Category: Monday Tips

Bet you never saw this one coming: Yes, the Chief Happiness Officer wants you to complain at work.

Complaining is good for you and for the workplace. Show me a workplace where no one ever complains, and I’ll show you a workplace where people are so afraid of conflict and uncomfortable conversation that very little change is possible.

However, you must complain constructively following the tips in this post. This means complaining at the right time, to the right person about the right problem. As opposed to just moaning all the time to whoever will listen about whatever bugs you the most.

So pick one problem that’s been bugging you at work and decide:

• Who to raise it with
• When to raise it
• How to raise it

Then do it. No point in just letting that problem annoy you day after day – speak up and get it fixed.

Related:

• How to complain constructively
• How to handle chronic complainers
• 5 steps to resolve a conflict at work

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous monday tips.

There’s a theme on the blog this week: Forgiveness.

This is not something we see often in the workplace. It’s certainly not a practice that we speak off often, teach much in seminars, or ask about in new hires.

But it is still a hugely important strength that some people possess and some don’t. The ability to forgive others, is one of the virtues that lead to a happy life.

And that is why this week’s Monday Tip is to forgive someone at work. I’m sure that at some point, someone has done something that annoyed you, inconvenienced you or made you mad at work.

Forgive’em for that. Right now. I’m not saying you need to forgive everyone who’s ever slighted you for everything they’ve ever done. No, no, just pick one thing that one person has done and then simply forgive him or her for that. Don’t tell them that they’re forgiven – this is not about them it’s about you. Just let it show in your actions and your behavior, that you no longer hold that against them.

Choose one person and one act, and then forgive that person for that act. Once and for all, never to let that particular grudge return. Remember, you can still hang on to all your other grudges.

Then notice how it feels to have forgiven. Then write a comment and tell me about it – I’d really like to know :o)

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous monday tips.

Get out! That’s this week’s Monday tip.

Sarah Yeoh writes:

I try to take an hour lunch break each day and GET OUT OF THE OFFICE. Fresh air, walk, lunch, chat, sunshine (if weather permits) etc. It’s a good way to get to know your work colleagues and I think it really helps in reducing stress.

I often find that I have a clearer head when I return to my work hence increased productivity. It’s a simple suggestion but I think that there are a lot of people who just work through lunch and eat at their desk. You could pick someone new to have lunch with each Monday!

Yes! Some fresh air, some scenery and some physical activity. What’s not to like. Thanks for the tip, Sarah!

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous monday tips.

For a while now, I haven’t been putting up new Monday tips – you know those fun, easy, little things you can do in five minutes or less to make yourself or someone else happy at work.

I gotta come clean here: I’ve sorta run out of ideas. I try to come up with new ones, but I’m stuck. I need your help!

What do YOU do to spread some happiness at work? What are the little things others have done that cheered you up at work? What would be a really cool thing to do to make the workplace more fun?

The only requirements are that it must be easy, fun and something you can do in five minutes or less. Write a comment if you have any experiences/ideas and we’ll re-invigorate the Monday tips together.

Imagine that you’ve been with your current company for a few years, and now you’re moving on to a new job. On your last day at the old company, your co-workers and friends get together to celebrate you – or maybe just to make sure that you’re actually leaving :)

Anyway, at this reception one of them gives a short speech about you. About:

• What you’ve stood for in the company.
• The results you’ve created.
• The people you’ve helped out.
• What they’ve appreciated about working with you.
• What they’re going to miss about you.

Your mission this Monday is to write the speech you hope they will give you. Don’t make it too long, just 3-5 paragraphs extolling your virtues based on the points above. Remember, at a reception, they’re not going to blame your for your mistakes or list all your faults – they’ll be nice.

Of course, the real question here is: What do you want to be known for? How do you want to be remembered? What do you want your legacy to be? Then take a look at the speech you’ve written and ask yourself what you can do to live up to it.

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

By the way: Do you have any ideas for future Monday Tips? How do you make yourself and others happy at work in fun, simple, easy ways? I’d love to hear your suggestions, so write a comment if you have one.

