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Happiness and Profitability

The most important success factor for a modern workplace is strategy or planning or business processes – it’s happiness!

Happy employees are not simply in a better mood, they also do a much better job. Studies from psychology and neurology have shown that people who experience positive emotions experience a number of benefits at work, including these:

  • They are more productive and work faster and more efficiently
  • They get sick less often and have  much lower absenteeism rates
  • They are more creative and have more and better ideas
  • They stay at the company longer saving huge efforts in recruiting new people
  • They sell more when in sales roles
  • They make the customers happy and more loyal to the company

All of this means that happy companies are more profitable and have higher growth rates and stock prices than the market average.

Why should this be? There are three main reasons why happy companies are more successful.

1: Happy organizations are more innovative

Harvard Professor Teresa M. Amabile’s research into how the work environment influences the motivation, creativity, and performance of individuals and teams shows that happy people are more creative:

If people are in a good mood on a given day, they’re more likely to have creative ideas that day, as well as the next day, even if we take into account their mood that next day.

There seems to be a cognitive process that gets set up when people are feeling good that leads to more flexible, fluent, and original thinking, and there’s actually a carryover, an incubation effect, to the next day.

The Gallup Management Journal agrees, and finds that,

59% of happy employees strongly agreed with the statement that their current job “brings out their most creative ideas,” compared with only 3% of unhappy employees.

So if innovation and creativity matter to your business, you need happy employees.

2: Happy people are more motivated

Every leader wants motivated employees. Every employee wants to be motivated. And yet we often see managers complaining that their employees are impossible to get going, and workers complaining that their managers don’t motivate them and don’t know what makes them tick.

It’s not the job of the manager to motivate employees. That is impossible. It’s a manager’s job to create a happy work environment in which employees are naturally motivated.

Think about it: How difficult must it be to motivate people who are dissatisfied, disappointed, distrustful, disengaged and unhappy at work. It’s an uphill battle all the way.

An article from Harvard Business School put it like this:

Most companies have it all wrong. They don’t have to motivate their employees. They have to stop demotivating them.

Happy employees need no external motivation—they motivate themselves and each other, and this internal motivation is both more efficient and more sustainable than the external motivation (such as rewards) that managers of unhappy employees must resort to.

If you want true motivation in the workplace, you must create a happy workplace. It’s that simple!

3: Happy employees deliver better customer service

A recent Harvard Business Review article entitled “Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work” concluded that:

When companies put employees… first, their employees are satisfied, their customers are loyal, their profits increase, and their continued success is sustained.[1]

Good, genuine customer service comes only from happy employees. Unhappy employees can try to fake it, but it’ll be just that: Fake service.

The math is a little strange on this one: One happy employee can give ten customers a good experience. Ten unhappy employees can’t give one customer a good experience—what they can do is give 100 customers a bad experience.

So research clearly shows that companies should embrace happiness because it’s good for business. But there is one other, even more fundamental reason: Making people happy is good, making them unhappy is just plain wrong!

There are workplaces out there that run their people down, make them stressed and ill, destroy their sense of worth, are havens for bullies, and allow all kinds of harassment. Though it is rarely intentional, these workplaces still make their people unhappy, and mentally and physically ill.

I have no idea how leaders and managers of these businesses can live with themselves. They may hide behind the old argument that companies should only care about money—or, as Milton Friedman said it, “The business of business is business.” However, I hope I’ve convinced you that this is a false argument because happy businesses make more money.

There is no longer any excuse for tolerating an unhappy work environment, when it’s more profitable to create one that is inspiring, uplifting, healthy and happy—one that is good for people and good for business.

[1]   Source: http://hbr.org/2008/07/putting-the-service-profit-chain-to-work

Happy Planet, Happy People!

We believe people are part of nature and that they must therefore be part of the solution to tackle climate change and reverse the loss of biodiversity. At ANP|WWF, our mission is to build a future in which people and nature live in harmony.

That’s why, when Lionesa Business Hub challenged us to take part in the Happiness Camp, we didn’t think twice! We celebrate and respect diversity in nature and among the people and communities we work with every day for a healthier and fairer planet.

