I thought this was an interesting article from Saturday’s New York Timesabout finding passion or “flow” at work.  (If you haven’t read “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, you really should.)

Anyway, the article talks about the “needed nine”: the main external sources of happiness or unhappiness in work and life.  They include:

• having some sense of empowerment;
• using and expanding your skills;
• enjoying some variety;
• having a clear sense of your situation and what is required;
• doing something in which you believe;
• supportive supervision;
• job security and the possibility of promotion; and
• fair treatment.

I like this checklist not only for our own personal happiness and development, but for those of our employees as well.  I believe that all good managers intuitively understand that these factors are necessary to keep workers happy and productive.