were embedded in their approach to their job. Two other janitors, also under pseudonyms, described their experiences at the hospital. Ben told researchers he stopped mop- ping hallways when he saw a patient who was recovering from a major surgery was up and walking slowly down the hall for ex- ercise. Corey told them how he ignored his supervisor's instruc- tions to vacuum a visitors' lounge while a patient's family mem- bers, who had been at the hospital for days, were napping. e remarkable thing Dr. Wrzesniewski and her fellow re- searchers discovered about Luke and his colleagues was that they understood and actualized these aims in spite of their job descriptions, not because of them. e jobs they did on a daily basis were ones they had carved out for themselves in light of the organization's mission. n

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