Help me name my book about happiness at work

My book about happiness at work is practically done and is coming out in November. I’m revising the text one last time and I’m really, really happy with it.

I had a meeting monday with Palle Schmidt who is going to illustrate it throughout. Palle is a great artist (you can see his work here – click under “gallerier”) and is really good at illustrating business concepts. The incredibly talented designer Lone Orum will create a beautiful cover and design the inside of the book so it will look not just good but grrrrreat!

There’s just one, tiny, insignificant detail missing: A title! I really suck at coming up with names (always have) and the best I’ve been able to come up with so far is “Happy At Work Now”. Surely we can do better!

What do you think I should call the book? I need a title and a catch-phrase, as in The Seven-Day Weekend – Changing The Way Work Works. I also like that title because it immediately evokes a positive image of what the book is about.

The book is of course about happiness at work. What it is, why it matters and how we can get it. The book is for anyone who has a job and anyone who wants one. You can read all about it (and even read the first draft of it) here.

Help me out here – I really need some ideas. Write a comment if you have any suggestion!

Comments

35 responses to “Help me name my book about happiness at work”

October 18, 2006

Paul

Hmmm…

How about HAPPY WORKDAY (followed by a clarifying phrase). A google search for that phrase doesn’t come up with much (a play produced in Estonia). there are only 157 hits, so that is a fairly rare title. Short, clear… it flows off the tongue well, and plays on “happy birthday.” The trick is coming up with the tag-on phrase!
October 18, 2006

Greg

Happy Hours.
October 18, 2006

BA

“From the Desk of the Chief Happiness Officer”
October 18, 2006

Daren

I’d stick with “Chief Happiness Officer:” plus a tagline. It creates an instantly powerful image

Some rough brainstorming (without having read the book-which I will do)
Chief Happiness Officer: Making work play
Becoming the Chief Happiness Officer: …
Chief Happiness Officer: Making work serious play
Chief Happiness Officer: An invitation to creating joy at work
October 18, 2006

Gerardo Amaya

Here are the Titles I come up to:
(from all the ones listed, the first line is the main tittle, the rest is the complementary part)

“Workday = Delight”
Guidelines for happiness at work

“Life = Hapiness = work?”
If it’s part of your life,
why not be part of your hapiness

“The happy workday syndrome”
Achieve a happy state of mind at work

“Happiness at work”
Oil and water do mix after all

Of one of my titles is the winner, I want to write the preface ;-D
October 18, 2006

Don

I’ve always liked wuzzles (Word Puzzles). They’re fun and engaging just like work ought to be.

So I suggest something like this “Put the Wonufrk”

People will wonder what “Wornufrk” is until they realize that it means “Put the Fun Back in Work”
October 18, 2006

Bob Erb

As always, the questioner has the answer:

“[H]appiness at work. What it is, why it matters and how we can get it.”

Low snarkiness quotient, eye-catching title (“Happiness at *my* job?”), not so cute as to trigger diabetic reaction.
October 18, 2006

shel

happiness@work (Gerardo said Happiness at work first, but I always like using the @ symbol. He gets all the credit :)

Wisdom from the CHO (Chief Happiness Officer) – Work and happiness aren’t mutually exclusive

The Lost Art of Happiness @ Work (Wisdom from the CHO: Chief Happiness Officer)

The One Step to Success: Happiness @ Work

Fourty Hours a Week: Working Less, Producing More, and Being Happy with what You do.

If I think of more, I’ll be back!
October 18, 2006

Dave Schoof

How about:

How to love Monday mornings and the rest of the week

Finding Happiness in the meeitngs and paper clips

The Secrets to Happiness At Work – from the wisdom of a CHO

“I wish I did spend more time at the office”
Confessions of a happy employee on his deathbed

I Love my job!!!!!!
October 18, 2006

Camila

Hi Alexander:

how about

Happy at work? – (How) you can put (say, use) this words in the same sentence

Sorry, engllish is not my native language…

By wich Publishing House your book will be launched?
October 18, 2006

Frank Schophuizen

Hi Alexander,
My native language is not English either, but here are some of my proposals:

“Don’t worry, be happy”
“Happiness works”
“Are you happy now?”
“Work happens”
“Working happiness”
“The Joy of Work” (after a music book series “the Joy of Jazz”, “The Joy of Ragtime”, etc.)
“Enjoy work”

I have looked at the words “happy” and “happiness” so often now that I no longer see words, only syllables in a silly combination. The Dutch word “hap” means one bite (of food) so I start feeling hungry now.
October 18, 2006

Adam K

I would mean that “Positive Sharing” is the obvious. Maybe Positive Sharing @ Work or something could work. And it relates to the website aswell, which I guess is the inspiration for the book..

