Work place plays a significant role in a person’s personal life. Home environment provides ultimate pleasure or pain for an individual. Despite disastrous work place experiences, home offers relief and opportunity to relax and regenerate energy to carry on.

Head of an institution and hierarchy in administration make or mar a person’s career and performance levels. In educational institutions this aspect assumes greater significance. Inter-personal relationships matter most here. Creating congenial environment is the responsibility of teachers as well. Ego-centric individuals create hell on earth in a work place. Constant bickering, back-biting, jealousy and unhealthy craving for upgradation in position held, generally impact adversely any environment.

Man is a gregarious animal. He thrives in a group and always yearns for recognition for him and his work. A simple smile works wonders anytime anywhere. In can be in admiration or acknowledgement of a person, his disposition and his work. Creation of healthy relationships among staff in any institution is cardinal to excellence in performance levels and blossoming of individuals’ inherent talent and acquired skills. In creation no one is devoid of any talent. Some talent inherent in a person makes him a useful part in any system. Identifying and nurturing talent in a person is the prime responsibility of any organization.

Desire to grow in one’s profession motivates all workers. Whether it is a manufacturing unit, educational institution or administrative unit of a large organization creating work place happiness is imperative. Discipline is essential in all contexts. But insistence on this single aspect alone does not guarantee success. There are several instances of ego clashes ruining work place happiness and peace of mind of persons employed there. Greed to get promotion out of order and climb ladder of leadership to reach apex position through short cuts usually spoils environment.

Any person in a responsible position should lead by example. Lecturing on morals, and accountability besides constant nagging vitiates all places of work. First step in the right direction is to greet every one with a smile when ever one meets colleagues, friends and all subordinates. The term ‘subordinate’ itself smacks of authoritarian, colonial arrogance. While it is well known how our academia embraced and enthusiastically employed the term ‘subaltern’, it is a moot point to question if they could ever feel traces of colonial attitude and ‘maa-baap’ approach of imperial rulers. This residual portion is at the heart of all authoritarian domination of some individuals in work places.

Appreciation from colleagues and superiors elevates morale of an employee. Positive remarks about the work done motivates one to aim at excellence in performance that will enhance reputation of the organization in which one is employed. While goal setting and fixing targets enable better output, constant support creates better comfort zones. Communication is fundamental to better operational efficiency. Team work enhances security and confidence levels of employees. Fun and frequent family events if taken care of periodically, employees feel happy and relaxed without stress in work place. 

Happy employees don’t mind going for the extra mile in discharging their duties. Happiness reinforces one’s commitment to the organization and helps in evolving creatively in designing and executing functional aspects. Thus, monotony that mars efficiency can be mitigated. Incentives, if offered from time to time, as surprise gifts happiness at work place multiplies manifold. Happiness is contagious and can change negative energy into positive energy in no time. Happy employees function as partners in management and an organization becomes second home for them. Individual performance turns into collective responsibility and better team work. ’I’ feeling makes way to ‘Our-ness’, which augers well for any work place ultimately. Work becomes worship and duty turns into romance with responsibility!