Pursuit of Happiness is Serious Business

In my work with various organisations focused on succeeding in their business endeavours, one thing we’ve researched is how staff satisfaction has a very definite impact on staff satisfaction.  The results from happy, satisfied staff is an increase in overall customer satisfaction (from 20-40%) which increases profits over time.

The catch is always that you have to hire the best staff first...then develop and support them in practical AND positive ways. 

One attitude few consider is HAPPINESS.  We encourage our clients, especially those working toward increasing sales and cost savings, to allocate a portion of their budget to measuring the qualities of optimism and happiness in pre-hires and to establish a sensible budget for staff development and activities that motivate rather than simply “drive or police” acceptable behaviours.  (This does not mean holding morning teas or afternoon barbeques or bonding outings every week either!)

It does mean changing leadership and management attitudes as well.  Why make this effort?  Seems over the years research has established that people who have a positive outlook on life, enjoy better results in their sales and customer satisfaction efforts from 20% to 40% more! 

Positive, happy staff:

• Engage more actively WITH the vision of their organisation
• Enjoy contributing helpful ideas and suggestions for improvements
• Work to enfold new staff so they are more naturally part of the team
• Are less “argumentative” and quickly productive

Additionally, when these efforts are made in a sincere and consistent way there are fewer incidents of "the disappearing Post-It® Notes syndrome” (where staff “act out their dissatisfaction” with an employer through seemingly insignificant, yet costly mis-behaviours (from raiding the office supply cupboard of Post-It® Notes to spilling cans of coke in keyboards or being frequently just a little late) which can lead to unexpected expenses.

If organisations spent more time considering the attitude and preferences of new hires and existing staff, they would see appreciable, measurable dividends. 

We frequently recommend managers and team leaders are offered additional soft skills training.  It has inspired us to create innovative workshops that teach managers and team leaders to establish rapport with the individuals in their group(s ) and how to set metrics that identify and value the improvements that come from these efforts. 

We start by evaluating the members of the groups for their preferences and attitude toward their work.  Using these results as a fulcrum we begin to work with management to know how to re-balance the group(s).  Our goal is to help them adjust the culture to welcome happiness and a positive attitude rather than a neutral to negative approach to their moment-by-moment responsibilities.

I found this great article by Kath Walters who offers some additional ideas that may be of interest on this topic for you:  Bringing rigour to the study of happiness in business