Slides from edoMidas HR Expert Seminar Lunch and Learn the serious business of happiness

1. The serious business
of happiness

2. 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)

3. The Milwaukee
nuns
90% of happy nuns still alive at age 85
Only 33% of grumpy nuns still alive at age 85

4. Happiness & cardiovascular
disease
Professor
Kubzansky, (Harvard 2007)

5. Impact of positive and negative
events
Happiness
2 years
later Lottery win
Paraplegic
(Dan Gilbert, 2010, Harvard)

6. Happiness comparison
Very
Happy
Average
Very
Unhappy
Overestimate impact of positive and negative
events

7. Why things are not so bad
after all…
• Immune system, constructive adaptation
• Survive = adapt to circumstances
• Long-term happiness less affected
• Monet experiment

8. 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

9. Income and happiness
1950’s Now

10. Explanatory style
Pessimist Optimist
When something goes wrong: When something goes wrong:
They usually do – because I It’s a one off, nothing I could do about it
make mistakes, I’m an unlucky
person
When something goes well:
When something goes well:
Things usually work out well
Probably a one off – not me, it
– I’m good at…
was circumstances

11. We can learn
• 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
Resilience

12. 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)

13. Power of happy talk
• Broaden and build research
Fredrickson (2009)
• Happy teams, marriages, relationships
- 3:1 ratio positive expression
- builds long-term resilience

14. 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

15. 4. Move your body
• Release of dopamine = happier
• Reducecortisol = 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

16. What can business
do more of?
• 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