I’m not being flippant here in suggesting that being happy is my “hack”. When the editors of LinkedIn sent out the brief requesting our insights into the productivity hacks that we use, I looked at all the things I do, from shared document reporting, to online diary requests systems… All of these add consistently to being productive. The Cloud has transformed the way I work – and not just my productivity but that of all those around me at RedBalloon.
The reality is that we can talk about productivity tips and tricks all we like – but unless somebody chooses to use them, it is worth “diddly squat” (I think that is an Australianism meaning “two tenths of nothing” – oops another Australianism – I mean it has no value at all.)
We have all read many a post on “10 tips to take you to the top” or “25 things successful people do”. Yet how many of these do we actually apply? Somehow all of us think that everybody else is far more productive and having a better time than we are. The grass is always greener.
So as I thought deeply about the topic at hand (because I am highly productive). I wondered what the deeper reason for my productivity is.
Perhaps it is that every morning as we sip our first coffee of the day, my partner and I reflect on “What is the purpose of the day?”, “What are we grateful for?”, and “What did we discover yesterday?” This reflection takes but a few minutes – and we are investing in our day.
Or maybe it is the little list that I write that simply says “I cannot go to bed tonight until I…”. Sometimes there is only one thing on that list.
You can see what I am saying here – my productivity comes from the headspace I’m in. So as you read all the tips and tricks in the series of Hacks – remember one thing: Happy people are creative, productive people.
Be happy then you will be able to apply lots of the Hacks!
In short, happy people equal happy profits. Happy employees are simply more productive – and that can only be a good thing for business – but also great for you as the employee.
Thomas Wright, professor at Fordham University, claims employee happiness accounts for as much as 10-15 percent of the variance in performance between different employees. In a 40-hour week that could mean more than three-quarters of an hour in lost productivity, every day.
Happiness is a powerful key in maximising productivity in the workplace. Gallup tells us that disengaged (unhappy) workers cost billions in lost productivity, whereas engaged (happy) employees are more profitable, more customer-focused, safer and more likely to stick around. In fact, organisations with a happy workforce have 20 percent higher profits (and a profitable company has greater resources to support its employees – so the cycle continues). At work, happy people are:
- 31 percent more productive
- 40 percent more likely to receive a promotion (people like happy people)
- Less absent, with 23 percent fewer fatigue symptoms
- Up to 10 percent more engaged at work
- Able to sell more – happy sales people produce 37 percent greater sales
Work for most of us is a big part of our lives. It takes up the majority of our waking hours. So being happy at work is my #1 hack suggestion. It takes consistent and conscious effort to choose being happy… and the rest will follow.
It is why I love what we are doing at team Redii… I truly believe that everyone is entitled to a great day at work – and a little recognition goes a long way.
This first appeared as part of my LinkedIn Influencer Collection