What makes an organization happy???

[Vijay Kumar Shrotryia]

hi friends
I just would like to initiate a discussion on the constituents of making an organisation a happy org. In my view EE is one such effort which could enhance employee satisfaction, so Employee Satisfaction should be considered first constituent. Then comes the satisfaction of the customers/clients which could be achieved by providing better value for money and excellent service quality. Then comes the management which of course would be interested in better profitability as well as better impression about the organization.
Another constituent could be responsibility towards society or as it is termed in management literature CSR. Socially responsible organizations and their effort to sustain such sense of social responsiveness can go a long way in making an organization happy.....
There could be many more such dimensions which we could talk about and explore...

[Maria Armaou]

Nice question, indeed!! Tough to answer, though!

I think that understanding what helps/supports an organisation (and that includes its people of course) to flourish can be a good start... I agree that employee engagement is crucial, as well as respect, trust and maintaining openness to change.
I think that a real happy organisation also knows and shows explicitly that conflict, arguments and dissatisfaction, when they arise, are not to be treated as a threat to its existence.
However, I also think that job satisfaction, success and other things are the desirable "by-products" rather than what makes an organisation "happy" in the first place.

[Vijay Kumar Shrotryia]

a good piece on McKinsey network for non-monetary incentives.

[Sam Deeks]

I agree with Kevin's earlier post that happiness isn't a result, it's a choice.

Culturally, we collude to pretend that happiness is something that things, situations or people can do to us, or give to us. This is called 'normality' ;-) Very few people question the absurdity of the statement "You make me angry..." yet no-one has the power to make you angry. Or happy.

There are only two positions on this point of view: you're either willing to entertain it (in which case, you can ask the next interesting question "if no-one can make me happy, why do I act out a story that pretends they can - what's the benefit?") or you're not - in which case, you will carry on giving people and things the power to 'make' you happy or sad. That's ok by me.

But if you play the game and imagine for a while that happiness was a choice, then the question you have to ask is the one that someone asked by way of rebuttal of Kevin's point: "why, then, do so many people choose to be unhappy? More importantly, why do I choose to be unhappy?" I can't answer that question for you or anyone else - but I can for me.

If you think things or people can make you happy or unhappy, then they will. For a moment. These things will please you for a while until you get bored of them and your own real, personal choice to be happy or unhappy breaks back through the medication. Ever wondered how all those beautiful, successful, wealthy and powerful people can end up as unhappy as the next person?

What I think is true is that organisations can create the conditions for people to grow, learn, develop awareness and - maybe in doing so - learn that they can choose to be happy, individually and collectively. But very few do because most are run by people choosing the story that they don't have the choice. Often, these people pursue business and 'success' because - to put it bluntly - they believe that the things it brings will make them happy. We all know these people; we probably all recognise this part of ourselves too.

Taking responsibility for your own happiness is the ultimate responsibility - and requires awareness and courage and (alien to the culture of most organisations I've ever been in) a willingness to be drop the armour and develop some emotional intelligence.

[Vijay Kumar Shrotryia]

Hi Sam

Thanx for your views...lets further explore this.

vijay

[Sam Deeks]

Seem to have had some replies deleted?

What I meant to say was, yes, lets explore this further. I've expressed my views, so it's over to someone else.

And this is really interesting too (in case you haven't seen it somewhere in this network already)...
Best wishes
Sam

[Vijay Kumar Shrotryia]

Sam:
sorry for being late:
I have not deleted any of your submissions. I respect your views and yes we need to further explore, suggest, submit related literature.

wishes