And a few more uniqe hits will also find its way here I suppose :-)
October 18, 2006

Alexander

Thanks a bunch people. This is really inspiring me and there are lots of great suggestions. Keep’em coming!
October 19, 2006

Rodolpho

English is not my first language. Here we go:

“The C-Level Evolution: Lessons from the Chief Happiness Officer”

And if there is room for a suggestion on the cover art as well, I’d make it either dark gray or black, in which you could see a bunch of sad people. Right in the middle of that crowd stands out a smiley, positive and vibrating person. Guess who? The CHO him/herself.

Personal differentiation, personal competitive advantage in the market place. Irresistible for those who want to stand out in the middle of the sameness of the market.

That was my 2 cent contrib. Good luck! I’ll buy your book.
October 19, 2006

tohjg

“You just screw up, don’t you!”
What you think. I think people will see it, they will like “Wow. The book talks to me”. I love this impact because ur book is like a friend giving to reader on a guide toward happiness.

If your books published, please send one to me. I love your blogs.
October 19, 2006

tohjg

“You just got screw up, don’t you”

sorry for my grammar mistake. :P
October 19, 2006

Chin Yong

There is quite a good suggestions. Some more help may get more input. Any Word/Character count limit?

My suggestions:
1) Happy Business
2) Haw Haw Haw! (Happiness at Work)
October 19, 2006

Lars Plougmann

I like the previous suggestion of ‘Happy hours’, maybe expanded to ‘Happy hour is from 9 to 5: From the desk of the Chief Happiness Officer’.

Or hype the book by promising the wildest things: ‘Happy at work: How to boost your career by loving your job’, alternatively ‘Happy at work: How to turn your job into a job you love’.

Another tactic is to look at the wonderful Dilbert book titles and say something that is opposite but equally wonderful. For inspiration and discussion, I include some of my favourite Scott Adams titles:
– This Week I Achieved Unprecedented Levels of Unverifiable Productivity
– Build a Better Life by Stealing Office Supplies
– Dilbert: The Joy of Work [close hit]
– Another Day In Cubicle Paradise [dang he thought of it first]
October 19, 2006

Innovation Zen

“Happiness: It will Make or Break your work”
October 19, 2006

Simon Wilson

How about ‘Happy at Work? There is a choice!”
October 19, 2006

Jonas Antonsson

The legend of the happy employee : A tale of office adventure

Happiness is the new black

How to achieve joy of work without really trying

Make me happy : A new battlecry for employees everywhere

The Zen of Work

A cubicle of ultimate happiness : How to make work fun
October 19, 2006

Simone

How about:

Make fun work
Make fun work for you
Joy on the job
Have a happy day at the office
Happy days at the office
Make happiness happen at the office
Make your (work)day
October 19, 2006

PJ

The 9 to 5 Happy Hour: Ways to a Happy Workplace
October 19, 2006

Scott Perez-Fox

“All play and no work”
October 19, 2006

Scott Perez-Fox

or similarly, “No Work and All Play”
October 20, 2006

anon

“Hee H.A.W”
a t o
p r
p k
i
n
e
s
s

[praying that the formatting does not get messed up…]
October 20, 2006

Fleejay

I really like the idea of the “9 – 5 Happy hour” suggested by Lars and PJ

Perhaps you should mention profit in the subtitle as that’ll grab the attention of most business types.

“Happy Hour from 9 – 5: How to increase happiness and boost profits”
October 20, 2006

Suzy Q

It has already been suggested, but I intensely like:
“Happiness at Work – Work on your happiness”
.. because this also implies that you put an effort into a happy worklife.

Perhaps also:
“Happiness at Work – My pleasure!”

or
“Happiness at Work – it pays (off)” ;)
October 21, 2006

Karen

The Happy Workplace – No it ISNT always about the money
October 21, 2006

Bettina H, Denmark

I like the idea of using Chief Happiness Officer in the title. I also think it would be a good idea to look at titles on business books / books on management topics, and borrow some ideas there, to appeal to business people and executives.

For example:

Managing Happiness – the Chief Happiness Officer’s guide to happiness at work

Best of luck!

Bettina
October 22, 2006

Theo

How about “How to be Happy at Work”
October 22, 2006

Anne Okkels

I’ve been wondering how to embrace both employees and managers in the same title. I quite agree with Fleejay that mentioning profits could attract business readers, but on the other hand some employees may be put off that way? I didn’t find an answer to that question, though..!

Myself, I really like “Happiness Works” and “Happy workday!” and taglines like ” – for you and for them”, ” – for you and for the profits”, or ” – boost welfare and profits”

Apart from that I’ve been thinking of:
Become their Chief Happiness Officer!
Be your own Chief Happiness Officer!
Become your own Chief Happiness Officer!

Good luck!
October 23, 2006

FECHO

If you can take one more: :)

The Positive Workplace
October 23, 2006

Alexander

Thanks again for all the great suggestions, this is awesome!! :o)

I’ve highlighted my favorites here: https://positivesharing.com/2006/10/help-me-name-my-book

Please tell me what you think, and give me more ideas. I’m still totally open to new suggestions!
October 23, 2006

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