There are too many iPhone apps to keep track of. There are over 300,000 apps available on iTunes. When you include all the other smart phone apps available it’s head spinning. One of the most popular apps is the game Angry Birds. It’s #1 in many countries.

I recently got a gift of an iTouch (iPod with touch screen) that allows me to mess around with all the apps out there. I’m not cool enough for an iPhone yet. I’ll stick with my Samsung with a keypad thank you very much.

Angry Birds was a big reason I wanted an iTouch. I saw all my co-workers and friends playing the game and I wanted in on the action.

Now I’m hooked. I’ll play it while waiting for my wife to get ready. I’ll play it while waiting for my radiation treatments. I’ll even play it on the toilet.

That’s where the genius behind the game begins.

Simplicity

The game can be played in any language by almost any age group. My 4-year-old nephew loves playing the game. He isn’t very good at it, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that it’s so simple to play it doesn’t take a gaming wizard to have fun.

The difficulty does increase as you go along, but the rules are always the same. Sling a bird at some green pigs and try to kill them. The reason why this doesn’t get boring is because you want to see what the next screen looks like. You want to see how creative the developers can get.

There are hidden little tricks on every level. The fewer birds you need to kill the pigs, the more stars you receive. There is something cool about killing the pigs with one bird and receiving 3 stars instead of just one.

Takeaway:

Too often we get caught up in trying to create an intricate marketing plan or we try to solve a problem with 15 people instead of 3, but we end up getting too confused and we miss the mark. You have to remember when you are creating something that you should make it so simple that anyone can use it for their problem.

Low Cost

The game only costs .99 cents. It’s less than a value menu fries. The barrier to buy it is so low that as soon as someone tells you how awesome the game is, you download it. Why even mess with the free version? Even for those frugal people who download the free version get hooked and don’t mind paying .99 cents to continue playing.

I know that many experts will tell you not to compete on price and this goes for many products and services, but something that can be replicated very easily it’s best to compete on price. If it’s meant for a mass audience, don’t try to charge too much. You’ll end up pissing people off who really wanted the product.

I would not have bought this game for $4.99. I just don’t want to pay $4.99 for a game that just numbs my mind. I can buy a cheap lunch with that kind of money.

Takeaway:

Price is always a factor. If you can keep your costs low and charge less to entice more people to buy your product, then go for it.

Emotional Engagement

Many companies want to develop the emotional engagement that Angry Birds has created. When I first started playing on my brother’s iPhone it was all in fun, but then I watched the back story. The stupid pigs stole the sweet birds’ eggs to fry up in a pan. That’s just wrong. Those dumb pigs deserve to die.

Each time I pass a level I want to see how these pigs are protected and how I can destroy them. I’m not a violent person, but come on, you can’t just steal someone’s eggs.

The game is also very entertaining. The colors are well put together. You feel like you are in a loony tunes episode. The back drop is varied with cacti and a desert scene(that’s just the first level). Each main level has a different look.

I have a friend who has played countless hours on the game, trying to unlock 3 stars on every level. He refuses to quit.

People quickly get addicted to the game because it challenges them on different levels. When you can anchor into a wide range of emotions – anger, joy, frustration, and love – you keep people wanting more.

Takeaway:

Whether you have clients, customers or a boss to make happy, you have to find a way to engage them on many levels. If all you do is work really hard and you don’t use these other emotional anchors, you’ll lose out on business and friendships.

Many Rewards

The next most compelling part of this game is the constant wins. Some levels are easy and it seems a waste of time. Then you get stuck on a level and you fail a few times and then bingo – you find the pig’s weak spot. You kill the pig and feel totally awesome.

Zappos does this too. Instead of promoting people on an 18 month scale, they took the same promotion track and broke it into 3 parts. So the person on the track to become call center manager gets 3 promotions along the way. Zappos understands that they need to show their people that they are doing well every step of the way.

Takeaway:

You can create small wins for your clients, employees, and readers (if you are a blogger). You may not be able to give them more money, but recognizing their hard work must become a regular habit.

Your Turn

Have you played Angry Birds?

What is your favorite part of the game?

* Join over 1,200 people who have already subscribed to the FREE 10 part E-Course on Leveraging Your Superpowers. Learn how to discover and leverage your superpowers so you can do amazing work. (Sign up is in the top left corner)

* Learning how and when to say “no” is not easy, but a most in any career. Click here to learn from Chris Garrett and how he deals with a push person who is begging for his time.

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Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Eileen Habelow, Ph.D. of Randstad

You work with them about 8 hours a day, 250 days out of the year. Depending on your line of work, you may see them more than you see friends and family. Your co-workers are an integral part of your ability to do your job, to develop and succeed in your career and even to ensure your day-to-day happiness. In this year’s Randstad Work Watch survey on coworker relationships, 70 percent of respondents said that workplace friendships create a more supportive and friendly workplace. That’s why building healthy, trusting relationships with these people is so important.

I am not suggesting intimate and lifelong friendships, but rather relationships based on mutual respect and a foundation of trust. We are often very different from the people we work with, and therefore a close and comfortable friendship is not always in the cards. This is perfectly alright and often ideal for business as diversity facilitates problem-solving, collaboration, ingenuity and business stability. Imagine if everyone was like you and there were no bossy overachievers or quirky IT guys. Who would make sure every deadline was met and the company’s computer system didn’t crash?