This monday tip comes from Marco of evenhappier.com.

Some of us have always thought that a compliment which we ask for is never worth receiving. Maybe we think that if we ask for it, then it must be insincere.

Is that always the case? In fact, even a compliment that we don’t ask for can be insincere and sometimes by asking for a compliment we can get an honest feedback. How can that happen? Some people are simply not accustomed to paying compliments and need encouragement. Even people very close to us might be unable to understand what kind of recognition we need unless we ask.

So what about asking your boss for feedback on a recent project which you have successfully completed? You will make yourself happier, teaching him how to be a better manager in the process!

I gotta say that sounds like a great idea. And why limit it to the boss? Your mission this Monday, is to ask a co-worker, team member or employee for feedback.

Thanks Marco!

By the way: Do you have any ideas for future Monday Tips? How do you make yourself and others happy at work in fun, simple, easy ways? I’d love to hear your suggestions, so write a comment if you have one.

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous monday tips.

This week’s Monday Tip is about appreciating the people around you at work. Who do you like? Why do you like them?

Make a list of your closest co-workers. Not necessarily the ones you like the best, but the ones you have the most dealings with. Then, for each person on your list, write down at least five things you appreciate about that person. Things they’re good at, ways they make your life easier, their personal or professional skills and qualities… as long as it’s something positive.

That’s it. You don’t need to show your list to anyone, just take a moment to make it.

Now, when you make that list, there may be a person on it that really annoys you. Every workplace I’ve ever been in, there’s always been at lest one person who really honked me off. The trick here is to also find five things you appreciate about that person too. As the saying goes, there’s some good in everyone and if you can’t see it, it’s because you don’t want to see it.

And then I usually get the counter-argument: What about Hitler? (Or Stalin, Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden). Is there something good in them too? And I say let’s skip that entire discussion – if you work with one of those guys, you may leave them out of the exercise :o)

By the way: Do you have any ideas for future Monday Tips? How do you make yourself and others happier in fun, simple, easy ways? Write a comment if you have a suggestion.

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous monday tips.

Today’s Monday tip comes from Nimmy from Bangalore, who wrote a very nice review of my book, and then went on to add some ideas for making your work day a little happier.

One of her suggestions is to read something funny every day and share it with your colleagues.

Try to go beyond Dilbert and the usual list of 200 blonde jokes :o)

Nirmala suggests Calvin & Hobbes or PG Wodehouse.

I would add Over the Hedge, Cute Overload or Snopes. And if you’re among geeks: Player vs.player or User Friendly.

Find something funny and share it. Print it out and pass it around or hang it on the bulletin board.

Thanks Nimmy!

What about you: How do you get your giggles during the work day?

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous monday tips.

First go read this inspiring story from Kenny Moore, a catholic monk who went corporate.

My plan was to anonymously send a $40 floral arrangement to two unsuspecting employees every Monday morning… Attached to the flowers would be a note: “Don’t ever think your good efforts go unnoticed.” Signed: “From someone who cares.”

Then do the same: Send someone in your organization an anonymous present. Flowers, candy, balloons, a cool gadget. Something fun, happy, cheap and positive. Attach a note similar to Kenny’s

Then watch what happens and tell me about it in a comment.

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous monday tips.

I got the idea for this Monday’s Monday tip from my good friend Lars, who specializes in this kind of silliness.

Lars suggests putting a flipchart in place where people pass by often and will see it. On the flipchart, write a question asking for advice, ideas, suggestions – anything really.

Here are some possible questions you can ask:

• I’m buying a birthday present for my seven-year old boy. Got any ideas?
• I need some good quotes about love for a speech at my friend’s wedding. Know any good ones?
• I’m taking my husband to dinner. Can you suggest a nice, romantic restaurant?
• I’m looking for some riddles to confound my children. Write your favorite riddle here.

Remember to put marker pens by the board so people can write their answers. Lars assures me that silliness usually ensues, but that you generally get some good ideas out of it as well. If nothing else, you’ll have something to talk about and you get to know your co-workers a little better.

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous monday tips.