Happiness can be a difficult concept to explain, as it represents different things in each person’s life. But let’s face it: there is always unanimity when we talk about protected species and ecosystems. If we make our planet a happy place, people will be happy too!

At ANP|WWF we advocate a culture of well-being, respect, and integrity among all people. We are constantly looking for innovative ways to change mentalities, involving our team and all those who support us in our mission, and encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work on a daily basis.

Why do we do this? Because everything is interlinked with our nature conservation work: we want to live happily on a healthy planet!

Happy Jobs, Happy Sustainable Food, Happy Planet – is it possible to combine all these concepts into one? We believe so! Our motto for Happiness Camp 2023 will be sustainable food and the benefits it brings to people and the planet.

Will you accept the challenge?

By: ANP | WWF

Make It Happy: and enter the amazing world of the Happy Awards®

Make it Happy is the tagline of the Happy Awards®️.
Moreover, make it happy is part of ConsumerChoice’s DNA, the promoter of this happiness evaluation system. With a unique methodology, scrutinises the satisfaction of organisations’ employees, customers and suppliers and provides them with a set of data to be used strategically across leadership.

We want to invite you to enter the amazing world of the Happy Awards®️
Are you ready? 
Important note: this is aimed for the brave ones only and for those who genuinely want to bring happiness to their employees, their customers and their suppliers, since no one can be left behind when evaluating the happiness of an organization. An organization or a company does not live independently from its stakeholders. We see an organization as a whole. How can an entity be considered happy, when its suppliers are not happy for example due to continuous delays in payment deadlines? This is just an example of what can come up in the preparation process for the Happy Awards®️.
Trust us, entering the world of the Happy Awards is an amazing trip and a unique experience into the dungeons of your organisation. An opportunity of a seamless self-analysis and a chance to really become aware of what you are doing well and what you can still improve. 

We ask you again: are you ready?
In case your company joins the amazing world of the Happy Awards®️, you will go through a reliable and breakthrough evaluation process. 
That’s what happened to the winners of the first edition: RE/MAX, Alberto Oculista, A Casa das Casas, Pinto Lopes Viagens, Associação Salvador and Zome, whose stakeholders are extremely happy (average of 5 on a scale from 1 to 5). 

The outputs of this study are outstanding and of great value for different departments within the organization. We evaluate not only the happiness and satisfaction of your employees, customers and suppliers. 
We go further: we scrutinise the importance of each evaluation parameter and you can realize, for instance, that people are not satisfied with their salary package, but also that this fact is not of great importance. Intriguing, right? Maybe they prefer the company to  invest in emotional salary rather than in increasing the wages… 😉 
We go even further when evaluating the happiness of the employees, we focus on the 3 dimensions of happiness: individual, the team and in the organisation.

So, are you making it happy? 
If yes, contact us: www.happy-awards.com

Teresa Preta
Managing Director, ConsumerChoice

Teresa Preta
Managing Director, ConsumerChoice

In Search of the Workout-life Balance

The numbers tell a story that could leave us feeling disheartened, but for the sake of Happiness Camp, let’s turn that frown upside down and say instead: There’s immense potential to do better. With this optimism, we look at the data presented in the report “Custo do Stress e dos Problemas de Saúde Psicológica no Trabalho”, published by the Order of Portuguese Psychologists. Besides the significant disruptions in team balance and the high human cost, stress comes with a hefty price tag: 5.3 million euros every year.

Physical exercise and sports are effective ways to combat stress and anxiety. In the same study, an increase in physical activity was linked to a decrease in negative symptoms. The workplace is often one of the main sources of stress. It is, therefore, up to companies to promote a truly healthy, happy environment that helps each individual find their work-life balance. Or as we like to say: their Workout – Life – Balance.

A new sport each day, keeps the doctor away 

Who wouldn’t enjoy working in a place where everyone is more active, healthier, with a stronger team spirit, more positive competition, and better cooperation? In a study we conducted in 2022 with OnStrategy, we discovered that more then ever, the Portuguese are interested in starting a regular sports activity. Companies are not yet keeping up with this trend, as 70% of employees stated that their company did not offer sufficient support, and only 10% of the companies said claimed to provide 100% support for their employees’ sports activities.

