Do We Like to Work, Have to Work, or Hate to Work?

If you ask people whether they really like to work or are just making the best of a necessity of life, they'll probably say the latter. In my experience, work can sometimes be great. Other times, it really sucks. But one thing's for sure: not working sucks more.

Oftentimes it comes down to the specifics of the situation. For me, over a 30 year career, work has always fallen into one of three distinct categories:

1. About a third of the time I loved what I was doing and who I was doing it with. I got the recognition and respect I felt I deserved and a sense of accomplishment that made hard work and long hours seem - not just worthwhile - but energizing, exciting, and important. Work was anything but just a job. It was awesome. Really.
2. Another third of the time, I could easily take it or leave it. There were good days and bad days. Some people were a pleasure to work with and others were royal pains in the you-know-what. There were responsibilities and challenges that tested my mettle mixed with tasks that were mundane and sometimes torturous. Some days I didn't even notice the time, other days I couldn't wait to bolt. Work was work. A job. A necessity of life.
3. Then there's the final third of the time. My boss and/or maybe a few key peers or stakeholders were real a**holes. The company was a dog, its products were pigs, the stress was enormous and burnout loomed large. Those were times when I dreamed of going postal and bolting for a deserted stretch of beach with unlimited supplies of really strong but tasty margaritas. Work sucked. Period.

The sense of accomplishment - 21%
The paycheck - 16%
Having one (a job) - 13%
The people (most of them, anyway) - 12%
My job function - 12%
The sense of responsibility - 10%
My company - 4%
Working with customers or vendors - 4%
My boss - 3%
My department or group - 3%
Nothing -- work sucks - 3%

• For a lot of you, work is good, maybe even enjoyable.
• For a lot of you (maybe more), work is about having a job and getting paid.
• Very few of you are thrilled with your company, your boss, or your department. That really surprised me.
• That said, a lot of you like the people you work with, and that's a good thing.
• Almost all of you found something you liked about working. Also a good thing.

So, back to the headline question, Do We Like to Work, Have to Work, or Hate to Work?, I'd say this:

We generally like to work if the conditions are good, have to work if the conditions are not so good, and when the conditions are bad, well, we persevere out of necessity. That's my take. What's yours?

Image courtesy Flickr user glasseyes view