Oct 31, 2022
Saya.
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Saya.
At work today, I was told I have an abrasive personality and am a bit stand-offish. Never have I thought I was the latter of the two.
It says a lot about my character that a friend found me saying that they "Somewhat mattered" was possibly the nicest thing I have said to/about them. I don't do compliments ok.
I wonder if Lily and Susana would get along, or if they would try to kill each other...
Don't worry. Be happy.
Happiness is the new holy grail.
Every advert we see seems to say 'buy this product and you too will look happy like these people on your TV.'
Agony Aunts write endlessly about how we deserve better in our relationships. Really, they are saying "you deserve to be happy, and this man/woman is not giving it to you, so get out".
It hasn't always been this way - post war, life was about getting on and getting by. Happiness was not the goal.
We think consumption will make us happy, buying that expensive item of clothing or having a lovely meal out. But we all also know, that (even if we were actually happy in the first place) it doesn't really last - because it's relative. As soon as we eat out too much, or don't get a chance to wear our clothes to a great party, it becomes a bit 'samey' a bit meaningless.
Some of the happiest people I have ever met have also had the fewest possessions.
Following on from this, businesses want happy workers. These days, companies vie for the top spot in 'best place to work' surveys.
However, after a lot of data, the interesting thing is that happy workers don't actually make them more productive. So, what's going on here?
Well, the answer is that emotion is contagious. Be happy, and other people will feel happier. Of course, the converse is also true - so be careful when you hang out with anyone depressed.
The next part of the answer is that a happy team or a happy organisation will outperform.
So, the question is how do we make teams happy?
First, we have to create an atmosphere of citizenship. Being a good citizen will help teams bond, be happy and outperform.
The next question is how can we be good citizens? Four ways:
1. Helping others - voluntarily give our own time to help others
2. Sportsmanship - give in and don't always demand that people do it our way
3. Taking charge - be prepared to be proactive and be innovative
4. Compliance - work within the current rules of the organisation
Second, we have to be open. It seems that teams react much better if they are given a combination of incentive and an explanation of process. In other words, when things are going badly, organisations that are open about this and explain the processes get better performance and less problems. In fact, it's been shown that explaining the process has the same improvement in productivity as a medium rise in salary.
Finally, we have to manage the behaviour of the personalities within the team. An abrasive personality can undermine the team and erode the citizenship of the group.