One of the biggest threats to happiness at work is having too many fixed expenses at home. When you’re completely dependent on bringing home a pay check (or two!) every single month, you’re vulnerable. If work turns out to be unbearable you can’t simply up and leave and take three months without income. I’ve chosen … Continue reading The top 10 advantages of low-rent living
It’s a golden rule in most businesses that salaries must be kept secret. Except for a few heretics it is almost universally accepted that mayhem would ensue in the workplace if people knew what their co-workers, their managers or – gasp – the CEO was making. Making salaries open inside a company instead seems like … Continue reading Why secret salaries are a baaaaaad idea
Though Jane enjoyed working as the sales manager of Wilbey & Sons, working with Scott, the financial manager, was a constant struggle for her. At every meeting, Scott would take great care to explain why all her ideas were unworkable. Also, Scott was constantly asking for sales projections and financial data from her and always … Continue reading 5 essential steps to resolve a conflict at work
A simple model for happiness at work A simple 3-step model shows what it takes to make a workplace happy, and it’s shown in the figure below. The model has three layers, three areas which make a difference to people’s happiness at work. Each of these layers are important, but one is often ignored – … Continue reading A model for happiness at work
So you want to be happy at work. What should you do? There are certainly enough things on the menu. Should you read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People? Or maybe the Getting Things Done system is right for you. You could focus on Personal Excellence or develop Brand You. Is coaching what you … Continue reading How to make yourself happy at work: Attention, Intention, Action
The idea that working more does not necessarily mean achieving more, and that we need to end the cult of overwork, seems to be cropping up all over the place these days. Here are a few great, recent sightings. Fred Gratzon lists the Top 10 signs you’re made to be an entrepreneur, including “You are … Continue reading Work less achieve more
When the customer isn’t right – for your business One woman who frequently flew on Southwest, was constantly disappointed with every aspect of the company’s operation. In fact, she became known as the “Pen Pal” because after every flight she wrote in with a complaint. She didn’t like the fact that the company didn’t assign … Continue reading Top 5 reasons why “The Customer Is Always Right” is wrong
The Order of the Elephant. This little guy helped turn around a childrens hospital ward from an unhappy workplace to a very happy one. Helle Schier, a soft-spoken, engaging woman in her mid-twenties was excited. She’d just graduated from nursing school, and had already gotten her first job as a nurse at Odense University Hospital. … Continue reading Who is responsible for happiness at work?
We’ve looked at what we think makes us happy at work but doesn’t. We’ve looked at what actually does work. But what actively makes people unhappy at work? What are the most important things to avoid? Let’s take a look at that.
Steve Forbes was in Denmark this week on a European tour, meeting with political and business leaders. His main message was that while Denmark has arguably the strongest economy in Europe right now, the high danish taxes are limiting our economic growth. And danish taxes are very high: The highest tax bracket kicks in after … Continue reading Steve Forbes doesn’t get it – or why having the world’s highest taxes is a good thing