Acknowledging and accepting your coworkers’ differences is the first step in developing a healthy work environment. The second is figuring out how to develop trusting relationships despite those differences. Here are a few ways to develop trust with even the most difficult coworkers.

Be Authentic

Healthy relationships are founded on trust and an understanding of who the other person is. People can sense when you’re trying to be someone you’re not, and that façade will put people on their guard. It is hard to work with someone whose personality you can’t predict or whose character you can’t put your finger on. Remember to be yourself, especially in situations when you might be less comfortable – that’s when we are most likely to put up a front.

View Work as a Team Effort

Often coworker relationships can be ridden with competitive tension. It is important to receive credit for the great work you are doing, but it doesn’t have to be at another’s expense. Taking all the credit can feel like a stab in the back to a coworker and create distrust. Next time you have a “big win” at the office, consider whether or not it was achieved single-handedly. Most likely you had some help along the way and those people would appreciate recognition as well.

Deliver on Promises

Coworkers depend on each other to complete tasks and meet deadlines. Following through for a coworker helps the success of the team and should be taken just as seriously as a promise made to a superior. If you feel like you are taking on more than you can handle, let your coworker know and work together to establish a new plan of action. By failing to follow through you not only let your coworker down, but also you establish a record of unreliability.

Trust Them

You cannot expect people to trust you if you don’t trust them back. Take a moment and reflect on your workplace relationships. Are you distrusting? See if any of the above scenarios apply to your coworkers. Are you having trouble reading someone? Did a coworker take all the credit for a group project or let you down on a tight deadline? If so, see if you can make amends or give them another chance to prove their reliability.

We try our best to surround ourselves with trusting relationships in our personal lives. Why shouldn’t we do the same in our professional lives? Think about those people in your life who have helped you develop, succeed and live happily. Chances are they are people with whom you share mutual trust and respect. Why not develop the same type of friendships at work?

Eileen Habelow, Ph.D., is the senior vice president of Organizational Development with Randstad, a global provider of HR solutions and staffing.

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* Need a boost to your work happiness? Then check out the Happy at Work Project and start one yourself.

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Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

I posted on Twitter about the importance of rewarding your co-workers. I love Twitter, by the way. The ability to connect with fun, smart and quirky people is brilliant.

A friend on Twitter told me that she likes to create tags for her co-workers.

I asked her what she meant and she explained that she likes to give out random acts of kindness to the people she works with. She draws beautiful pictures on pricing tags. She sent me these photos so I could share them with you.

This is what she said about this work happiness technique:

I give them to the “benefits team” I make 15 every month and everyone gets one ( this includes 2 managers and one supervisor and 2 contract” men” and other counselors like me!), sometimes they are all the same and sometimes they vary a little depending on what supplies I have.  They started out as a RAK -random act of kindness- in February and now have evolved into a coveted work happiness. It really is the little things in life that ease the way.  So silly as it may seem they are not silly at all.

Just the other day the boss asked if we will continue this tradition into the New Year? And of course I said why not. She was thinking of ways to display them  right now they reside on each office’s door we have little 3M message boards with sticky stuff on top (they stick great) and white board on the bottom.

By refusing to wait for our boss and/or co-workers to make us happy, we can take control of our own happiness. And when we have the control, we start creating happiness for others.

It’s all about feeling good. We may as well spread the joy.

Thank you Tamara for supplying the images. This post wouldn’t have had the impact without them.

* Want to build better relationships at work? Then sign up for the 10 Week Work Happy Now eCourse. (Sign up is in the top left corner). You’ll receive a new lesson in your inbox every Monday.

* Naomi of Ittybiz has a brilliant series about goals. My favorite so far is Batshit Crazy: Creative Ways To Meet Your Goals. It’s a must read, especially if you made a resolution to start off the New Year.

If you enjoyed this post then you will probably like this one too:

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Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

I shared a drink with a friend who manages a team of five people. He was wondering how people’s moods can fluctuate in such a broad range, which affects the quality of their work. One of his employees is always up and down. He is engaged with his work one week and then he seems to lose interest. His interest fluctuates and he isn’t sure why.

We all have this problem it’s just that most of us force ourselves to stay focused. My friend told me that he has tried giving this employee various kinds of work to see what interests him, but that didn’t work either.

I asked him if he ever sits down with his staff to explain the reasoning behind the work.

He said he didn’t. He never really thought of that because it’s pretty obvious to him. They need to design websites that exceed the customer’s expectations.

He was losing out on a huge opportunity. People often stop looking at the larger picture because they get comfortable. This comfortable feeling reduces their desire to go above and beyond the normal effort.

A study at the University of Alberta showed that people need a sense of purpose in order to feel engaged with their work. A ‘Spirit at Work’ intervention program for a group of long-term health-care workers boosted morale and job retention. This program urged employees to rethink their job, which reduced absenteeism by 60% and turnover by 75%.

“We discovered that people who are able to find meaning and purpose in their work, and can see how they make a difference through that work, are healthier, happier and more productive employees,” said Val Kinjerski, a University of Alberta PhD graduate who co-authored the study.
- E-science news gathered this information from the Journal of Gerontological Nursing.

