How to Foster a Happy Workplace Culture for Your Employees

The power of happiness can never be overstated, but did you know that it’s not just something to enjoy in your personal life? Indeed, positivity is also important in the workplace – for employees as well as for the clients and customers you work with. How can you foster a happy workplace culture and ensure that your employees feel good about themselves and their roles? We spoke with Amy Dix, a bestselling author and transformational coach, about how companies can lift up their employees and infuse their businesses with positivity.

Are you curious about why a happy workplace culture is so important and how to achieve it? Watch our podcast with Amy Dix to find out:

Amy Dix is an international bestselling author, award-winning speaker, and transformational coach. She hosts two podcasts: Unlocking Happiness as well as Happiest Places to Work. She also runs Choose Happy, a community of crazy-happy people determined to make a difference at work and in the world. They are dedicated to helping you and your team achieve greatness and choose happiness in the workplace and the world.

To start off our discussion, we find out how Amy became an expert in happiness. Of course, all of us feel happiness in our lives; how did Amy develop a deeper understanding of it and turn that into knowledge she could share with others? Though the inspiration started with her mother, who was joyful and warmhearted, Amy has also studied the psychology of happiness. After working in corporate America – and enjoying it! – Amy found that her skills and passions could be put to better use by helping other businesses and teams find and spread happiness.

This may seem like a basic question, but why is it so important that employees are happy? Aside from being a worthy goal in its own right – everyone deserves to feel happy and fulfilled – it’s also better for the company overall. Think about it: Employees who hate their jobs and may even be looking for work elsewhere are unlikely to put in their full effort. Unhappiness leads directly to disengagement and lower productivity. But on the flip side, happy employees who feel valued and empowered will pay closer attention to their work, have more creative ideas, and generally have a better work ethic. And it’s been said that happiness is contagious!

So we can agree that happy employees = a really good thing for all involved. Okay, so how can employers discover their employees’ happiness level in a way that is respectful… and not creepy? Amy and Lynn both have ideas about this, and it starts with asking open-ended questions. Take the time to listen to your employees, understand what they’re saying, and find ways to help them feel happier at work. How can you improve the workplace for them? How can employers help their employees achieve higher levels of happiness without being overbearing?

Beyond employers fostering a happy workplace culture, there are also steps individual employees can take to support their own happiness at work. Take the time to pay attention to yourself and your needs. What do you like or not like about your job? What is missing, and can it be found in or added to your current role? Also consider your mental health. Now more than ever, people are more open to seeking good mental health, and part of that can come from taking days off for yourself. A personal day or vacation can help you recharge and feel better.

One word of warning, though: Try not to cross the line into toxic positivity. If you don’t know what toxic positivity is, Amy explains it well on the podcast. It’s basically being too positive, and forcing too much happiness, at the risk of downplaying or ignoring valid feelings of anger, sadness, and the like. How can you encourage happiness in yourself and others mindfully, without it turning toxic? Amy shares some excellent advice here.

Listen to our podcast with Amy below to learn more about fostering happiness in the workplace:

To find out more about Amy Dix, visit her official website here. She also hosts two podcasts, so you’ll want to tune into both! You can also keep up with Amy on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all her latest updates.