Happiness at Work
Happiness at work matters! Gallup research shows that "only 13 percent of employees are engaged at work worldwide" and that in order to grow business, companies must “win the hearts and minds of (their) employees.” Happiness is important at work because happy people are better/more productive workers. Plus, not surprisingly, there a strong connection between happiness at work and happiness at life (after all we spend more hours working than doing anything else except perhaps sleep).
So how can leaders cultivate happiness at work? Scientists and scholars identified different principles to grow happiness; some are more obvious than other. Key among those are:
- being intentional about creating happiness at work
- adopting mindfulness practices (they help people get out of negative thought loops and cultivate a sense of inner wellbeing)
- Focusing attention (the wondering mind is not a happy mind)
- shifting perspective from me to we
- seeking meaning & purpose (finding a meaning in what they do; feel that their contributions make a difference)
- building good relationships & friendships
- adopting constructive communication patterns
- bringing ethical values and showing up authentically
BOOKS & ARTICLES:
- How to Be Happy At Work: The Power of Purpose, Hope, and Friendship (Annie McKee)
- The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want (Sonja Lyubomirsky)
- Real Happiness at Work (Sharon Salzberg)
- The Happy Manifesto: Make Your Organization a great Workplace (Henry Stewart)
- Five Scientifically Proven Ways to be Happier at Work (Time | Nataly Kogan)
- New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy (Eric Barker)