When you just got a raise?

When you had a fight with a co-worker?

When a client tears you a new one because they had a bad day?

When you completed a tough project?

When you slept 4 hours the night before?

There are so many ways to judge our happiness at work, but it really requires a focused mind to reflect and decide on the right things.

You have to take your present moment emotion out of it and look at the big picture. Really look at the work that you do, the people you work with, and how you are developing yourself at work.

Most of us decide we hate our jobs when things are terrible, but there are always low points. There are always those days when our co-worker eats a big burrito and won’t stop farting.

You have to stop letting those moments wreck the rest of your day. Your happiness is yours. Don’t let anyone else dictate how you feel.

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

***

J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly has a blog that doesn’t get the hype that it deserves. It’s called Folded Space. J.D. is an excellent writer. His personal stories are soft yet biting. I don’t know how he does it, but I’m studying his writing and trying to incorporate it into my own. Check out one of my latest favorites “Consumed: The Burden of Writing a Book.” Just the way he starts pulls you in and forces you to read more.

If you enjoyed this blog post you’ll adore these (I hope

• How to Build Confidence at Work
• Building Your Future Career Foundation
• Procrastination Dissolve-o-Matic Program Review

Image courtesy of abbyladybug.

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.

Enjoyed this article? You will probably like:

• What Do I Do If I’m Unhappy at Work?

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

(Can’t see the video? Then click here and try watching it at Work Happy Now)

Fast food is a energy killer.  I feel grumpy and lethargic after I eat fast food. The salt, grease, and preservatives can bring even the strongest person down.

Your ability to enjoy your job has a lot to do with what you put in your body. If you want to increase your happiness at work, take notice of what you eat and how it makes you feel.

Try replacing a fast food lunch with something healthier; you will improve your happiness at work.

How does fast food make you feel?

***

When I’m in the need for a few ideas to improve my blog, I visit Darren Rowse’s Problogger. There is always a piece of advice that helps me take my blog to the next level.

***

If you are new here try signing up for my my email updates. It’s totally spam free and gives you great advice for your Happy at Work Project.

***

If you liked this video then check these out:

• Stressed Out and Loving It
• Unleash Your Creative Beast
• You Are Awesome

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

While my work happiness journey will never end, I understand this and I’m ok with it. I realize that I’m just beginning to have fun with work, networking, and everything that goes along with a career. I began my journey over 12 years ago, but I won’t bore you with all that detail. I’ll take you straight to the important stuff.

I wanted to discover the best techniques to bring me consistent happiness. I started off writing about personal development because I felt a void in my life, but as time trudged on I began to narrow my focus to a particular issue that I struggled with and I knew millions of other people struggle with: the ability to enjoy work. I discovered that throughout my life, working for a company felt “forced,” and it had become increasingly difficult for me to do something that felt forced.

I had always put in long hours to help a company build its market share and income and all I was getting in return was a paycheck. Pretty depressing view.

For many years, every company seemed like a dead end. During high school and college there were the random jobs (K-mart, media buying, telemarketing, etc.). I landed my first full-time corporate job and then I went into teaching, thinking that I could do something that would make me feel good instead of working just making money for “the man.”

Arrrgh! Problem

I got caught in the forced labor again. My freedom felt even more restricted, because I was making less money and the work was still a chore.

My needs weren’t being fulfilled. I responded by reading countless self-help, business, motivational, spiritual, and religious books to help me with depression and general discontent. I also received professional therapy (I had great insuarance). I wrote over 5,000 poems (literally they are in my closet at home. Some of them are quite weird.). Poetry was one of the few only things that brought me joy.

Poetry never felt like work. The words just flowed out, but I knew it was work for other people. They would rather stab themselves with a graphite pencil than write a poem. This began my journey of discovering what made me happy and how I could make money from it.

I wrote a children’s book called “I Wish Flowers Were as Big as Trees.” As many of you know I can’t compete in this flooded market. Even Madonna is writing kids’ books, “c’mon!”

