Introduction
Happiness in the workplace is a topic that has been gaining increasing attention in recent years. Many companies are recognizing the importance of creating a positive work environment and promoting employee happiness to improve productivity, employee engagement, and job satisfaction. Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, is one of the leading experts in this field. His TED talk highlights the role of happiness in the workplace and how it can be cultivated. According to Bush (2019), happiness matters quite much in the workplace. He states that happy employees are more engaged, more productive, and more likely to stay with their companies. Additionally, he makes the argument that when one person is joyful, it can spread to other people at work.
The Role of Happiness at Work
One of the key arguments that Bush makes is that happiness does matter in the workplace. The speaker notes that when employees are happy and, as a result, engaged, they are more likely to attract customers who are loyal and satisfied. Furthermore, when employees feel happy and valued, it creates a better work environment for everyone, improving overall productivity. Another important point that Bush (2019) raises is that happiness is contagious. He observes that an individual’s happiness can have a ripple effect, positively influencing others in the workplace. This is because when people feel good, they are more likely to be positive, helpful, and supportive of others. Such an attitude creates a positive feedback loop where the happiness of one person can lead to the happiness of many others.
How to Achieve Happiness at the Workplace
Trust and Respect
The speaker then gives several suggestions on how happiness in the workplace can be cultivated. It was rather interesting to hear Bush’s (2019) ideas as they are not typical or cliched things but engaging approaches with thorough explanations and examples. I was most surprised when Bush said that making one’s office a place where employees will be glad to return does not require much money. He said this does not require any money at all. The first two things that, according to Bush (2019), are necessary are trust and respect.
Having worked at several places so far, I can entirely agree with the speaker. I used to work in a place with a great system of bonuses, but the managers there treated employees as slaves. Later, I was employed in a company where the salary was average, but the manager did not miss any opportunity to communicate with subordinates and find out their opinions and suggestions for work improvement. Needless to say, people were much happier in the second place.
Fairness and Listening
The next significant elements of workplace happiness discussed by Bush were fairness and listening. I could not agree more that treating everyone equally creates a sense of comfort and friendliness among co-workers. Research indicates that happiness at work is closely associated with support from colleagues and managers (Mérida-López et al., 2019). Furthermore, listening skills, which are embedded not just in being an attentive interlocutor but also in being careful of others’ ideas, are highly important in reaching workplace happiness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, happiness in the workplace is a crucial factor that should not be overlooked by companies. Happy employees are more productive and less likely to quit, which, in turn, benefits the company’s bottom line. Furthermore, happiness is contagious and can spread to others in the workplace, creating a positive work environment for everyone. To cultivate happiness in the workplace, organizations should focus on establishing a positive work culture, treating employees with respect, and fostering a sense of purpose and community.
References
Bush, M. C. (2019). This is what makes employees happy at work [Video]. TED. Web.
Mérida-López, S., Extremera, N., Quintana-Orts, C., & Rey, L. (2019). In pursuit of job satisfaction and happiness: Testing the interactive contribution of emotion-regulation ability and workplace social support. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 60(1), 59-66. Web.