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Category: Happiness at work

Happiness at Work Conference 2011

The Learning Architect chose the 2nd November 2011 for the event as it was the UK’s National Stress Day. The idea was to move people away from focusing on stress and to take a more proactive approach to well-being by focusing on health and happiness in the workplace in a fantastic setting.

The Happiness at Work Conference 2011 aimed to raise awareness of the ways in which "happiness" can contribute to business success and sustainability. The Learning Architect invited a range of industry experts and speakers who delivered informative presentations on the benefits of happiness including essential ideas and information and solid business evidence examples. The event was held at The Cotswold Conference Centre set in the beautiful Farncombe Estate in the Cotswolds.

There were key note presentations by top speakers including Richard Denny, Dr. David Batman, Liggy Webb, Mark Williamson and Gerry Moutrey.

There were active discussion groups and idea sharing from the delegates about what happiness at work means and also exploring the challenges at work that can affect happiness. Mark Williamson, Director at Action for Happiness presented the evidence on how the new science of well-being can help people, organisations and societies to thrive. Liggy Webb from The Learning Architect spoke about the solid business case for Workplace Wellness and provided each delegate with a free copy of "The Happy Handbook".

Dr. David Batman presented on the topic of engaging business and employees in challenging and complex times, addressing the fundamental issues we face in UK workforces. Healthy, resilient, high-performing organisations need healthy, resilient and high performing employees. It is our challenge to find strategic solutions to these problems in order to engage, empower & energise employees to take ownership of their health and develop their energy, vitality and personal performance. He gave some simple solutions to aid employers with this.

Gerry Moutrey from Investors in People spoke about the link between health, wellbeing and happiness with business improvement. He cited the importance of having a clear vision and aims, effective 2 way communication, inspirational Leadership, empathetic Management and Support, a sense of fairness together with environmental considerations in contributing to happiness at work.

After a lovely three course lunch prepared by the Cotswold Conference Centre, delegates got the chance to experience an exhausting laughter workshop- expertly facilitated by Amanda Bate.

This was followed by an uplifting keynote motivational talk by Richard Denny, who asked ‘Is it my job to make you happy?’. Which is a good question to think about.

All profitable proceeds from the day went to theAction for Happiness Charity.

The Happiness at Work Conference 2012 will be held in Central London on National Stress Day on Wednesday 7^th November.

To reserve your place let us know.

Posted in categories:  Happiness at work

The concept of "Happiness at Work" is fast becoming a hotbed of discussion and is increasingly being explored and examined in the workplace. I, for one, am absolutely delighted about this – especially when I observe so much stress and unhappiness in some organisations. There is no doubt about it: life is becoming increasingly challenging and, according to the World Health Organisation, by 2020, depression will be the second biggest form of illness.

Levels of workplace stress are alarmingly high and, with some of the economic challenges we face, more pressure is being put on people to increase their productivity at work with (seemingly) no additional reward.

There’s a clear link between happiness at work and productivity. This only leaves the question of causation: does being productive make us happy or does being happy make us productive? The answer is, of course, yes! The link goes both ways and keeping people fit and “in work” is a key initiative for many organisations.

Traditionally “Happiness at Work” has been viewed as a potential by-product of positive outcomes at work, rather than a pathway to success in business. However a growing number of experts, Boehm and Lyubomirsky included state that it should be viewed as one of the major sources of positive outcomes in the workplace.

Dr Laurel Edmunds and Jessica Pryce-Jones have researched the issue of happiness at work at length and have produced the following definition from their findings:

Happiness at work is about mindfully making the best use of the resources you have to overcome the challenges you face. Actively relishing the highs and managing the lows will help you maximise your performance and achieve your potential. And this not only builds your happiness but also that of others who will be affected and energised by what you do.

It amazes me that some employers still don’t fully recognise and embrace the concept that happy, healthy people equate to a thriving and successful business. People-engagement has been the buzz for a while now, but what is the point in attempting to engage your people if they are fundamentally unhappy?

On April 12th 2011 a new movement was launched called Action for Happiness (www.actionforhappiness.org) to promote mental wellbeing and is attempting to bring together people from all walks of life who want to play a part in creating a happier society for everyone.

