The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace

by Ron Friedman

For readers of Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Pink, and Freakonomics, comes a captivating and surprising journey through the science of workplace excellence.   Why do successful companies reward failure?  What can casinos teach us about building a happy workplace?  How do you design an office that enhances both attention to detail and creativity?   In The Best Place to Work, award-winning psychologist Ron Friedman, Ph.D. uses the latest research from the fields of motivation, creativity, behavioral economics, neuroscience, and management to reveal what really makes us successful at work. Combining powerful stories with cutting edge findings, Friedman shows leaders at every level how they can use scientifically-proven techniques to promote smarter thinking, greater innovation, and stronger performance.   Among the many surprising insights, Friedman explains how learning to think like a hostage negotiator can help you diffuse a workplace argument, why placing a fish bowl near your desk can elevate your thinking, and how incorporating strategic distractions into your schedule can help you reach smarter decisions. Along the way, the book introduces the inventor who created the cubicle, the president who brought down the world’s most dangerous criminal, and the teenager who single-handedly transformed professional tennis—vivid stories that offer unexpected revelations on achieving workplace excellence.   Brimming with counterintuitive insights and actionable recommendations, The Best Place to Work offers employees and executives alike game-changing advice for working smarter and turning any organization—regardless of its size, budgets, or ambitions—into an extraordinary workplace.  

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Psychology, Management, Self Help, Cultural

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2014

Reviews

[David Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ron Friedman is a psychologist who works as a consultant to business leaders, to help them transform their workplaces. He has written a fascinating book about making a workplace into "A Great Place to Work." It is a book about psychology, and the psychological factors that affect businesses. In retrospect it is entirely common sense, but so many businesses do not apply common sense to the workplace. Here I will summarize some of the points that really made a mark in my mind.

In the 1970's, the average office space was 500 square feet per person, but by 2010 it declined to 200 square feet. Cubicles were originally designed to give office workers privacy. Nowadays, they prevent eye contact, but allow hearing people who are hidden behind panels. Cubicles are used to cram more people into tight spaces, which can be truly demoralizing. Friedman writes, "Cubicles are depressing. Private offices are isolating. Open spaces are distracting." Friedman writes about the benefits of offices with windows, giving access to sunlight. Plants also can help. Organizations that have communal spaces have twice the number of employees with a best friend at work, than those that don't.

Friedman writes that the real lesson of telecommuting is "there's something deeply wrong with the design of a workplace when the only way for an employee to feel productive is to physically leave the building.

Interestingly, Friedman writes about the benefits of exercise, short naps, enforced vacations, and turning off email servers after working hours. This may help to put the unconscious mind to work overnight.

One of the ways to help employees get along with each other is by fostering physical activities after hours--not at cocktail parties. It's about what we do outside the office that frequently offers the biggest boon to our relationships at work.

Warren Buffett gives his direct reports complete autonomy over their own decision making. This "pays dividends in the form of better motivation, stronger organizational loyalty, and sustained engagement." Friedman gives advice about how to avoid micromanagement, flexible schedules. He writes that giving praise is not about stroking an employee's ego. It's about providing them with the psychological fuel to feel engaged. Managers who hold high-level positions often get recognition, and take it for granted. They don't realize that lower-level employees need it, too.

Friedman advises about how to promote flow experiences and intellectual curiosity: Make on-th-job learning a requirement. Also, in order to experience flow, one needs clear objectives, and where peer-to-peer coaching can be useful. And, the best communicators are good listeners, and are therefore the most influential. Friedman analyzes a recording of a successful hostage negotiation, and finds that listening was the key. When trying to change behavior, the more you dominate a conversation, the less you persuade.

The book tells of the enormous influence of CEO's on a company's direction and culture. A clever psychological study found that narcissistic leaders make significantly more volatile business decisions. They pursue more bold attention grabbing and strategic shifts than competitors. Hmm... this sounds an awful lot like someone in the news a lot these days .... The book gives lots of practical suggestions for employees, emerging leaders and managers.

Friedman gives a lot of advice about interviewing new hires. He writes about an amazing psychological experiment having to do with interviewing. He writes about the benefits of employee referrals, and how to build employee pride in a company. He advises how to make each employee feel like their contributions are valued--and to do this without phony, fancy titles, which often backfire.

I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in psychology, and to anyone who works for an organization or business. It contains a lot of sound, common-sense advice. And, some of the advice is not very obvious. Even when the advice is obvious, it can be useful for managers to get some reminders--these reminders are sorely needed.

