Say No to Sunday Scaries! How to Reduce Employee Churn
Employee churn has consequences beyond simply that of talent departure. Besides the actual cost of employee turnover, churn among your staff can lead to a decline in employee morale and a toxic workplace. Here’s what’s causing you to lose employees and what you can do to stop it.
20 Ways to Build a Happy & More Productive Workforce (Infographic)
Studies report that happy workers are 31% more productive, with up to 37% higher sales and three times the creativity as the rest of your workforce (Harvard Business Review). Isn't that enough incentive to keep your people happy as they spend upwards of eight hours a day contributing to your bottom line? The infographic below shows 13 ways to make your workforce smile. Then keep reading for a list of 7 more ways to help your people grow and prosper in their work. Use this code to embed the infographic on your blog: Infographic brought to you by Wrike Bonus: 7 Ways to Focus on Your People's Needs 1. Listen to Feedback and Show Action When you ask for feedback, listen. Show that you are acting on suggestions. Knowing that management is listening and taking feedback seriously increases the general positive vibe in your organization. 2. Give Them a Chance to Grow You will lose people if they fear their jobs are dead ends. It's important to give everyone clear career paths and opportunities for ongoing education, online classes, webinar attendance, industry events, etc. 3. Support Remote Work & Flexible Schedules If you really want to attract top performers, you must allow for flexible schedules and remote work. This means you need an online system to track work (like Wrike!), and a protocol for communicating with remote workers so that projects run smoothly. 4. Give People Their Choice of Supplies & Tools Don't skimp on supplies, and give your people their choice of tools, whether it's Mac vs. Windows, a standing desk, floor mat, or dual monitors. Allowing them to pick their tools helps them be more productive right away, and they'll love working on a machine they picked themselves. 5. Give Them Unlimited PTO You're hiring intelligent, capable adults, right? Then allow them to take time off without having to jump through a bunch of hoops. Unlimited PTO is prevalent in startup companies, particularly in the tech industry. But even non-startups have switched to unlimited PTO precisely because it creates a massive amount of good will. 6. Give Them Top-Tier Benefits You won't attract and retain star performers with meager benefits packages unless you're a struggling startup with a killer product and vision that everyone's sure will make it big. The quality of your benefits shows how much you value your people. Make them as substantial as possible! 7. Give Them Unlimited Coffee (and Snacks) Coffee and snacks are probably the simplest way to please your team. But please try giving them good coffee and healthy snacks, okay? What Would Make You Happy? If you have better suggestions on perks that would please you or your team, hit the comments and tell us more!
Why Your Employee Morale May Be Low & What to Do About It
Employee morale is the number one contributing factor to higher engagement, productivity, and retention levels in the workplace. Here's everything you need to know to effectively boost workplace morale with your employees and make your company the best it can possibly be.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: How to Drive People to Do Amazing Work
It’s well known that happy, engaged employees are more likely to provide outstanding customer service, leading to happier clients. But what keeps your employees happy and engaged: Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? Read more to find out how to incentivize your employees to do amazing work.
The Secret Ingredient Your Customer Experience Is Missing
It’s undeniable that happy, engaged employees can dramatically elevate the customer experience and your bottom line. It also takes continued investment by the entire organization to keep employees engaged, but how? Read our tips on how to increase employee engagement and enhance your customer experience.
How Can You Spot an Excellent Employee? (Work Management Roundup)
Welcome back to the weekly Work Management Roundup, where we gather and show off our collected news articles from around the world wide web — as if they were newly-hatched Pokemon. But seriously, we lead off with articles on excellent employees, and the kind of corporate culture that nurtures this type of excellence. Read on!
