They seem happy enough. — Goal!

Comments

1. Rosa Say says

   January 24, 2013 at 9:15 am

   January 24th Update:
   Just read a good article by Emily Esfahani Smith for The Atlantic: There’s More to Life Than Being Happy. In it, she recalls Viktor Frankl’s bestselling 1946 book, Man’s Search for Meaning, which he wrote in nine days about his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps. She points out Frankl’s relevant wisdom in her analysis of new studies done, concluding: “This is why some researchers are cautioning against the pursuit of mere happiness.”

   As he saw in the camps, those who found meaning even in the most horrendous circumstances were far more resilient to suffering than those who did not. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing,” Frankl wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning, “the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

   The article resonated with me in light of its timeliness – I had written this posting, and then just a few days later I had a coaching conversation with a manager about the self-motivations of his staff. The question we talked story about, is a direct hit to the practical application of Smith’s article in our workplaces, and why “We don’t manage by the book; we manage by the person.”

   The question stirring our conversation was, “What if an employee doesn’t care about vision, mission, meaning or purpose, but just wants to be happy?”

   Sometimes a person is motivated by the pursuit of happiness, and sometimes the same person can be motivated by the pursuit of meaning: A manager is tasked with knowing which playing field they are currently on, and helping them achieve their goals there, so they can move forward – a great manager is versed in responding to both motivations — and honoring them.

   We will often question people and argue with them, imposing our own shoulds, “But don’t you want this to be more meaningful?” (see the 2nd ‘possibility robber’) when the better approach is to meet them where they are first, and tackle change later when they want it, or feel they newly need it — often we’ll find they’ll initiate that change when they’re ready.

   I encourage you to read Smith’s article in your next quiet moment – she offers much food for thought about this.

2. Rosa Say says

   April 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm

   From Fast Company Co.Create: How One Company Taught Its Employees How To Be Happier, And What Happened Next

   Snippet:

   …studies show that it pays to make employees happier. In his book The Happiness Advantage: Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work, author and researcher Shawn Achor analyzes the body of research conducted over the last decade regarding how happier employees impact the workplace, and he determines that a happy workforce raises sales by 37 percent, productivity by 31 percent, and accuracy on tasks by 19 percent.

   “It’s irrefutable. We know happy employees are the most successful employees, so happiness brings success, and that brings success to our organizations,” Sole says. “This is a win-win all around.”