By helping your people understand why they do what they do – you can increase happiness and productivity.

I’m going to give you a few ideas that might help your employees/coworkers to connect with their work.

Create Your Own Spirit at Work Intervention Program

1. Talk about positive stories
2. Have people share positive stories to be compiled for other employees
3. Listen to customer feedback
4. Find out what improvements your people would like to implement
5. Ask your employees how they want to celebrate great results

Your organization has an opportunity to create happier and more engaged workers with these easy to apply secrets that everyone should know, but many aren’t willing to try.

1. Talk about positive stories

Your organization has many stories of how employees solved problems, helped others in need, and other ways in which they went above and beyond to make someone happy. However, a lot of us like to play the modesty card. We hesitate to flaunt our achievements.

Wrong. So wrong. You need to flaunt your greatness; it’s a must.

A client recently told me about how I helped her feel happier. She explained that drugs that she took to keep her emotionally balanced didn’t help, but my site did. She thanked me profusely. (I put her quote on my hire me – coaching page.) I sent the email to my wife. I think Nikki got a better understanding of what I’m trying to do with this blog. Since she edits all of my writing I need her to feel engaged with the work, so we keep putting out the best content to help the readers of this blog.

You have to share similar stories with each other. Talk about how a customer gushed over your attention to detail. It shows the rest of your co-workers why you do what you do. Most of you aren’t working just for the paycheck. You are also working because you make a difference in people’s lives.

2. Have people share positive stories to be compiled for other employees

So now that you have all these positive stories, you should compile them in a central location. That means keeping emails from customers/clients and that also means writing down stories from employees.

I keep every positive email from my readers. Whenever I feel like my mood is low, I can always go into the archives and remind myself why I need to stay motivated.

The more stories an organization can compile the more powerful it becomes. If your organization is huge, then break it down into departments. Even departments such as marketing and accounting need to compile stories. These stories may be more internal, but it’s still important to document what is happening so you can link to why you do what you do.

3. Listen to Customer Feedback

In order to stay engaged in our work, we have to recognize our mistakes and understand how to fix them. By listening to customer feedback, an organization is taking the time to understand their mistakes and correct them.

I have known many people who like to solve problems. They get an energy boost from making a solution happen. I used to work at K-Mart, and one day a woman came into the store asking for a patio umbrella that wasn’t in stock. The salesperson called 4 different stores before she found the lady’s umbrella.

I remember when the lady came into the store to pick up the umbrella. She was gushing because it was the only one that fit her patio furniture.

You could see the manager beaming with pride.

You need to give your people a chance to create solutions so they can feel like they are a super hero.

4. Find out what improvements your people would like to implement

If you can listen to customers’ needs then it’s time to listen to employees’ needs. Your employees are at their most creative when they are trying to fix problems.

I worked for a company in which the employees had so many good ideas, but the manager never listened. We would be sitting in the lunch room and three different people would share ideas that sounded great to me. I asked them if they tried to talk to Alex about it and they said yes, but he told them to email him. They did and they never heard about the idea again. They got so disheartened that they stopped trying.

Your organization employs smart people, otherwise they probably wouldn’t hold the positions that they do. They just need a chance to unleash that creativity and wow the customer.

5. Ask your employees how they want to celebrate great results

Every company is capable of achieving great results, especially if they’ve been around for more than a few years. If your organization is ho hum about the results that do occur, your people may stop trying.

People want to know that what they do matters. That means celebrating all the good things.

This should be done in large and small groups. The larger gatherings can occur about 1-4 times a year, while the smaller groups (celebrations by department) should be done more often.

When you allow your people to dictate how they want to celebrate, they are less likely to find fault with the celebration.

Making your celebration a regular routine is the key, because you want to make a habit out of celebrating your successes. For the first month, try celebrating every week. Then have a celebration only once a month to keep things from getting stale. If you overload people and celebrate too often, they will get bored and also be unable to find reasons to rejoice in their hard work.

To avoid allowing this practice to fall away, it’s important to make the celebration fun. That might mean bringing food, letting people joke around, and finding other ideas that get people excited about attending.

Why It Works

After implementing these secrets for about a year, assess how these changes affect your organization. You will probably notice that people are more engaged and willing to try a little harder to meet each other’s needs as well as the needs of the customer.

These techniques will work for most companies. The companies that do fail usually do so because they don’t make this practice a habit. It needs to become part of the culture, so when something difficult happens there are techniques to fall back on. And when something great happens everyone dances on their desks, feeling proud of their effort.

Are you on Twitter? Then check me out at @workhappynow. I give stress relief tips, happiness ideas, and cool quotes that save the day.

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As many of you know I’m a recent father and I’m not a big fan of father blogs, but I am a big fan of Sean’s Writer Dad. I love his writing style and flair for a story. Check out one of my recent favorites, The Mothers and Fathers of Tomorrow.

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Image courtesy of (cup)cake_eater

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Jeff Sloan, co-founder of Start-up Nation, talked at a Microsoft conference about creating your own business. He is a serial entrepreneur of electronics and various other media.

Jeff and his brother were promoting one of their gadgets at a conference and they bumped into a woman who was juggling, so they started juggling with her. They got to talking with the woman and hashed out a distributorship to sell the juggling balls throughout North America.