How to Keep Team Morale High During Difficult Times
There is no successful company that hasn't faced its share of hard times. Whether it be an exodus of leadership, a shift in goals and priorities, or a lack of resources, there will be times your employees will find themselves overwhelmed, confused, demotivated, and on edge. Supporting staff during difficult times is par for the course — now more than ever. But knowing how to motivate employees during difficult times can boost workplace morale and make it easier for them to face personal, professional, or social challenges. 2020's global COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it many problems. Declining workplace morale is a new hurdle for managers and HR professionals. The subject of maintaining employee morale during these hard times is of paramount importance as disengaged employees cost companies up to $350 billion a year in lost productivity. As humans, we are able to handle change but do not do so well with uncertainty. As we come to terms with our new normal, it is time for leadership to regroup and reignite enthusiasm amongst teams and employees. Below are five actionable ideas to increase employee morale and bring your team back to top productivity. Increase workplace morale by encouraging candid conversations about where the company is heading Uncertainty can weigh heavily on your team. One practical way of supporting staff during difficult times is to be open and honest about the direction the company is heading in. In times such as these, it is important to carry along every member of the team by letting them know vital details about the company's position, priorities, and strategies put in place to stabilize and thrive through this unpredictable season. This gives employees a feeling of control, direction, and purpose as they begin their work every day. As a leader at this time, being transparent in your decision-making and communicating clearly cannot be overemphasized. It ensures that members of your team understand the tasks to be done and why they are essential. As you lead, it is also crucial to listen more than you speak. Taking in feedback from other executives and members of your team lets you know what is going on with them at home and work. Open communication will allow you to assess the level of turbulence in different areas of their lives and the business, focus on the most critical issues, and show your employees that their voices count. Provide counseling sessions to motivate employees during difficult times While having conversations with your employees, and collecting feedback go a long way to increase employee morale, a better initiative is to provide optional counseling sessions for employees who request them during these times. As the use of emergency mental health hotlines rises steadily amidst the pandemic, Singapore-based hotel-booking platform, RedDoorz is providing online counseling sessions led by certified counselors and psychologists to its staff and employees who work at partner hotels. Amit Saberwal, CEO of RedDoorz, says he hopes to "spread positivity and optimism" within the travel and hospitality industries, which have experienced "major disruptions" as a result of the novel coronavirus. You can take a page out of RedDoorz's book and bring in trained professionals, or create small peer groups to reach teammates who seem to be struggling. You can give employees access to meditation apps and also share online mental health resources. Most importantly, you can encourage leaders in your business to openly talk about their mental health as a way to get employees to open up and unburden themselves. If you can get your employees to speak honestly to you, then you can then find better ways to support them. Nearly 40% of employees say their company has not asked them how they're doing since the pandemic began. Employees in this group are 38% more likely to say their mental health has declined since the onset of the pandemic. Supercharge workplace morale by streamlining your workflow and celebrating every win During this time, it's important to celebrate every achievement, regardless of how small. Your employees need confirmation that their work is valued and making a tangible impact. Each week, you can highlight at least one achievement. This could be anything from higher email open rates to meeting an important project deadline. You'll soon find that calling out little wins boosts morale, productivity, and confidence across your team. This is also a good time to streamline your team’s workflow and set clear priorities by taking off all unnecessary tasks so employees can focus on the most meaningful projects that move the needle. Some leaders may pile work on employees’ plates because they now work from home. Instead, it would help if you lightened your employees' workload, so they manage their personal lives in tandem with work during these times. Don't take up more of your employees' time because they are not clocking into the office. You can also reduce the need for too many video meetings as Zoom fatigue is draining. Instead, send emails, summarize reports, and enable visibility into teammates' tasks in a project management tool like Wrike. Schedule breaks during the workday and allow asynchronous work To get the best from your employees at this time, it is wise to become output and results-focused. Since the beginning of March, when most companies made the call to work from home, employees have reported working 2-3 hours longer per day. This is combined with the pressures of caring for sick loved ones, maintaining one's health, caring for children who are learning from home, and maintaining valuable work productivity. As a leader during this time, it is wise that you allow asynchronous work schedules, giving employees room to plan their days in the most optimal way to take care of both work and personal responsibilities. You can institute roles that promote healthy work-life balance habits and enforce a mandatory break in every workday. This could be the typical one-hour lunch break, but in this case, you insist that all employees log off their work devices at this time. As a part of workplace mental health