Imagine a workplace where people are in control of the work they do. Imagine they have freedom, within clear guidelines, to achieve their results. Imagine they are able to have the life balance they want. Imagine they are accountable for the work they do, rather than the time they spend at their desk. Wouldn’t you want to work there?
This is Happy’s vision, outlined by Henry Stewart in his book The Happy Manifesto. It outlines 10 core principles to create a happy, empowered workplace. Download your free copy below.
You can also purchase a copy in paperback from the publisher, Kogan. Quote HAPPY25 at checkout and get 25% off the standard price. For bulk orders of 50 or more copies there are additional discounts available. Please contact Christina Lindeholm at Kogan Page for more information. (Prices for UK orders include Postage & Packing. For non-UK addresses there is an additional charge.)
Relax! was written by Henry Stewart, Cathy Busani and James Moran. It won’t tell you what to do or what to think — it will tell you a story instead. Some of the things in the story are true. Some things we would like to be true. But they are all ideas that we fully believe will improve any workplace.
This book is also available in French and in Portuguese.
Research has shown that happy workplaces have higher profits, greater productivity, and higher retention. But how do you create a happy workplace?
In this new, follow up book to The Happy Manifesto, you will learn 501+ practical ways that people have put these ideas into practice – ‘nickables’ that you can use in your organisation. How many of them can you implement?
You can also buy a paperback copy from Amazon.
This three-page PDF document is a useful checklist with 80 ideas to help you create a happy workplace based around the principles of the Happy Manifesto. Start by ticking the things that you do already. If you don’t but you think it is a good idea, assess if it is easy to do, or requires more effort and is a medium-term solution – or, if you don’t like the idea, tick ‘bad idea’. How many ideas could you implement?
Step out of approval mode. Instead pre-approve and focus on supporting your people.
Make this the focus of your management team
People want to know what is expected of them. But they want freedom to find the best way to achieve their goals.
More information means people can take responsibility and ownership.
Instead of qualifications and experience, recruit on attitude and potential ability.
Create a truly no-blame culture, to enable people to innovate without fear.
Have a positive impact on the world and build your organisation too.
The world, and your job, needs you well rested, well nourished and well supported.
Make sure your people are supported by somebody who is good at doing that, and find other routes for those whose strengths are elsewhere. Even better, allow people to choose their managers.
Make sure your people spend most of their time doing what they are best at.
Henry is founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Happy Ltd. Following a fairly disastrous job early on in his career, Henry was determined to discover what enabled a productive and happy workplace. In 1987 Henry set up what was originally called Happy Computers. Inspired by Ricardo Semler’s book Maverick, he built a company with a reputation for some of the best customer service in the country and one of the UK’s best places to work, winning multiple awards for its culture and philosophy.
Henry was listed in the Guru Radar of the Thinkers50 list of the most influential business thinkers in the world. “He is one of the thinkers who we believe will shape the future of business,” explained list compiler Stuart Crainer.
His first book, Relax, was published in 2009. His second book, the Happy Manifesto, was published in 2013 and was short-listed for Business Book of the Year.
Outside of work he is a father of three, was Chair of Governors at his local primary and comprehensive in Hackney and a very keen cyclist.
You can find Henry on LinkedIn and follow @happyhenry on Twitter.
The benefits of happy workplaces are well documented. Every measure of performance improves when staff feel happy and engaged:
We’ve seen this with our clients who have focused on creating great workplaces, and you can achieve this too.
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Outline the 10 core principles for a happy workplace. It has since helped thousands of leaders build trust-driven, empowered teams.