Their juggling package was the number 1 item sold for Father’s Day back in 1992.

They positioned their product as “Stress Relief for the Busy Executive.” An item that has been around since the pyramids in Egypt was the best selling product for fathers in the US. Jeff was able to do this because of a relationship that he created with the department stores.

Building relationships

He went into all the major department stores that were willing to sell his juggling kit and attended their crack of dawn staff meetings before the store opened. Jeff told the group that they weren’t going to have a regular meeting.

He dumped the balls out onto the table. As the balls rolled around on the table and fell to the ground, he smiled and explained to them that they were going to learn to juggle.

Imagine a man walking into your staff meeting with this big brown box in his hands and everyone is just waiting to hear what he has to say. You expect him to give some motivational speech about sales quotas, but he just stands there. He opens one flap of the box, pushes the box on its side and balls of every color come rolling out.

The smiles light up on everyone’s faces.

He announces that everyone will learn to juggle during this meeting.

I bet they had a blast with this fantastic team building exercise.

After that meeting, when customers came into the store, the employees had this great memory of how much fun they had learning to juggle. They gladly promoted the product.

The store made gains and so did the employees.

What you can do

So why not get your employees together once a month to learn a new skill? Create one around selling products or learning people skills. Whatever brings people together and makes them laugh.

Not every meeting needs to be business related. You can make the gathering “just plain fun” once every quarter. There should be no strict agenda, just a chance to gather, create and laugh.

You can start off with juggling. Even if no one knows how to juggle, you can watch a video on how to juggle on YouTube. You’ll create laughter, fun and best of all – you will build relationships. You’ll find that some employees will pick it up quickly and start helping their co-workers learn how to juggle.

This will build trust and confidence.

Create a teaching and learning environment and you’ll develop a company that will nurture each others growth.

How about you?

What was the best team building exercise you’ve ever been a part of?

Help a co-worker today and send them to the Happy at Work Project. Have them get started on taking their happiness and success to the next level.

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I was honored by Justice E-learning as one of the Top 50 Career Management Bloggers. Check it out. It’s a good list and not just because I’m on it.

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Image courtesy of hans s

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

I love a forward thinking company. Artesano is definitely that. They are making honey (mead) wine from start to finish.

They make everything from scratch. They let the bees make the honey (Yes, they have their own bee farm in Vermont). They believe in high quality ingredients and excellent taste.

When I contacted Nichole, one of the owners, about helping them with their work happiness, I wasn’t sure what to expect. She was excited about the concept; I didn’t even have to do the hard sell.

We held the seminar on Sunday. Yes, I work on Sundays if that’s the best time for my client. Read their testimonial about my presentation – Karl Staib Presents His Work Happy Now Message.

I’m writing about this teleconference I did with Artesano because I want to put more emphasis on the work that I do with companies. You all know how important work happiness is to a company’s culture, especially a young company like Artesano.

Happy workers are often better communicators and they tend to stick around longer and show more loyalty to their company, to name a few reasons.

I have a good feeling Artesano will be around a long time, making their employees and customers happy.

If you think your company needs some more happiness infused into its culture, then contact me and let’s see what we can do to bring a little more productivity and joy to you and your co-workers.

If you want a quick does of work happiness then follow me on Twitter (@workhappynow). I promise to exceed expectations.

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Brian Clark of CopyBlogger is opening back up one of the best make money online programs - Teaching Sells. If you have knowledge that few people have then it’s time to figure out how to make some good money off of it. Help yourself and the rest of the world. That’s working happy at it’s best.

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Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

This is a guest post from Drew Tarvin

When I first started in the corporate world, I didn’t realize how little my fellow employees laughed.  It wasn’t until I started doing corporate stand-up gigs that I noticed the distinct lack of chuckles, giggles, and guffaws in the workplace.  The question is, why is laughter missing?

Stand-Up or Sit Down

After my very first corporate stand-up show, I thought I did terrible.  No one had laughed as much as they did in the comedy clubs, and it didn’t seem like my jokes resonated with the audience.  But after the show, the other comedian I performed with (a veteran on the corporate circuit) congratulated me, saying he was impressed with how well I did.  I chalked it up to him trying to spare my feelings.

But then a number of audience members came up to me after the show, thanking me for performing and even quoting their favorite lines.  I still wouldn’t have believed I had done a good job, but a few months later the same group booked me to do another show–the ultimate sign that they were satisfied with the show (or were sado-masichists).

Over time, I realized it wasn’t just in that show that people weren’t laughing.  I started wondering where all the laughter was in the office.  We spend upwards of 40% of our waking hours at work, shouldn’t it be a little fun?  But that’s not the culture at many places, and as a result, people don’t laugh.  Why?

1) They Think It’s Inappropriate

The biggest reason why most people don’t laugh at work is that for some reason they think it’s inappropriate.  Even if something genuinely funny happens, they are in the “corporate-mode” where everything is “business, business, business” and they refuse to laugh.

The reality is that there are only a few situations where laughter is inappropriate–during the process of layoffs, in the middle of an important company announcement, or after your boss’ rival says a joke.  But during a regular meeting or while reading our email, these are times where we should feel free to laugh if we desire or are inspired to do so.

