I was listening to Radio Five Live earlier and there was this chap on from some government department or other talking about a government survey recently carried out about “job satisfaction”. He pronounced with apparent certainty that “money” itself was, whilst important, not the most important aspect of achieving job satisfaction, he did however admit that there was strong evidence that the better paid you are the more content you seem to be! Well there’s surprise number one. (I’ll bet he’s got a great salary).
Surprise number two was no surprise that those who are most content seem to be those who “give to others” in their jobs.
Surprise number three was that 'publicans' are in the bottom five listed jobs where least job satisfaction is recorded; in fact publicans were last on the list! Well it was a surprise until they interviewed a publican along with a tile layer and a builder, who were also amongst the bottom five (by the way Vicars were amongst the top five most content people).
Now this here publican in a voice and with a script that would have depressed the happiest person in the world, (even Snow White would have to have given Happy a few Prozacs) opined that running a pub was (to paraphrase) dreadful, involving long hours, basically un-enjoyable, absolutely impossible to compete with low prices from supermarkets and with no way of getting out other than leaving with debt mounting to bankruptcy, that was apparently why this person was still running the pub!
A Vicar who was interviewed also opined (seemingly with all of the commercial knowledge of running a pub, that you would presume a vicar would have) on the publicans' life, stating that the major problem was the smoking ban! I pulled into a lay-by and thought of crying.
Then I thought; hang an a minute, I am sure that whilst the publican interviewed is having a tough time, there are hundreds of very happy publicans with great job satisfaction, or is it that I only visit and spend my money with those who are so? Perhaps that’s the secret; perhaps only publicans who actually enjoy running their pubs do well? Perhaps only publicans who like people do well? Perhaps only publicans who like working hard do well?
Perhaps only publicans who agree that “money” itself is not the key motivator for job satisfaction do well? Perhaps those publicans who “give to others” like; being the local non-ordained vicar, the local father confessor, the local money lender, the local marriage guidance counsellor, the local charity provider, the local provider of a warm log fire on a cold night, the local provider of free Wi-Fi, the local provider of 3 free daily newspapers, the local provider of fresh flowers to brighten your day, the local school food provider, the local place to pick up your monthly magazine provider, the local font of all knowledge about the area, the local solace for lonely people provider, the local friendly face when you are feeling sad, the local meal provider when you cant be assed to cook, the local provider of a venue when your pals visit, the local provider of a fun palace, the local music promoter, the local sports promoter, the local quiz night provider, the local …(I could do another 20!).
I’ve got it; running a pub with contentment is about “giving to others” and the most contented publicans, with great job satisfaction, and who make a few quid, do just that, so surprise number two is no surprise.
Who ever said it is a “job” anyway?
Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of www.inn-dispensable.com Personal Licence Courses
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