More and more organisations are focusing on the importance of happiness these days; but is this just a new business “self-help” idea? The phrase “Science of Happiness” actually refers to a new field of social science called positive psychology; and contrary to popular belief, it is not “positive thinking” or self-help but a broad empirical field of research and application worldwide. The iOpener Institute’s eight years of research into the subject (in 80+ countries) has shown that the happiest people at work, compared to the least happy:
- Take less sick leave ( less than 1.5 days compared with 6, or even 11-20)
- Intend to stay in their role longer (more than 2 years compared with a few months)
- Are more “on-task” (as much as a day and a quarter per week – adds up to 80 days a year!)
In addition, happy employees are seen to:
- Spend double the time focused on what they are paid to do
- Take 10 times less sick leave
So can our current knowledge-driven and service-led organisations afford to ignore the Science of Happiness at work when research shows that it is linked to the bottom line and performance levels?
There are five important drivers which are key for happiness at work and high performance. These are known as the 5Cs:
- Contribution is the effort an individual or team makes .
- Conviction is short-term motivation .
- Culture is a feeling of fit at work .
- Commitment is long-term engagement.
- Confidence is the belief in ones abilities .
Research shows that if employees have these 5Cs they will be happy and high-performing – and as a result, they’ll achieve their potential. However, it is important to note that every one of the 5Cs needs to be in place for organisations, teams and individuals to be delivering of their best. Trust, Recognition and Pride In addition, the three important attributes of trust, recognition and pride bind these 5Cs together. These traits relate to how much employee’s trusts their organisation and also feel a sense of pride for working there. Recognition is different as this is more about gaining recognition for an employee’s effort and being publically noted and appreciated. Managers take note – handing out a yearly pay rise won’t do the trick either, as recognition does not refer to pay or bonuses! In conclusion, if an organisation is looking for high performing teams plus a high performing bottom line, they need to take the Science of Happiness seriously.