2) They Fear What Others Think

I thought that people obsessing over what others thought of them would end in High School, but it is ever-present in the corporate world.  And while it is important to consider your image and reputation, many people get caught up in what their peers, managers, and direct reports think of them.

To laugh at something is a revelation of our personality.  It tells others what we think is funny, and that scares people.  If you are in a meeting with your manager and someone makes a joke, the tendency is to check in with your manager to see if she thinks it’s funny–if she laughs, surely it’s OK for you to laugh.  The problem is that your manager is doing the same thing.  She is either checking in with other people in the room, or even back with you–after all, managers are (semi) normal people too, and they have the same insecurities as the rest of us.

3) They Don’t Have Much to Laugh At

The sad reality is that for many employees, they just don’t have much to laugh at during work.  Their training sessions are filled with boring diagrams, monotonous speakers, and they experience death by PowerPoint.  All of their emails are strictly related to work, written as concisely as possible but still filled with useless and definitely unfunny jargon.

Too few of us work to incorporate humor into the workplace.  Perhaps it’s a “chicken and the egg” problem–why would people attempt humor when no one at work will laugh?  But as a result, we hide our true personalities and we soon become an office of boring robots.

4) They Aren’t Used to It

Even when someone tries to attempt humor, there isn’t always a laughter response.  That’s because people aren’t used to it–they aren’t used to having humor at work, or laughing during the hours of 9-5.

Culture plays a large role.  The companies or departments that do have fun and are constantly laughing, actively work to use humor on a consistent basis and people get used to the idea that they can have fun at work.  The oft-cited company Southwest Airlines has made it part of their mission statement to have fun, and from top to bottom employees get used to laughing.

How to Get People to Laugh at Work

An interesting thing happened during the second show I did with the above mentioned group–the laughter was louder and more frequent.  Maybe my material was stronger the second time, or my performance was better.  Or maybe the group was ready to laugh:

1. They knew it wasn’t inappropriate because it was a stand-up show.
2. They weren’t afraid because they had already laughed a little bit last time and other people had talked about enjoying the show.
3. They had something to laugh at (either my material or my failed attempts at humor).
4. They were used to it from the last show, and the fact that they were having a second one suggested that it was certainly encouraged.

And that’s what it takes to break the stigma against laughing and increase laughter in the workplace.  Creating a culture where people know it’s OK to laugh (and encouraged); throwing unnecessary caution into the wind and laughing at what’s funny; giving co-workers something to laugh at; and doing it consistently.

Drew Tarvin is a stand-up, improv, and sketch humorist and the author of Humor That Works.  You can subscribe to his newsletter or follow him on Twitter @HumorThatWorks.

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In my research on humor in the workplace, I found another blog that gives some great information on how important it is to laugh at work. Michael Kerr of Humour at Work.

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If you are looking to bring some more laughter and smiles into your workplace, then check out the Happy at Work Project and start building your work happiness today.

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If you liked this article then check out:

• 55 Tips to Make Work More Fun
• 5 Fun and Easy Tips to Let the “Real You” Shine Through at Work, Southwest Airlines Style
• Why Your Company Should Budget for a Fun Work Environment

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

So you want an atmosphere that encourages great work? Don’t we all. Most bosses and managers talk a good game, but they don’t create a plan to make it happen.

Almost every CEO I worked for always talked about the importance of their people, but their actions did not coincide with their words. They were always more worried about the bottom line.

I know how important it is to make money, but if the employees are happy then believe me, the money will come. That is if you have a good product/service.

It’s why Southwest airlines is the only consistent money generator in the USA airline industry. They believe in creating a culture that encourages happiness.

As a leader of people you need to encourage happiness in every facet of your business. I’ve created 10 techniques that will help your company be happy and successful.

1. Be happy yourself.
2. Know your people.
3. Make time for your people.
4. Show people the autonomy that they already have.
5. Help them find meaning in their work.
6. Listen and respond to their emotions, not their problems.
7. Stop letting assholes dictate the company culture.
8. Encourage friendships.
9. Recognize hard work.
10. Find out why people leave.

These are concepts that are easy to understand, but may be hard to apply to your company’s culture. I’ll break them down so you can use them in your company.

1. Be Happy Yourself

Being happy yourself can sometimes be more difficult than making someone else happy. If you don’t know how to make yourself happy, it will be very difficult to help the people you manage to be happier.

You have to find what makes you happy at work and try to do more of it. If you are a manager and miss a certain aspect of your old job (i.e. more customer interaction), then try to do more of the customer interaction projects and give a part of your job that you dislike to an employee who enjoys the type of work that you don’t.

I struggled with my own work happiness because I didn’t take responsibility for my own emotions. I would let my emotions run rampant, causing me much more pain than I needed to endure. Read my What Do I Do If I’m Unhappy at Work? to get a better idea of how to be happier at your job.

2. Know Your People

You must know your employees’ strengths and weaknesses. If you keep giving PR work to an employee who hates it, they won’t be sticking around very long.

When you assign work to an employee who enjoys the task, they respect and appreciate you. The happier you make them, the higher quality their output will be. It’s a simple concept, but one many managers ignore.