It’s time to get companies moving and create fun, creative, sporty, and productive lifestyles. We know stress is so expensive, but feeling happy at work is priceless.

About Urban Sports Club

Urban Sports Club offers a monthly subscription with several options. Our mission is to inspire people to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle.

Members of Urban Sports Club can create a unique and diverse workout plan by choosing from over 50 sports and wellness activities, including fitness, swimming, yoga, climbing, team sports, massage, and more. With a single subscription, you can train at over 10,000 partner locations in Portugal, Germany, France, Spain and Belgium.

With the Dutch company OneFit, the Urban Sports Club group has over 12,000 partners in total. The most varied and flexible sports offering in Europe is also available as a corporate benefit for employees, allowing teams to train in studios, outdoors, on-demand and live online. Sports where, when, and whatever you want!

By: Urban Sports Club

Credibom gives credit to the happiness of its employees!

in Great Places to Work

Corporate Happiness, what are the goals? Corporate Happiness has the main goal of creating meaningful workplaces. All are leaders in their role, fostering positive cultures that generate talent, impact and purpose.

The professional dimension takes a large part of our daily lives and time. The corporate world has witnessed a paradigm shift in the way we see the role of work in our lives. Nowadays, the new generations want work to be an extension of who they are.

Banco Credibom has invested in the development of several internal initiatives that promote the well-being and happiness of employees in the organization. Credibom’s strategy, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to develop a work environment and an organization that promotes the daily happiness of its employees. The distinction of the Great Place to Work and Best Workplace 2023 awards demonstrate the positive impact of this continuous process that has been developed.

Through initiatives such as Fruit Time, the celebration of employees’ birthdays, Breakfast with CEO, podcast “Ask the CEO” and, more recently, the reformulation of the layout of Credibom’s offices in Porto Salvo and Porto, the organization has worked to promote the happiness of its employees. In addition, Credibom through the Internal Communication area, recently launched the “Happiness Program”, which aims to promote and measure the company’s corporate happiness, putting people at the center. Gilbert Ranoux, CEO of Banco Credibom, highlights the importance of corporate happiness for the overall success of the organization: “We believe that, by creating work cultures that inspire a common purpose, through simplicity, we will enhance the levels of commitment and well-being of employees. Leadership 2.0 promotes a set of human skills that bring out the best in employees. This common purpose, as a team, is fully aligned with our Raison d´être: to win the preference of customers and partners through the simplicity and joy of working with us.”

Credibom will be present at the Happiness Camp 2023, which will take place at Alfândega do Porto, and will have a space in the Smile Hub to share the good practices that have been developed to promote happiness in the organization: Credibom, Happy days, everyday 

Come and join us at the Happiness Camp 2023!

By: Credibom

How Nutrium Care has been transforming employee well-being!

Time to huddle up, because we’re about to uncover the story of how Nutrium Care came to be.

Picture this: André Santos, an IT student who had overweight issues for many years, goes to a nutritionist and has the worst experience ever. He left with the promise of return in 3 months’ time and a paper saying “chicken breast”, “vegetables”, and “2 liters of water”.

Imagine the outcome: none. But this made André think “What if there was an app with a complete meal plan and recipes? What if he would send me messages motivating me in between appointments?”

So he gathered a team of other IT students and Nutrium was born! A nutrition software that is now a market leader present in over 40 countries and is used by over 250,000 nutritionists.

After years of collaborating with nutritionists, in 2018 Nutrium began providing nutritional support to their own employees, and the results were incredible!

Think remarkable weight loss, higher energy levels, better sleep, and an overall sense of “I’m winning at life”. The team was amazed and decided they had to take these results to other companies!

So Nutrium created Nutrium Care, a wellness program that’s tailor-made for companies. The program allows every employee to achieve their health goals, with the help of expert nutritionists who provide appointments and give real-time motivation and help through a mobile app.

