Ways To Be Happy At Work – And More Productive as an Individual and a High Performance Team

According to research and the work of Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in their book,

First, Break All the Rules… money was never even mentioned as a source of workplace happiness or satisfaction by the 80,000 managers interviewed. Money is a workplace hygiene factor, not a motivating factor.  Read that line again… NOT a Motivating Factor!

So what does that really mean?

It seems we have it all wrong when it comes to being happy at work.
“Most people mistakenly believe that success leads to happiness.  In reality, our brains work the opposite way around. 

Shawn Achor founder of Good Think, and author of the Happiness advantage, has done the research.

He says it’s actually a positive approach that gives rise to our resilience, energy,  actions, and the ability to influence other people—all of the things required to create success.”
Happiness and optimism actually improve every business outcome, as well as improving intelligence, creativity, accuracy and energy.

Happiness@work Research

Dr. Simon Lutterbie of Iopener conducted research released in 2010 to examine the effects of the 2008-2010 recession on employee happiness at work and productivity. They questioned 2,500 respondents (48% male, 52% female) across 66 countries, but with majority of respondents (45%) in the US.  

Their research uncovered the fact that happiness-at-work significantly decreased in this time period. 

The percentage of time spent “on task” also decreased, as well as sick days off increased significantly from October 2008 through July 2010.

Dr. Lutterbie and his colleagues list 5 primary drivers now included in the SCIENCE of Happiness at Work:

• 1.Contribution: the feeling of making a difference;
• 2.Conviction: motivation in the moment to perform a task;
• 3.Commitment: overall dedication to work;
• 4.Culture: the social environment at work; and
• 5.Confidence: the belief in one’s abilities to “get the job done.”

You can take your own Happiness at Work  profile FREE here: https://www.tinyurl.com/SoHaWSurvey1
Another C to consider is…“Control,”. Control is a vital aspect of  RESILIENCE… 

As in whether the work itself is within the control of the employee, or to what extent external factors that are not within the worker’s control impact happiness at work.

Conclusion: The happiest people at work were the best performers.  While the unhappiest were the worst performers. 

Happiness at work had a strong and lasting impact on productivity, performance, teamworking effectiveness and the potential to advance in the workplace.

Happiness reduces stress, which increases productivity and results in less sick days.  So, it’s a real win-win for employer and employee.

What can you do to create a happier YOU at work?

1. Laugh more: Take time out for a joke, a funny blog, a silly picture and the neurons in your brain process information more quickly, helping you think more clearly.
2. Block out productive time-blocks:  Work in increments of 45, 90 or 120 minutes, depending on the nature of your work. 
3. Make sure to give yourself a small break between tasks.  Stand up. bend, eat a veggie, walk around the block, or step outside to call a friend.  In other words, go “off-task” or break state.
4. Decorate your space: If you are living in a dull gray cube, brighten it with color, photos, or bright toys, provided you associate these items with positive emotions (Positive Emotion Anchors).  Don’t go overboard and clutter up you area or you will defeat the ability to think clearly.
5. Write down negative emotions: Writing down the negative stuff, from trauma to minor irritations, can reduce the impact of negative emotions by brining them into your consciousness where you can easily neutralise them.
6. Increase your social network: Women live longer than men in part because they rely on close friends to help them through hard times.  Everyone can benefit from good relationships with family and friends to keep work in perspective.
7. Keep learning: Keep learning exciting new things like mastering new computer skills to reading journal articles, this will keep you from stagnating in your life and career, and keep you happier at work.
8. Journal life goals: The benefits of writing about being your “best possible future self” were well-documented by Laura King in 2008.  Take time to consider who you want to be. So make plans and TAKE ACTION.
9. Be grateful: Practice grattitue at least once a week that relates to work, even simple things.

The truth is that people will be about as happy as they make up their mind to be…happiness is not based on the external world but the lens through which we view it. Make yourself more successful by deliberately practicing happiness.

The Constituti­on only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. –  Benjamin Franklin

So if you plan to be happy at work and GAIN ALL OF THE BEFITS  – BEING HAPPY AT WORK IS YOUR choice TO BE AT cause… NOT BEING HAPPY AT WORK AS A RESULT.

Consulting, talks, workshops coaching, training and team building – become really happy at work today.

For workshops, Coaching and team building to improve your happiness at work index.. call tony Dovale on 083-447-6300 for High Performance corporate team buildings to transform mindsets, meaning and business success. 

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