initiative, employees are now encouraged to treat switching off as a scheduled event, rather than working through breaks and long days. Some companies are going one step further and making it impossible for employees to send emails after hours. The fact is when home doubles as the office, employees have a tougher time switching off. Since the pandemic started, Surfshark, a VPN provider, has seen spikes in usage between midnight and 3 am, proof that workday barriers are beginning to erode. As a result, good leaders must make an effort to help employees unplug each day to maintain good health and workplace morale. Organize optional fun virtual activities to boost employee morale or encourage rest Different personality types refuel in different ways. An introvert needs solitude to recharge and strategize, and an extrovert craves more people-time to relax and soak in positive energy. In the words of the great Benjamin Franklin: "We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." Schedule regular open hours with team building activities for remote teams to get your team's mind off the madness. During this time, employees can choose to stay offline and recharge, login but not participate, join in and engage in virtual happy hours, scavenger hunts, and other online team building activities your company needs. You can also check out our ultimate list of team building games for more ideas. How to motivate employees during difficult times As a manager, it is up to you to gauge the stress level on your team and eliminate additional stressors or distractions that may hinder their performance. Demotivation is extremely contagious and spreads uncontrollably, just like the COVID-19. To kill the infection at its source and focus on improving morale in the workplace during these difficult times, you must continue to build good habits that support positive workplace morale and resilience in employees. We recommend that you: Encourage honest conversations about the company's position and where it is heading between leaders and employees. Frequently gather employee feedback on essential topics Provide mental health coaching and counseling sessions Lighten employees' workload and focus on wins Promote healthy work/life habits and allow asynchronous work Have regular manager/employee conversations about individual needs and actions Maintain transparency to motivate employees during difficult times Organize optional fun virtual activities to boost employee morale and encourage rest Work with Wrike and start focusing on building employee morale Wrike's collaboration tool is the perfect software for businesses facing the challenge of improving morale in the workplace, especially now - with the new challenges COVID-19 has brought to the business world. Maintaining team collaboration, remote team communications, and proper work management is all possible with Wrike's solutions for business continuity. You can get started by signing up for a free two-week trial here.
Don't Cancel Your One-on-One Meetings (Work Management Roundup)
Welcome back and TGIFR! (Thank Goodness It's Friday's Roundup!) We've collected the week's essential reads on productivity, work management, and company culture so that you can attack work, get tasks done quickly, and advance your organization. Here we go: Canceling 1x1 Meetings Destroys Productivity (HBR): When you cancel your one-on-one time with your direct reports, they will find other, less effective ways to connect with you (i.e. email). Which means more distractions to prevent you from getting into the flow! The Ivy Lee Method of Getting Stuff Done (JamesClear): List your 6 most important tasks the day before and arrange them in priority order. How to Make Company Culture Stick (Fast Company): Take a look at advertising platform InMobi's unique approach to corporate culture. They've distilled their culture into 3 elements: [1] Scripts: how we should operate, [2] Rituals: what we do daily, and [3] Festivals: what we celebrate. 3 Simple Steps to Boost Your Memory (Fast Company): As we age, and as we get more stressed, memory begins to decline. The author of 2 Weeks To A Younger Brain reveals 3 simple memory boosting exercises anyone can do to keep their memory sharp. More Work Management Must-Reads: How I solved a nagging laptop problem for just $5 (CNET) — How a cheap IKEA stand can improve your laptop's ergonomics. Why We Miss Deadlines, and How to Stop (Zapier) The Weekly Review: How One Hour Can Save You A Week’s Worth of Hassle and Headache (Lifehacker) Invite the Right Amount of People to Your Meeting with the 8-18-1800 Rule (99U) Why Every Team Needs Work Management Tools: Infographic (Wrike) 10 Creative Ways to Use Flipboard to Promote Your Business (Medium) Follow "Productivity Works!" on Flipboard Are you a Flipboard user? Then you need to follow our Productivity Works! magazine. We update daily with links to productivity-enhancing articles. Photo credit: A Nice Place to Sit by Richard Walker on Flickr
The Ultimate Return-to-Work Checklist for Employees (Infographic)
As the COVID-19 pandemic eases with the acceleration of vaccine rollouts, companies across the globe are preparing to welcome employees back to the office. Organizational departments such as HR, IT, and people operations will be following individual checklists to ensure all bases are covered when the physical workplace reopens. This includes introducing cleaning procedures, creating temporary schedules, and informing employees of return-to-work protocols. But what about the employees themselves? What can you expect when you return to the office and how can you prepare yourself for this new situation? Luckily, we’ve prepared a return-to-work checklist for you to follow.
Wrike Named "Best Place to Work" for the Second Year in a Row!
It's been a wild and exciting year that saw us grow from 200 employees to over 400. We opened two new offices, released countless new features to our platform, and on-boarded thousands of new customers. All the while, we formed friendships with our colleagues, and continued to grow the culture of passion, learning, and collaboration that defines us as a company. Here are some of the highlights from the year.
