Happiness… but what is HAPPINESS anyway? In my opinion, happiness is something very intrinsic and personal. It varies from person to person, and therefore when we want to manage happiness in companies, it is a variable that differs depending on the number of employees. This is because what makes one person happy may not impact another and vice versa. I even dare say that it can vary in one person only, that is, our state of mind alternates between happiness and unhappiness, and therefore makes the role of happiness managers even more challenging.
If we ask anyone – “Do you want to be happy?” – the person responds – YES!
If we ask “What makes you happy?”– the answer can already have countless variations: “health, money, work, house, car, vacations, family, friends…”
Happiness is individual, and although the question for the article was: “How to manage a Happiness Department in Portugal” I believe that what companies are looking for is not really to achieve happiness, but rather to have their people well and healthy. When we have people well and healthy (physically and mentally) everything is seen in a more positive and cheerful way, and consequently, an environment of happiness reigns.
The way we face professional challenges can have different result depending on how we receive stimuli, and therefore, lead to different results.
The word engagement has no direct translation into Portuguese. When talking about engagement, this is the assumed word. There is no word that fully translates this concept. Because more than a word it is really a concept, a way of feeling. What appears as a direct translation is a commitment, which is adopted by the fact that when we are “engaged”, we are engaged and therefore have a commitment. However, having someone committed to us does not automatically mean that that person is engaged with the company’s values and purpose or that there is a high level of engagement. You can be with us YES, but not committed. And we cannot delude ourselves and neglect this relationship.
Secrets to run a Happiness Department
The secret to managing a Happiness Department is really active listening and looking at our people and what they “tell” us, directly or indirectly. Maintaining the relationship, valuing the strong points and working on the less strong points.
I remember a time when DRH management was done more globally, that is, policies and benefits were thought of globally and very identical for everyone, naturally with some differences between levels and with benefits adapted to functions and status.
Those who were admitted, regardless of their age, family status, or particular situation had access to a benefits package and equal access opportunities. Then, some questions began to arise, such as: “I don’t have children and therefore I will not take advantage of the family insurance, can I choose something else?” or “I don’t have a driving license and so having a car doesn’t interest me, do I have another option?” or “I don’t want to go to this gym, can I choose another one?”.
We started to have something like “each head its sentence”, and as is logical in small companies, some more personalized management may be possible but, in larger companies, it was not feasible. Therefore, new ways began to emerge in the market to respond to these and other challenges – flexible benefits that can be individualized by the individuals and going towards their more direct “happiness”.
So I would say again, the secret is to genuinely want our employees to be well and healthy, and to that end, we dedicate all our attention and actions in that direction. Not implementing ideas that we read around and think our people are going to love them because they worked at another company. Because each person, within a culture and for a given purpose, has different needs.
LISTEN TO and UNDERSTAND our people and if they don’t tell us directly or indirectly, ask. Invite people to be part of building a culture of happiness and that once you decide that this is the way to go, “abort” all actions that are just “make-up” and assume what you say and do.
Ana Mendonça, Chief Happiness Officer
What to avoid:
- Treating people like numbers, but spread motivational phrases around the office;
- Saying that we care about our own and publicly advocating this, but then, at the first sign that one of our own is not well, we mistreat them and do not care;
- Set up a table football table, but then list the times you play instead of working.
- And I could go on with some examples.
I want, with these small examples, to say how important it is that between our words, attitudes, and actions there is no gap. There is always TRUTH, even if the news is not always the best. Make-believe cultures are cultures where “happiness”, neither truth nor joy prevails. But distrust and sadness.
Some advice:
I share my “most powerful weapon”: with a smile and an open mind, anything is possible. Being genuinely concerned and generous in the sense of really wanting the happiness of the other. Not fearing that your joy overshadows mine, but that everyone’s joy makes the world better and brighter.