#121 Sustainable Happiness at Work | Dr. Emma Seppala

As a Silicon Valley-based psychologist, I frequently hear from my clients about their work woes. These woes are often the result of companies who erroneously subscribe to harsh techniques in trying to bring out the best in their employees, which is in line with the old cliché “The beatings will continue until morale is increased.”

Not surprisingly, that doesn't work. Harsh practices may yield short-term benefits. Yet, creating positive workspaces appears to improve virtually all measures of long-term results. And while some people may lionize harsh practices or consider positive practices to be fuzzy, the science doesn't lie; implementing positive work practices is good business. Thankfully, many companies are noting this to the benefit of all stakeholders, including at least two major high-tech companies where I’ve served as a resiliency consultant.

And that is why I am so excited to share with you my interview with this wonderful guest. Dr. Emma Seppälä is a professor at Yale School of Management. She also serves as the Science Director at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research Education and is the author of a book I absolutely adored called The Happiness Track. I am not alone in my appreciation of Emma and her work. I wholly agree with Susan Cain, the author of Quiet, who said Emma’s work, “not only teaches us how to thrive in our chosen profession, but how to stay true to ourselves.”

So, listen in as Emma and I geek out to the research about what really makes us thrive at work.

Link to her book, The Happiness Track can be found here: https://amzn.to/3P6XGHC

Link to her Harvard Business Review article, Proof That Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/rusrt6u8 This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).