How to Create a Workspace that Motivates You
Whoever started the office trend of cubicles and fluorescent bulbs clearly didn’t understand how real productivity happens. Natural light, privacy, physical comfort, and the freedom to personalize your space foster inspiration and efficiency—feeling simultaneously trapped and exposed in a beige den does not. Since technology opened the door to remote work, the benefits of a flexible workspace have become increasingly apparent. But the freedom to customize your work environment can be easily squandered if you don’t know what helps evoke creativity, and what stalls it. Get Innovative with Organization Storage solutions may be the last thing you want to focus your creative energy on, but if you don’t make an effort to stock up supplies and arrange them in a sensible way, you’ll end up wasting time hunting for a lost notepad, tripping over cords, or dashing to the store to refill your paper tray on a busy day. Consider using wall storage for supplies so that they’re in sight and within reach, but out of your way. Run your cords along the wall or feed them through a box to keep them organized. Use a large writing medium like a chalkboard or whiteboard so that your goals for the day or week are always visible. Confer with Nature Staying in touch with coworkers and clients is a given. But what about staying in touch with the great outdoors? Sunlight can help inspire you and keep you from feeling isolated, while fresh air keeps you healthy. According to the EPA, indoor air is two to five times more toxic than outdoor air. If you don’t have direct access to a window that opens, keep houseplants in your office to help purify the air. Choose a Color Palette that Soothes and Inspires It’s true that white appears to maximize space and make a room feel well lit. It’s also true that deep, saturated colors tend to be overly stimulating. But there are countless shades in between that can help you focus. If you like neutral tones, look into ivory, or dove gray. If vivid colors are more your style, consider going with softer shades for the wall and saving saturated tones for small accent pieces. Let science prevail over personal style when you’re trying to create a space where you can concentrate. Accommodate Conversation Even professionals who work remotely may need to meet with clients or work on certain projects with a co-worker. Make sure your environment can be conducive to teamwork when the need arises. Provide a comfortable place for another person to sit, and make sure basic office supplies are at their disposal. Store beverages in a mini-fridge to offer visiting clients. Optimize your office for video conferencing by investing in a second monitor that will allow you to toggle between programs more easily. Invest in Back Comfort Standing desks may not work for small spaces, and ergonomic chairs can be pricey, but back problems can also come with a pretty big price tag — from making you less productive to actually requiring medical treatment. Invest in whatever is going to keep your posture healthy and ward off the aches and pains. I hope some of these tips have inspired you to create the perfect remote office space that will foster creativity and drive productivity! Author Bio: Bryn Huntpalmer is a mother of two young children living in Austin, Texas. She currently works as an editor and writer for Modernize.com,with the goal of empowering homeowners with the expert guidance and educational tools they need to take on big home projects with confidence. More Articles on Motivation & Productivity Find more tips and resources for improving your productivity, honing your focus, and finding your motivation in these articles: How Writing Down Your Goals Helps Increase Productivity How to Set Up Your Workspace for Maximum Productivity (Infographic) 10 Gadgets to Keep You Healthy and Productive at Work
The Makeup of a Happy Employee (Infographic)
Happy employees are an invaluable asset to any company. They radiate positivity, camaraderie, and tend to stick around for a while. We partnered with Atomik Research to survey 4,000 workers across the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States. Check out our findings in the infographic below.
