Happiness at work – 5 tips to try today!

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December 3, 2007

James Parr at Omniblog has a great post on happiness at work, and how any company can become happy:

Now you might sit here reading this and thinking �yeah, that�s all very well in another company, but in ours where we�re just making widgets day in day out, who�s going to be that passionate about working for us?� Fair point, in essence. It�s a common notion that we can�t all be Google, with a raft of cool people, eager to sign up. Like many common notions though, it�s complete and utter BS.

You�re worried because you�re not making uber-sexy products, or you�re worried that it�s just too tough to get your warehouse staff excited about stacking boxes right? Well worry no more. Happiness at work can apply to everyone. Call centres (notoriously high attrition rates) can be happy places. Production lines can be happy places. Banks and leisure centres and council buildings and hospitals and schools and compliance units and McDonalds and everywhere else can be happy workplaces! It�s about doing some basic things right.

He then goes on to list 5 things your workplace could try right now.

He also goes on to say some very nice things about yours truly. I’m blushing here :o)

Comments

9 responses to “Happiness at work – 5 tips to try today!”

December 4, 2007

James Parr

Hi Alex, thanks for the hat tip, much appreciated!
December 4, 2007

Ask M

Sounds like the FISH! philosophy. I wish more supermarket workers would engage with the customers instead of talking to their friend at the next checkout while they’re ringing your purchases through!!

M
December 6, 2007

Albert | UrbanMonk.Net

That was a very nice find, I’ve never seen that site before. Thanks for that, Alex.
December 7, 2007

Kare Anderson

…. Another way to be happier with others:

Do a task with one or more others that uses everyone’s best talents & temperament.

Then you (all) become happier and higher-performing.
Since our brains work in a way that we spiral down faster (and longer) into upset than up into happiness we might be all the more motivated to take this approach.

Also, look to others’ positive intent, especially when they appear to have none.

…and do not let someone else determine your behavior
-Kare, (another fan of Positive Sharing) MovingFromMetoWe.com

P.S.
In a civilization when love is
gone we turn to justice and when
justice is gone we turn to power
and when power is gone we
turn to violence.

Opportunity is often inconvenient.

Remember the many
compartments of the heart,
the seed of what is
possible. So much of who
we are is defined by
the places we hold for each
other. For it is not our ingenuity
that sets us apart, but our
capacity for love, the
possibility our way will
be lit by grace. Our hearts
prisms, chiseling out the
colors of pure light.
December 7, 2007

James Parr

@Albert, glad you liked the post and hope I can do enough in the future to convince you to come back frequently!

In a piece of interesting serendipity, I found your blog yesterday through my Google Reader recommendations and subscribed having read a few posts, only to be notified of this comment in my email today. These sorts of coincidences really make me smile for some reason!
December 7, 2007

jonathan

ASKM got it right about staff not paying attention to the customer. Here is a little (true) story which happened to me the other night.

I went to the local convenience shop to buy some milk. Cashier and mate were busy talking (both ladies – not that that matters. Cashier was behind counter, Mate was stood to one side, not in public area but obviously not serving.

Cashier was reading a text out to mate – obviously I had to wait until she finished.

I only wanted a bottle of milk and I gave cashier a #5 note. She only gave me a few pence change and carried on talking to mate.

I said, “is that right, I gave you a fiver?”

“oh sorry she says, I wasn’t thinking”

and then mate says,

“she has just took her christmas bonus early”

priceless…
December 8, 2007

Albert | UrbanMonk.Net

Hey James, thanks for that, very grateful that you would like my blog. Stay in touch, yea, and let me know if you need anything ;)

Cheers,
Albert
December 9, 2007

Mike Cardus

As always a great find and fun to read, A former employer of mine the environment was horrible. We worked for a lovely conference center and all the sales and administrative people were “trapped” in the basement. Only 1 door and no natural lites or fresh air, no windows. Even worse the offices would flood and the carpet had a serius mold problem. Whenever a sales members brought up the gross working conditions they would get pulled into a seperate room and humiliated by the VP of sales. The facility sold comfort and joy, and kept its employees trapped in a dingy mold laden prison. I know work in a different place with windows and sunshine, productivity is high, as well as joy!!
Environment is a large factor to the work life.
December 11, 2007

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