Great Places to Work: Perceptions, Trade-offs and Happiness

 

Agonda Beach, Goa. Imagine this is your workplace. 

Nestled in the lap of nature. 

Where the dominant workplace sounds are not ringing phones but the constant crashing of waves. 

Where meeting rooms are open-air with the sand kissing your feet and the constant breeze - even if a little warm - constantly billowing against you. And most meetings are a quick huddle for status updates, a little gossip and exchanging notes. All verbal. No emails, no daily reports.

Where the constant aroma you get is not of air-fresheners or colognes, but of the saline sea and grilled food wafting through the shacks.

This may sound too good to be true, but it is true.

Here are the folks who actually "enjoy" this work environment.

This is not a sarcastic post - I salute these women (there were 3 of them) who clean up the beach every single morning. The "unskilled" ones with "limited education" who clean up the mess made by the "educated" and "skilled" folks. Nor is this a parody on "Great Place to Work" recognitions that many organisations pride themselves with, and deservedly so.

My point is that much too often we get swayed by what we see and read (more so with social media) and allow our definitions of "happiness", "success" etc., to be defined by this. In doing so, we often lose context, perspective and the larger picture.

I was enjoying the view this morning and was soaking in the ambience when suddenly these 3 women came up and started cleaning up the beach - everything from litter to animal poop. 

As I watched them, I couldn't help be struck by the irony of their occupation - "Great Place to Work" but not the work anyone would want to do.

Everyone has their own shares of joys and sadness, ups and downs. 

Every industry, profession and workplace has its trade-offs. 

The key to happiness is to have our own definition of "happiness".

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