de Botton asserts that satisfaction at work is dependent on your expectations, which I would broadly agree with. As with anything, if you set out with a negative mindset then you will find reasons to back up your assessment that work is dull, boring or meaningless. Alternatively, if you look with a more optimistic eye, you can find good in the work you do, whether it be related to the actual activities in which you are engaged, the end product, the effects of that product on people's lives or even simply the relationship you enjoy with your colleagues.
Philosophies of Work
In an interview with Edward Champion last year however, shortly after the release of the book (and an unfavourable review, to which he was responding), the author states that there are two broad philosophies of work prevalent in society. There is the working class view that says you work to feed yourself and your loved ones. Work is a necessity to be endured and you live for the weekends. Your colleagues are the people you work with and not necessarily your friends. This is something that I saw very often in my first real job and it scared me, probably because I didn't understand it. Instead, I hold to what is apparently the more middle-class view that work is 'absolutely essential to a fulfilled life and lies at the heart of our self-creation and self-fulfilment'. Interestingly the workplace I mentioned above, was filled with highly educated, skilled IT professionals, but even so, many were simply looking to work hard and then retire to enjoy the fruits of their labour. Is it that they did not believe in work as a fulfilling experience, or were they simply working in a job that was unfulfilling for them?
I would agree with de Botton that the former attitude is more prevalent in a recession. However I also believe that the recession will not go on for ever. When we come out the other side, people should start to assess the job that they do, taking time to weigh up the pleasures versus the sorrows to analyse what it is worth to them. I don't think we should be constrained by what he defines as the class-related distinctions though. Surely anyone would rather have a job that they enjoy, even if the reason for having it is simply to earn money? I would argue that the boundaries are more related to levels of ambition and assessments of self-worth. If we settle for a job that is not ideal, outwith recessional times, is it actually more because we don't think we can get anything better, or a fatalistic sense that the perfect job doesn't exist for us, or from some pseudo-Christian belief that we should be content with the humble and lowly things and not look to be happy?
Types of Work
Whatever our view of work though, the book goes on to make some interesting points and observations about a variety of industries. It looks at cargo shipping, huge containers being ferried around the world unnoticed, despite the huge scale of operations. This is followed by a chapter on the logistics involved in bringing tuna from the sea to our tables pointing out how little we stop to think about the myriad stages involved. There are stories about rocket scientists, comparing the complexities of what they do with the natural world and its wonders, an artist following his passion to showcase perception with little apparent regard for the commerciality of the studies and then the passion for detail but lack of desire for significance amongst top accountants. de Botton visits an airshow and meets the people in the trade there and walks a powerline with someone who chooses pylon designs and locations. Through all of these he looks with fresh eyes, yet tries to keep some perspective and reflect fairly on the work being done; he attempts to portray something of the positive and negative aspects of the job whilst also painting vignettes of the workers, hinting at the fit that these people have for the work they carry out.
Work that fits
This for me is the key to work being pleasurable or full of sorrow: how well does who we are match with what we do. If there is no congruence then there is little or no pleasure. It is irrelevant how the next man sees and assesses our job, unless he is our clone - the importance lies in how we see and value it. What matters is whether our role and the environment we are in matches our personality, strengths, skills and value system. If we regularly make use of our strengths (what Marcus Buckingham describes as 'the things that make you feel strong') then we fail to see so easily the negative aspects of our work. It's not that they don't exist - there will always be some bits of our employment that are less enjoyable. Rather, it lets us revel in the things that do match with what we want to do and so plays a part in our positive viewpoint and feeling of fulfilment through what we do.
There are three other chapters that particularly struck me because of the lessons the author drew out of them, but they each deserve a more thorough investigation than there is space for here. They are: the manufacture of biscuits, prompting a discussion about the meaningful nature of the work that we do; career counselling, looking at helping people "tormented by a residual notion of having...missed out on their true 'calling'". Finally there were the entrepreneurs, following their own unique path, begging the question, 'do we equate an ordinary life with a failed one?'
de Botton closes with some lines that outline reasons for working, based on what he has seen, heard and experienced second-hand from other peoples careers. It seems to imply that work is a necessary evil because it fulfils a number of functions, like distracting us from thoughts of our own mortality. However as someone who enjoys his work immensely, I would seek to refute that with some force. I can see where he is coming from in his closing line that says work 'will have kept us out of greater trouble' but I think he is also guilty of low aspirations. Work can be rewarding, enjoyable and fulfilling. If we fit the niche we are in.
Nick is an Outdoor Life Coach and Trainer specialising in working with people who haven't yet found their niche at work. Within his company, Square Pegs Coaching, he uses outdoor experiences to help people develop themselves. To understand better what this means in practice and to take greater advantage of his expertise, go to http://www.squarepegscoaching.com/ or read his blog at http://www.nickjs.co.uk/
