We all agree (except, perhaps, Mr Burns from The Simpsons) people are any organization’s greatest “asset.” Yet some studies suggest as few as 11% of employees feel engaged in their work. One survey by CNN Money found that 84% of Americans are unhappy in their current job! Perhaps the other 16% spend their entire day laying in a pile of puppies.
One survey by CNN Money found that 84% of Americans are unhappy in their current job!
The truth is, for most of us, a desire to improve the well-being of “our people” quickly burn into dust in the face of all the fires we feel pressured to put out every day at work. From a human perspective this is unfortunate – from an organization-performance perspective it’s simply bad business.
Research in burgeoning scientific fields like Positive Psychology are uncovering what Shawn Achor calls the, “Happiness Advantage.” The results from these studies are nothing short of stunning; companies with “happy” employees see sales and productivity rise by over 30%! Turnover decreases, engagement increases, and innovation and problem-solving sky rocket. A fascinating longitudinal study by Jim Stengel captured the impact “ideals” can have on business performance. In short, companies that embraced the ideal of “improving people’s lives,” including the lives of their employees, outperformed their competitors by nearly 400% over a 10-year period from 2001-2011!
Companies with “happy” employees see sales and productivity rise by over 30%!
We’re discovering positively primed brains drive higher functioning minds and bodies. Turns out when we feel good about our workplace we do better work. Shocking, I know. Veterinary hospitals that recognize and embrace these realities just do better. What will you start doing to unlock this Happiness Advantage in your people today?
- written by Josh Vaisman