I then tried writing my first novel, which might be a great movie, but not a great book – “Lori Loves to Torture Me.”

After that, I wrote a picture book called “92 Things to do Besides Suicide.” That was a FUN project. I tried selling it on my blog, but it was a little too far ahead of its time. That’s my reason for failure and I’m sticking to it. I sold a couple of copies – to my mother and an old friend. I need more fans like them.

I moved to Austin

I moved to Austin to find myself. It was here that I started blogging. I began the process of figuring out what I would love to do with my life. I looked for ways to align my skills with this passion and get it out to the world.

It was a turbulent time for my career. I arrived in Austin with no job lined up, just a bunch of prayers every single night. My dream was to become a writer – a poet to be specific. But as any smart business man will tell you, go where the money will be. I still write poetry, but it’s just a hobby. All for me.

While trying to find myself I wrote a second novel, “Inside.” A story about a young man struggling to find his true happiness. Hmm, does that sound like anyone you know? Most of us have been there. Ha! Most of us are still there.

And as many of you know or can probably guess, it’s still unpublished. I sent out like 50 query letters to agents and never heard one response back. I researched self publishing. I needed an audience, so that’s why I started my first personal development blog. However, I lacked a clear focus with this first effort, so I really struggled to find an audience.

Blogging

My first blog was MindBodyBlog.com – but I just couldn’t find an audience who could appreciate my wonderful randomness. The problem was my lack of focus. My ADD was manageable when writing a novel because I had to stay on track without straying from the storyline. Writing a personal development blog, however, was very messy. I was all over the map. I noticed that I kept coming back to a main theme – work, career, and personal development. I just wasn’t able to put it all together until later.

My second blog was TheStressCorner.com – the concept was too definitive so I ran out of fun concepts to write about.

My third blog was PostCardAdvice.com (spin off from postsecret.com) – Fun, but didn’t give enough value to my readers.

My fourth blog was KarlStaib.com (still running, but on hiatus as I build Work Happy Now) – I went back to personal development, but I was still too random to build a readership.

My fifth blog was GetHappyNow.org – I felt lost in the sea of happiness blogs.

My sixth blog – Work Happy Now – Success!

The Reason I Started Work Happy Now

I met with Stephen Shapiro who contacted me through my GetHappyNow.org (no longer live) and said he would be in Austin and wanted to meet. Stephen is a brilliant man on the concepts of innovation. He told me that if I were to focus on helping businesses succeed I could really have a good product.

He triggered the entrepreneurial part of my soul and I launched Work Happy Now. The writing and ideas started flowing. I have enough extra posts right now to fill up a whole year. Most of them need editing, but you get my point. The work happiness concept struck a chord with my soul.

* Side note: You’ll notice that ping to your soul too, if you keep on trying new paths.

Experimenting

As many of you know I’ve been experimenting with my words, audio, and video while trying to find the right fit for you and me. Curiosity is a huge part of working happy. That means trying new things, measuring the results, tweaking your approach just a little bit and then trying something that’s just a little bit different.

Present Day

I’m so far from perfect that there are days when I wonder how much I can help you, but then I realize that I’m the best person for the job. Don’t get me wrong, I still struggle. Stress and my expectations can bum me out, but my happiness levels are so much more consistent since I started this blog. It has forced me to find ways to be happy, even when I’m struggling at work.

This blog encouraged me to focus my efforts on my happiness and it worked. Work Happy Now has become my “Happy at Work” Project. It made me realize that I should encourage all of you to make a “Happy at Work” Project. The only way you are going to improve your work happiness is by trying new things and tweaking them until your happiness begins to blossom.

I have to give Gretchen Rubin of “The Happiness Project” credit for inspiring this concept. Check out Gretchen’s blog and see her take on her happiness project.

What this Means for Work Happy Now Readers

I believe so strongly in focusing my energy where I can expect the most return for my happiness. Over the next few months I want to help you create a Happy at Work Project. The only way you are going to truly be happy right now is by making a plan of action that will help you reach your happiness goals.

