It’s very heartening to see how many blogs out there have a deep focus on making work a nice experience, instead of something we just do to make a living. Here are some great recent blogposts about happiness at work.
Hidden Mojo on 7 Ways to Make Your Company More Human, Part One. Includes:
- Incentivize Groups, Not Individuals
- Encourage Employees to Blog
- Maximize Work-Life Integration
I like it already, and it’s only part one.
The Hog-blog on letting your career of the leash for a spell.
Since May, I’ve been letting my career rove to and fro. Consciously, I chose to make no plans or goals, do no outreach or inquiry, and instead, simply respond to the clients and opportunities that presented themselves.
This experiment led me to people and places and possibilities that I’d normally never encounter. I became a brand manager for a celebrity, outlined a new book concept, developed two reality TV shows, and created a new kind of speaking program that’s marketing + entertainment. And that was just October.
I’ve done this several times, and I highly recommend it. In fact, that’s how I came to work with happiness at work in the first place.
Slow Leadership on How to Avoid Burnout
If you look at the six major causes of burnout carefully, it’s clear that all of them are choices, either by management or staff or both. That means you can choose not to suffer burnout. The key is putting your personal values before purely material rewards.
Great stuff. Slow Leadership is one of the most consistently interesting, well-written and provocative work-blogs out there.
All Things Workplace on 3 Sure-Fire Steps to Developing Talent
Something counter-productive is happening on the way to developing your workforce.
It’s called Talent Management.
Right. I have sinned. I should know that Talent Management is “what’s happening.”
No it isn’t.
It has become a bloated, navel-gazing, bureaucratic, software-selling non-panacea that substitutes for the real thing.
You tell’em, Steve!
Valuing Happiness at Think Happy Thoughts:
On a scale of 1 to 5 what is your level of commitment to happiness? What actions have you recently taken that demonstrate your commitment to happiness? What would happen if you gave 5% more attention to your goal of achieving happiness?
Exactly – we have to value happiness and give it it’s proper place among our priorities: First.
http://www.vgoel.blogspot.com
As an e-retailer, I try to spread the happiness to customers as well – not simply as a “marketing ploy”, but because I think the positive customer experience and feedback enhances all of our daily interactions.
As a matter of fact, I recently wrote a silly post, based on the serious issue that customer abuse of retail employees is on the rise. If I “spread the happiness” to my customers (and part of that is providing efficient service, as well as being polite, etc.), I’m protecting myself and my employees from having to deal with morale-damaging and stress-inducing incidents of retail rage.
Wow. I guess I take my humor seriously!
Another one in the same vein:
http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/12/02/a-wow-working-experience/
Vikas: Thanks – that’s a nice blog you have going there. Great topic :o)
Steve: There is much to be said for the notion of “making your customers happy”. My thinking is 1) it feels good and 2) it makes you more money.
Peter: That’s a great post, thanks for the tip!