Recognise This! – We are all responsible for our own happiness, but we can easily contribute to the happiness of others as well.

In a post on her Compensation Force blog, Ann Bares pointed me to this discussion by Carr Hagerman on happiness in the workplace:

“If you want happiness in the workplace, hire people that are happy for crying out loud, and give them some freedom. Avoid weaponising toxic people by giving them power over others, making them the overlords of the good and happy people.”

Employers are responsible for eliminating toxic aspects of the workplace. But beyond that, is it truly the employer’s responsibility? This research shows that “engagement cannot be taught or forced; rather, workers must make the choice to be engaged.”

Why should you even care about this? From Forbes:

“Staffing firms and consultants release employee engagement and loyalty surveys periodically. The news on this front has not been good for some time. In November, I reported on a more in-depth study, a Mercer survey of 30,000 workers worldwide, which showed that between 28% and 56% of employees in 17 spots around the globe wanted to leave their jobs. In the U.S., 32% said they wanted to find new work. That’s about half of the 65% of respondents to the Right Management survey, who said they were either somewhat or totally unsatisfied.

“What’s the message to employers? A lot of unhappy workers are staying put.”

Yes, it’s up to employees to make the choice to be happy and engaged – or not – in the workplace. But managers can also make it easier to make the right choice. And direct line managers are the key, especially ones who can “think small,” as expressed in another recent Forbes article. Such “small” acts of great impact include expressing appreciation, being interested employees, and simply showing you respect your employees by showing up on time to meetings.

What steps do you take to “choose happiness?”