And, to ensure that the results have long-term effects, Nutrium Care includes webinars on hot topics, workshops to teach them how to cook healthy recipes, and newsletters with healthy tips.

In companies like Vodafone, Randstad, AGEAS, and many more, we have been seeing great impact in employee’s health, productivity and motivation. The result? Companies reduce absenteeism and health costs. They get healthier, happier, and more productive staff. It’s a win-win for everyone. Nutrium Care’s mission is simple: to make the world healthier, one company at a time. If you’re curious, you can meet them at the Happiness Camp!

By: Nutrium Care

Harnessing the Power of Social Media: Creating Happy Brands That Spark Joy

In the digital age, building a strong, memorable, and happy brand is more important than ever. With the constant buzz of social media at our fingertips, it’s essential for companies to leverage these platforms to create a joyful and positive online presence. In this article, we’ll explore how you can harness the power of social media to build a brand that not only resonates with your audience but also leaves them smiling.

Know Your Audience: Create Content That Resonates

To craft a happy brand, it’s vital to know and understand your target audience. Dive deep into their demographics, preferences, and pain points. With this information, you can create content that resonates with them and sparks joy. By showcasing your brand’s personality and values through engaging, relatable, and shareable content, you’ll leave your audience eager for more.

Inspire with Uplifting Stories and Visuals

In a world often filled with negativity, people crave uplifting and positive content. Share stories that showcase the brighter side of life or highlight acts of kindness and compassion. Don’t shy away from using vibrant colors, eye-catching visuals, and emotive imagery that evoke happiness and positivity. By creating a feel-good factor in your content, you’ll encourage your audience to associate your brand with happy experiences.

Embrace the Art of Humor

Laughter is the best medicine, and humor is a powerful tool in creating a happy brand. By incorporating humor into your social media content, you’ll not only entertain your audience but also make your brand more relatable and memorable. Whether it’s through witty captions, funny memes, or hilarious videos, make sure your humor aligns with your brand’s voice and appeals to your target audience.

Engage, Engage, Engage!

Building a happy brand isn’t just about posting content—it’s also about creating genuine connections with your audience. Encourage interaction by asking questions, hosting polls, and responding to comments and messages. Show your audience that you genuinely care about their thoughts and opinions, and they’ll be more likely to develop a positive emotional connection with your brand.

Partner with Influencers Who Share Your Happy Vibe

Influencer partnerships can help amplify your brand’s reach and create a buzz around your happy message. Collaborate with influencers who share your brand’s values and have a positive and uplifting online presence. By aligning with like-minded influencers, you can reinforce your brand’s happy image and tap into new audiences who share your passion for positivity.

Celebrate Your Community: Showcase Happy Customers

What better way to create a happy brand than by showcasing the happiness of your own customers? Share user-generated content that highlights your customers’ positive experiences with your brand. This not only fosters a sense of community but also serves as social proof, showing potential customers that your brand is a source of happiness for others.

In Conclusion: Spread Joy Through Your Social Media Presence

By leveraging social media to build a happy brand, you can create a positive online presence that resonates with your audience and leaves them feeling good. From understanding your audience to embracing humor and engaging with your community, follow these tips to create a brand that truly sparkles with joy. So go forth and spread happiness—one post, tweet, or story at a time!

Harnessing the Power of Humour: Injecting Laughter into Your Team’s Leadership

Laughter is a universal language that transcends barriers and connects people. It can also be a powerful tool when it comes to leadership and team dynamics. In this article, we’ll explore how harnessing the power of humour can enhance your team’s leadership, foster a positive work environment, and boost overall productivity.

Building Rapport and Trust

Laughter is an excellent way to break the ice and build rapport within a team. By incorporating humour into interactions and communication, leaders can quickly establish a connection with their team members. This shared laughter creates a sense of camaraderie and trust, paving the way for open and honest dialogue. When team members feel comfortable with their leaders, they’re more likely to share their ideas, concerns, and suggestions.

Reducing Stress and Boosting Morale

The modern workplace can often be stressful, with deadlines, high expectations, and demanding tasks. By using humour, leaders can help alleviate stress and lighten the mood. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, which not only reduce stress but also create a sense of well-being. As a result, humour can boost team morale, leading to increased motivation and productivity.

