People like autonomy at work, but most have few opportunities for creativity

People like autonomy at work, but most have few opportunities for creativityPeople like autonomy at work, but most have few opportunities for creativityHow do you feel when you dont have power over what you produce on your kollektiv? When was the last time one of your ideas got the green light?Its clear that people like a certain amount of autonomy at work- without it, we lose our motivation, our ability to succeed, and our health.Now theres mora proof that the majority of workers are stumbling by without that autonomy, just taking orders. Robert Half and Happiness Works released a studyon workplace happiness showing that a staggering 55% of people surveyed said they have little or no control over their work, and that 58% said they have few opportunities for creativity, among many other findings.Plus, getting older doesnt necessarily mean youll like your job more- the report found that as you get older, happiness and interest at work go down, and your stress level goes up. That pro cess starts at age 35, the report found.From the ages of 35-54, people arent as happy or into their work as when they hit about 55, when some of this loss is reversed. Employees older than 55 feel better about their jobs in those younger than them. The study didnt explain why, although its more likely that after 55, people face reduced financial and family pressures from raising kids, or enjoy greater seniority and thus autonomy.No wonder Americans dont fear robots taking their jobs, since everything feels cold and depersonalized to the majority of workers during a long workday. Thats a lot of people in America who are working on auto-pilot.The role of empowerment at workOverall, the researchers gauged the happiness levels of more than 24,000 professional employees in 8 countries- that 2,000 of those people were from the UK and provided information about how they feel at work, which was displayed in various charts. More than half of those surveyedlive and work in North America.The researchers explored six elements that have an impact on workers happiness. Empowerment was one of them, which featured the findings about control and chances to be creative. Not surprisingly, certain positions offered the least ability for people to spread their wings- the survey found that only 35% of those in administrative roles and 34% in accounting said they could often be creative at work.The researchers suggested boosting empowermentby favoring manager assistance over micromanagement.Phil Sheridan, senior managing director at Robert Half, commented on empowerment in a statement.Create a culture where team members are encouraged to stretch their problem-solving skills by taking smart, strategic risks and provide them with the opportunity to contribute new creative ideasBut also make it known that you are available to offer support and guidance so that they dont find themselves floundering alone, he said.What the happiest workers shareTheres a roadmap for creating happy teams and workers, but few companies follow it. For instance, control over ones work also ties into the hallmarks of happiness, or the things that the happiest employees all possess,which author Daniel Pink explained later in the report.Although he prefaced his descriptions by saying everyone is different, two hallmarks of happiness that Pink mentioned were having some control over the work you do, when you do it, how you do it and who you do it with and having great colleagues who you both like and trust.One of Pinks suggestions on how managers can boost their reports happiness is to meet with each person separately once a week for quick discussions (maybe five-minute ones) about whether they are getting ahead in what theyre working on, and offering assistance if theyre not. Youll have to spend a lot of time with them, after all, so its worth the investment.Why who you work with mattersAnother finding that stood out is that our happiness at work depends heavily on whether we like who we work with.The research found that, compared to people that didnt work well with their coworkers, those whoreported having good relationships with others on their team were 2.7 times more likely to experience happiness at work.Eighty-one percent said they get along with members of the direct team theyre part of, while 62% reported having good friends in the office and 68% saying they think groups at their employer generally work well together.It not all fun and games for top leadersIn another portion of the report, it became clear that the leaders at the top of the corporate ladder, senior executives, were the winning the most when it came to happiness.Based on responses from 2,000 part- and full-time adult workers in the UK, this group was the happiest when compared to staff-level professionals, managers, sales and customer service workers and administrative and secretarial clerks.But its not all rosy at the top. These leadershad higher than average amounts of stress.What you can d o to feel happier at work todayEven if you cant hire all the people you love working with, there are things you can do to boost your happiness and sense of autonomy at work.Takea walk.Embrace positivity.Instead of harping on what you cant control at work, think about what you can.We may not feel like like we have free reign at work all the time, but there are measures both managers and employees can take to work against unterstellung feelings.And if that all seems difficult, try embracing the robots - likethis little girl.