[Bookphile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read, which I can hardly believe I'm saying about a business book. So much of what Friedman discusses exposes exactly why employees are as dissatisfied with their jobs as they are, and how easily companies could alleviate that dissatisfaction if only they'd make small investments. I'm consistently amazed by the stupidity of corporate America--it's almost as if they prefer to shoot themselves in the foot rather than making small changes that would result in higher productivity and greater job satisfaction. If I could make every top-level executive read this book, I would. The businesses that will be the success stories of the future will be the ones that pay attention to the issues presented in this book.

On another note, reading this book will also make it clear why our schools and government are so dysfunctional, since they embrace corporate models with such fervor. Bottom line: people are not machines or widgets. Treat them as such to your own detriment.

[Nabil · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting overview of positive workplace behaviour. Unfortunately, there's a tonne of cliche'd statements and examples that sound good on the surface, but don't actually hold up to light when scrutinized.

It's like a Gladwell book about the workplace, without the excitement of a Gladwell book.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

All-around helpful and actionable takeaways for both managers and emerging leaders.

[Sandro Mancuso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve learned a lot from this book. As a person trying to create a great working environment, you will find great advices in many areas like definition of success, impact of office spaces, how to turn a group of strangers into great colleagues, leadership, intrinsic motivation, how to give feedback, how to highlight achievements, how to deal with people problems, tips on hiring, cultural fit and diversity of opinions, pride at work, and much more.

Highly recommended for any person interested to make their workplace a great place to be.

[Whit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read with some solid guidance on managing people and a workplace to get both productivity and happiness. It's rare that I can finish books like this--usually 1/2 through I get the picture and move on, but this kept me interested through the end. I will definitely keep it on hand as a reference for the day I am the Big Boss Lady.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite management books I’ve ever read. I highly recommend for leaders and managers who can more deeply engage their teams. It Uses a conversational tone to apply relevant psychological and sociological research to create a structure/framework that makes workplaces and management practices more effective at improving engagement and performance. It was very accessible and easy to read. And had a lot of great insights. I wrote notes in the book as I read and plan to go back and make a summary outline I can use to figure out the best way to apply these insights to our org. Very enjoyable to read and I learned a lot of practical tips that I look forward to implementing.

[Evin Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, worth a read - but since I have interest in the topic, or perhaps because of the time and space I occupy, most of the information presented was either well established or trendy, thus already familiar.

I liked that Friedman emphasized the human connection / innovation / creativity aspect of work being crucial to the success of any organization - especially in the age of increasing automation - but didn't like the emphasis on how to cultivate these crucial ingredients. Namely, nap time and bottomless buffets and hierarchically flat organizations. Isn't that kindergarten? I agree we all crave autonomy, but autonomy should be earned. An organization that has a flat structure for fat cats will likely not have strong mission and purpose to impart on the rest of society. I kept thinking about the structure of work in general and how as society evolves, our workplace evolves, and historically the most effective organizations of any generation have been those that have a clearly defined sense of purpose, training to that end, and a bit of fire under their bums.

Organized play time by Google sounds like my worst nightmare. Doesn't creativity come from the spaces in between - other parts of your life that are disparate, but when you are able to recharge them separately, you become whole and more effective in each? I don't really like the emphasis on making our work and our personage interchangeable. One is a product of the other, not the other way around. I appreciate the argument that you are able to be your whole self in both contexts, but the truth is our public and private lives will always be different, and our labor and the fruits of such should be tended to differently.

So while I may have found a few ideas lackluster, I did appreciate the thought process this book provoked. We may be living in a time where we have the luxury of deriving great joy through our workplace - but if our loyalty, focus and identity lie solely on the source of our income, if we don't shape the mission of our organization to consider the personal and public outside of work as sacred, what will that do to us as a society?

[Alaeddin Hallak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bit depressing to see how far local companies have yet to go to abandon their Industrial Age ways of creating a working environment, but ultimately worth the read.

Every workplace can improve – and as a leader, you can change yours for the better. All it takes is a willingness to prioritize your employees’ happiness and well-being. You have to be seriously committed in order to create a more positive environment, but it will be well worth it, leading to increased productivity and better results.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great meld of scientific research and real life stories. Finally a book about work that didn't bore me.

[Jung]

How companies can provide their employees with a better place to work. Why not take this one step further and learn how they can create the best place to work – a place where employees are both as happy and productive as they can be?  Drawing from his background in psychology, Ron Friedman has many insights and tips on how companies can do just that. For example, did you know that they can actually boost their workers’ productivity by letting them have more flexibility with their work schedules? Or that something as simple as the placement of chairs in an office space can have a major impact on employees’ well-being? To learn about these and many other fascinating ideas, check out The Best Place to Work, by Ron Friedman.