How to Set Up Your Workspace for Maximum Productivity (Infographic)
Take a moment to look at your desk. Are there piles of papers and scribbled notes? Crumpled granola bar wrappers? Photos of loved ones? Cold cups of coffee? Most of us have experienced firsthand how our work environment affects our ability to focus, but it can be difficult to know exactly how you should set up your workspace for optimum productivity. This infographic covers everything from color therapy and helpful music to desk-friendly exercises to help you create an ideal work environment. Check it out! Source: Davitt Corporate Psychology More Resources to Enhance Your Productivity Pick up more quick tips that will help you get things done in our infographic: 50 Productivity Tips to Boost Your Brainpower. Then start a free trial of Wrike to organize all your tasks and burn through your to-dos in record time. Read Next: Free eBook: What Doesn't Kill You Makes You More Productive 20 Top Productivity Apps for Your Mobile Device How Writing Down Your Goals Helps Increase Productivity
4 Weird Ways to Trick Yourself into Being Productive
Productivity is often times an internal struggle: The Lazy You vs. The Motivated You. The Lazy You says, "It's not due today, let's wait a few more hours to get started." The Motivated You says, "The faster you get this out of the way, the faster you can move on to something even more interesting!" For serial procrastinators, your lazy side can be extremely detrimental. Procrastinating leads to high stress levels, last-minute scrambles, and sometimes, missed deadlines. Improving your productivity is about learning how to fight back against your lazy impulses. And sometimes you'll have to pull a few tricks out of your sleeve to win. Try out these slightly strange suggestions and see if they help engage The Motivated You: 1. Talk to Yourself Musing out loud is a perfectly acceptable activity for the mentally stable worker. It can help build your self-confidence and calm your brain, and studies have indicated that talking to yourself can improve task performance. When you need to buckle down, encourage yourself with a little pep talk. "I start my day by asking these questions: 1) What would be the most fun to do? 2) What will make me the most money? 3) What will make me money right away? — If possible, I will start with the activity that gets all 3 taken care of first." —Sophie Mihalko, Facilitator of Consciousness, SophieMihalko.com Two things to remember when tricking yourself into being productive with private speech: 1. Switch up your pronouns. Address yourself in third person, or use "you" instead of "I" (e.g. "You did great today!"). Studies show it helps achieve better results. 2. Speak in positives. Negative words lead to negative mindsets — and that's not going to convince you to get more done. 2. Set Up Competitions: You vs. You This works especially well for competitive spirits, but can also work for the non-competitive. Challenge yourself to beat a personal record at work, or get things done faster than you expect. Got a boring task ahead? Give yourself an hour and race against your own procrastination. It might just keep you on track, so you don't feel tempted to check your social media accounts mid-task. "If I allot myself an hour to do something I'll see how fast I can get it done." —Jazmin Truesdale, CEO, Mino Enterprises Racing against the clock is one idea for self-competition, but that's not the only way you can compete against yourself: treat yourself to your favorite coffee drink when you finish a challenging task, or turn off your phone (nooo!) until you're done with a project. Share some of your other ideas in the comments! 3. Schedule Future Emails on Sunday... and CC Yourself If you're someone who starts work on Sunday to get a jumpstart on your week, you might actually be undermining your motivation. Completing several little tasks makes you feel accomplished and helps encourage your sense of "Don't stop now!" By doing all that work on Sunday, you've robbed yourself of little mood boosters throughout the week. But we're not suggesting you stop scheduling emails on Sunday — in fact, it's a pretty smart productivity trick if you can make it work for you. Instead, take this tip from Orun Bhuiyan at SEOcial: CC yourself on those emails so they show up in your inbox once they're sent. Seeing your own email will be a nice reminder of what you've already gotten done this week, and can give you that motivational nudge you need to keep up the good work. "Every Sunday I'll schedule emails to go out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning (I CC myself so I can remember what I sent). It's amazing how watching my past-self email people invigorates my drive and motivates me to work, but it does. It's a tremendous boost when I'm having a rough day." —Orun Bhuiyan, Co-founder & Marketing Technologist, SEOcial 4. Smile at the Mirror "No matter what you do, always start your day at work with a smile. (I have tried it. When you frown and enter your workplace, nothing goes right.)" —Yuimi Vashum, Outreach Manager, WiseCalvin.com You've probably heard this one before: smiling, even when you don't want to smile, is actually beneficial for your mood. For all you naysayers who say, "But it's not real happiness! It's not the same!" True, it's not the same. But just because it is a different type of happiness doesn't mean it can't be helpful. In an interview with Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilbert on the psychology of happiness, he says: "Let’s be careful with terms. Nylon is real; it’s just not natural. Synthetic happiness is perfectly real; it’s just man-made." So when you're tired, bored, or just fighting off The Lazy You, take a break to go smile at yourself in the mirror. Channel your inner 3-year-old and make funny faces at yourself. Do a little jig. Laugh at how absolutely ridiculous you feel — and if someone walks in on you in the middle of your "Thriller" reenactment, convince them to take the next two minutes and join the fun! You'll go back to work feeling rejuvenated, motivated, and a little bit closer to your new bathroom buddy. Be Weird, Be You, Be Productive No single productivity tip works for every person who tries it out; that's why we spend so much time talking about different options. So let us know, have you ever used any of these tips to be more productive? If these aren't your cup of tea, what productivity tips have worked well for you? Share your weirdest method in the comments!
