The Painful World

Doris Helge, Ph. D. is author of many books, including, "Joy on the Job" and "Transforming Pain Into Power," now published in four languages. After a decade of research regarding employee morale and motivation issues and providing training in organizations ranging from Microsoft to Vanderbilt University, Dr. Helge, "The Joy on the Job Coach," has became the #1 authority on happiness at work.

"Joy on the Job" is The Bible of Happiness at Work. Although the book is fun to read, I couldn't find any filler or fluff in this comprehensive work. The book is packed with hundreds of proven, easy-to-implement strategies that create joy and fulfillment at work. Material was drawn from interviews with employees, managers, and entrepreneurs in 21 diverse organizations. Strategies were validated during "Joy on the Job Seminars" conducted by the author.

When the Joy on the Job strategies were evaluated, Dr. Helge's work produced significant improvements in:



* Teamwork


* Job satisfaction (whether workers were self-employed or employed by a company)


* Employee motivation (whether people were working for themselves or a company)


* Productivity


* Employee retention


* Customer service


* Leadership ability


* Employee morale (whether people were working for themselves or a company)





Over 100 user-friendly exercises in "Joy on the Job" help us integrate new knowledge and skills.

A book based on over ten years of research could be dry, right? Not "Joy on the Job!" It's filled with positive surprises. The book is written in a warm, conversational style and the content and exercises are so useful that the book definitely maintains your interest. The answer to "What's in it for me?" is simple -- happiness at work -- so people I talk to read the book over and over. It is their reference book regarding happiness at work.

For the HR manager or other serious researcher, "Joy on the Job" has a complete appendix with an extensive index. I was amazed that even the References and Notes Section of "Joy on the Job" is interesting to read.

I enjoyed reviewing this book because I agree with Dr. Helge that everyone deserves to enjoy their work as much as a fun vacation. People I've recommended the book to have been delighted by how easy it is to improve their lives at work. HR managers, entrepreneurs, team members, and employees appreciate the no-cost strategies that have been proven to produce positive change.

One of the next best steps on Planet Earth will be to create work settings in which people have so much fun that work becomes like play. This book and Dr. Helge's seminars are a giant step toward that goal.