You must spend time with your employees in order to understand them. Do you know what they do in their spare time? What type of food do they like?

The more you know about the people you manage, the easier it will be to lead them.

3. Make Time for Your People

Are you taking the time to listen to their problems and helping them come up with solutions? I know most of my superiors never did this for me.

At most of my jobs, I felt like I was on the outside looking in. I know a lot of people feel this way. They feel like they are the last to know what is going on with in a company.

Every leader needs to make time for his or her people.

You can do this by:

• Talking to employees about decisions.
• Asking them about their own issues.
• Hanging out with them outside of work.
• Asking them for their opinions.
• Chatting with them about their personal lives.

Making time for your people might sometimes feel like a time suck, but it’s worth your effort. They will show more loyalty and become more engaged. Zappos, the employee happiness juggernauts, encourage their managers to spend roughly 15% of their day with their staff. They know that it works.

4. Show People the Autonomy That They Already Have

Many employees don’t like working within a certain organization because of the lack of freedom. They feel chained to their cubicle.

What many employees don’t realize is that they do have autonomy.

You need to let your employees know about the perks that they might not be using. Make them aware of the breaks that they can take because it will help them reduce stress and increase productivity. Inform them about anything the company provides that could make them happier.

If the company is too strict then make some changes. We live in a different world compared to just ten years ago. If you want to retain great employees, then you should consider allowing them more freedom and flexibility as long as they get results.

5. Help Them Find Meaning in Their Work

People need to believe that the work they do is worth doing. Otherwise they see no point in putting in extra effort.

A great way to help your employees find meaning is to tell stories that they can connect with. A good story can show a perspective that the employee hadn’t yet seen.

My father is an electrician and has owned Staib Electrical for 40 years. I worked with him through high school and college. I was always baffled by his need to form the wires so perfectly. My dad made sure his electrical panels were like little pieces of engineering art work. One day, after he fixed my work (again), I asked him why it was so important to him to make the wires look perfect.

He explained how he recently received two phone calls from potential clients. They had both heard from a previous customer about the great work he did. He asked them who referred him, and they both named a neighbor of theirs, Mr. Hanken. My father told me about Mr. Hanken’s delighted expression when he showed him his work. Mr. Hanken then bragged to his neighbors, and they too wanted an electrician that cared as much as my father does.

I understood why my dad’s presentation was so important. If he didn’t apply a bit of art to his craft, everyone would think he was just like every other electrician. It separated him from the crowd and as a result people talked him up to people they knew. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising.

From that point on, I applied a little art to every wire I formed.

6. Listen and Respond to Their Emotions, Not Their Problems

People often complain just so they will be heard. They don’t necessarily want solutions; they want empathy.

The next time an employee comes to talk to you about another employee, give them what they need emotionally. Let them know that it can be tough work with (fill in difficult coworker here). Allow them to vent.

If they ask for a solution then you can try to find one together, but most of the time they just need an emotional boost, rather than a fix to their problem.

7. Stop Letting Assholes Dictate the Company Culture

One asshole can wreak havoc on a whole department or organization. They are miserable and they want everyone else to be miserable too.

The job of any leader is to stop these people from bringing everyone else down. That may mean helping this person recognize their issues and figuring out a way to become happy. If that doesn’t work, you may need to let them go.

The only way the company culture will support great work is if everyone treats each other with respect.

8. Encourage Friendships

People need to have friends at work. If they don’t, they are much less likely to stay at a job, feel happy, and be creative.

“Among the 3 in 10 workers who strongly agree that they have a best friend at work, 56% are engaged, 33% are not engaged and 11% are actively disengaged to the point of poisoning the atmosphere with their negativity. Those who don’t have a best friend have slim 1-in-12 odds of being among the engaged. Worse, the best-friendless stand a one in three chance of being actively disengaged. That means they may threaten sabotage or otherwise become a serious drag on the company’s success.” – Del Jones of USA Today Best friends good for business

A manager should encourage his or her staff to hang out with each other. The more people hang out with each other, the more likely they are to find ways to like each other.

It’s helpful if you create opportunities for people to gather outside of work so they can bond. If you are their superior then they may not be able to relax when you’re there, so gather them and take off. Yes, they may complain about you after you leave, but it’s important that they find common ground, even if it’s making jokes at your expense.

Believe me, they will be more supportive, happier and a stronger team as a result.

9. Recognize Hard Work

A boss who appreciates hard work, not just the end result is a better boss. The psychology behind it is simple. If you show people that you are grateful when they work hard they are more likely to enjoy the process.

Many bosses only appreciate the end result. If the end result is bad, then the employee confidence and morale takes a hit.

Show people that you care about their effort, not just the results, and you’ll see an improvement in productivity.

10. Find Out Why People Leave

People usually leave a company because they aren’t happy. Try to find out why they are leaving and what you can do to solve the issue.

I’ve never had an exit interview, but I had a friend who did. They kept asking the question “why” until they got to the heart of the problem. They didn’t want some patsy answer that wouldn’t help them.

Most employees will just want to get out of there, but if you take the time to listen, you may be able to figure out a solution that will help future employees. You may have lost this employee, but you can improve other employees’ happiness so they stick around and do great work.

