Read Online Happy Hour is 9 to 5 by Alexander Kjerulf - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alexander Kjerulf
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home had no budget for it. Undaunted, Thyra went to a local supermarket and bought a cheap bottle of red wine for each of her employees at her own expense. She also wrote a note to each of her employees, explaining what she enjoyed about working with that person.
It may have been a small gesture, but several of her employees ended up crying with joy. Not so much at the cheap bottle of wine, but at the personal, hand-written letter.
One company that understands the importance of love is Southwest Airlines, and they even call themselves The Love Airline. Southwest Airlines hire people first for their personality, and secondly for their skills: “Hire for attitude, train for skill.” To Southwest, a nice, sunny, outgoing disposition matters more than degrees or experience. As a result, Southwest is not only a happy place to work — it’s also an efficient and profitable company.
Get to know the people around you at work. You don’t need to make friends with everybody, but having positive relationships at work is one of the most important factors that ensure happiness at work. Positive relationships can be fostered with co-workers, employees, customers, suppliers, or even competitors.
Random acts of workplace kindness
Patricia was leaving work after a long day. She was almost the last to leave, and had to admit that she hadn’t enjoyed her day much. People seemed so intent on their jobs and nobody seemed to care about the people around them.
When Patricia went into the break room to wash her coffee mug, she spotted her co-worker Lisa’s unwashed mug by the sink. She quickly washed both mugs, and then, on a whim, wrote a post-it note saying, “Have a great day,” drew a smiley on it and stuck it on Lisa’s mug. Then she went home.
The next morning Lisa walked through the entire department with her mug in her hands and a huge smile on her face, saying “Who did this? What a great thing to do! Who was it? This totally made my morning!” Once Patricia admitted it was her, Lisa thanked her profusely. She could be found smiling broadly for a long time after. Patricia’s one-minute gesture made a colleague happy at work, not just that morning but for the entire day.
It’s not like there’s only so much happiness at work to go around, and if others have too much, there won’t be enough for you. No, the very best way to make yourself happy at work is to make others happy because:
Making others happy at work is a pleasure in itself.
Happiness is contagious, so more happy people around you means more happiness for you.
If you make others happy at work, there’s a good chance they’ll want to make you happy in return.
It’s easy too:
Bring someone a cup of coffee without them asking.
Write a nice message on a post-it and stick it on their desk or computer.
Offer to help with their work.
Pass out candy.
Leave a flower on someone’s desk.
Write someone a card.
Take time to chat.
Ask someone about their weekend.
There are many random acts of workplace kindness to try — and they work wonders!
Say good morning and goodbye
David Valls Coma of Albertis Telecom in Barcelona told me this story:
“My company moved a couple of years ago. When I first arrived in the new building I met a serious security guard that looked at me like he was gruffly asking: “Who are you and where are you going?” I said good morning and entered the elevator. Next day I planned an experiment to see how a smile would change his reaction.
When I entered the building I looked at the man and wished him a good morning with a big, sincere smile on my face. I meant it, and that made him change his serious face to a grin. He wished me a good morning too.
I have been doing “the big smile experiment” ever since and it has become an anchor. Every time in, I enter the building saying “Good Morning!” with a smile, and that makes me start the day with smile in my face and in my heart.
And my relationship with the security guard is great.
It may have been a small gesture, but several of her employees ended up crying with joy. Not so much at the cheap bottle of wine, but at the personal, hand-written letter.
One company that understands the importance of love is Southwest Airlines, and they even call themselves The Love Airline. Southwest Airlines hire people first for their personality, and secondly for their skills: “Hire for attitude, train for skill.” To Southwest, a nice, sunny, outgoing disposition matters more than degrees or experience. As a result, Southwest is not only a happy place to work — it’s also an efficient and profitable company.
Get to know the people around you at work. You don’t need to make friends with everybody, but having positive relationships at work is one of the most important factors that ensure happiness at work. Positive relationships can be fostered with co-workers, employees, customers, suppliers, or even competitors.
Random acts of workplace kindness
Patricia was leaving work after a long day. She was almost the last to leave, and had to admit that she hadn’t enjoyed her day much. People seemed so intent on their jobs and nobody seemed to care about the people around them.
When Patricia went into the break room to wash her coffee mug, she spotted her co-worker Lisa’s unwashed mug by the sink. She quickly washed both mugs, and then, on a whim, wrote a post-it note saying, “Have a great day,” drew a smiley on it and stuck it on Lisa’s mug. Then she went home.
The next morning Lisa walked through the entire department with her mug in her hands and a huge smile on her face, saying “Who did this? What a great thing to do! Who was it? This totally made my morning!” Once Patricia admitted it was her, Lisa thanked her profusely. She could be found smiling broadly for a long time after. Patricia’s one-minute gesture made a colleague happy at work, not just that morning but for the entire day.
It’s not like there’s only so much happiness at work to go around, and if others have too much, there won’t be enough for you. No, the very best way to make yourself happy at work is to make others happy because:
Making others happy at work is a pleasure in itself.
Happiness is contagious, so more happy people around you means more happiness for you.
If you make others happy at work, there’s a good chance they’ll want to make you happy in return.
It’s easy too:
Bring someone a cup of coffee without them asking.
Write a nice message on a post-it and stick it on their desk or computer.
Offer to help with their work.
Pass out candy.
Leave a flower on someone’s desk.
Write someone a card.
Take time to chat.
Ask someone about their weekend.
There are many random acts of workplace kindness to try — and they work wonders!
Say good morning and goodbye
David Valls Coma of Albertis Telecom in Barcelona told me this story:
“My company moved a couple of years ago. When I first arrived in the new building I met a serious security guard that looked at me like he was gruffly asking: “Who are you and where are you going?” I said good morning and entered the elevator. Next day I planned an experiment to see how a smile would change his reaction.
When I entered the building I looked at the man and wished him a good morning with a big, sincere smile on my face. I meant it, and that made him change his serious face to a grin. He wished me a good morning too.
I have been doing “the big smile experiment” ever since and it has become an anchor. Every time in, I enter the building saying “Good Morning!” with a smile, and that makes me start the day with smile in my face and in my heart.
And my relationship with the security guard is great.
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