From now on, once a week, we will focus on building a plan that will help you level up and keep leveling up until your life is so freakin’ awesome that you feel like you might explode. (Just the feeling – I will not take any responsibility for any exploding readers.)

We’ll focus on eight core concepts:

• Passion – finding the things you love to do and finding a way to make a living from it.
• Personal happiness – because when you are happy with yourself, it’s easier to be happy at work.
• Confidence – it’s important to trust in yourself and your choices.
• Motivation – feeling energetic while working is vital to success.
• Productivity – getting shhhhhtuff done helps us understand we are heading in the right direction.
• Relationships – the second most important aspect to work happiness.
• Leadership – helping other people work happy only makes your work more enjoyable. We’ll focus on how all of us can make the work experience so amazingly awesome that other people maximize their greatness, too.

As we create a work happiness plan together, we will be planting a seed that encourages joy. And like we do on this blog, let’s support and help each other level up. The more we can help each other work happier, the more we can help one another accomplish great work.

This site is about how I can help you be happy at work. If you have anything you think we should focus on then let me know and we can incorporate it into our happiness plan. Please let me know about the things that bother you in your working life.

Also feel free to email me anytime and I’ll be glad to help. If you want a more personal experience please contact me and we can set up a personal Happy at Work Project that will lift your life to a new level. The first session is free. You’ve got to try out the goods before you join my coaching group.

Get Started Today

• Download the free PDF workbook “The Happy at Work Project”

Email me karl (AT) workhappynow (DOT) come and I’ll send you…

• Free Work Happy Now Weekly Planner
• List of resolutions you can use in conjunction with your planner

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

(If you have trouble viewing this video click here and watch it at Work Happy Now)

When we are able to enjoy the details within our work that’s when we know we are working happy. The best part about details is there is always another layer, which just sparks more curiosity.

*

If there is anyone that loves the details of social marketing it’s Chris Brogan. That’s why he is so good at what he does.

*

I’m on Twitter. Now you can get your work happiness wisdom, tips, and pure fun in very short form (only 140 characters).

If you enjoyed this post then you’ll like these videos too:

• You Are Awesome
  
• Forcing a Smile Can Make You Happy
• Work in the Now

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

In doing my research on Google I stumbled across a Google produced video on YouTube that interviewed employees and showed the viewer various locations at the Google offices. Everything looked so inviting from the sleek cafeteria to the game room and the beautiful outside patios.

If I wasn’t so invested in this whole “Work Happy Now” thing I would send my resume in right now.

Google created this video to extend their marketing message.

We are a great place to work. Just look at this video, our employees love working here and I know you would love it here too.

You can extend your marketing message by creating a blog, putting out a podcast, or creating a video like Google. The quality prospects that you bring in to interview will research you on the internet.

If all they see is a boring website, (or worse yet, nothing at all) they won’t be thinking your company is an interesting place to work.

If you only recruit for “average employees,” then you’re going to end up being an average company. You must recruit superstars to take your company to the next level.

Google has so many blogs out there that I can’t keep up with all of them. I think they have one for every service they offer. They help you understand new features as well as how to maximize old ones. They do this to create a relationship with the people that love their services and products.

I know that your company probably doesn’t have the resources to do this, but you can start small by creating a basic blog that talks about your industry or gives tips to your customers. By reinforcing the relationships you already have, you are telling people in your community that you are willing to fight for their business.

Employees don’t want to work for the perfect business because every business messes up, but they want to work for a business that cares about what they do.

If you can send the message out that you care about what you do people will join in the cause.

*

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 Wednesday. 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.”

If you liked this chapter from the ebook you’ll enjoy these too:

• Help Employees Connect to a Larger Vision
• How Does Google Create a Great Atmosphere?
• Does Your Mission Inspire?