---

Companies can generate workplace buzz by promoting feelings of positive affect and psychological safety. 

Have you ever walked into an office and felt as if you were stepping into some sort of cross between a library and a morgue? Everyone’s silently sitting at their desks, typing away at their computers with a grim look on their faces. The whole place feels dead. 

That’s not the work environment that most of us want to experience. We’d like there to be a sense of excitement in the air. But unfortunately, that’s the prevailing atmosphere in all too many workplaces. In this final blink, let’s look at how we can turn this around and generate the “buzz” that turns a place of work into a great place to work. 

To feel a sense of buzz, members of a work team need to have two feelings. The first is positive affect. This is sort of like being in a good mood, only it’s even more diffuse. You don’t feel it about anything in particular; it’s more of a general, free-floating emotion that fills your overall outlook on life with a sense of well-being. 

The second feeling is psychological safety. In this context, this means you feel comfortable and secure around your bosses and colleagues. You don’t fear their judgment. You don’t worry about what will happen if you make a small mistake in front of them. Instead, you feel like you can be yourself around them. 

Here’s one way that companies can foster both feelings at once: have a hack day every couple of months, or even a whole hack week once or twice a year. The idea is that for an entire day or week, everyone at the workplace splits into teams, puts aside their normal tasks, and experiments with new ideas for improvements in a product or service. This reintroduces a sense of playfulness into our teamwork. It also encourages us to be OK with each other making mistakes, since that’s part of the whole experimental process. 

Having a theme can help to structure a hack day or hack week. For example, at Twitter, themes have included a focus on improving the social media network’s ability to foster conversations. This has led to many improvements in the company’s app and website, including threaded conversations and ways to combat abusive Twitter users.

If you follow Twitter’s lead with a hack week of your own, what kind of innovations could you and your colleagues discover?

[Grace Mead · Rating 5 out of 5]

In college, when I asked the psychology chair for a recommendation for law school, he reluctantly agreed, saying: "The last thing this world needs is more lawyers." This book reminded me of my enormous draw to social psychology and the insights it has generated.

When I read about transitioning, I consistently read that it improved work performance but couldn't imagine it doing so. In hindsight, I realize it has because I'm so much happier. Friedman amasses impressive empirical research that happiness improves productivity, particularly in creative jobs. For example, the stocks of companies with the happiest employees outperform competitors by a factor of two. This book is a celebration of the research about how to work more creatively, productively, and passionately. Highly recommended.

[Syed Saqi · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing 5 years at my previous workplace, my boss gave this book. I wish i could share it with him for there were many things to start working on ;) no puns here

ok.. the review goes as below.

We all want an equitable, challenging and a rewarding Place to work. Ron Friedman, gives us mantra - make employees feel Autonomous, Feel competent at work do and finally make the firm, its work, its vision and purpose related to employees and their aspirations.

While these are just 3 things to action, they can be done in hundred different ways, and the multiple examples and case studies come in handy. The range of literature cited is as old as 1954 ( Cave Experiment) to as latest as recruiting gaffes at google (interviews replicating work scenarios). Chapter summary for managers and leaders give handy takeaways to implement.
Overall a very readable book.

[TΞΞL❍CK Mith!lesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best place to work brings together decades of psychological research into a package that offers an organization concrete advice to improve the well-being of workers and the quality of work. Combining powerful stories with cutting edge findings, Friedman shows leaders how they can use scientifically proven techniques to promote smarter thinking, greater innovation and stronger performance at every level. The book is divided into three parts: designing an extraordinary workplace experience, motivating excellence and, finally, attracting an retaining top performers. Each chapter addresses different aspects of the workplace, offering illuminating and often counter-intuitive best practices for making one’s organization effective. The conclusion of each chapter cites some of the action items that are worth to ponder for managers and emerging leaders of organizations across the globe.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you need to understand org culture, few books are as adept at giving you 70 years of management research in a digestible narrative. While the insights are familiar, Friedman’s storytelling style and his clear organization make this an enjoyable and useful read. I especially appreciated that each chapter ended with two summaries: one for executives and one for emerging leaders.

[Brian Heckber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read on organizational health

If you oversee people, this is a great book to build your team. Built upon solid research, Friedman gives great ideas for making your workplace the best it can be.