Wrap-Up

The environment at work doesn’t need to be boring or strict. In fact, Southwest, Google, and Zappos are proof that happy employees improve the bottom line.

Bosses, managers, or supervisors have so many tools at their disposal. The research in Inc. Magazine, Alex’s blog The Chief Happiness Officer, Psychology Today, and WorldBlu (to list just a few) proves that people who are happy at work are more productive and engaged.

Start by implementing these concepts, but don’t stop there. There are many ways to encourage happiness. Just remember that every organization and group of people are different. Sometimes it takes a few tries to see some progress.

***

* Target Turned Tigress had this to add in the comment section. I wanted to paste it here, so it’s not missed.

I’d add one caveat to item #6 and three more items to make it a “baker’s dozen”–lucky 13.  Under item number 6, I’d add the caveat that while it’s fine to offer some empathy when employees come and complain about each other (either out of a genuine concern or from pettiness/petulance/some other bizarre personal grudge), the head of a department also needs to make it really clear that person A needs to talk to person B directly.  Encouraging a practice of triangulating (going through a third person instead of communicating directly)is really dysfunctional and ultimately creates an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion. A really good manager might help person A to clearly articulate the  issue and come up with a script to problem solve the issue with Person B in a friendly, collegial manner, and then check back in with person A to see how things went.  I’m sure there are any number of managers out there who might roll their eyes and exclaim in exasperation that they were not hired to do counselling, but setting a good example around healthy communication and empowering one’s supervisees to strengthen their interpersonal skills will go a long way toward eliminating unresolved conflicts, toxic workplaces and the stress related illnesses that arise out of them.

The three additional practices by managers that would greatly contribute to happiness, harmony and productivity in their departments:

11. Good Managers are Aware of their Limitations as Well as Strengths.

If they know they don’t handle conflict well and lean toward avoidance, then hopefully they have the integrity and courage to recognize their limitations and make dealing with their stuff a priority by learning conflict resolution and healthy communications skills as part of their professional development. Better yet, they might organize a department wide workshop on positive/assertive communications skills (preferably non-violent communications)so everyone can be empowered by learning those skills. Workshops on understanding how different personality/temperament types function at work would also be great ways of increasing understanding and reducing  frustrations.

12. Follow Through Promptly on Policy Issues

(especially factors that affect working conditions–nothing kills a department morale faster than neglecting to attend to comfort factors like temperature control, air quality, ergonomics or anything else that might lead to health problems that could have been avoided), promotion and performance considerations right away.

Procrastinating on getting back to employees about possible promotions, pay raises or performance evaluations in a timely manner does not do much for the respect or trust factor. Good managers, don’t cop out with the “I’ve been too busy with other stuff”, nor do they dump the responsibility for being “proactive” about the issue back onto the employee: they recognize it is THEIR responsibility as the person with the power to hire, fire or promote their people–not the employees’–to have the professionalism and courtesy to respond in a timely manner, whether it’s good news or bad news or otherwise.

13. Set the Example and the Tone

Managers who are really interested in fostering and maintaining an environment that is happy, productive and where employees conduct themselves professionally do this by setting the example and the tone–especially in how they handle stress and frustrations.

Managers who consistently back bite other employees in the company, express frustration at others using violent imagery* or other inappropriate language/stress management techniques create a really toxic environment in one of two ways. First, by modeling such behavior, managers are indicating that they approve of such behavior, and many of their employees will adopt the same attitudes to “fit in” or earn brownie points with the boss. (It’s really scary to see this in action!) Second, such behavior does absolutely nothing to earn the loyalty or respect of one’s employees (except maybe to their face) and everything to create an atmosphere of distrust and fear.

*While “imaginary” violence may not actually physically harm a person, the malice/intent to harm is still there even though the action hasn’t actually occurred. It’s both a little scary and traumatizing for employees to be subjected to these kinds of behaviors on a regular basis. Recent social psychology research has shown that blowing off steam this way actually leads to more anger and a tendency to depersonalize/dehumanize the object of one’s imaginary violence.

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Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Google has a name for all their employees – Googlers. When I first heard this I thought it was cheesy, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. They are a club of elite people who are trying to change the world. That’s the message that people want to send when they create a club. They feel special to be at a place where others want to be. They are proud to call themselves Googlers.

Google will never be the perfect work environment for every type of person. A lot of people don’t like the competition and the stress, but others do and it works for them. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. No place is perfect, but Google does a great job of creating an atmosphere that feels special.

An Organic Culture – Don’t Force It

I don’t think that you should come up with a cheesy name like Googler for your employees. It probably won’t work. The reason it won’t work is because it needs to happen naturally. I tried to find where the name Googler came from, but couldn’t. I was surprised to find that wikipedia considered anyone that felt like they were an expert in Google called themselves Googlers. This name is spreading to the users as well. That’s magical branding that rarely happens.

Your Company Community

You can create that same feeling on a smaller scale. Your community of employees and customers talk about you too. Do you help influence the message or do you just let it happen? You have to be proactive like Google. Allow people to understand what your company is all about and how you should be perceived.

Your company needs to feel special to its employees otherwise it’s just another job where they put in the time, but not the effort. You have to figure out why it’s so special to work in your organization.

