It should be obvious to anyone that when you’re happy, you’re more likely to do a better job at work. Clearly, some managers don’t care; we’ve all worked for such people. It’s equally obvious you don’t have to be happy to be productive. Aside from those of us who work best under pressure, many of us have learned to put our heads down, ignore our discontent, and just push until we finish the work on time. If we couldn’t bull through on sheer willpower, few companies would have survived either the Great Depression or the Great Recession.
Just because we can do something, however, doesn’t mean it’s the best way. That’s one theme I hope I’ve driven home repeatedly in my blog. If we’re to push on and become even more productive than our already historic productivity levels, we have no choice but to try new things. So why not go with the Bobby McFerrin method of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”?
Or maybe I should call it the “Half-McFerrin method,” since you always have to be a little worried about what’s bearing down on you, so you can stay ahead; but you can, and I think should, seek happiness nonetheless.
Study after study has shown happy workers make the best workers. The universal conclusion is that happiness produces greater productivity, perhaps its ultimate benefit business-wise. But other benefits are intertwined with happiness, sometimes boosting productivity further, if indirectly. Let’s look at seven.
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For a different take on the issue of promoting worker happiness read this article by Dr. John Sullivan, “A Dozen Good Reasons You Should be Cautious About Employee Happiness.”
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1. Happy workers are better engaged.
Full engagement has rarely exceeded 35% in recent American history; all other workers are either disengaged or partly engaged at best. It’s well established that engaged workers have higher productivity ratings than their disengaged coworkers. When someone works just to put food on the table or resents their job, they’re less likely to become engaged. When companies make efforts to improve happiness, engagement and productivity rise.
2. Happy workers have lower medical costs.
Compared to those just going through the motions, happy workers are less likely go to the doctor for either physical or mental health issues. They’re less likely to be depressed, anxious, or stressed. Keeping workers happy can save companies a great deal on PTO costs — in the billions annually, according to some sources.
3. Happy workers have lower absenteeism rates.
Not only are they less likely to take sick days, they’re also less likely to play hooky or take so-called “mental health days.” When work makes you happy, you seek it rather than avoid it, and job satisfaction rises.
4. Happy workers are more efficient.
Beyond the fact they’re less likely to miss work or become disengaged; happy employees just do their work better, with fewer mistakes and at a faster rate. It’s easier to focus and make decisions when you feel well, as opposed to when you’re feeling ill or depressed.
5. Happiness benefits workers fiscally.
According to psychologist Martin Seligman in Authentic Happiness, happy workers tend to get higher pay and better performance assessments than their unhappy coworkers.
6. Positivity makes a huge difference in teamwork.
Optimism, caring about others, inspiring each other, not playing the blame game, and forgiving mistakes tend to bolster teams against negative events, boost existing positivity, and attract new employees looking for a nurturing environment.
7. Positivity makes the brain work better.
In a TED talk, The Happiness Advantage author Shawn Achor reports the brain works better when you’re happy. He suggests that instead of success making you happy, it’s more like happiness makes you successful — though there’s obviously some feedback in both directions. Achor claims optimism offers the greatest predictor of entrepreneurial success, “Because it allows your brain to perceive more possibilities.”
Chew on That
None of these factors surprise me, as I’ve always believed happiness is a factor in high productivity. It’s nice to see, however, that science has proven it many times. Positive emotion and, specifically, happiness actually contribute more benefits than these seven to productivity, but I feel this list sets the stage quite nicely.
How has happiness benefited your work or workplace?
This article originally published on The Productivity Pro blog.