Happy
Happy
Happy
www.management.co.nz
/ cover story
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employee attitudes are measurably more profitable and it is attitudes that drive financial resuhs rather than vice versa.
If all this isn't convincing enough - then try putting it in the
context of today's skills squeeze which is becoming an increasing
problem for local companies. Our tight labour market is prompting
employers to pay some serious attention to developing an employment brand that can attract and retain skilled staff. Recruitment
ads now sport a rash of "fun" places to work and companies are
making the most of their "great place to work" credentials.
Many are very aware of catering to employees who do want
to "have it all" - a great work life and time to spend enjoying
family and friends, playing sport, travelling or getting involved
with community work.
It seems that people's expectations of what life has to offer them
have risen on the back of rising economic wellbeing. They want
more than a decent level of pay for their efforts - they're also after
higher levels of job satisfaction, a sense of meaning and the ability
to enjoy their lives both within and outside the workplace.
So how do organisations ensure they have a happy workforce?
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the Trust has focused on fhe benefifs of fhe firm's remote work policies. Af
Employment is not the one-way street it used to be - it's just as much an employ-
ee's decision who they choose to work for as vice versa and that's helped throw
greater focus on staff satisfaction, says Heskefh Henry general manager Justin Cox,
"tn earlier employment models, the ball was pretfy much in the employer's
court-they had everything fo offer and nothing fo lose whereas we don'f see it
"If's part of our affracfion as an employee - we believe strongly in worklife balance and are open fo suggestions as fo whaf works best for individual
sfaff. We don't fake a one-size-fifs-all approach,"
Along wifh ifs general legal educafion programmes, fhe firm inciudes issues re-
fhaf way at all. Employees exercise more choice and are more inclined fo move, so
laf ing fo healfh and wellbeing such as nufrifion and if recenfly ran a health aware-
ness week fhat involved a different acfivify (from walking fo Pilafes) every day.
"We provide a wide mix of informafion and keep if all preffy upbeaf. So
The reality is thaf people wanf and expecf more from life,
fhere are a whole number of fhings fhaf we do fhaf help fowards creating fhaf
"We identify that as work-life balance - if's nof j j s t abouf work but abouf
happiness model,"
lifestyle choices," says Cox. "Thaf links back fo fhe wider options people have fo
work internafionally. If it was jusf money thaf maftered, fhey wouldn't he looking
veys and in a rate of churn thaf is below fhe median for legal firms, Cox views
in New Zealand,
"People wanf to work wifh an organisafion fhey feel fhey can belong fo and
"How do you quanfify benefifs? We don't and we don't see fhe need fo
identify wifh - the employment model is nof us and fhem but us fogefher, Em-
ploymenf can'f just be a one-way sfreef. Employees are prepared fo fake on fhe
abouf. But we don'f see fhaf as being fhe driver. If's fo do wifh providing
challenges fheir employers face and fhey wanf fo choose an employer fhaf allows
solufions thaf meef people's needs and fhaf's all parf of how Heskefh Henry
sees itself, In many ways fhe programmes we're running now jusf formalise
fhe poinfs of difference fhis firm has long had - of focusing on lifesfyle
choices while being a law firm of high sfanding,"
/ cover story
It's interesting to note that the advance in brain function research made possible by sophisticated magnetic resonance image
(MRl) scanning has been able fo identify Buddhist monks as the
equivalent of Olympic athletes in the happiness race.
That's because a monk's way of life involves constant practice
of activities now known to increase happiness. Meditation is in
there - but so are feelings of gratitude, compassion for others,
tolerance and forgiveness.
This link between happiness and kindness toward others is
a two-way street - happy people are more giving but being more
giving also increases happiness. This is amongst insights offered
by the Dalai Lama in The Art of Happiness at Work, a book coauthored with Howard Cutler.
It's a simple book but covers a lot of practical ground to do
with knowing your own strengths and limits and being able to
communicate when these are either over- or under-stretched. It
sees the main keys to finding happiness at work as attitude and
a sense of meaning.
Meaning was one thing Ford's world of production-line work
rather lacked - along with laughter - but it turns out to be a work
attribute that both the Dalai Lama and the man often described as the
father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, view as a big plus.
