LOVE works

Chief Happiness Officer... We love the fact that this article starts with a slightly cynical sub-title. “Hard-nosed”. What does that mean for you? And what could it possibly have to do with “Happiness”? Well, maybe that oxymoron of “hard-nosed happiness” deserves some exploration? #ChiefHappinessOfficers became “a thing” something over 10 years ago. But have the companies that stuck their necks out then become any happier places by 2024? Workplace #engagement figures have been hitting all time lows… almost 8 in 10 employees across the globe are stuck somewhere between “disaffected” and “actively resentful”, according to Gallup’s latest global study. And there is an undoubtedly conservative estimate as to the cost of this, tagged at almost $9 TRILLION. Purpose, recognition, fulfillment and belonging, which are deeper factors that drive psychological contentment, of which few, if any, relate directly to money, turn out to be far more important to us humans than ping-pong tables or bean bags. And yet, pay rises often are the less enlightened companies’ go-to option for pleasing employees. That just may not be working any more, we surmise… It turns out that just asking questions like “what do our employees actually want?” Or “how do we humanize our business” can work wonders, and not just for morale, but also for profits. It’s pretty basic, but happy humans make better decisions, create better products and collaborate to generate greater profits.. So… together, we, Janine Matho ?? Catalyst and Claire Harbour, have been crafting solutions for a couple of large, global clients, to humanize business, to create not just Happiness, but LOVE in the workplace. Not sappy, romantic love, but true, open, #vulnerable #leadership, focused on human needs, and leading to exponential engagement and #impact. Wouldn’t you like to know more about how you could get more of this into your organization?