Dubai’s Happiness Agenda prioritises happinessas a primary objective of it’s ongoing smart transformation.
Supported by a multidisciplinary partnership network and influential thought leaders, we are helping to create a cultural shift to happiness for the city.
It’s no accident that the Government of Dubai has acknowledged Happiness as a strategic imperative for Dubai’s ongoing success story. It is becoming increasingly recognized that a happy workforce is not just a byproduct of a successful organization but a fundamental driver of success itself. Therefore understanding what makes humans happy and how to cultivate that happiness in the workplace is crucial not just for businesses but for nation-building too.
This article will delve into the components of human happiness, the strategic benefits of prioritizing workplace happiness, and provide practical tips for cultivating a positive work environment.
Understanding Human Happiness
The field of positive psychology, breaks happiness down into three primary components:
- Pleasure – pertains to the immediate experience of positive emotions.
- Engagement – being deeply involved in activities that use one’s strengths.
- Meaning – refers to having a sense of purpose and feeling that what one does is valuable.
Several psychological theories emphasize the importance of social connections, autonomy, competence, and a sense of achievement in fostering happiness.
According to the World Happiness Report 2020, social support and the ability to make life choices are among the most significant predictors of happiness. Therefore, creating an environment that supports these elements is essential for cultivating workplace happiness.
Happiness initiatives in the workplace
Happiness is too often a tangential, ad hoc, add-on in most organisations. It is dominated by team social events, sweet-treats, and the occassional feel-good charity fundraiser. These things, whilst pleasure-inducing (for some) in the short-term, continue to prove incapable of sustainably fostering happiness nor the business benefits that comes with it. The University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre offers a wealth of insights and reports for those who need ammunition to persuade colleagues who remain wedded to this narrow and out-dated approach.
If it was really that easy to improve business metrics with a sports day and BBQ, we wouldn’t be experiencing the challenges in productivity, engagement, and recruitment that continue to plague us, leaving hefty dents in our profit margins each year.
The Strategic Imperative of Workplace Happiness
If we do choose to take happiness further, the rewards for business and employees are varied and numerous.
Happiness has a direct impact on productivity and performance.
A study by the University of Warwick found that happy employees are 12% more productive than their unhappy counterparts. Happiness boosts energy levels, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, which are critical for organizational success. Moreover, happy employees are more engaged in their work, which leads to higher quality output and better customer service.
Employee wellbeing is strongly linked to lower absenteeism and turnover rates.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that organizations with high employee satisfaction experience 25% less employee turnover. High turnover rates are costly and disruptive, leading to loss of organizational knowledge and increased recruitment and training expenses. By fostering a happy work environment, companies can retain top talent and maintain a stable workforce.
Happiness and health are closely interconnected.
According to Harvard Business Review, employees who are happier at work report better physical health and lower levels of stress. Reduced stress levels contribute to fewer instances of burnout, a common issue in high-pressure environments. Healthier employees mean fewer sick days and lower healthcare costs for the organization.
A positive workplace culture is both a cause and an effect of employee happiness.
When employees feel valued and respected, it fosters a culture of trust and collaboration. This culture, in turn, attracts more high-calibre candidates and enhances the company’s reputation. Gallup’s research shows that organizations with strong cultures of engagement see a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity.
It’s a worthwhile exercise to apply these metrics in your business, to gain an insight on the sort of returns that can be gained from successfully cultivating sustainable happiness amongst your employees.
Happiness is the precursor to success, not merely the result.
States Shaw Achor, leading expert on happiness and human potential. This aligns with the findings of the Global Happiness Council, which states that happier employees create a more positive work environment that drives higher performance.
Tips for Cultivating Happiness in the Workplace
Foster Strong Social Connections
Good relationships are the cornerstone of wellbeing, health and happiness.
Encourage teamwork, collaboration, and promoting psychological safety through team-building activities, social events, conflict resolution, problem-solving workshops, and higher order managerment training. Creating opportunities for employees to interact and build relationships can enhance their sense of belonging and support.
Promote Work-Life Balance
Those extra 10-hours a week that businesses think they are banking for free on the salary budget, come at an alarming cost on the other side of the equation, and represent a false economy.
Implement policies that support work-life balance, such as flexible working hours, remote work options, and adequate vacation time. Employees who can balance their professional and personal lives are generally happier and more productive.
NB: Next week’s article compare Norweigian and US work cultures and productivity levels for a deeper insight into this. Guess which country is in the top 3 of the productivity per capity charts
Recognize and Reward Contributions
All too often managers believe the way to achieve great results is to perpetuate fear using their positional power, but this represents a woeful failure in human understanding of what drives positive behaviours.
Acknowledge employees’ efforts and achievements regularly. Whether through formal recognition programs or simple thank-you notes, showing appreciation can significantly boost morale and motivation.
Provide Opportunities for Growth
Bored, underchallenged, and demotivated employees place a heavy burden on business.
Offer professional development opportunities, such as training programs, workshops, and mentorship. Ensure all employees are working towards their own career development goals which may include sideways as well as upwards moves on both a short or long-term basis. Helping employees grow and advance in their careers can increase job satisfaction and engagement.
Ensure Meaningful Work
Employees who only turn up to work to collect a paycheck will never reach their potential nor yield the highest return on the investment the organisation makes in them.
Align roles and responsibilities with employees’ strengths and interests. When employees find their work meaningful and feel that they are contributing to a larger purpose, they are more likely to be happy and committed.
Encourage Autonomy
Feeling out of control, or controlled by others is one of the most-cited reasons employees give for wishing to leave an organisation.
Empower employees by giving them the autonomy to make decisions about their work. Trusting employees to manage their tasks and responsibilities can lead to higher job satisfaction and a sense of ownership and accountability.
Final Thoughts:
As Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, aptly put it,
Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your business.
Getting this right requires a much richer understanding of happiness, wellbeing and peformance than the average manager or leader would have typically been exposed to. It is therefore essential that leaders recognise and fill these gaps with the support of new hires and consultants who can effect the necessary changes, that can drive the desired impact over the long-term.
Understand and measure happiness in your workplace
If you’d like to understand exactly what is driving happiness, wellbeing, disengagement and demotivation in your business, the WellWise diagnostics, insights and strategy development platform provides organisations, leaders and managers with these insights, whilst offering all employees guidance, tips and resources to cultivate happiness at work for themselves and their colleagues. Reach out to me directly for more information.