Do you think that an individual employee’s overall happiness has anything to do with their success at work?
According to Shawn Achor in his book The Happiness Advantage, “Happiness is the most important ingredient for success in all parts of life.” A happy person is usually in a good mood and has a positive outlook on life. They are typically social and have a work/life balance. People like to be around them.
According to scientists, the reason happy people are more productive at work is that positive emotions increase dopamine and serotonin, which augments the learning centers in our brains. Studies have shown that the most important contributors to happiness are:
- Having meaningful life goals
- Consciously being optimistic
- Consciously thinking of things to be grateful for
- Maintaining healthy social relationships
- Exercise and a healthy diet
While it may seem that happy people are genetically predisposed to being happy, Achor’s research showed that the brain is malleable throughout our lives, and people can learn positivity.
Based on this research, some companies are implementing programs to help employees see the glass as half full and look at problems as patterns of possibility. By learning how to control their thinking, employees are learning to tackle what seems like insurmountable challenges one small project at a time instead of feeling overwhelmed and helpless.
Studies have shown that employers can implement small positive interventions with some training that can change the whole culture of the organization.
Some companies are creating a work environment that provides a more creative and exciting place for people to thrive. They are offering personal development opportunities such as yoga, language lessons, gym memberships, music lessons, and the list goes on.
This information is just the tip of the iceberg on the topic of employee happiness and the effect on an organization’s bottom line. The best news is that investing in teaching employees how to be positive is providing something that money cannot buy, and that is happiness.