The Pursuit of Positivity in the Workplace: Q&A with Happiness Expert Shawn Achor
How do you define happiness? How do you think it relates to the productivity of your team? Are your employees and coworkers happy? These answers affect more than just day-to-day emotions and interactions. They affect revenue and the culture of your business. As we try our best to free ourselves from distraction and conduct endless research on how to achieve an advantage over competitors, we forget about the biggest productivity enhancer and competitive advantage of all: a positive work environment. We spoke with Shawn Achor — happiness author, GoodThink Co-Founder and CEO, and TED Talk speaker — about the importance of happiness in the workplace and how positivity is scientifically proven to impact a business. Read the full Q&A below: 1. How do you define happiness? Does this definition change as we grow older? We need to redefine what happiness means. The ancient Greeks defined happiness as “the joy we feel striving toward our potential.” This changes the way we pursue happiness. Joy is something you can feel even in the ups and downs of life, even when things are not pleasurable. And joy is something we feel that moves us toward our potential or growth. We get closer to our potential when we grow in our relationships, or in our understanding of the world, or as altruists and compassionate human beings. The opposite of happiness is not unhappiness. Unhappiness can encourage us to make positive changes. The opposite of happiness is apathy, the loss of joy in our life. To me, this definition doesn’t change over time. 2. How can we distinguish between long-term happiness and temporary bouts of pleasure and success? Having traveled to 51 countries over the past five years, I’ve learned two things: everyone has a different definition of happiness, but what creates happiness is universal. As we measure happiness, we allow people to use their own definitions. Just like with pain at a hospital, there’s no pain-meter we can hook you up to. The same is true for happiness. You are just as happy as you feel you are. But what creates happiness is universal. Social support and connection are the greatest predictors of long-term happiness. In my research, I've found that there’s a 0.7 correlation between happiness and social support (which is incredibly high) — stronger than the correlation between smoking and cancer! Happiness, universally, is a choice based upon how we perceive the reality we find ourselves in. Which is why some people can be happy living in poverty and some affluent people are miserable. The United States is good about realizing that we need to seek happiness instead of just success, but the US has a long way to go to match the happiness of some less economically developed countries who realize that real social connection, physical exercise, being out in nature, not playing the materialism game, are crucial to happiness. I am hoping that, for schools and companies, we can stop using the "if you’re successful then you’ll be happy" formula, because that formula does not work. Rather, we need to realize that happiness fuels the success of a nation and individuals alike. [inlinetweet]"Everyone has a different definition of #happiness, but what creates happiness is universal" via @shawnachor @wrike[/inlinetweet] 3. What barriers keep people from experiencing happiness? The biggest barrier is most people think they can’t change. Most of the public thinks you’re either born positive or not, and that you cannot change. This understanding is 20 years behind the actual science. We now know that yes, genes seem to predict levels of happiness, intelligence, and success on average, but that is because the average person does not fight their genes. We rarely break free from our genes by creating voluntary habits designed to train our brain to act differently. If you look at the same research that “proves” genes matter, you’ll see outliers all over the place proving that genes do not have to be the end of the story. This is the research we need to share with the world. We can escape the tyranny our genes and environment have over our happiness. Happiness can be a choice. 4. What 3 tips would you give someone who struggles to find long-term happiness? 1. Practice gratitude on daily basis while you brush your teeth. Researchers have found that finding three new things you’re grateful for every day can move people dramatically on the optimism scale. 2. Write a positive note or email each day praising or thanking someone. If you make this a short note, less than two minutes, this is a daily routine that we have found dramatically raises your social connection score. Researchers have found that social connection is as predictive of how long you will live as obesity and smoking. 3. 15 minutes of cardio a day or three times a week for 30 minutes is the equivalent of taking an antidepressant. [inlinetweet]"15 min of cardio a day or 3x a week for 30 min is the equivalent of taking an antidepressant" via @shawnachor @wrike [/inlinetweet] 5. If happiness leads to success (and not the other way around), how can we take action in the workplace to improve the overall happiness of employees? The summary of my Harvard Business Review article is this: the greatest competitive advantage in the modern economy is a positive and engaged brain. The human brain at positive has an unfair advantage over that same brain at negative or neutral. When we are positive, we show 31% increase in productivity, 40% increased likelihood to get a promotion, 23% fewer stress-related symptoms, 37% higher sales — the list goes on and on. In my book Before Happiness, I describe the X-spot research which shows that we accelerate toward a goal the closer we perceive success to