There are many ways to work happy, but some days can feel like a torture rack, pulling every last bit of joy out of you.

Meetings are a major culprit to unhappiness at work. We can’t all be like Timothy Ferriss of the 4 Hour Work Week and not attend. So what tools do you have that can improve the meetings you must attend?

The Daily Mind wrote a great post about finding happiness in a meeting. He wrote about board meetings, but I think this can apply to almost any meeting you attend.

1. Don’t say a single word

2. Get interested

3. Don’t go

4. Meditate

He wrote a short paragraph on each, but my favorite little gem was from – Get Interested.

…take a bit of an interest in the meeting it can become a wonderful opportunity to make some changes around the office. If you present things in the right way you can often get the ball rolling on something exciting and new.

Almost everyone I know can get a little more involved in improving their company. It may be something as simple as organizing a gathering at the local pub or coffee shop, but whatever it is you’ll feel more engaged. An engaged you is a happier you. A friend told me that. I thought it was a little cheesy, but as you can see it stuck with me.

I would add one more to his list.

5. Take breaks

When you take the time to go to the bathroom or grab a drink you can readjust your thinking. When I’m out of the room I like to think of one thing that I am enjoying about the meeting. Maybe it’s someone’s new mustache that needs to be shaved or the fruit platter. There is always some little thing that attracts your interest besides the material at hand.

Meetings should also be a great place to get things done. If you don’t like how people are sharing ideas or not sharing ideas then speak up. You should try to make these meetings as useful as possible, to you as well as the people you are sharing this time with.

What is your biggest pet peeve about your meetings?

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The Smurfs are great role models because they understood how to work happy. They had many great traits that every company would love to have.

1. They worked as a team

They knew that they couldn’t do it all alone, so they came together to fight off Gargamel (the bad guy who wanted to eat them). They gathered all their collective intelligence and got the job done.

2. Papa Smurf made quick decisions

Everyone would look to Papa Smurf to assess the situation and make a quick, but thoughtful decision. More CEOs should watch some Smurfs to see how Papa Smurf kept everyone calm. Wouldn’t it be cool to see Bill Gates or Larry Page watching the Smurfs before they left for work?

3. They always look on the bright side

The Smurfs always landed into trouble, like all good cartoons. They never thought that they couldn’t escape a situation, except for Brainy. He always thought they were doomed, but his negativity never rubbed off on the other Smurfs because they knew that they had to stay positive to get back to the village safely.

4. They laughed, sang and danced

They were always celebrating. This cool article about celebrating was written by Tom Volkar at Delightful Work. We need to celebrate our wins and flops. Yes our flops too, so we never forget the mistakes we made. Check out my post about creating a monthly fun plan to keep spirits high.

5. Every Smurf had his role, but was always willing to pitch in.

Every Smurf understood his/her strengths. Papa Smurf was the leader, Brainy was smart, and Handy was able to build anything, but no matter what they were involved in - they were never afraid to chip in and help each other to get the job done.

Next time you are stuck in a difficult situation ask yourself, “What would Papa Smurf do?”

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Wouldn’t we all like to see what our boss looks like naked? Even the ones that aren’t that beautiful would still be intriguing. I’m not talking about seeing them in their birthday suit. I’m talking about seeing them emotionally naked. I know that I would love to be a fly on the wall when my boss is talking to her best friend.

You will probably never get your boss to talk to you like she talks to her best friend, but you can create a relationship that’s based on trust. This trust will create appreciation for you, and the more your boss appreciates you the more enjoyable your work experience will be.

Times have changed from thirty years ago when everyone wanted to keep their emotions out of the work place. Back then employees were paid to do a job while keeping their mouth shut. It was before my time, but I’ve heard plenty of stories. Employees used to trust the company to take care of them, but as our culture changes we need to take a more active role in making sure that we are cared for.

Creating a more intimate relationship with your boss will encourage your boss to be honest with you. You could find out privileged information that might let you know that you need to start looking for a new job because of layoffs, or information that might help you get a promotion. On the other hand, if you have a cold relationship with your boss you will most likely get the short end of the promotion.

I’m not condoning politicking your way to the top, but I am saying you should create a genuine relationship with your boss. Some people call it brown nosing, but I think we need to redefine it. There are different levels of brown nosing and the authentic kind is the one we need to embrace. I don’t think it’s sucking up if you are honest and smart with your compliments, questions, and conversations.

Talk to your boss or manager without being intimidated by their stature. They are human like you and me. They have their weaknesses and strengths. The more you understand this the easier it will be to create a solid relationship.

Some bosses don’t like a lot of talk about family, but maybe he enjoys car racing. Just because you don’t understand your boss’s interests doesn’t mean you can’t talk about him. So poke around with questions and comments and see how he reacts. Maybe you’ll find common ground between the two of you. Once you do you’ll make your relationship more open and naked, right where you need it to be to get the most out of your job.

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