Encouraging Creativity and Problem Solving

Humour is a catalyst for creativity, as it encourages individuals to approach problems from different angles and think outside the box. By fostering a light-hearted atmosphere, leaders can inspire their team members to come up with innovative solutions and ideas. Furthermore, humour makes it easier to discuss complex or challenging topics, as it can disarm tension and create a more open and receptive environment.

Enhancing Communication and Conflict Resolution

Effective communication is essential for successful leadership, and humour can play a significant role in facilitating clear and open dialogue. By using humour strategically, leaders can convey important messages in a way that is engaging and memorable. Additionally, humour can defuse tension and help resolve conflicts, as laughter brings people together and promotes a sense of unity.

Demonstrating Adaptability and Emotional Intelligence

A leader who can effectively use humour demonstrates adaptability and emotional intelligence. These qualities are critical for navigating the ever-changing demands of the workplace and understanding the needs and emotions of team members. By employing humour, leaders show that they’re not only capable of adapting to different situations but also empathetic and attuned to the emotions of others.

Tips for Incorporating Humour into Leadership

To harness the power of humour in your team’s leadership, keep these tips in mind:

Know Your Audience: Understand your team’s preferences and boundaries when it comes to humour. What may be funny to some could be offensive to others. Always be mindful of the diverse backgrounds and sensitivities within your team.

Be Authentic: Don’t force humour if it doesn’t come naturally to you. Instead, find your own unique style and use it to connect with your team.

Timing is Key: Use humour appropriately and strategically. While laughter can be a powerful tool, there are times when it’s not appropriate or could be perceived as insensitive.

Learn from the Best: Observe leaders and speakers who excel at using humour and learn from their techniques. This will help you hone your skills and incorporate humour more effectively into your leadership style.

In Conclusion: Laughter, the Secret Ingredient for Effective Leadership

Harnessing the power of humour in your team’s leadership can have a lasting impact on rapport, trust, morale, and productivity. By incorporating laughter into your leadership style, you’ll create a positive work environment that fosters creativity, open communication, and a strong sense of unity. So, go ahead and share a joke, a witty remark, or a funny story—it just might be the secret ingredient.

Building Happier Territories: The UAE’s Pioneering Pursuit of Joy Through the Minister of Happiness & Wellbeing

In a world where societies are increasingly measured by economic progress, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has chosen to chart a different path. They’ve embarked on a mission to prioritize the happiness and wellbeing of their citizens, leading the way by appointing a Minister of Happiness & Wellbeing. This innovative approach is shaping the future of what it means to be a successful nation, putting human happiness at the forefront of development.

A Bold Move Towards Joy

In 2016, the UAE appointed Ohood Al Roumi as the world’s first Minister of Happiness & Wellbeing. This groundbreaking decision signaled the nation’s commitment to fostering a positive environment and enhancing the lives of its people. The message was clear: happiness and wellbeing are essential factors in the progress of a nation, and the UAE was ready to lead by example.

Creating Ripples of Happiness

The Ministry of Happiness & Wellbeing has been a driving force behind a series of nationwide initiatives designed to bring joy to the people of the UAE. These efforts touch every aspect of life, from physical and emotional wellbeing to personal development and community engagement.

One of the ministry’s key projects is the National Happiness and Positivity Programme. This strategic framework aims to raise happiness levels across the country, focusing on three pillars: individual happiness, positive social environments, and empowering government institutions.

The individual happiness pillar encourages people to take responsibility for their own wellbeing by promoting practices like mindfulness, gratitude, and empathy. Programs such as the Happiness Patrol, where police officers surprise citizens with small acts of kindness, have brought smiles to people’s faces and inspired a new outlook on life.

Under the positive social environments pillar, the Ministry has made it their mission to create spaces that foster happiness and wellbeing. The introduction of wellbeing and happiness indicators in the design and planning of urban spaces has resulted in vibrant, lively areas where people can connect and thrive.

