This is a guest post by Charles D. Kerns, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science
If an organization does not perform and sustain performance it will decline over time and perhaps die. To sustain performance, a sufficient level of happiness needs to be introduced to an organization. Performance and happiness partner to help assure an organization’s long term success.
High performers will drive the achievement of key results in an organization; happiness will help sustain and maximize performance over time. I encourage you to increase the number of people in your organization who are both happy and high performers. There is good reason to pursue this goal: Happiness research, conducted largely outside organizational settings, suggests that happy, high-performing workforces relate to greater employee satisfaction, productivity, and profits!
While we know a great deal about how performance management systems boost performance, we know relatively little about applying happiness enhancing interventions within organizations. The work to design, develop, and implement happiness building strategies within organizations is in its infancy.
I urge those of you who are interested in organizational effectiveness to consider how we can bring more happiness to work. With this in mind, I encourage you to answer my “Call to Action” set forth in my recent GBR article: To develop practical happiness-enhancing interventions that assist managerial leaders in helping their people become more engaged in their work, experience meaning in their work, and experience positive emotions, thoughts, and images in relation to the work and work environment.
I look forward to learning about your ideas and/or what you are doing about bringing happiness to the workplace.
Related in the Graziadio Business Report
Putting Performance and Happiness Together in the Workplace by Charles D. Kerns, PhD
Developing a Barometer for Workplace Attitude by Ray M. Valadez, EdD
The Positive Psychology Approach to Goal Management by Charles D. Kerns, PhD