Creating a Special Culture

The best way to create a special culture (an employee/customer Tribe if you will – Seth Godin style) is to find out why people choose to work for you or buy from you.  Do you provide that extra attention to detail that your competition doesn’t? Do you give your customers a call after they’ve had your product for two months just to chat and check in? Let’s say you are a massage therapist and you asked all your first time clients what famous dead person they would love to have a conversation with. (A little weird, but it works) The next time they come back, you might Google their favorite person and get them to talk about their lives. Whatever you do to show your customers and employees that you care will help you forge relationships that will last years, and in turn they will probably refer you to other friends and family.

You can get people in your employee and user community talking about you like they talk about Google, by staying true to your personality and core strengths. It will take some creative brainstorming every few months, but it will be worth your time to create a club like atmosphere that makes people feel special.

*

Work Happy Now created an ebook to share some of Google’s secrets on how you can grow your company and be happy at work. You’ve just read a chapter from the ebook. It contains enlightening and practical information that businesses and employees can all use.

We will be publishing a new chapter every Tuesday. If you don’t want to wait that long for this glorious information then just sign up for my RSS or email and receive the Free eBook “Work Happy the Google Way.”

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My friend Rob told me that his co-worker complained about every little thing. It dragged him down. If someone left work early he would chime in. If someone didn’t send him the right format on a report he would grumble. No one went the extra mile for him because he would always find a way to complain about something.

Do you know anyone like this?

People complain at work because they focus on the “lack” instead of the “joy” that they get from their job. They do this for a number of reasons:

• They don’t feel appreciated by their boss.
• They’ve skewed their expectations of what they really want out of their job.
• They don’t feel appreciated by their co-workers.
• They aren’t happy with the work they are doing.

Instead of trying to change these feelings, people perpetuate them through complaining. However, we have the ability to change this way of thinking.

Give Gratitude

It can be as simple as a “thank you” to a co-worker who helped you on a project or gave you good advice. Those two words can increase your happiness because they trigger two parts of your brain: the nucleus accumbens and the caudate nucleus, which are both associated with being rewarded. Furthermore, by giving a thank you to someone else you will also send good feelings throughout yourself.

You don’t necessarily need to hear a “thank you” or “you rock” from a co-worker first before giving a compliment to them. When you give the gratitude first, you can start a chain reaction. You will feel good, the person who gets the compliment will feel great and the people who work close to both of you will also feel happier because work happiness is contagious.

Anita Fontana wrote an article titled, “How to Cultivate Gratitude in the Workplace.” She talks about the importance of fostering an attitude of giving appreciation freely.

“With the power of gratitude and appreciation at your disposal, you can transform a negative atmosphere into a new spirit of appreciation in your office, empowering people, bringing enthusiasm and satisfaction back into their work and building strong bonds between employees.”

That’s a recipe for success. It works because we create an abundant mindset that focuses on the good things in our working lives instead of complaining about what we wish we had.

I’ve been guilty of complaining at work and I actually challenged myself to stop complaining at work (and at home) for 30 days. I watched how negative I could be and how it affected my work. I realized that I needed to become more thankful for my co-workers and my ability to accomplish good work.

We all need to cultivate gratitude in the office in order to create an enjoyable atmosphere.

The benefits go beyond feeling good. When we feel grateful we also:

1. Strengthen Our Immune System – It naturally increases our antibodies.
2. Improve Brain Functions – We stay more focused and are less likely to slip into a depression.
3. Relax – Our heart rate lowers which helps regulate blood pressure.
4. Become More Productive – People who are grateful toward others are actually better at their jobs.

Stephen Post, PHD wrote about the importance of feeling grateful for all the good people and work in our lives. Check out his article and learn about the importance of being more grateful at work and at home.

What can you do to feel more grateful?

Create a Compliment Schedule

Most of the time we get too caught up in our own work and forget to thank our co-workers for all their hard work. You may want to create a schedule and put it on your calendar. Most computer calendars allow for reminders. I used to set mine to ping me at 3:00 every afternoon. If I haven’t complimented someone by that time I make sure that I find someone and give them a compliment. This has become a habit that’s improved my work relationships.

Ask Someone If They Could Use Some Help

There’s nothing like bringing a little appreciation into your life by offering to help someone. I love the looks I get from co-workers. The funny thing is they usually say no, but they always appreciate my offer.

Give a Compliment and Really Watch What Happens

I’ve seen a co-worker give another co-worker a compliment and they were too embarrassed to watch the results. I always enjoy the person’s expression. Every time I give a compliment I watch the results and try to make mental notes. It’s a way for me to revel in the goodness. Sometimes I’ll get such a surprised reaction that they just don’t know what do do with the words that just came out of my mouth (see photo above). The experience of gratitude is just so much fun.

Make a Co-Worker Appreciation List

Some of us don’t like to throw around compliments. I understand. I hate when I get a disingenuous compliment. I would prefer if they hadn’t said anything at all. But that doesn’t mean we can’t give silent thanks to the co-workers in our lives. Take ten minutes and write a compliment for every person in your department or your whole company. Even if you don’t deliver it, this exercise will pick up your spirits.

What do you do to show appreciation? Do you prefer to give a gift or maybe a pat on the shoulder? I would also like to know what was your favorite compliment form a boss or a co-worker?

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Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!