[Teji · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not what I was expecting but it does offer some interesting insights, as well as some good reminders, about effective management with a focus on authentically meeting the psychologic needs of employees.

Quotes

“Over the past decades, advances in brain imaging, data-gathering methods, and behavioral science experiments have produced powerful insights into the conditions that help us work more effectively…We know that decorating your office can make you more productive, that going for a walk can lead to better decisions, and that embracing failure can actually help you succeed…Yet most of these findings have remained trapped in library stacks, collecting dust on university shelves" -Introduction

Back in the days of the industrial economy, building a successful workplace meant finding efficiencies through eliminating errors, standardizing performance, and squeezing more out of workers. How employees felt while doing their job was of secondary interest, because it had limited impact on their performance…Today things are different. Our work is infinitely more complex. We rarely need employees to simply do routine, repetitive tasks—we also need them to collaborate, plan, and innovate. Building a thriving organization in the current economy demands a great deal more than efficiency. It requires an environment that harnesses intelligence creativity, and interpersonal skill…Businesses today need psychologists. In a world where productivity hinges on the quality of an employee’s thinking, psychological factors are no longer secondary. They’re at the very core of what determines success.” -Introduction

“ ‘…And then came along the thong, which still confuses me because all that did was put underwear exactly where we had been trying to get it out of.’ “ -ch1

"Blakely was taught to interpret failure not as a sign of personal weakness but as an integral part of the learning process…Her father’s question taught her an important lesson: If you’re not failing, you’re not growing….What’s odd is that in many ways it’s the precise opposite of the view espoused in most classrooms. From an early age, children are taught that success means having the right answers. That struggling is a bad sign…After twelve years of indoctrination, it’s no wonder that so many of us view failure the way we do: as something to avoid at all cost…in reality it’s only by stretching ourselves that we develop new skills…Some educators have begun recognizing the way this fear of failure is impeding their students’ long-term growth. [Professor Edward Burger tells his students that], ‘5 percent of their grade is based on their quality of failure’ Burger believes this approach encourages students to take risks…At the end of each semester, students in Burger’s class are asked to write an essay examining a mistake they made. In it, they describe why they initially thought their approach might work and how their mistakes helped them to uncover a new way of understanding the problem…Failure, per se, is not enough. The important thing is to mine the failure for insight that can improve your next attempt…his approach of rewarding intelligent failure may have more of an impact on his students than we might initially suspect, especially when it comes to promoting a thinking style that’s conducive to innovation." -ch1

". In contrast, teams that freely admit to their errors are better able to learn from one another’s mistakes. They can also take steps to prevent repeating those mistakes by tweaking their process. Over the long term, encouraging employees to acknowledge mistakes is therefore a vital first step to seeing improvement…not all mistakes are created equal. Some mistakes are caused by inattention and lack of ability, while others are caused by uncertainty or experimentation. The challenge for many organizations is that the pressure to avoid failure is so strong that hardly anyone bothers examining the root cause. It’s when intelligent failures are treated exactly the same as preventable ones that learning and creativity grind to a halt…And when that happens, the results are grim: A culture of innovation is overtaken by a culture of self-preservation." -ch1

"Ask yourself, ‘What have I failed at today?’ High achievers don’t see failure as a personal indictment. They view it as a sign that they’re on the brink of growth. If everything you do at work comes easily…You might not be pushing yourself hard enough.” -ch1

"There’s another thing we can do to foster happiness in the workplace: train ourselves to be grateful. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. In many ways, we’re implicitly encouraged to tune out the positive when we’re working. Much of our day is consumed with thinking about future deadlines and tasks we have yet to accomplish…Over time a continuous focus on what’s missing trains out minds to center on the negative. It’s rare that we pause to savor what we’ve achieved…But by taking a moment to direct our attention to things that are going right, we enhance our enjoyment and stave off the process of adaptation. Gratitude helps us appreciate positive events when they happen, making them last longer." -ch4

"When we’re completely consumed with trying to be happy all the time…we overlook the value of unhappy emotions…Those experiences may not feel very pleasant when they’re happening, but they exist for a reason. Negative emotions help direct our attention to elements of our environment that require a response…research suggests another downside to excessive happiness: an increased tendency for making mistakes. When we’re happy, we grow confident, which at times can lead us to overestimate our abilities…extremely happy people reported better relationships and more community involvement, but surprisingly, they also lagged in income and education…those who were slightly dissatisfied [had the highest academic degrees and earned the most money]…these results are correlational [not causal]…happiness in the workplace is beneficial, but only up to a point. As a general rule, employees who are happy at their job are more productive than those who feel dissatisfied. But extreme levels of happiness can also interfere with work quality…when organizations convey an expectation that every employee should feel happy at work all the time, they do their workers a disservice…the more pressure we place on ourselves to feel happy, the less likely we are to succeed.” -ch4

"Many managers reward high-performing staff with time off, but this approach communicates the wrong message. What it says is that hard work is a bad thing, a punishment you escape when you do something right…[instead], try rewarding high performers with more responsibility by growing their departmental involvement and including them in major organizational decisions…" -ch7

“Why are video games…so engaging…we immerse ourselves in a world that offers instant feedback on our performance and a sense of accomplishment when we succeed. A world where every task offers an opportunity to grow our competence, enhance our skills, and earn recognition…How do we make people feel the same way about their work?” -ch7

“Studies show that when employees receive an unearned job title, they do experience an immediate boost in satisfaction…But it doesn’t last. After a short interval…They gor dissatisfied and their job performance slides…The reason? They start feeling underpaid…‘Job title inflation,’ as it’s termed by human resource experts…job inflation comes in two major varieties: ”covert deception and overt flouts…Covert deceptions are often used by businesses looking to elevate the status of their employees in the eyes of their clients. The higher the title of an organization’s representative, the thinking goes, the more attention their client feels they are receiving…Another reason organizations use covert title inflation: as a substitute for compensation. When a company can’t afford (or decides against) paying its employees the salaries they deserve, it can attempt to mollify them with fancy titles. It tends to backfire…Ironically, the lasting impact of an inflated job title is that it enhances the appeal of an employee’s resume when he enters the job market, making him more likely to find an alternative position…” -ch11

“We live in a world in which it is acceptable for work to interrupt personal time. And yet we’re not as comfortable when personal time interrupts work…” -Conclusion

[Eric Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for those who wish to improve their workplace. Provides a lot of evidence e.g. psychology studies, but crafts them into a compelling narrative. The actions at the end of each chapter are useful.

A lot to learn here for all leaders and those who wish to be leaders. And maybe even for progressive trade unionists. And of course for people who would rather improve their workplace, rather than complain about it!

For an America business book it is not to over the top, which was nice.

A couple suggestions, not all of the the studies are foot noted on each page. Yes there is a page by page list at the back, some are more obvious then others. The footnotes are helpful, when we need to understand something deeper, perhaps in the next edition? As I feel they encourage curiosity. The other is some of the evidence is the organizations in question, marketing their own er horn..

The last two chapters, Part Three, I felt were weaker and there were a number of examples given where the Author did not really do his research. There were also a couple points where there is much counter research, to the points laid out. But I appreciate this is Authors story..

I have no doubt I will read this book several times.

[Mukesh Emes · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best business book I've ever read. In this book Ron Friedman explain the importance of a healthy work environment in the success of a company. He redefine the conventional employee management techniques. The ideas he deals in this book are really amazing.

He spend a great time in researching several different areas of psychology. He discuss a lot work related things like office space design, the benefits of office relationships, and even the importance of failure. I really love this quote “Mistakes are the tuition you pay for success.” Doesn't matter whether you are the owner of a business, or a manager dealing with employees, or an employee this book will be a great experience.

[Clifton]

This was the most readable, accessible, and practical book about workplace culture I have ever read. Nice, right? That's the good news. The bad news? I had basically read all the insights and case studies in other places. It is more literature/research review than anything else. So if you are new to this field, start here. If you are pretty well read on the topic, it is a decent (but familiar) summary.

[Sandy Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? This is the best work-related book I've ever read. It takes psychology, and the multitude of studies completed on work and engagement, and weaves them together into a relatable and practical guide. I came away with a ton of ideas. And I work for a library, where we have to be creative because we are limited in discretionary funds. I love this book!

[Amanda Paulin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I love how it just further cemented our mission here at FULL. If we focus on bridging the gap between our work life and our home life, we can create happy and healthy team members.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that should be read by everyone working with management or organizational development

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has good insights into effective workplaces and includes psychological research and anecdotal examples. The writing style is engaging.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ch. 1: "Creative geniuses don't just attempt more solutions--they also miss quite often."

"When practice is effortless...learning stops. It's by walking the precipice between your current abilities and the skills just beyond your reach that growth happens."

Ch. 2: "Frequently, the higher up an organization you go, the more space you're allotted and the more inaccessible you become. Status begets isolation, which can have a crippling effect on teams whose work depends on collaboration."

Ch. 3: "Think back to your last truly great work-related idea. Now ask yourself: Where were you? Chances are that you weren't sitting behind your desk."

"If you want to regularly generate brilliant ideas, you must be purposeful about what you are putting into your head. The challenge in most workplaces is that employees are exposed to the same information day after day, making it difficult to come up with new and innovative solutions."

"In today's knowledge economy, it's the quality of your thinking that matters most, and quality thinking is directly tied to energy level."

"No reasonable person expects to visit a gym and lift weights continuously without a break. We openly acknowledge the limitations of our muscles. But we don't do so for our minds. Declining performance is not as readily visible to us in the office as it is in the weight room, and so we continue plodding along, oblivious to the fact that we are contributing at a fraction of the rate we were earlier."

Ch. 4: "...the experience of progress is the single most important component of a satisfying workday."

Ch. 7: "Being ignored is often more psychologically painful than being treated poorly."

"He who praises everybody praises nobody."

Ch. 8: "PEARLS=Partnership, Empathy, Acknowledgement, Respect, Legitimation, Support.

"Listening is a motivational tool. It's not just something you do when you're trying to be polite or mentally reloading another argument. It's when you're at your most influential."

"No matter how much you differ with another person, your disagreements don't need to be disagreeable."

"When you're trying to change behavior, the more you dominate the conversation, the less you persuade."

"If your employees are constantly worried about whether or not they have your respect, they're devoting valuable mental energy that could be better applied to their work."

"If you find yourself locking horns in a workplace power struggle, beware. Winning arguments is often predictive of losing long-term relationships."

"Punishment doesn't drive behavior. Copying and modeling and the social expectation of your peers are what drives behavior...Every human organization is an ecosystem. All it takes is a single spreader to start a virus."

Ch. 9: "Managers influence employees in more ways than they realize....Flooded with stress? Take a look. So are your direct reports. Emotions are contagious, especially those of a team's leader."

"facing an employee with a bad attitude? Shake up his network. The company we keep has a powerful influence on the way we think."

Chapter 10: "No matter how well you manage, how often you recognize, or how generously you reward, there's simply no substitute for selecting talented people and placing them in the right roles."

Chapter 11: "He who has a why can bear almost any how."

Conclusion: "How do you get employees engaged in their work? By providing opportunities for them to experience autonomy, competence, and relatedness on a daily basis."

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of five or six books I honed in on for my yearly work related readings. The concept seemed the most fun and light which would make for a good starter book. I thought I was going to already know a lot of the “cool” companies and their “cool kid” work environments that would most likely be discussed in this book since I live in Silicon Valley. To my surprise this book is not just one giant homage to Google and Facebook. It’s great to know companies all over the nation are doing interesting things to help employees at work.

What I loved about this book was the variety of ways the author gives that can be used to improve a work environment. It almost leaves any business little excuse not to invest in their employees’ happiness and comfort since it’s not a one size fits all plan. And not only does this book offer mangers advice on ways to improve, it also gives individual contributors ways they can do their part even if management or your current employer is not utilizing any of the author’s great tips. Sometimes reading business books can be a bit disheartening because it seems like their ideas only apply to someone in management, but this book puts the ball in anyone’s court.

I didn’t have anything negative to say about the book so I’m just going to keep pointing out what I really enjoyed. Instead of just going straight for the methods one could use to improve their work environment, the author always starts the chapter with an interesting story that ties in to the overall theme of the chapter. It draws you in and keeps you invested in the chapter because you want to see how that chapter’s tip affected the outcome of the story. Another thing I appreciated was his summaries at the end of each chapter. A lot of business books do this but it is literally a repetition of what you had just read which makes it a snooze fest to read through. With Friedman’s summaries, he restates what we’ve just learned by saying how managers or individual contributors can use the advice, which makes it feel like we are still learning something new versus just restating what has already been said.

I’m really glad I chose to start with this book for my work related reading. It was so fun to read and really eye opening instead of feeling like homework the way most work related books could feel. Sure, the author mentions some of the highly publicized perks that big companies like Google possess but this book was chock full of really clever insights into company policies that I had never heard of before. It gives me hope that with so many companies, not just a Google or a Facebook, trying innovative ways to make employees happier that more companies, including my own, will adopt this mindset.

[Susana · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Cómo lograr el compromiso y la identificación de los trabajadores en las empresas?

Este libro reúne, de manera ordenada, un análisis de aprendizajes recientes al respecto, partiendo de una premisa demoledora: un elevadísimo porcentaje (más del 70% según la encuesta Gallup) de los empleados están descontentos, desconectados, con su trabajo y esta proporción se ha mantenido en los últimos 10 años.

Debo confesar que no leí todo el libro, me concentré en el resumen al final de cada capítulo y las conclusiones finales, probablemente saltando las experiencias y ejemplos que le dan sentido. Algunas de las conclusiones parecieran obvias, i.e. “la integración de trabajo y familia mejora la calidad de ambos”, otras tienen mucho sentido “la frecuencia es más importante que el tamaño”, pero otras no lo son tanto, como que hasta las experiencias positivas tienden a diluirse en el tiempo y que todos tendemos a regresar a nuestra “línea basal de felicidad”.

Los 6 aprendizajes (insights) fundamentales:

1. La frecuencia es más importante que el tamaño.
2. La variedad evita la adaptación.
3. Placeres no esperados generan un mayor emoción.
4. Las experiencias son más satisfactorias que los objetos.
5. No siempre sabemos porque estamos felices.
6. Una mente agradecida es una mente feliz.

Una conclusión que me llamó la atención, haciendo un símil entre el trabajo y los juegos: “If working for you is too easy, you’re doing something wrong”.

Un libro que bien vale la pena explorar si estás interesado en el tema, pero que no te dará todas las respuestas o la fórmula mágica única tipo one size fits all (que no creo exista, si alguien la consigue, espero la comparta). Puede que algunas de las recomendaciones, a los latinoamericanos nos parezcan demasiado referidas a la cultura norteamericana.

[Pipat Tanmontong · Rating 5 out of 5]

หนังสือจิตวิทยาที่เขียนโดย Ron Friedman นักจิตวิทยาผู้เบนเข็มจากการสอน จิตวิทยาองค์กร และ แรงจูงใจของมนุษย์ ในมหาวิทยาลัย มาเป็นการประยุกต์ใช้หลักการเหล่านี้ในภาคธุรกิจ เพื่อ สร้างสถานที่ทำงานในฝันที่ประสิทธิภาพในการทำงานมาพร้อมความสุขของคนทำงาน

อันตัวผมเป็นคนที่ถอยหนีออกมาจากโลกของคนพนักงานประจำ หลักๆอาจเป็นเพราะว่า สำหรับผมชีวิตคนทำงานบริษัทนั้นไม่มีความสุขเอาซะเลย การตามหาสถานที่ทำงานที่เราสามารถมีความสุขได้แม้ต้องทำงานไปด้วยเจอเป็นความฝันอย่างนึงของมนุษย์เงินเดือนทุกคนนั่นแหล่ะ แต่มันหาเจอยากมากไง เลยคิดไปว่าความสุขของคนทำงานมันเดินสวนทางกับผลประกอบการอันน่าพึงพอใจในสายตาผู้ถือหุ้นของบริษัท

หนังสือเล่มนี้กลับบอกว่า การสร้างสถานที่ทำงานในฝันนั้นเป็นไปได้ และยืนยันหนักแน่นด้วยว่า “ความสุขของคนทำงานเป็นปัจจัยสำคัญในการสร้างผลกำไรของบริษัท “ จากสถิติที่เก็บรวบรวมโดยนิตยสาร Fortune พบว่าบริษัทที่ติดอันดับว่าเป็นบริษัทที่คนอยากรวมงานด้วยมักทำกำไรได้ดีกว่าบริษัทอื่นๆในอุตสาหกรรมเดียวกันอย่างมีนัยยะสำคัญ

ถ้าเป้าหมายใหญ่ของผู้ถือหุ้น(แน่นอนว่าคือผลกำไรจากการลงทุน) สามารถบรรลุผลได้โดยสนับสนุนให้บริษัทเป็นสถานที่ที่ให้ความสําคัญกับความสุขของพนักงานแล้ว องค์กรทั้งหลายเริ่มสนใจการปรับปรุงสำนักงานเพื่อยกระดับความสุขของเหล่าคนทำงานแล้วควรเริ่มทำอย่างไรดีล่ะ หนังสือเล่มนี้มีคำตอบให้ครับ จิตวิทยาด้านแรงจุงใจของมนุษย์ และจิตวิทยาสังคม ตลอดจนแนวคิดของเศรษฐศาสตร์พฤติกรรม ถูกนำมาอธิบายด้วยภาษาที่เข้าใจง่าย พร้อมการยกตัวอย่างมาเปรียบเทียบได้น่าสนใจ การประยุกต์แง่คิดที่ได้ทั้งจาก ทีมกีฬา คาสิโน เกม ฯลฯ ช่วยแต่งแต้มสีสันของการอ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้ได้อย่างลงตัว

อ่านสนุกเอาเรื่องอยู่นะ ถึงแม้ผมจะไม่ใช่คนทำงานประจำก้อเถอะ แนะนำฮะ

[Tum Kanapon · Rating 4 out of 5]

#สาเหตุที่อ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้ ?
ผมคิดว่าความฝันของผู้ประกอบการคนหนึ่งที่ทำบริษัทขึ้นมา นอกเหนือไปกว่า การสร้างบริการที่ส่งผลเปลี่ยนแปลงชีวิตคนให้ดีขึ้น และสร้างผลกำไรที่ดี คือการสร้างสถานที่ทำงานที่มีความหมายสำหรับทีมงาน

ผมมีตั้งใจว่า หากมีบริษัทของตัวเอง ผมอยากให้มันเป็นที่ทำงานที่ทุกคนอยากมาทำงาน
เป็นที่ทำงานที่ทุกคนรอคอยวันจันทร์

และเนื่องจากกำลังจะทำ Offfice ใหม่ หรือ Office แรกในอีกสองเดือนข้างหน้า เลยเป็นสาเหตุที่ซื้อหนังสือเล่มนี้มาอ่าน

----
#3 สิ่งที่ได้
1.การเลือกคนเป็นส่วนสำคัญ และเรามักมี Bias เยอะกว่าที่เราคิด ควรปรับวิธีสัมภาษณ์ในการคัดคนใหม่
-ในช่วงเริ่มต้นที่ทีมเล็กควรเลือกคนที่มีทัศนคติเหมือนกับเรา แต่เมื่อทีมใหญ่ขึ้นความหลากหลายอาจสร้างประโยชน์มากกว่า
-เมื่อรับพนักงานใหม่ การเริ่มต้อนรับไม่ใช่วันแรกที่ทำงาน เราควรเริ่มก่อนหน้านั้น โทรไปหา กินข้าว จิบกาแฟ

2.สถานที่เป็นสิ่งสำคัญ การออกแบบสถานที่มีผลกว่าที่เราคิด
ผมเคยได้ยินว่า เราอยู่สถานที่แบบไหน เราก็จะเป็นคนแบบนั้น หมายถึงว่ามันมี reaction ต่อกัน

3.การใส่ใจจิตวิทยาพื้นฐานของทีมงาน ทุกคนต้องการทำสิ่งที่ยิ่งใหญ่มีความหมาย เราต้องเชื่อมโยงให้ทุกคนเห็นผลที่เกิดขึ้น เห็นการเปลี่ยนแปลง
-ทุกคนต้องการอิสระ ยิ่งเรารู้สึกว่าเราจัดการชีวิตได้มากเท่าไหร่ ยิ่งดี
-​Lead with context เมื่อบอกอะไร ควรให้บริบทกำกับเสมอ ให้ Clear Why
-VDO Game model -> คนจะทำงานได้ดี เมื่อมีเป้าหมายที่ชัดเจน และมี Constant Feedback รู้ว่าถ้าไปไม่ถึงต้องทำอย่างไร ดังนั้นการจำลอง VDO Game เป็นสิ่งที่ดี

------

โดยรวมเป็นการนำข้อมูลจิตวิทยา มาเล่าประกอบกับ Case Study บริษัทต่างๆ
อ่านง่าย แล้วก็มี insight ใหม่ๆที่น่าสนใจ

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents a science-based approach to creating a great workplace where workers can thrive, fulfill their psychological needs relating to work and wellness, and in turn help their organizations be more productive and profitable. Some would question the science and solutions presented in this book, but regardless of the debate on what the answers are, this shows that there exists a wide gap between the current workplace for most people and what it could be if more attention was given to creating an environment with more focus on employee experience. I hope that we as the human race will give more attention to employee engagement in substantial ways and I hope to be part of that effort in my own career.

“We now have striking proof that many aspects of the modern workplace are outdated, counterproductive, and even psychologically harmful. Which is why it should surprise no one that over 80 percent of employees worldwide are disengaged. They’re working within structures that make it nearly impossible to thrive.”

“When we fulfill employees’ needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, when we allow them to leverage the full breadth of their mental capacity, when we provide them with the flexibility to succeed in both their personal and professional lives, we achieve more than an extraordinary workplace.