One of the highlights of our 2009 conference on happiness at work in Copenhagen was Dr. Srikumar S. Rao’s wonderfully inspiring and funny presentation.

His presentation focused specifically on two traps you must avoid, that keep us from becoming happy. You can watch the entire speech here (18 minutes):

Dr. Rao is the man behind the pioneering course Creativity and Personal Mastery. This is the only business school course that has its own alumni association and it has been extensively covered in the media including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the London Times, the Independent, Time, the Financial Times, Fortune, the Guardian, Business Week and dozens of other publications.

The inimitable Alan Watts tells us why we should not approach work as work – but as play. Take 20 minutes out of your day, get comfortable and watch this.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Someone sent me an email asking what my main message for 2010 would be. So here it is:

2010 is the year for companies, leaders and employees to show whether or not they’re serious about happiness.

Some people only value happiness in good times when jobs are easy to find and there’s a “war for talent”.

Others value happiness at work in and of itself and know, that happy, motivated, productive employees are even more important in tough times.

2010 is the year where we find out who falls into which camp. I’ll be in the “happy camp”. What about you?

What’s your 2010 core message?

There is little doubt that happiness at work is linked to the bottom line, and many studies confirm this. But how does it work? How much of an effect does it have? How can you boost it? What factors matter and which don’t?

To answer these questions better, I’d like to gather a list of quality resources (books, articles, studies, statistics, case stories) that examine this link and this is where I need your help. I’m not trying to assemble every study ever done – I just want some good ones.

Just to give you an idea, here are some that I’ve been using:

• Wharton: Employee Satisfaction Contributes to the Bottom Line.
• WSJ: Why Employee Satisfaction Bolsters Profitability.
• Book: Linking Customer and Employee Satisfaction to the Bottom Line.
• Book: The Service Profit Chain.

Do you know any other good evidence-based resources that look at how happiness at work improves the bottom line? I’d also like to see any studies that don’t find any effect!

That’s the question CD Baby founder Derek Sivers faced when he sold his company.

His answer: He gave it all to charity.

I told them, “I don’t even really want the money. I want it all to go to charity anyway. I just want to know that I don’t have to get a job at some point later in life. I want to know that I’m taken care of, but I think it could be harmful for me to have $20 million.”

Which reminds me of Fred Gratzon’s definition of success:

Here is how I know someone is successful — If you are able to give from your abundance then you are successful.

– Fred Gratzon (source)

I’ve been a fan of IKEA for a while now. I like their vision (to create a better everyday life for the many people) and admire their founder, Ingvar Kamprad, who is by all accounts a terribly nice person. I’ve previously quoted him as saying that:

Work should always be fun for all colleagues. We all only have one life. A third of life is work. Without desire and fun, work becomes hell.

– Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA

They may also be the only corporation that lowers the price of umbrellas, when it rains!

So when we got IKEA as a customer, I was delighted!

Their Taastrup branch (located 30 km outside of Copenhagen) have committed themselves to becoming an even happier workplace and have hired us to help. In October I did a two-day workshop for their managers and yesterday my fantastic co-worker Jon (in the picture above) and I spoke at a kick-off event for all employees.

The kick-off was a huge success, due to the meticulous and creative planning by the store’s managers, the entertaining hosts (two well-known Danish TV and radio hosts) and a great crowd. And, of course, because Jon and I kicked some major butt with our presentation. In all modesty :o)

The entire project is called GLÄDJE (happiness in Swedish), which IKEA aficionados will immediately recognize as a play on the company’s all-Swedish product names.

While more and more organizations are trying to become happy workplaces, it’s rare to see a business that approaches the process with the same determination, commitment and creativity as IKEA Taastrup.

Here are some of the things that have impressed us about their approach:

• While this started out as a project to raise customer satisfaction, they quickly realized, that the way to do it is to raise employee happiness. That’s enlightened thinking.
• It’s a long-term commitment, and happiness will be the main goal of the store for the next three years.
• The managers are walking the talk and taking a leading role in creating more happiness.
• They recognize that employees must be engaged at every level of the process.
• They’ve hired a bureau to create graphics and design for the project, which means that it looks great.
• And best of all, they hired us :o)

The next step is a series of workshops for all managers and employees which we will host in January and February and then a series of meetings to be held in every department.

They’re well on the way already. Recently, the store’s bed department transformed a Saturday from the busiest day of the week to the happiest. The employees all put on bath robes over their uniforms and staged a pillow fight in the store between staff and customers. Down and feathers was everywhere.

Some employees also hid in the wardrobes. When customers opened them to have a look, they’d step out saying “Hi, can I help?”

So if you shop at IKEA Taastrup, don’t be surprised if you run into some very happy people.

I was supposed to give a speech at LEGO’s corporate center today on better meetings but the snowfall in Denmark has been so heavy, that almost no one showed up for work there.

So they decided to postpone the event and that gave me time to do some other chores, like autographing about 100 copies of my 3rd book as well as writing Christmas cards to partners, friends and customers.

Between the snow outside, the cards, our photoshoot yesterday and the Christmas music playing here at the office I’m rapidly approaching some real holiday cheer :o)

PS: Right now our office sound system is playing the Christmastime album by Danish vocal group Basix. Awesome. Check them out (song starts at 2:00):

This is us – me, Patricia and Jon doing a little photo shoot for our annual Christmas card to customers and partners.

Merry Christmas everybody :o)