By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady
Advisor readers never cease to amaze. My E-pinion “Happiness Haters Unite”, that ran on November 2, drew a surprising volume and variety of responses, some funny and some profound.
I based the column on a study conducted by Harvard that concluded that happier workers were more productive. I gave that my “duh” rating and talked about how I perceived happiness here at BLR—as balance. (Click here to see the original column.)
Many readers wrote mainly to jerk Harvard’s chain, and some just because they are happy in their roles as HR managers. Others shared personal stories about how their positive attitudes helped them survive. Here’s a sampling of the responses, and thanks to all for reading, responding, and caring.
Get Over It!
“Let me see if I can get this straight—one of the more prestigious colleges in the country … has suggested we have ‘happiness training’ sessions … Those who suggested the training are in need of it. If they have no clue to what makes themselves and others happy, then they have definitely had their noses in their academics WAY too long. As the Eagles sing, ‘Get over it!’ already!”
A Note from a “Happy” Reader
“Bob, I loved your article on happiness at work. I could have saved Harvard hundreds of thousands of dollars if only they called me first!
“The best example I can give is a test that I tell every ‘hard nose’ boss to try: Go unannounced into any department and meet and greet people with a smile, a little eye contact, a ‘How’s it going?’ and a couple of minutes’ time. Then watch what happens to that department. The change is graphically noticeable.”
Not the Idiot Laughter Kind
“Happiness is extremely important, not the idiot laughter kind, but being content in the job; the tasks, the challenges, the co-workers, the environment, the benefits, and, of course, the pay. Will training help? If everyone understands what is expected of them, and their job is ‘safe,’ I would think that is the beginnings of happiness.”
I Find Myself High on the Happiness Scale
“At first, I used to fight it, then I just accepted it. However, just because I’m naturally happy (I term myself excited, enthusiastic, and optimistic), that doesn’t fit every work situation. I had to temper my enthusiasm/optimism to really learn how to listen to people. … Constant happiness is a communication turnoff if you are in a counseling, discipline, or other bad news situation.
“So instead of happiness, maybe making a contribution, belonging, or living your purpose or passion would be better than seeing if everyone was ‘happy’”.
A Mighty Fine Alternative
“Until and unless they have worked for a bully or a person who thinks motivation is achieved through intimidation and/or denigration, the ‘happy’ naysayers won’t get it. I think a little bit of kindness and an atmosphere of friendliness, and yes, happiness, is a mighty fine alternative.”
Attitude Is a Choice
“I teach people how to be happy! Or that is the theory anyway. What I really teach is that attitude is a choice. Every day, each person has a choice how they will spend their day and I try to bring home the point that, even if things are not going right in your world, please don’t take it out on the people that have nothing to do with your discomforts.
“I have lived with many adversities, both physically (lupus) and emotional (both parents are very ill), but I come into class on Monday and give every bit of upbeat attitude that I can find inside of myself. … I have been called inspirational, brave, amazing, strong, and a whole host of other things that I may or may not be … but what I am good at is making choices. I choose to be happy and I actually have taught others that they, too, can be happy if they just give it a little work and make the right choices.”
Can’t Change Someone Else
“I learned that I couldn’t change someone else, but I could motivate them to change themselves — based on how I behaved towards them.”
Been at It 27 years
“I’ve been working 27+ years and still like knowing I make a difference. Be nice if more of us would focus on the positive more than the negative. I’m a glass half-full kind of person.”
Readers, once again, thank you for reading and writing. And if you’d like to contribute your thoughts on happiness at work, you still can. Just use the Share Your Comments button on this page.
Bob,
Several of the posted responses touch on components of “happiness” and the role of HR in that happiness. One respondent speaks of making the choice to be happy, another discusses using influence via their own example to impact mindset and yet another cautions against a utopian outlook. All to say that often we (HR) mean different things to different team members and knowing our audience’s needs is the cornerstone to making a positive impact. A “happiness class” would be the silver bullet solution and we all know those don’t exist. In regards to making the choice to be happy, I’ve recommended “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews to members of my team that struggle with that choice. More on this topic would be interesting…maybe some Best Practices dialogue.
Happiness is not a quotient, nor a simple formula. It can’t be packaged or bottled for sale. It is priceless, while at the same time bearing no financial cost. It is occassionally elusive, but is always as close as your own heart.
As has been the case with numerous other studies conducted by academics all over the world the Harvard study illustrates how real-world, common sense is virtually always invisible to those in academia.
“Happiness Training” is no more silly than other useful types of classes such as; “Learning to Blink”, “Instructions on the proper use of a chair”, and my favorite, “Taking a mid-day break: Learning About Lunch.”
Happiness can’t be horded, it is not mine, nor yours. Happiness belongs to all of us. Happiness is in never-ending supply. Wars, illness, tradegdy of all sorts, have never diminished the quanity of happiness one bit, they have only temporarily delayed,or displaced it. To find happiness look no further than within yourself. The choice is ours to make.
If you find yourself being asked about attending Happiness Training, simply look up with a smile and say, “No thanks. I’m already there!”
I spent 23 years at a public utility, starting at the bottom. I taught welding, safety, tool use, etc. I found that using humor, rather than instilling fear, created a very safe and productive workplace. Utilise what is given you,[near misses, direct hits, customer confrontations] to educate your work force, and if possible, inject humor. They will not forget the lesson. With humor, you can target an individual, and the problem, and everyone buys in.
It must be noted that not all employees will react positively to any input from any management employee, and we must expect dissidence [sp] from a few. You will find that the majority will buy into a program that involves them, makes fun of the deficits of the systems, asks for their input to solve any problems.
YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE THINKING AND BREATHING HUMAN BEINGS, MOST ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING A DECISION, AND WELCOME WHAT THEY PERCIEVE AS A CHANCE TO MAKE A POSITIVE INPUT TOWARDS THE SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY! THEY RELY ON US TO MAKE A LIVING.
Happiness training,no. Creating a positive, happy workplace, yes. It is the job of the management team to create an environment that employees want to work in. A HAPPY EMPLOYEE IS A PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEE!