Alexander Kjerulf's Blog, page 5

Free Webinar: The Business Benefits Of Employee Happiness

I think we all know that happy companies get better results but why exactly is that? Let’s look at the research and figure that out. The answer may not be what you think and it may change depending on the culture, the industry or the specific situation of the company.

Knowing exactly why happiness at work will boost your company’s results is crucial because that knowledge will motivate leadership to do something to make employees happier and keep them committed to the process.

Join this FREE webinar and learn all about:

Exactly how happy employees boost the bottom line according to studiesHow to calculate the specific benefits for your organizationHow to use this knowledge to convince leadership in your organization

We’re going to keep the whole thing short, useful and fun and be done in just 30 minutes!

Date: Thursday April 11, 2024

Time: 15.30 CET / 2:30pm GMT / 9:30am ET

Read more and sign up here.

Introducing: The Chief Happiness Officer Newsletter

I have just launched a brand new newsletter about happiness at work on substack.

I will be sharing 20 years of research and experience to give you the knowledge and tools you need to build happier and more successful workplaces.

It’s all going to be science-based, practical and fun. We’re also going to poke the bear and debunk some of the worst career advice and most toxic management ideas.

You can read more here on what updates are coming and if you have any suggestions for topics I’d love to hear from you.

Go ahead and subscribe – it’s free!

Free Webinar March 26: How To Build A Culture Of Positive Feedback

Studies show that receiving positive feedback at work makes us happier, less stressed and more productive. In our opinion, it’s one of the most effective tools to make a workplace better.

But it’s also sorely lacking from most workplaces. In our study of what makes people unhappy at work, a lack of praise and recognition was one of the major causes.

Join this FREE* webinar and learn all about:

The science behind positive feedbackHow to most effectively give positive feedbackPitfalls to avoid, including why rewards and bonuses often backfireGreat examples of workplaces who have built a culture of positive feedback5 specific, simple ideas to praise employees

Date: March 26, 2024
Time: 15.30 CET / 2:30pm GMT / 9:30am ET

Read more and sign up here.

How To Make Your Workplace Happier By Making The World Better

Many workplaces now realize that happy employees are great for the bottom line and are trying to act accordingly, but they keep making one fundamental mistake: They try to make their employees happier by doing things for them.

But as we know from positive psychology we are actually happier when we get to do things for others.

That’s a crucial insight but how exactly can your workplace apply it?

Club Need is a fantastic new concept started by Calvin Johnson that helps organizations find ways to do good in the world by matching them with specific volunteering or charity opportunities.

In this video we talk about:

How it worksWhy it makes employees happierHow it boosts the company’s brand and the bottom line

Learn more at https://clubneed.org/

Yoga Classes And Stress Trainings Do NOTHING For Employees! Here’s Why – And What Companies Should Do Instead.

A fascinating brand new study by William Fleming shows that sending employees off to yoga classes, mindfulness lessons or stress management trainings has NO positive effects. In some cases it actually backfires and makes things worse.

That’s a shame because companies keep focusing on these individual-level interventions in their attempts to make employees less stressed and more happy and motivated at work. Which is not only a waste of time and money but also distracts companies from doing things that actually do work.

In this video I talk to Dr. Louise Lambert about the study. We cover:

What exactly the study says and doesn’t sayWhy these individual-level interventions don’t work or even backfireWhat companies can do instead that actually does work

We all know that employee wellbeing is absolutely crucial, so the good news is that there ARE things that companies can do that work. And ironically these things are not only more effective but also a lot cheaper and faster than yoga classes or sleep trainings.

So we should probably do more of that :)

Your take

What do you think? Are these types of individual-level interventions a complete waste of time or do they have their place? What’s the best way for companies to actually make their employees happier? Have you been to a stress management training and did it make you more or less stressed? Write a comment, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

More infoFollow Dr. Louise Lambert’s workFollow my videos on happiness at workRead the study – it’s fascinatingFollow William Fleming’s work

Leading With Happiness in Kuwait

I just returned from speaking at The Happiness Effect conference in Kuwait. I was blown away by the whole event and especially by the organizers from Algas Events who were very organized and incredibly generous and hospitable.

The highlight for me was to reconnect with my friends Maja Neducic and Louise Lambert and see them shine on stage. Louise updated everyone on the latest research on happiness at work and Maja talked about the amazing culture at Vega It.

I love how much of a focus there is on happiness at work in the region and I hope my talks gave the participating organizations some ideas for how to take it even further.

How you handle a bad boss before it’s too late

How do you handle a bad boss at work before they mess you up too much?

I JUST NOW published a video that takes a deep dive on the science, history and philosophy on bad bosses.

You can really help me if you watch it, like it and especially if you write a comment :)

And here are all the links and source from the video:

How to deal with a bad boss | The Chief Happiness Officer BlogBad bosses – why they’re bad and what to do about themWhen your boss saves your job | The Chief Happiness Officer BlogThe Neurobiology of Moral Behavior: Review and Neuropsychiatric Implications – PMCThe Last Dance | Michael Jordan, the tough guyBad bosses – why they’re bad and what to do about themJewish Chutzpah’s Ancient Precedent: Commoner Sues Toxic Boss 2600 Years Ago – Aish.comThe First Labor Strike in HistoryManagerial leadership and ischaemic heart disease among employees: the Swedish WOLF studyHow Power Makes People SelfishHofstede InsightsWhy Being Rich Might Make You a Jerk – presented by University of California and SlateCustomIs Stockholm syndrome a myth? The terrifying crime behind psychology’s most famous — and dubious — term – ABC News(PDF) ‘Stockholm syndrome’: Psychiatric diagnosis or urban myth?“Stockholm Syndrome” was invented by police to discredit a female hostageCan You Make a Sociopath—Either Through Brain Injury or Other Types of Trauma? – Scientific AmericanYes, lead poisoning could really be a cause of violent crime | George Monbiot | The GuardianMagnus Carlsen: ‘I just enjoy the game so much. I don’t see one reason to quit.’ — BruvschessPsychopathic traits in adulthood up with child lead exposureLife and death in Apple’s forbidden city

 

How you handle a bad boss – before it’s too late

How do you handle a bad boss at work before they mess you up too much?

I JUST NOW published a video that takes a deep dive on the science, history and philosophy on bad bosses.

You can really help me if you watch a little of it, like it and especially if you write a comment :)

And here are all the links and source from the video:

How to deal with a bad boss | The Chief Happiness Officer BlogBad bosses – why they’re bad and what to do about themWhen your boss saves your job | The Chief Happiness Officer BlogThe Neurobiology of Moral Behavior: Review and Neuropsychiatric Implications – PMCThe Last Dance | Michael Jordan, the tough guyBad bosses – why they’re bad and what to do about themJewish Chutzpah’s Ancient Precedent: Commoner Sues Toxic Boss 2600 Years Ago – Aish.comThe First Labor Strike in HistoryManagerial leadership and ischaemic heart disease among employees: the Swedish WOLF studyHow Power Makes People SelfishHofstede InsightsWhy Being Rich Might Make You a Jerk – presented by University of California and SlateCustomIs Stockholm syndrome a myth? The terrifying crime behind psychology’s most famous — and dubious — term – ABC News(PDF) ‘Stockholm syndrome’: Psychiatric diagnosis or urban myth?“Stockholm Syndrome” was invented by police to discredit a female hostageCan You Make a Sociopath—Either Through Brain Injury or Other Types of Trauma? – Scientific AmericanYes, lead poisoning could really be a cause of violent crime | George Monbiot | The GuardianMagnus Carlsen: ‘I just enjoy the game so much. I don’t see one reason to quit.’ — BruvschessPsychopathic traits in adulthood up with child lead exposureLife and death in Apple’s forbidden city

 

Free Online Talk: Why Perks Don’t Work

How do you create a happy workplace?

For too many workplaces, the answer to that question begins and ends with perks. The list of possible perks that I have seen workplaces offer is nearly endless with things like gyms, massages, snacks, team events, nap pods, pizza parties, team building events, discount deals and yoga classes.

These things can cost a lot of money and take a lot of time to organize so it really is a shame that they do not work. At all!

In fact, when companies get them wrong, they often backfire and make employees less happy and motivated.

In this free online talk I will talk about:

Why most perks are doomed to fail from the outsetHow perks sometimes backfire and make things worseWhy companies are so focused on them even though they don’t workHow to tell if your workplace’s perks are worth itHow to design perks that actually impact employees positively

Here are the details:

Date: Wednesday April 26,

Time: 3pm (CET) / 9am (ET)

Duration: 30 minutes.

Sign up below – it’s FREE :)

Don’t worry if you can’t make it at that time. Sign up anyway and we will send you the recording afterwards.

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Yikes!

Yikes! Check out this comment on one of my videos:

I just had a psychotic adult babyman scream directly into my face because I refused to give him a discount on an item that was already marked 75% off. I asked Karen to leave the store and of course he refused and asked to speak to the manager (even though I am a manager), so I called security and went on a break to cool down.

Anyway, I was sitting in my car and I see this imbecile leaving with his prize. The strange thing was that the security person was walking with him and then shook his hand before they parted ways. In the end Karen got what he wanted and now knows he can come back anytime and abuse more employees without any repercussions.

Perhaps I could organize a strike, or maybe just cut my losses and get as far away from the service industry as possible. Whatever the case may be, I do know one thing for certain: Whoever is responsible for that “The Customer is Always Right” pearl of wisdom should really rethink their sanity.

Let me just say that again: Yikes! It’s a betrayal of the employees to always give in to the customers who abuse them the most.