be. For a business example, think about a coffee shop that offers a card where if you buy 10 coffees, you’ll get one free. That strategy works much better if you help the customer feel that they’ve made great progress. So you have to buy 12 coffees, but you get two stamps free. In the first, you start out 0% toward your goal. In the second, you are 18% on your way. So as you set sales goals, product goals, or even make checklists, make sure you are already indicating progress. Each bit of perceived progress acts as a success accelerant for the brain. The X-spot in a marathon is 26.1 miles into the race. That's where they put medical crews, because your body gets such a huge rush of neurochemical accelerants that some people cannot take it. We obviously don’t want people having heart attacks, but this shows how powerful perceived success can be. At work, we can use some of those accelerants to propel growth. Happiness is a choice, but leaders and companies can make that choice easier by providing education on how to raise positivity in the workplace, creating social engagements, and authentically praising individuals. My job is to use the science to convince companies that the greatest competitive advantage in the modern economy is a positive and engaged workforce. Those that realize that, focus on helping cultivate positive work environments which results in the happiness advantage. [inlinetweet]"The greatest competitive advantage in the modern economy is a positive & engaged workforce" via @shawnachor @wrike[/inlinetweet] 6. What's a big new trend that you see coming that people aren't paying enough attention to? Genes and environment will define your happiness, unless you make conscious changes to your mindset and habits. If you do the latter, your happiness will no longer remain under the tyranny of your genes, childhood, and environment. Happiness is not the belief that we don't need to change, it is the belief that we can. How do you help boost positivity in the workplace? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments. Bio: After spending twelve years at Harvard University, Shawn Achor has become one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between happiness and success. His research on happiness made the cover of Harvard Business Review, his TED talk is one of the most popular of all time with over 8 million views, and his lecture airing on PBS has been seen by millions. Shawn has worked with over a third of the Fortune 100 companies, and lectured in more than 50 countries speaking to CEOs in China, senior leaders at the Pentagon, schoolchildren in South Africa, and farmers in Zimbabwe. His Happiness Advantage training is the largest and most successful positive psychology corporate training program to date in the world. Shawn is the author of New York Times best-selling books The Happiness Advantage (2010) and Before Happiness (2013), as well as Ripple’s Effect and The Orange Frog. Shawn was published in a top psychology journal last year for the work he did at UBS in partnership with Yale University to create a more effective stress training, and he recently did a two-hour interview with Oprah discussing happiness research and perception of success.
5 Strategies for Keeping Employees Happy
Recognition is crucial to ensure that your employees are happy and engaged with their work. In fact, according to an OfficeTeam survey, 66% of workers indicated that they’d leave their jobs if they didn’t feel appreciated. Here are 5 strategies for employee recognition.
Announcing Report: Exposing the Truth Behind Happiness in the Workplace
Think office ping pong, free snacks, and an open floor plan is leading to better productivity? Think again. Wrike's latest report debunks the myths behind workplace happiness and digs into how perks, diversity, and collaboration actually impact employee happiness and productivity.
Wrike Named Best Place to Work For 2nd Consecutive Year!
Wrike ranks 14th in the small companies category in 2016, improving our place on the list by five rankings since last year. The special "Best Places to Work" section, which ran in print and online on April 22, is produced by the San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal to honor Bay Area companies that have exceptional workplaces and value their employees' contributions. The rankings are created in conjunction with the publications’ research partner, Quantum Workplace, which sent surveys directly to employees of companies that were in consideration. San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal received more than 400 nominations this year, and selected 125 Bay Area companies for the 2016 list. Here they are: The Bay Area's 125 Best Places to Work — ranked #BayAreaBPTW https://t.co/PK26e0p0Tu pic.twitter.com/e5mQCMq1yX — SF Business Times (@SFBusinessTimes) April 20, 2016 Drum roll, please: Here are the Bay Area's 125 Best Places to Work — ranked #BayAreaBPTW https://t.co/FkD5ouyqrA pic.twitter.com/IV5WW0ckr2 — SVbizjournal (@SVbizjournal) April 24, 2016 CEO Andrew Filev is thrilled for Wrike to be honored with this award, which is based entirely on employee opinion. "It's our goal as an employer to create a dynamic and rewarding work culture for our employees. We're proud to see that vision come to fruition and build a company where people love to work,” said Filev. Wrike is committed to creating a great employee experience in each of its global locations, and we’re happy to receive an award that supports that commitment. Named one of North America’s fastest growing companies by Deloitte in 2015, Wrike continues to grow and expand its team in the US and internationally. See why we're a best place to work. Even more great news: we’re hiring! Check out our career page for the latest opportunities.