4-step, do-it-yourself approach
to help you and your team inspire happiness at work
To help get you started, here's a 4-step, do-it-yourself approach that you and your team can follow to inspire happiness at work:
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Step 1: Commit to making workplace happiness a priority
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Step 2: Learn about how to creating positive lasting change within your team
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Step 3: Take Action by organizing simple yet effective initiatives to enhance the employee experience
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Step 4: Share your story across your network and showcase the awesome things your team is doing!
And don't forget to check out our list of ideas for creating a happier and healthier workplace!
STEP 1: Commit
Inspire happiness at work within your organization
If your team or organization agrees that happiness at work is essential, we are asking you to commit to creating change in the workplace. Make this week a"Happiness at Work" week within your organization, team, or for yourself.
Commit to the happiness of others and discover how you and your team can thrive.
STEP 2: Learn
Learn from workplace happiness experts around the world
There's a lot of confusion out there about what makes us happy at work. Thankfully there's been a lot of scientific research done to figure this out, and a number of organizations that have gained practical experience with what works and what doesn't work. (Here's a hint - doing great work alongside great people!).
Before picking specific initiatives to try out, make sure they're the types of things that will either help strengthen relationships within your team, or empower people to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
Here we've outlined 3 great ways you and your coworkers can get started building your knowledge.
Attend "The Future of Work" North America Happiness at Work event (online)
20-24 September, 2021
Pre-register for free now!
The week will include keynote talks, group discussions, daily challenges, interactive sessions and other resources to help you and your team create a happy and mentally healthy workplace.
Attend "The Future of Work" North America Happiness at Work event (online)
20-24 September, 2021
Pre-register for free now!
The week will include keynote talks, group discussions, daily challenges, interactive sessions and other resources to help you and your team create a happy and mentally healthy workplace.
Attend the Global Online Happiness at Work Summit
20-26 September, 2021
Sign up now to get your free live pass!
Throughout the week, you'll have access to expert insight on how to enable employees to thrive. Sign up for free, and learn about what others are doing to tap into their organizations' potential!
Attend the Global Online Happiness at Work Summit
20-26 September, 2021
Sign up now to get your free live pass!
Throughout the week, you'll have access to expert insight on how to enable employees to thrive. Sign up for free, and learn about what others are doing to tap into their organizations' potential!
Learn from evidence-based sources
We've created a list of some of our favourite books to help get you started. Check it out!
There are a number of great books, podcasts, and articles out there that use scientific research to guide readers on how to create happier and healthier workplaces.
There are also often free webinars and events taking place around the world during the Week, so keep an eye out for those!
Learn from evidence-based sources
We've created a list of some of our favourite books to help get you started. Check it out!
There are a number of great books, podcasts, and articles out there that use scientific research to guide readers on how to create happier and healthier workplaces.
There are also often free webinars and events taking place around the world during the Week, so keep an eye out for those!
STEP 3: Take Action
Make a simple plan and organize initiatives to enhance the employee experience
Make it a group effort
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Find ambassadors within your team or organization to get started together
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Involve as many people as possible
Make it a group effort
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Find ambassadors within your team or organization to get started together
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Involve as many people as possible
Be clear on your goals
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What do you want to change or add within your team?
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What outcomes are you hoping for?
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Make sure you write this all down to keep track of how well you're doing!
Be clear on your goals
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What do you want to change or add within your team?
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What outcomes are you hoping for?
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Make sure you write this all down to keep track of how well you're doing!
Plan and implement ideas
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Pick 1 or more initiative you'd like to do during the week
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Organize and run the activities during the week
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After the week is done, evaluate how well they worked, tweak, and keep going!
Plan and implement ideas
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Pick 1 or more initiative you'd like to do during the week
-
Organize and run the activities during the week
-
After the week is done, evaluate how well they worked, tweak, and keep going!
STEP 4: Share
Share your story across your network!
You're working hard to create an awesome employee experience - so now's the time to shout it from the rooftops to inspire other teams to do the same!
Share your story across your social media platforms and networks to highlight some of the ways your team or organization is creating a happier, healthier workplace. Blog about it, use videos, photos, or whatever gets your story out there (heck you can even use interpretive dancing if you think it will work!)
Show the world you're committed to fostering a happy and mentally healthy workplace!
Ideas
If you're looking for some ideas to start creating a happier and healthier workplace, look no further!
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Start your meetings by sharing 3 awesome things staff did this week
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Organize an inspirational keynote or workshop on happiness at work
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Arrange a townhall meeting where the CEO shares why happiness at work is so important to them personally
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Take your one-on-one meetings out of the boardroom and instead have a walking meeting - you'll be surprised by how effective and efficient it can be!
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Attend the Global Online Happiness at Work Summit as a team
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Make a point of getting to know your colleagues beyond the workplace
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Create a physical or virtual"wall of recognition", where people can give praise or recognition to colleagues who have done something awesome
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Organize a mental health first aid training course for employees
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At the end of each day, write down 2 things you're grateful for at work (want an extra challenge? Try doing this beyond just the Week of Happiness at Work, and turn it into a daily/weekly habit)
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Offer yoga and/or meditation breaks every day for those interested in participating
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Start an initiative to help your team celebrate small wins
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Start measuring happiness at work in a tangible manner
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Start mapping the employee journey
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Start a volunteer project together as a team
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Organize a workshop or training session on preventing burnout and managing stress
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Talk to management about what they can do to make this a happier workplace
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Play a game to get to know each other better, like "Personality Poker" or the "Choose Happiness at Work" game
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Organize drinks with your colleagues
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Have lunch together as a team rather than at your desks
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Start a book, cycling, walking or other social club
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Hang a new joke by the coffee maker every day
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Come up with a way to visualize the goals of your organization or team in a fun way, and keep track of your progress
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Tell your colleagues what you like about them
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Learn to give good feedback, and do it!
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Make a point to say hi to your colleagues in the morning
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Do a random act of kindness for someone
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The list goes on!!!
Want more inspiration? If you're looking for something in particular but you don't know how to get started, reach out and let's chat!
happy@cloud9to5.ca
Recommended Books
Here are some of our favourite books on happiness at work. This list is by no means complete, so if you know of an awesome book that we've missed, please let us know so we can add it!
- The Happy Manifesto, Henry Stewart
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Turn the Ship Around, David Marquet
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Maverick, Ricardo Semler
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The No Asshole Rule, Robert Sutton
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Drive, Dan Pink
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The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor
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Unlocking Happiness at Work, Jennifer Moss
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The End of Procrastination, Petr Ludwig
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The progress principle: Teresa Amabile/Steven Kramer
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Put your people first, Monika Hilm