Being happy at work isn’t just about work. People that are satisfied with their lives all around are more likely to be happy at work. And productivity is positively influenced by good moods, with happy workers being 31% more productive than unhappy ones, according to an infographic from Happify, a company that uses science and technology to empower people to lead happier lives.
This information is nothing new, but we always need a little nudge every now and then to remind us to review, reflect, and improve our workplace practices to ensure we’re setting our employees and our companies up for success.
So here are 7 critical pieces to the happiness puzzle in the workplace, according to Happify:
- Different people value different things about their jobs. These things can range from compensation, flexibility, interest in their work, etc. Find out what matters to each individual.
- Vacations are important for de-stressing.
- People are more creative after doing something boring and passive, so don’t always scold your workers for watching cat videos on YouTube.
- Bosses need to foster a feeling of accomplishment at work. You can do this by offering praise and recognition and celebrating successes with small treats or lunches.
- Your physical surroundings matter: “People with plants in their offices are happier with their jobs than those with no greenery in sight.”
- Encourage employees to keep a list of things they’ve accomplished for the day. That way they won’t stay focused on what they didn’t achieve, which can get anyone down.
- Don’t email, text or phone at night. Looking at computer or phone screens before we go to bed can disrupt sleep, which is the ultimate recharging tool.
Although each of these is important for a manager to remember, the first one is probably the most vital. Every person is individually unique and what motivates them can be completely different.
Also, keep in mind that what happens outside of work can have a huge impact on a worker’s productivity. Family issues, health, divorce, money problems, and just life in general can affect the ability of people to be “happy” with their jobs. Although you can’t (and shouldn’t) try to fix these external issues, getting to know who your employees are and what their lives are like can make a huge difference in their happiness at work.
Let’s face it – we all like to work for managers that take an interest in who we are, what our goals are, and most importantly understand what really drives us and makes us happy. Just showing interest in a person’s life can make a big difference in their attitude toward work.
To see the full fantastic infographic from Happify that has even more valuable advice and information, head on over to the Happify Daily.