The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Category: A Question For Ya

  • A question for ya: How do you quit?

    QuestionOffice Lady asked me a great question, and to be honest, I’m not really an expert in this area. Can you help?

    I have a question about when we want to quit our jobs. Are there any “codes of practice??? or “ethics??? of quitting out there?

    For example, I have read somewhere that we should not keep quiet about our intentions to leave until the very last minute and then suddenly hand in our resignation letters. Instead, we should be verbally discussing our leaving a few days before we formally hand in the letter?

    Are there any other similar things that we must take note of when we are planning our resignation?

    Have you tried quitting a job? How did you go about it? What questions and considerations did you take into account?

  • A question for ya: How can you go out with a (positive) bang

    QuestionMike Hoffman is in an interesting situation:

    I’m currently in one of the worst jobs of my life. The majority of my co-workers reply with a negative response when asked if they honestly enjoy coming into work. Management seems miserable (overworked, stressed, and never caught smiling). You already know what kind of environment this creates.

    I already have a contract for another job within the next 90 days. I think my co-workers are good people and I feel that I have an obligation to leave a legacy, whether this means dropping off a case of your books on the way out or writing an honest letter to management about the work environment as a whole, to make their jobs (or their mindset to find another one) that much better. I want to be direct but not insulting.

    Do you have any suggestions on the best ways to leave a job while leaving a positive impact in its wake?

    What a great idea! When you know you’re leaving, you’re free to say and do some things you might not normally be able to. The question is, what can you do that is positive and inspiring, as opposed to bitterly slamming the door on your way out.

    What could you do in this situation? I would very much like to hear your ideas!

  • A question for ya: Losing a job you love

    QuestionOn my post about Liking vs. loving your job, Love Lost asks:

    I had a job that I loved, I worked hard, loved what I did, did well with the people I worked with. But then the 18 month contract ran out and I can’t go back for six months and they can’t make me a permanent employee.

    So what do you do when you lose a job you love and take a job you may hate?

    That’s a really good question. What would you do? Write a comment, I’d really like to know!

  • A question for ya: Back cover text

    BookI’m writing the text for the back cover of my book. How does this sound:

    Work used to be tough and unpleasant – something we did only to make a living. This is changing.

    Today, happiness at work is no longer a luxury – it’s essential. People who love their jobs are more productive, creative and motivated. They’re also happier in life. Happy companies are more efficient, innovative and more profitable than their unhappy competitors.

    Anyone can be truly happy at work – whether you are an employee or a manager; a new hire or a grizzled veteran; work in a small startup, a huge corporation or the public sector; this book will give you everything you need to make work fun, inspiring and energizing:

    • The theory of happiness at work. What it is, why it matters, and what makes people happy or unhappy at work.
    • Simple, effective tools that you can use to create a better worklife for yourself and a happier workplace.
    • A massive dose of energy to get you to do something about it right here and right now.
    • A specific plan to get you great results.

    Only you are responsible for your happiness, so it’s up to you to read Alexander Kjerulf’s “Happy Hour is 9 to 5? and find out what steps you can take to make yourself, your colleagues, and your staff happier at work. The book’s knowledge, tips, and real-life case studies will equip and inspire you to change your working life for the better.
    – Angela Beesley, co-founder of Wikia

    Happy companies will win. Happy companies will grow and happy companies will innovate. The company of the future is—happy.
    – Lars Kolind, chairman of the Grundfos Foundation

  • A question for ya: Books about happiness at work

    QuestionSay, I’ve been hankering to read some good books about happiness at work.

    You can see my top 10 favorite books so far here (fiction and non-fiction), with my reviews. Hmmmm… that list is from 2004 – gotta update it soon.

    Can you recommend some more great ones? Write a comment!

    If you’d like to recommend a really great novel as well, don’t hold yourself back :o)

  • A question for ya: Marketing my book

    Happy at work bookYesterday I finished the happy at work book, updating it according to all the great feedback you guys gave me. Thank you to everyone who read a chapter, and gave me their input. Today the book goes out to proofreading and then it’ll be done.

    Now I have a question for ya: How do I market and sell the book?

    Here’s what I’m currently thinking of doing:

    • The book will be available in pdf for $20 and on paper from lulu.com and amazon for $30.
    • I’ll give away 100 electronic copies of the book to the first 100 bloggers who sign up to ask for one. (Don’t sign up yet, there’ll be an official announcement later.)
    • I’ll contact all the bloggers that write about happiness at work or similar topics and offer them a free copy of the book as well as the chance to do an interview with me.
    • I’ll advertise the book in the sidebar here on the blog and at the end of every post.
    • I’ll be posting excerpts from the book as blogposts.
    • I’ll make the whole book available for free as html here on the blog.

    What else can I do to make the book a huge hit? Write a comment!

  • A question for ya: Office celebrations

    QuestionYou rock and you know it. Your group, team, department or entire company has just reached a major milestone, completed a project, gotten that huge sale or otherwise kicked butt.

    What would be a great way to celebrate it? How do you mark your accomplishments?

    Write a comment, I’d really like to know!