The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Category: Happy At Work

How to be happy at work

  • Common sense at Semco

    CIO insight has a truly excellent interview with Ricardo Semler, the CEO of Semco. Here’s my favourite bit from the interview:

    When you want somebody hired, let’s say it’s for a leadership position of some kind, you go to the system and you advertise that you think someone is needed. Then on a given day – say, Wednesday at 4 o’clock, meeting room 11 – you say we’re going to discuss this, whoever’s interested. Because of the fundamental tenet that we don’t want anyone involved in anything that they really don’t want to do, all of our meetings are on a voluntary basis, meaning that the meetings are known, and then whoever is interested can and will show up, and should also leave the moment they become uninterested. It is a bit unnerving to watch these things, because people come in, plunk their things down, and then 15 minutes later somebody else says “Bye bye, see you.” But the fact is that whoever is left there has a stake in the decision being made, and the decision is final in the sense that it’s going to be implemented after the meeting.

    All meetings are voluntary. How cool is that? Read the interview, it’s great! Also, for those of us who know Open Space Technology: That’s the law of two feet right there!

  • The happy leader

    What is it that the best leaders do that gives them their results? How do great leaders motivate and inspire? Why do they do it?

    I’m convinced, that it’s very simple: The best leader is the happy leader. One who sets the happiness of himself and his people above anything else. There are many examples of such leaders, and we’ve written an article about The Happy Leader that describes a few cases both in Denmark and internationally. The article also contains specific tips on how to get the same results for yourself.

    The article is only available in danish, but if there’s demand for it, I’ll translate it into english.

  • You’re fired – you lucky dog

    The NY Times has an interesting article about people who discover, that being fired from their job was the best thing that ever happened to them.

    “Even though I had to sell everything I ever owned and didn’t have any income to support my son, I was suddenly free and happy,”

    I agree. Looking back on my life, I have to say that every major change I’ve made or lived through (even the ones that seemed traumatic at the time) have been changes for the better. Not that I’ve ever actually been fired – I’ve always managed to walk away from jobs I didn’t like any more on my own :o)

  • Fast times (and good!)

    Following a recent book review here on the site, I can safely say, that my days are lived in fast time right now. The Happy At Work Project has taken of in a mad way and I zoom from meeting to meeting, workshop to workshop and lecture to lecture. In just the last couple of weeks I’ve done more than we did most of last year! WOOOO-HOOOOOOOOO! I remember saying last year around this time that I was looking forward to the time when I felt like I had too much to do on the project – well that time has come, and I’m enjoying myself no end.

    I’ve had three meetings with prospective customers over the last two days, and they’ve been extremely interesting. I’ve developed a way of avoiding the traps of the typical sales meeting setup, and transformed these meetings into a real chance for me to learn about the organization I’m visiting and for them to learn about the things we do. I’m getting real and valuable insights into many kinds of businesses – from friggin’ sales meetings! How great is that. Also the meetings are fun. And people buy stuf. Top that! :o)

  • Work for Google

    Google has list of ten good reasons why it’s good to work for them, which includes:
    2. Life is beautiful. Being a part of something that matters and working on products in which you can believe is remarkably fulfilling.
    3. Appreciation is the best motivation.
    4. Work and play are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to code and pass the puck at the same time.
    9. Boldly go where no one has gone before. There are hundreds of challenges yet to solve. Your creative ideas matter here and are worth exploring. You’ll have the opportunity to develop innovative new products that millions of people will find useful.

    Sounds really, really good. It’s nice to see that Google are not only on the cutting edge technologically, but also in the way they treat their people. Kudos!

  • Pioneers of Change

    My good friend Carsten Ohm just returned from ten days in South Africa with the Pioneers of Change. This is a group of people who are

    developing the commitment, understanding, and a network of relationships to create or transform systems that they may come to serve Life, and operate in life-affirming ways.

    Their advice on creating that change is pretty cool:
    [ Be yourself ] What are your values, your talents, your purpose?
    Find [ what really matters ] to you, bringing meaning to your work.
    [ Start now ] Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
    [ Engage with others ] Don’t go it alone.
    [ Never stop asking questions ] Develop your ability to probe and wonder.

    That’s good advice – I may have to steal it for our work on the “Happy at Work” project.

  • Quote

    Anybody who thinks work should be miserable simply because it is work or that there should be a cordon sannitaire between ‘work’ and ‘life’ needs to find a time machine, key in the year 1543, and go and join Calvin’s crew. They’ll feel more at home there. In the meantime, the rest of us will get on with enjoying our work, and our workplaces.

    – Richard Reeves in Happy Mondays

  • Book review: The one minute apology

    Saying sorry when you are is one of the most fundamental and important personal skills there is. A well-timed, well-phrased apology can get you out of a lot of trouble – and conversely, withholding and apology when one is due can poison almost any relationship.

    In The One Minute Apology: A Powerful Way to Make Things Better Ken Blanchard and Margaret McBride tell a story of positive change promoted by just such an appropriate apology. And of course along the way they outline the principles of good vs. bad apologies.

    And it’s powerful advice. Apologizing means you take responsibility for your actions. It displays confidence, responsibility and maturity. It also lets you move on from a sticky situation that might otherwise trap you and others for a long time.

    So here’s my challenge to you: What apology have you been postponing? Think of one, and go apologize now :o)

  • Book review: Guts!

    Kevin and Jackie Freiberg are the consultants and authors that gave us a wonderful insight into the weird and wonderful (and highly succesful) ways of Southwest Airlines in their book Nuts!. This book has really shaped my perception of what can be done to create a workplace that is both fun and makes money. You may scoff at their alternative business practices and their willingess to promote fun and caring at work, but right now Southwest Airlines is the only major airline in the US that makes any money.

    In Guts!, companies that blow the doors of business as usual, the authors look at more companies that have become succesful by defying traditional business practices. Among the mos well-known are Southwest Airlines and SAS Insititute. The authors argue, that the main ingredient needed to use different strategies is courage, hence the title of the book.
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  • Book review: Love is the killer app

    A killer app is an idea so good, that it simply has to spread. Something so necessary and basic, that you have to adopt it. And according to this book by Tim Sanders, Love is just that.

    I admire people who dare to use the word love in a business setting, and to stick it in the title of the book is down-right gutsy. What’s more, I agree completely. Love is a powerful force in all aspects of life, including business. Here’s what Tim sanders believes you should do to become a lovecat, ie. someone who uses love for business success:
    1: Learn and share your knowledge
    2: Grow and share your network
    3: Show compassion

    See a trend here? This is about giving. About sharing. About focusing on others instead of only on yourself. Tim Sanders shared some of these tips in an excellent article in Fast Company.
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