6 Science-Backed Ways to Raise Happiness (and Success) at Work

Welcome back to Office Hours with Arthur Brooks. In this episode, I turn to a place where many of us spend most of our waking hours: the workplace. Whether you’re an employee, a manager, or leading an organization, happiness at work is not just a nice-to-have; it is a proven driver of productivity, loyalty, and even company performance.

Drawing on research from Irrational Capital and insights from my book The Happiness Files, I share the six factors that truly make people happier at work, and explain why gimmicks and perks cannot compare.

I discuss:

• The most important factor that drives happiness at work
• How direct, honest communication reduces fear and builds trust
• The surprising impact a manager’s mood has on team morale
• One of the easiest and fastest ways to boost happiness and productivity at work
• How investing in learning, mentorship, and growth creates lasting engagement
• Should you be making friends at work?
• The leadership styles that fail employees and the two that actually inspire loyalty and performance
• How much do your pay and perks directly impact your happiness?
• Audience Q&A on knowing if there is a God, if your personality makes you more likely to be unhappy, and dealing with temptation

We’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at [email protected]. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening!

Where to find Arthur Brooks:
• Website: https://arthurbrooks.com/
• X: https://x.com/arthurbrooks
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• LinkedIn:   / arthur-c-brooks  
• Email: [email protected]

Timestamps
(00:00) Intro
(04:46) A no-gimmicks approach to workplace happiness
(06:06) What research shows about happiness in the workplace
(12:20) Six factors that drive workplace happiness
(14:35) #1: Innovation: Openness to input and ideas
(16:43) #2: Direct management: Clear, direct communication
(20:08) #3: Organizational effectiveness: Focus on efficiency and limit meetings
(23:17) #4: Engagement: Invest in employee growth
(26:40) #5: Emotional connection: Fostering a culture of friendship
(31:36) #6: Organizational alignment: aligning external mission with company culture
(33:49) Intrinsic benefits vs. extrinsic benefits
(35:20) Daniel Goleman’s 6 leadership styles
(36:24) Four leadership styles to avoid
(38:53) The two most effective leadership styles
(40:00) A quick recap of the six factors that contribute to employee happiness the most
(41:58) How do you know there is a God?
(44:30) Are you predisposed to lifelong unhappiness due to your personality?
(47:00) How to deal with temptation

Referenced:
• Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/188...
• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/...
• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-File...
• The 8 Stupidest Management Fads of All Time: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-8-st...
• Does Employee Happiness Have an Impact on Productivity?: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10...
• Happiness and Productivity: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi...
• J.P. Morgan Research: https://www.irrational.capital/jp-mor...
• Why Meetings Are Terrible for Happiness: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/ar...
• Dear Manager, You’re Holding Too Many Meetings: https://hbr.org/2022/03/dear-manager-...
• The Magic of 30-Minute Meetings: https://hbr.org/2016/02/the-magic-of-...
• 5 Benefits of Corporate Employee Training & Development: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/empl...
• A survey method for characterizing daily life experience: the day reconstruction method: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15576...
• Why It’s So Lonely at the Top: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/ar...
• Oxytocin: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health...
• Leadership that gets Results: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapter...
• Leadership Perspectives: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e...
• Vincent van Gogh: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-a...

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