In the UK, it’s a general habit of the wider population to come together over the things that make us grumble. But why is this? Why don’t we start with positive news?
Unfortunately, at this point in time, it seems that happiness just isn’t newsworthy. Negative stories are everywhere; from the news reports you read on the train to work in the morning, to the conversations we have with our partners and colleagues, these negative, ugly narratives litter our days. When something goes wrong at work, what’s the first thing most of us do? We grumble about it, and more often than not, it becomes a lengthy discussion with a colleague. If something annoys us during the day, we often offload on our partners or friends. If we see something horrible in the news, it becomes a new topic of conversation.
Now, that’s not to say that these stories aren’t worthy of discussion. Many of us need this type of interaction to feel our way through the world. It’s a kind of therapy, in a way – when we talk about the things that aren’t going so well, we feel a sense of relief, as though it somehow exorcises the negative emotion. Personally, I need to speak to my partner, a friend, colleague or family member if something is bothering me – sometimes I need advice, and sometimes it’s just a need to get something off my chest.
We also can’t dismiss the bigger things that are happening in the world – if a story makes the world news, it’s there for a reason. However, we often spend so much time focusing on the negative news and stories of the day, that the positive news is somehow buried beneath it. Happy stories just don’t seem to have the same bite as their unsavoury counterparts, do they?
At People Lab, we believe in doing things differently. We think it’s not just important, but fundamental to make happiness at work a priority. The problem is, if the wider world and broader population (and, therefore, a vast majority of our colleagues) aren’t making time for happiness, then what seems like a simple idea to us becomes pretty damn tough.
Happiness is an idea that’s often considered fluffy in the workplace. Stand up in a board meeting (I dare you) and present ‘Happiness’ as an item on the agenda, and it’s pretty fair to say you’d get some suspicious looks. Although a number of organisations are beginning to embrace the idea of employee engagement, there are many that still can’t quite get around the idea of being genuinely happy at work.
And it’s not a notion reserved for MDs or CEOs – employees throughout an organisation often struggle with this idea. The general consensus is that happiness is something to be left at the door, and is only experienced during evenings and weekends, or any time you’re as far from the office as humanly possible. Cynicism is contagious; catch one employee groaning about their commute into work, and it’s often the case that others join in. Here’s a quick example:
Employee 1: “Oh god, my morning was rubbish – train delays AND I dropped my coffee cup onto my laptop”
Employee 2: “Oh no! I had a great morning, I didn’t get stuck in traffic AND I had my favourite breakfast!”
It doesn’t seem to work like that, does it? We tend to empathise with our colleagues and other people we encounter, so if someone says they’re having a rubbish day at work, it’s easier to respond with “Join the club” than to actively tell them you’re having a great day.
And though cynicism and negativity can be viral in the workplace, so can change. We believe that positive beliefs and behaviours are key to achieving successful, sustainable employee engagement; focus on the good things in life, and success will follow. We’ve proven time and time again that with a little positive psychology, creating a great place to work is simple. Our Director, Emma Bridger, wrote a fantastic article recently explaining the science behind employee engagement and the role positive psychology plays in this. Read the article here – and when you do decide to present happiness as a priority in your workplace, you’ll be armed with the evidence to back it up.
It’s International Happiness Day on 20th March, and we’d love to hear your ideas on bumping happiness to the top of the priority list in your organisation.
If you fancy a chat about employee engagement in your organisation, contact us today. We’d also welcome your ideas in the comments section below.