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

The best way to improve your company’s work environment is to watch other brilliant people who are already succeeding. Google was rated as the top place to work by Fortune magazine in 2008. There is much to learn from Google about making our working lives more fun and fulfilling. I’ve created an ebook called “Work Happy the Google Way.” A chapter from the ebook will start this Wednesday. If you don’t want to wait for each post you can sign up for my RSS feed by email or add Work Happy Now to your feed reader and get the link to download the free ebook.

“Work Happy the Google Way” will covers topics such as:

• Google’s best management techniques
• Improving co-worker relationships
• Employee incentives
• Solid strategies that you can use to improve your life at work.

Google didn’t just snap their fingers, throw some money at people and magically make their company one of the best places to work in the world. They took the time to research was to create an environment that would help them thrive as they grew. They went to the 2006 “Best Places to Work” company, Genentech, and learned valuable techniques to make their employees feel appreciated, empowered, happy, and a part of a team that was doing something special for the world.

“Work Happy the Google Way” will share ideas on how to use Google’s techniques to improve your company on many levels. It will also help individual employees find that work/life balance that eludes so many of us.

Work Happy The Google Way – Part One

The first half of this ebook will help managers understand how Google created an environment that encourages brilliant work. We’ll break these concepts down so any company at any level can create an atmosphere that works for them.

Work Happy The Google Way – Part Two

The second half of the ebook will help employees understand how and why Google employees enjoy their work and how they can cultivate this same attitude within themselves.

Work Happy the Google Way ebook will help employers:

• Retain employees
• Improve Communication
• Create a Fun Work Environment

The great thing about Google is their level of commitment. They used “Pig Headed Determination and Discipline” (a phrase I am borrowing from Chet Holmes) to make their work environment the best in the world.

Google didn’t just copy Genentech’s great employee perks, benefits and culture. They saw what worked and then made it fit into their own style of business by adding their own touches to every division of their company. They stubbornly stuck to their principles and designed a culture that thousands of people want to be a part of. They don’t need to seek employees (although they actively recruit employees); the employees come to them. They receive over 1,300 resumes a day.

When I create my company, I would like to hire people who seek my company out instead of reaching out to people who just want a job to pay the bills. Google probably has a significant cash reserve advantage over your business and that can be intimidating, but it shouldn’t stop you from creating something special with your business. I see a similar passion in many companies that I purchase products and services from. Have you ever walked into a privately owned store and you just knew that they cared about every aspect of their business? And in going above and beyond you felt more compelled to buy something from them? I know I have.

This ebook won’t be just about working happy from an organizational perspective. It will also give employees at any level useful tools to improve their work habits and environment.

Work Happy the Google Way will give employees:

• Ideas on improving their work environment.
• Stress relief Tips.
• Advice on Constant Improvement.
• Guidelines to Healthy Living.
• Techniques to help create Camaraderie with your co-workers.

It’s all about the 50/50 Effect. Working happy is 50% your responsibility. Your managers, co-workers, and quality of projects are responsible for the other 50%, but even the best boss in the world can’t make a grump of an employee happy. Every employee should actively pursue their own work happiness; otherwise they’ll just be putting in the hours to get to the weekend.

That means the employee should:

• Speak their mind.
• Be Friendly.
• Share the Responsibility.

As a former employee for a billion dollar retailer to a small incorporated valve company, I’ve found that companies will put up with your needs, creativity, and personality if you produce. I’m not saying that you should be a jerk because you have a creative mind that constantly produces good ideas. If you do this you’ll be setting yourself up for failure. You may last longer than the average worker, but a semi-talented person who is likeable will win the race. Now if you can work well with your co-workers and produce great ideas then you have a winning combination that will get you ahead in any organization.

Working happy involves passion, creativity, and freedom to accomplish awesome goals along with other great people. Whether you’re working on a big project or small, it’s important to add value to the company or else you’ll feel like you are floundering. No one creates this atmosphere better than Google.

Remember, if you don’t want to wait for each post to roll around each week you can download the free ebook, “Work Happy the Google Way,” from my RSS feed button. Just sign up through email or RSS and you get the whole ebook for free without having to wait.

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