Meaning of work, happiness and motivation: the philosopher André Comte-Sponville spoke on Wednesday January 22, 2025 in front of 600 business leaders from Deux-Sèvres, on the occasion of the interconsular greetings, which took place in Chauray (read in box ).
“We don’t work for pleasure”
Author of the book “The opportunity to live”which has just been published, the philosopher is also a fine connoisseur “the world of business in general and management in particular”. An interest and closeness that he gets from his father, the boss of an SME.
To the managers gathered in the Horizon space, André Comte-Sponville spoke about happiness. That of employees, about whom they must worry more than ever, believes the philosopher. “Making others work is a difficult job because others would prefer not to work. I think that's always been true. We don't work for pleasure and that's why it's important to ensure that we can have fun at work. Happiness at work is a crucial issue. »
Back to basics
But employees are not equal. What about positions where the arduousness is significant, which are poorly valued? « IThere is still the satisfaction of knowing that we are useful, that the work has meaning. IFor the manager there is a work of pedagogy, of explanation”.
The Covid episode was a powerful revealer of these questions of happiness and the meaning given to work: “The pandemic has shown that when we get back to basics, we talk about children, friends, loves, etc. Not work. Many managers have the feeling that you have to live to work, whereas all employees know very well that you have to work to live. Obviously, it is the employees who are right. »
Balance of power
The economic context today allows them to make these arguments heard. “We are in a period of labor shortage, especially here in Deux-Sèvres, where the population is declining and aging. When there was a lot of unemployment, the bosses were in a strong position to recruit. Today there are fewer candidates and they have much higher requirements. This forces managers to become intelligent: attract, recruit, retain and motivate the best employees. And what employees are looking for is not first and foremost work, not just a salary, but first and foremost happiness. »
-When is happiness?
Beyond the question of recruitment and the smooth running of businesses, André Comte-Sponville above all calls for people to take full advantage of their lives: “For some, happiness begins at 6 p.m. when you leave the club, or on Friday evening with the start of the weekend. For others, happiness will arrive when they retire. It's very very c. to wait until the end of life to start being happy. »
the surprise
André Comte-Sponville created a little surprise by evoking his roots in Gournay, a small village in Mellois, today part of the commune of Alloinay: “My maternal grandmother was born in Gournay. She very quickly became a factory worker and lived in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the Paris region. I spent holidays in Gournay with his brother, whom we called Uncle Maurice. »
Wishes common to the three chambers
Since 2013, the Chamber of Agriculture, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Trades and Crafts have organized a joint greeting ceremony in January. “The idea was Philippe Dutruc’s”, recalled the president of the CCI, Christelle Abatut, paying tribute to her recently deceased predecessor.
These collective wishes allow the three chambers to invite a specialist each year to speak to the Deux-Sévrian leaders “important and strategic subjects for businesses in our territories. » After artificial intelligence in 2024, it is the question of human resources which was at the heart of discussions this year.
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