Happiness is a Work Ethic!Metro North RotaryApril 11, 2013

Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos“Businesses often forget about the culture, and ultimately, they suffer for it because you cannot deliver good service from unhappy employees!”

Delivering Happiness

Zappos Core ValuesDeliver WOW Through ServiceEmbrace and Drive ChangeCreate Fun and A Little WeirdnessBe Adventurous, Creative, and Open-M

indedPursue Growth and LearningBuild Open and Honest Relationships

With CommunicationBuild a Positive Team and Family SpiritDo More With LessBe Passionate and DeterminedBe Humble

Happiness Defined

Experience of positive emotions: Pleasure combined with deeper feelings of meaning and purpose. Implies a positive mood in the present and a positive outlook for the future.

Benefits of Being Happy at WorkHigher productivityProduce higher

salesBetter leadersHigher

performance ratings

Higher payMore job securityLess absenteeismReduced turnover

Fewer workman’s comp claims

Lower healthcare $$Improve

communicationBetter teamworkImproved creativity

and innovationIncreased resilience

and adaptability

The Happiness AdvantageShawn Achor

Happiness fuels success not vice versa

A brain primed to be positive outperforms a brain that is negative or stressed

Overcome the “tetris effect”

Respect for “mirror neurons”

Destructive Manager HabitsMarshall Goldsmith, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Making destructive commentsStarting with “no,” but,” and

“however”Making excusesNot listeningNot apologizingClaiming credit they don’t

deserveExcessive need to win, be

right, have the last word, etc.

Top 5 Amygdala Triggers in the Workplace

1.Condescension and lack of respect2.Being treated unfairly3.Being unappreciated4.Feeling that you are not being listened to or heard

5.Being held to unrealistic deadlines

Source: The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights by Daniel Goleman, 2011

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job

Patrick Lencioni, 2007

Anonymity◦People cannot be fulfilled in their work

if they are not known.Irrelevance

◦Everyone needs to know that their job matters, to someone.

Immeasurement◦People need to be able to gauge their

own progress and level of contribution for themselves.

“First, Break All the Rules”Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?

2. Do I have the equipment and material I need to do my work right?

3. At work, do I have an opportunity to do what I do best every day?

4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?

5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?

6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?

8. Does the mission or purpose of the company make me feel my work is important?

9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?

10. Do I have a best friend at work?

11. In the last six months, have I talked with someone about my progress?

12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and to grow?

Maya Angelou

People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. They will never forget how you made them feel.

How to Train the Brain to be More Positive

GratitudeExerciseReduce Multi-TaskingConscious acts of

kindnessFocus on strengthsAdmit mistakes and

be forgivingReframe

In Conclusion….Happiness is a

choice.

Every single business outcome is actually predicted by our level of positivity.

Optimism drives opportunity!