Real meaning of work satisfaction

For every creature in the universe, to live life, the day is divided for different works. Food time, refreshment time, sleep time. But for humans, we know, there is another time called work time. And hence there is a need for work-life balance. When the balance is missed, we forget to love and to be loved. Life becomes mechanical. One fine day you wonder, do you really love to work or under whose pressure are you working so much. 

But there are handful of people who find their strength and they work on the same and enjoy living every minute working. For them work = life.

I remember my childhood, when we sisters wanted to learn sketching. So, my parents got a home tutor for us. He was such a wonderful artist that he used to get himself involved in the sketching so much so that he used to forget the world around him.Though it was surprising for us then, I observed over many years, that many successful  fine arts leaders whether it is music or art or so, they get involved so much that they enjoy every minute what they are doing. The work satisfaction they have is in heights. And same way, learning also continuous through out their life.

The mind takes up the pressure to understand what to do and what not to do, many a times, when we are not driven with passion. It is not easy for the mind to enjoy while it wanders in some other field. 

Well, how great it is, if we understand our strengths and interests while we finish our education. Gone are those days, in India, for engineering students in electronics and electrical and communication, getting placed in information technology firms working on coding and testing instead of semi-conductors and physical designs.

India is now the global hub for electronic manufacturing and design. India's footprint in semiconductor's product and supply chain business is remarkable in the VLSI global growth which is expected to be $81 billion by 2029. Refer a research article for a better understanding. CXO today says VLSI industry on right track for growth.

Can we imagine the electrical and electronic engineer's work satisfaction when the engineer is placed in the right field? What more the institute wants when the institute can provide placement to the student in the right firm where he or she belongs to. The measurement  graph of work-life balance and work satisfaction, of the lecturers and the to-be employees will be organically reaching highs when they do justice to the work they do. 

Well, I came across finishing schools started by one of my classmates. My husband and I always used to wonder how can we bridge the gap between the college education and corporate life. The applied knowledge sessions and a little bit of hands-on training will actually do the job. Once my husband was asked to give a guest lecture in a college called SITAM in Vizianagaram, a district in Andhra Pradesh. At the end of the lecture, students felt a sense of usefulness of the classroom learning they did till then. If applied knowledge is not transferred while the student is pursuing the degree, there are high chances they end up with low work satisfaction in very soon. 

To bridge the gap, I feel, finishing schools are doing a wonderful job. While conversing with my friend Mohammad Yousuf , Founder and CEO of  Success Bridge, he mentioned about his VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) finishing of school, where he along with his co-founder and CTO Nanda Ganesh Kumar, through Success Bridge finishing school, look into every detail to talk to the electrical and electronic students and make them understand the real standards of the industry and explain them to realise their core competencies where exactly their mind and learning lies. With their work, there are many who are looking to start their career in electronics manufacturing and design.

The institute has to fill the courage and empower students to stand for what the students are meant for or trained for.If the training institute or a college does this job with full heart, India will see growth in every industry. Now, with these type of training schools, it is achievable for an institute to help all fields of students get placed in the right firm. 

The societal pressure and the promises given to the parents about campus placements make the institutes work towards attachment of completing the task of campus placements. However may be the situation, if the institute provides training on decision making at this moment to the student, how to act and work without attachment, the education and learning is complete. Placing them in the right place where they belong to gives them the right mindset to work and the rest follows, w.r.t work satisfaction and work-life balance.

Let's see what Krishna says about attachment of work and work satisfaction in Bhagavad Gita.  

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर।

असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः।।3.19।।

tasmādasaktaḥ satataṅ kāryaṅ karma samācara.

asaktō hyācarankarma paramāpnōti pūruṣaḥ৷৷3.19৷৷

Meaning - (Purusha) human being is never to be interested in work as per result, but has to be interested in work and perform work for (Param aapnoti - attaining the ultimate) his self-satisfaction.

What is the real relationship of the person and work ? Lets read the before shloka to understand this.

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः।

आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते।।3.17।।

yastvātmaratirēva syādātmatṛptaśca mānavaḥ.

ātmanyēva ca santuṣṭastasya kāryaṅ na vidyatē৷৷3.17৷৷

Meaning - Whoever is satisfied with the work performed by self, enjoys the work and actions performed by self and feels an achiever. 

Krishna mentions about King Janaka when Krishna explains about Karma Yoga. Karma yoga or work satisfaction is attained for King Janaka, father of Sita, only when he performed his described duties with no illusions or expectations or attachments. 

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः।

लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि।।3.20।।

karmaṇaiva hi saṅsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ.

lōkasaṅgrahamēvāpi saṅpaśyankartumarhasi৷৷3.20৷৷

Meaning - Only through action, King Janaka and others had attained satisfaction. To set an example to the world around or to their followers, they performed their actions or work. 

King Janaka was satisfied with 4 daughters and he never performed a yagna for a son or successor , even when he had so many societal pressures. For King Janaka, working as per his duty is more important than getting attached to what others feel or say about him. Hence, till date he is quoted as best example for a satisfied king.

Institutes, by practising the real meaning of work satisfaction, should remain as examples for students. 

Let's explore Bhagavad Gita, let's make things easy by acting as required. Because Action completes you and builds in your confidence. 

- Keerthi Peratla