Studies suggest that people generally see their work in one of
three ways - it's either "just a job" whose only worth is the pay
packet; a "career" or means to personal advancement; or it's a
"calling" that is associated with a higher sense of meaning and
purpose. Those with a sense of calling tend to be happiest with
Geac
' New Zealand Management
Magazine invite you to a breakfast
'yjiiMikii Ull 'Strategy Development and
Implementation' with international
strategy consultant Barry Bond,
Wellington
Tue 27th September,
7,15-9-00 am
Quest on Willis
Auckland
Wed 28th September,
715-9,00 am
Langham Hotel
No charge to a
of 2 attendees per i
Management
Geac
33
cover story /
the changes that can occur in a very short space of time - even
the most testing of relationships can get better."
Her recipe for a state of inner calm is simple - you just choose
it. There's no need to follow a specific technique, recite positive
mantras or even work hard on changing the content of your
thought, says Chater.
"It's understanding rather than technique and it's really focusing on how we create our own life experience through our think-
what they do because they do it for its own sake rather than for
the material benefits it brings.
Which doesn't mean that everyone has to be out there healing the
sick and saving souls or whales - the Dalai Lama believes it's perfectly
possible to re-frame any job in the context of a higher purpose, eg
providing the best for your family. It's an area where values-based
organisations or those that support charities, provide options for
mentoring or help contribute in other ways to community/family
wellbeing are ahead in the happiness generating game.
The cheer leaders
There's a growing recognition that work and life can't be neatly compartmentalised and employers have to think more holistically when it comes to employment conditions, says Merck Sharp and Dohme's HR director Claire Hofer,
"When you're talking work-life balance, it's really a whole of life thing
- so that if work is an interesting and fun piace to be, it helps make life
interesting and fun,"
But, she adds, keeping workers happy is not the starting point so much
as the result of a whole bunch of workplace practices that create a good
work environment,
"It's the various things you do and do well fhaf lead fo people being
happy and motivated at work. In other words, if you jusf decided fo implement a fun programme, fhose people who are currenfIy not happy wifh
their working condifions are nof going fo be any happier,"
What goes info fhe whole package are things like individual career development or work-life balance needs - and fhe lasf goes beyond specific
individual arrangements, says Hofer.
"If's a whole philosophy of how you operate and what the environment
is - can people leave the office fo go fo an appoinfmenf without if being
checked - can you chat wifh colleagues without if being seen as nof
working - there are foundational things in the way you run the company
that drive a lot of that happiness,
"That's one aspecf - fhe of her is having work fhaf is meaningful which
is around the way you deveiop people and develop leaders so they're leading and managing employers in a great way," says Hofer,
Then, when there are oppoffunifies to have fun and to celebrate good
performance (as at MSD's annual conference) it's not regarded cynically
but springs genuinely from a positive work environment.
In terms of measuring boffom-line advantages, the company does
cultural surveys, has feafured in Unlimlted's reports on best places to
work and has a positive employment brand. Despite skill shortages it's
had no trouble attracting the talent if needs with recent hires choosing
fhe company following some great work experience offshore,
"We've had to be creative abouf it but haven't struggled fo fill roles
yet," says Hofer.
The company senior management team have all been through workshops and coaching with Sagacity's Gilly Chater and like the emphasis on
accessing personal strengths,
"It's not abouf following someone else's formula which is what you
sometimes get in leadership training. It's abouf how you manage yourself
and if you're calm and approach work in a happy contented way, fhen the
way you lead others is much more authentic and straightforward - and
people really respond to that,"
/ cover story
It sounds simple, says Chater, but once people get it, the effects
are profound and long lasting.
"It's a whole different approach to change - one that doesn't
need constant reinforcement. It was a profound experience for me
to understand and since then I've seen its value with my clients
in a range of different organisations."
That leaders who approach their work from a calm, secure
state of mind get better results from employees seems certain
- but what about the bottom-line benefits?
Not many companies run formal measures to assess the profitability of a happy workplace - though culture surveys, reduced
sick leave and lower staff turnover are among indicators of a posi-
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SEPTEMBER 2005 Management
management.co.nz 35