The serious business of happiness

Happiness at work

• 10-40% productivity• 1.5 days vs 5 days off sick• 180% more energy• 108% more engaged• 50% more motivated

(Pryce-Jones, 2010)

• Doctors faster by 20%• Sales by 33%

(Achor 2007)

The Milwaukee nuns

90% of happy nuns still alive at age 85

Only 33% of grumpy nuns still alive at age 85

Happy50%Less

illness

Happiness & cardiovascular disease

Bad boss33% more

heart attacks

Professor Kubzansky, (Harvard 2007)

Impact of positive and negative events

Lott

ery

win

Para

pleg

ic

Happiness2 years

later

(Dan Gilbert, 2010, Harvard)

Happiness comparison

Very Happy

Very Unhappy

Average

Overestimate impact of positive and negative events

Why things are not so bad after all…

• Immune system, constructive adaptation• Survive = adapt to circumstances• Long-term happiness less affected• Monet experiment

The hedonistic treadmill• Law of diminishing returns• Mind plays tricks, I will be happy when…• Broken formula for happiness• Wanting – quick enjoy – more wanting• No positive impact on happiness

Promotion

Next promotion

New ho

use

New

car

Loft co

nver

sion

Income and happiness

1950’s Now

PessimistWhen something goes wrong:

It’s a one off, nothing I could do about it

When something goes well:

Things usually work out well

– I’m good at…

When something goes wrong:

They usually do – because I make mistakes, I’m an unlucky person

When something goes well:

Probably a one off – not me, it was circumstances

Optimist

Explanatory style

Resilience

• Learn a positive explanatory style• Benefits:

- positive/happy/optimistic

- bounce back from difficult times

- more persistent – pursue problem solving longer

- ideas, innovation

• Business research:

- most happy and optimistic sold 50% more

We can learn

2. Connect with others

• Happy people have stronger social networks

• When life gets tough…

Isolate vs. connect

• Shared purpose, meaning

• Giving (Anik, Norton & Dunn, 2009, Harvard)

Power of happy talk

• Broaden and build research

Fredrickson (2009)

• Happy teams, marriages, relationships

- 3:1 ratio positive expression

- builds long-term resilience

3. Focus your mind

• Research (Babuak 2000)

- Brain not designed for multitasking

- Overwhelmed by tasks & info

- Stress

• Research (Bweck 2006)

- Mindfulness

- Create clarity & focus

- Turn on happiness & empathy centre

- Turn off ego, fear & pain centre

4. Move your body

• Release of dopamine = happier• Reduce cortisol = less stress• Healthy = prevents illness• We sit too much!!!• Not just working out – energising• Left/right brain (creative, intuitive)• Activate body and wake up brain

• Provide critical pre-conditions• Equip managers and leaders

- Positive feedback most important

(good relationships)

- Shared purpose (meaning)

- Using strengths

- Greater sense of control

- FiveA leading high performance

What can business do more of?

Thank you

from the edoMidas

team