How to Start a "Joy at Work" Club

A Joy at Work Club can be a group of people who work together or can include people who have different employers. The key is that they are people who truly want to add more satisfaction to the work day and are committed to starting that process with others. You can begin your group with one other person. A group can start by two or more people talking with others at lunch, by putting up a flyer announcing an "exploration meeting," or inviting people to attend a special club. Don't be dissuaded by co-workers who think the concept of Joy at Work is an oxymoron.

The Joy at Work Club is a support group and as such it endeavors to promote "good work" in a variety of settings. There are no preordained rules or mandates set for the group except for the following preconceptions.

1. The group members will not discriminate on religious, ethnic, racial, gender, or other factors.
2. The group members will not divulge the names, addresses or employment of the members.
3. The group members will consider all discussion content to be confidential.
4. Actions taken outside of the group by members acting in concert or alone are the responsibility of those who take the action and not the Joy at Work Club.

The content of the group sessions are provided and organized into five themes and a conclusion. The time necessary to complete each component and how often to meet is a group decision.

1. Attendance is a priority for the agreed upon period.
2. The Joy at Work Club material is the curriculum for the group, but other material may be used. In fact, some other excellent materials are suggested for the group to use.
3. A commitment to the number of times you will meet as a group, i.e. six times per week or one time per month for six months.
4. Begin and end the meetings on time.
5. Do the reading and assignments before each meeting.
6. Participate honestly and listen to each other from the heart with sincerity.
7. Have fun in the meetings.
8. The leader of the meeting may be any member. In fact it may be a good idea to rotate the leadership. Joy at Work Club is a peer support group without a teacher or designated "expert."
9. The group members may include new members at any time.
10. It may be easier if the group meetings are held at the same place each time, however, if your group wants to meet at different homes, make sure to have a prearranged schedule so the the group members are not confused about meeting places or times.
11. It might be good to establish a rountine to each of the meetings. A good method is to divide the time into three segments. The first part of the meeting might be devoted to some type of ritual, such as, each person "checking-in" with a report of some kind. The report may be as simple as telling how you feel at the moment. Or, the routine may be to tell what you might like to get from the group meeting that session. The second part or major part may be the agenda for the session. For example, the middle part of the meeting and typically the longest part may deal with trying to learn to be less judgmental or considering the importance of needing approval from others. The third and final part is usually some type of summary or concluding activity. Often the concluding part includes sharing about what the meeting was like for each of the participants. The group can also decide if they want to have refreshment as part of the meeting. Most groups report that refreshments seem to be more appreciated if they are a separate part of the meeting either at the beginnning or at the end.
12. Start with a small group of interested people. Two people can constitute a group. One group always placed an empty chair in the meeting place as a reminder that they could invite others to participate or merely to visit. If a group gets too large, perhaps ten or more, consider establishing a second Joy at Work Club.