Finally, the empowering government institutions pillar ensures that policies and procedures align with the happiness objectives of the country. The Ministry of Happiness & Wellbeing has introduced the Happiness and Wellbeing Councils in various government departments, with a mandate to identify opportunities for improvement and to share best practices.

A Brighter Future

The UAE’s pioneering appointment of a Minister of Happiness & Wellbeing has captured the attention of the world. As a result, other nations are beginning to follow suit, seeking ways to prioritize happiness in their own territories. Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index and New Zealand’s Wellbeing Budget are just two examples of how the idea of placing happiness at the core of policy-making is gaining momentum.

By prioritizing happiness and wellbeing, the UAE has not only enhanced the lives of its citizens but also inspired a global conversation on the importance of human-centered development. The nation’s commitment to fostering a positive environment serves as a shining example of what can be achieved when happiness takes center stage.

Conclusion

The UAE’s Minister of Happiness & Wellbeing is a testament to the power of thinking differently and embracing a more human-centric approach to governance. This pioneering move has shown the world that when happiness and wellbeing become the driving force of a nation, the possibilities for a brighter, more joyful future are endless.

The Secret Ingredient to Boosting Productivity: Unleashing Happiness at Work

In our fast-paced world, companies are always on the lookout for ways to increase productivity and gain a competitive edge. Surprisingly, many businesses overlook one critical factor: happiness. That’s right – happiness in the workplace plays a huge role in employee productivity and overall company success. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how happiness and productivity are intertwined and discover how Happiness Camp can help organizations unlock their teams’ full potential.

The Happiness-Productivity Connection

It turns out that happier employees are more productive, creative, and engaged in their work. One eye-opening study from the University of Warwick found that content employees were, on average, 12% more productive than their less satisfied peers. This productivity boost can make a huge difference to a company’s bottom line.

So, why are happy workers more productive? For starters, they’re more likely to collaborate effectively with their colleagues, show greater dedication to their tasks, and think creatively to solve problems. Plus, happier employees tend to be healthier and less stressed, which leads to fewer sick days and lower turnover rates.

Creating a Positive Work Environment

So, how can organizations create a happier workplace? Here are some key factors to focus on:

Strong leadership: Great leaders set the tone for the entire organization. By being a positive role model and promoting a culture of trust and respect, leaders can create a happier and more productive team.

Recognition and rewards: When employees feel, valued and appreciated, they’re more likely to be happy and engaged in their work. Recognizing and rewarding hard work, creativity, and dedication can do wonders for happiness levels.

Opportunities for growth and development: Giving employees the chance to learn new skills and grow professionally can significantly impact their job satisfaction. Investing in employee development shows that the organization values their contributions and is committed to their success.

Work-life balance: Encouraging employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance can contribute to their overall well-being and happiness. Offering flexible work schedules, remote work options, and generous vacation policies can help employees juggle their personal and professional lives more effectively.

A supportive and inclusive culture: Building a workplace culture that values diversity, inclusion, and collaboration can lead to increased happiness and productivity. Foster open communication and provide employees with the resources and support they need to succeed.

Unlocking Your Team’s Full Potential with Happiness Camp

Happiness Camp is a one-of-a-kind, festival-style conference dedicated to exploring the science of happiness and its impact on the workplace. By attending Happiness Camp, organizations can gain valuable insights into the latest research, strategies, and trends in organizational happiness. With an exciting lineup of world-renowned speakers and hands-on workshops, attendees will leave with actionable insights that can transform their work environment and unlock their team’s full potential.

From nurturing a positive company culture to developing effective leadership strategies, Happiness Camp offers a comprehensive approach to workplace happiness. By making employee well-being and job satisfaction a priority, organizations can not only improve productivity but also create a more engaged, loyal, and creative workforce.

In conclusion, the science of happiness reveals a strong link between employee well-being and productivity. By investing in a positive work environment, organizations can unlock their team’s full potential and set themselves up for long-term success. Don’t miss the opportunity to transform your organization’s approach to happiness and productivity by attending Happiness Camp – the perfect place to learn, grow, and thrive.