The movement’s supporters say it is not just about fluffy slogans or interfering do-gooders. Founded last year and led by Lord Richard Layard, a professor at the London School of Economics, it asks members, who can sign up via the website, to set up action groups to promote happiness wherever possible: at work, at home or in the community.

Mark Williamson, Director of Action for Happiness said: “With people across the UK facing uncertain economic times, and big global challenges to tackle as a society, it may seem counter-intuitive to talk about happiness. But on the contrary, now more than ever we need to help people build their personal resilience and create a culture where we are less preoccupied with material wealth and more focused on each other’s well-being. There are practical things we can all do to create more happiness at home, at work and in our communities".

I, for one, having now thoroughly researched the movement will be giving this my unequivocal support.

The key principles of the movement identify 10 keys to happier living based on scientific evidence that includes:

• Giving – Doing things for others
• Relating – Connecting with people
• Exercising – Taking care of your body
• Appreciating – Noticing the world around you
• Trying out – Keep learning new things
• Direction – having goals to look forward to
• Resilience- Finding ways to bounce back
• Emotion – Taking a positive approach
• Acceptance – Being comfortable with who you are
• Meaning – being part of something bigger

With so much more evidence and success stories emerging now about happiness and wellbeing and the potential benefits, it seems that an investment in happiness makes great business sense. So, if you need to build a business case for happiness, consider the following: Happy people get sick less often – Getting sick is a productivity-killer and, if you don’t like your job, you’re more prone to contracting a long list of diseases including ulcers, cancer and diabetes. You’re also more prone to workplace stress and burnout.

Happy people have more energy - Happy people have more energy and can therefore be more efficient in everything they do.

Happy people are more optimistic - Happy people have a more positive, optimistic outlook, and seek out opportunities and solutions rather than problems and obstacles.

Happy people are more motivated - Low motivation means low productivity, and the only sustainable, reliable way to be motivated at work is to be happy and like what you do.

Happy people work better with others - Happy people are a lot more fun to be around and consequently have better relations at work.

Happy people are more creative - If people are in a good mood on a given day, they’re more likely to have creative ideas that day, as well as the next day, even if we take into account their mood that next day.

Happy people learn faster - When you’re happy and relaxed, you’re much more open to learning new things at work and thereby increasing your productivity.

Happy people make better decisions - Unhappy people operate in permanent crisis mode. Their focus narrows, they lose sight of the big picture. Conversely, happy people make better, more informed decisions and are better able to prioritize their work.

Clearly the whole topic of happiness is not isolated to the workplace; however, those who work do tend to spend a bigger part of their lives at work than they do at home and the ability to manage work/home balance is also very important.

Liggy Webb is the founding director of The Learning Architect and, as an experienced learning and development professional, she has amassed over twenty years of experience in this field. She is widely respected as a leading expert in the field of Modern Life Skills and Workplace Wellness. As a presenter, consultant and author she is passionate about her work and improving the quality of people’s lives. She is regularly asked to speak at conferences and high profile events and is the author of three books and contributes to various industry publications. As a consultant with the United Nations she travels extensively and has recently returned from Afghanistan which she describes as her biggest life education to date!

The concept of “Happiness at Work” is fast becoming a hot bed of discussion and is increasingly being explored in the workplace.

As deep public-sector cuts loomed, David Cameron told a conference in 2010 that it was time "We admitted that there's more to life than money," adding: "It's time we focused not just on GDP but on GWB – general wellbeing." The “Happiness at Work” Conference 2011 aims to raise awareness of the ways in which ‘happiness’ contributes to business success and sustainability. We have invited a range of industry experts and speakers who will deliver presentations on the benefits of happiness including essential ideas and information and solid business evidence examples.

What is included?:

• Key note presentations by top speakers including Richard Denny, Dr. David Batman & Liggy
• Webb.
• Discussion groups
• Networking and idea sharing
• 3 course lunch & refreshments
• A copy of ‘The Happy Handbook’

We are charging £195 plus VAT per delegate to cover costs - all profitable proceeds will be donated to the Action for Happiness charity. View the full agenda and speaker profiles

Posted in categories:  Happiness at work