When I began working, I read everything I could about workplace satisfaction. I am the type of person who cares more about being happy than anything else in the world, because without happiness everything is incomplete. So I spent the first three years of my life believing that good co-workers and satisfying work were the most important factors, and the reason that I was unhappy with my work situation was that I was unhappy personally. Then I fell in love and moved into the perfect situation. But I still wasn't happy.
My career as a lawyer in the public sector has caused me to add another factor to the list of what makes a job a good job. I have learned, albeit the hard way, that your boss is the third factor that makes or breaks your work environment.
For the first time in my adult professional life, I have had a boss I admire and enjoy. She is a lawyer with wonderful management skills, wonderful people skills, and is a genuinely likable person. She also left the position about a month ago. Since then, the morale of the organization has taken a notable dive. One person truly does make a difference, particularly when that person is in a position of power.
Management truly does make or break a work environment. My current position is very busy and demanding, but I honestly didn't notice that with my former boss. She literally made work fun. A good supervisor literally makes or breaks an environment.
I wonder, for the supervisors out there, do they realize how much they impact their subordinates work experience. A good job truly is a trifecta of an experience, with co-workers you enjoy, work that is satisfying, and a supervisor who makes the experience better, and not worse.
