“In all aspects of our lives, we strive for happiness. And taking into account that we spend most of our awake hours at work, it’s something that plays a crucial role in our general happiness. Happiness, however, is highly subjective – what makes you happy doesn’t necessarily make me happy. Therefore, it can be difficult to pinpoint universal catalysts that drive personal happiness. But what happens when we begin to characterize happiness outside our personal lives, in more general terms at work? Can we then draw any collective conclusions?” BUZZISPACE.
Surprisingly, the answer to these questions is yes! BUZZISPACE met one of the associates at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, to deliberate happiness in the workplace and what companies can do to increase employee happiness.
So, how do we bring happiness to the workplace? We share three concepts so you can take the first steps to increasing employee happiness.
PURPOSE IN PLACE
One of the biggest factors is having meaning. It’s why we do the work, and often relates back to showing employees the bigger picture behind their work and the function they fulfil – how are they helping others, their colleagues, clients, and society in general?
SOCIAL SUBSTANCE
Establishing a social environment and strong employee relations can also play a major role in creating a happy workspace. It’s a matter of connecting people and encouraging employees to build relationships with one another. The truth is, we are all social beings by nature, even at work.
One way to encourage employees to connect with each other is to design the workspace accordingly. For instance, create breakout zones and corners with flexible objects that can easily be moved around. These minor changes will prove to have a positive impact overall.
EMPOWERED MINDS
Apart from being socially cohesive, influence and empowerment also have a bearing in creating a happy workspace. Here, empowerment should be considered in its broadest sense and not be limited to matters of allocating work and other business-related issues.
Allowing employees to feel vested can often involve something as simple as giving employees a feeling of control over the environment they operate in.
Designing the ideal workspace is therefore not only about functionality. It is just as important to plan for the well-being of employees to foster happiness at work. Creating various work areas for employees, whether that be open or private spaces with different levels of privacy, can be achieved along with the added benefit of increasing the interest of a space.
Mindset is the goal. Specifically, to acknowledge that happiness does lead to success. “Happy employees are not just good to have, they are a must-have.”Shared from Happiness is Serious Business, Especially at Work.
PUREALCHEMY DESIGN Pinterest Board: THE HAPPY WORKPLACE.
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