The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Category: Happy companies

  • This Danish CEO did something AWESOME for his staff at Christmas

    Søren Steffensen, The CEO of Danish supermarket chain Irma, has a simple philosophy: The employees come first.

    He also knows that Christmas is the busiest time of year for his people, so he is currently on a tour where he and his top leaders visit all 80 stores to meet the staff, drum up some energy and personally hand out Christmas presents to their people.

    What a great thing for a top executive to take time to do, to show people that they’re valued.

    The above pic is from one of the Copenhagen stores, where he found the actual, genuine, real Santa Claus behind the register :)

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  • Book review: Chief Joy Officer by Richard Sheridan

    I was incredibly fortunate to get an advance copy of this amazing book and reading it brought me nothing but (yes!) joy.

    It’s a fun and accessible read, but beyond that Rich’s book is also a clear call to leaders everywhere to transform their leadership so that it promotes happiness and joy rather than fear and frustration.

    But my favorite thing about this book is absolutely that Rich tells you exactly how lead with joy – and that none of it is rocket science.

    And you can take Rich’s advice on this – he’s done it himself and made Menlo Innovations a tremendously happy workplace, as I learned for myself when I visited it a while back:

    Read more and buy the book here.

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  • Our clients are winning!

    IT company Elbek&Vejrup celebrate their win.

    How amazing is this!?! Two of our clients got first place in the Danish Great Place to Work 2018 rankings:

    • DHL Express & Aviation won in the large companies category
    • Elbek & Vejrup won in the mid-sized category

    And a few other clients made it to the TOP 5 in their categories:

    • AbbVie (3rd in mid-sized companies)
    • Middelfart Sparekasse (4th in mid-sized companies)
    • Sparekassen Kronjylland (4th in large companies)

    Just to make it clear: We are not taking credit for any of this – we are so proud of the work they have been doing!

  • Science: Happiness at work is good for employees AND the bottom line

    There has never been a stronger focus on happiness at work in organizations all over the world than there is right now.

    And this is no wonder: Happy workplaces are more profitable and innovative, attract the best employees and have lower absenteeism and employee turnover rates. Simply put, happy companies make more money.

    Also, happiness at work is great for employees making them more successful, healthier and happier in private life as well.

    But why exactly is that and what trends are driving so many workplaces to take happiness seriously?

    At our 2018 Happiness at Work Conference I gave talk on that question and you can watch the whole thing here and get all the ammunition you need to make the case for happiness in your workplace.

  • 3 reasons why you should go to our CHO Academy in San Diego in February

    Our next Chief Happiness Officer Academy is February 12-15 2019 in San Diego.

    Here are 3 reasons why you should absolutely come to it:

    1. You get a deep dive into the science and practice of happiness at work.
    2. You get to meet, network and share ideas with other participants who are equally passionate about creating happier workplaces.
    3. This Academy will be especially epic, because we’re doing it at the international HQ of WD-40 Company – and they are one of the happiest and most successful companies we know.

    Read all about the Academy and sign up here.

  • Southwest flight attendant makes a dream come true

    Wow. Just wow.

    Tracy Sharp, a woman with Down’s syndrome, was talking to Vicki Heath, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, on a flight she was taking and shared that her dream was to be a flight attendant herself.

    Heath then did just about the coolest thing ever: She arranged for Tracy to join her on one of her flights as an assistant flight attendant. In the video above you can see just how awesome that went.

    There are many such stories of Southwest Airlines staff going above and beyond (this one is my favorite) and I think it just goes to show that when employees are happy, they are much more likely to do nice things for the customers and create good memories for others.

  • Happy workplaces wanted

    We are compiling a database of exceptionally happy workplaces around the world.

    Who do you think we should include? It can be any kind of workplace – big or small, government or private sector – as long as they are genuinely happy.

    Leave a comment if you know a workplace that belongs on the list.

  • This IT company is helping the world (and its employees) by sharing its skills

    I have previously written about Vega IT Sourcing, a very happy tech company in Serbia whose vision is to “Create a successful and happy business and use its success and power to create a better world.”

    They do that in many ways, most recently by launching Code For A Cause, where individuals or NGOs from anywhere in the world who need a software solution (like a website or an app) can apply to have it created for free.

    This obviously helps the organizations who get free solutions but it also helps the IT staff become happier at work because they get to use their skills to help organizations who do good work around the world.

    So if you know an NGO who might need a new website, app or other software solution, tell them about Code For A Cause. They are accepting applications until June 30.

  • The meaning of life is happiness – just not your own

    A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to give a speech about a brand new (for me) topic: Why are we here, alive, in this universe? What’s the meaning of life? What is a good life and how do you get it?

    Based on lessons from philosophy, psychology and neuroscience, I make the claim that the purpose of life is happiness – just not your own. I also talk about how to apply that in our workplaces.

    Watch the speech and tell me if you agree :)

  • How WD-40 built a billion-dollar business with happiness

    In this AMAZING speech from our International Conference on Happiness at Work, CEO Garry Ridge gives you a look “under the hood” of one of the world’s most recognized brands, WD-40 Company,  where 98% of employees say they “love to work.” This high engagement has resulted in a company that has doubled in revenue in the last decade, and is on a trajectory to double again in the next.

    Garry shares his “learning moments” from his journey to transform the company’s culture, beginning in 1997. Lessons and principles covered include:

    • The personal journey of every servant leader, and why that philosophy is critical
    • The emotional connection of a greater purpose that creates high engagement
    • How to carefully and consciously choose values that will be embedded in all aspects of leadership and employee development
    • The difference between a “team” and a “tribe”, and why WD-40 Company strove to create a cohesive tribe that spans 15 countries where employees work
    • How company performance results are directly connected to its focus on people

    Watch the whole thing – it’s phenomenal!

    Here’s my personal favorite quote from his speech:

    Leaders are champions of hope. Life is a gift. Let’s not send it back unwrapped. We have only time, talent, treasure, and technology to deal with, and none of them are abundant. So it’s our job as leaders to help people focus on the things that really matter and to take that hope to a real result.