PREFACE
Happiness and Success
Go Hand in Hand
How and why happiness is fast becoming a driver of corporate success
“Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful,” says Virgin Group’s founder Sir Richard Branson. Employees are frequently asked by their superiors about job satisfaction and contentment at work. When they hesitate in responding to these questions, it can convey a lot more than words alone.
In an era where corporate success is increasingly measured not solely by financial metrics but also the wellbeing and satisfaction of its people, the pursuit of workplace happiness has emerged as a critical focus for organisations worldwide.
Corporate Life – the inaugural people centric annual publication that joins Media Services’ portfolio of magazines – is dedicated to exploring what contributes to corporate happiness, how fostering a positive work environment can drive both employee fulfilment and organisational excellence, and more.
The launch of Sri Lanka’s Corporate Happiness Index (CHI) marks a significant step towards understanding the key drivers of workplace wellbeing. Developed by PepperCube Consultants in collaboration with LMD, this pioneering initiative reflects insights from 600 professionals across diverse sectors.
By focussing on 16 critical attributes – ranging from workplace camaraderie and career progression, to health and wellbeing, and work-life balance – the CHI provides a comprehensive overview of the corporate environment.
As the renowned management consultant Tom Peters aptly stated, “the soft stuff is the hard stuff.” This assertion underscores the reality that while tangible assets and processes are crucial to a company’s operations, the intangible elements – such as employee happiness, corporate culture and engagement – are often the most challenging yet rewarding to cultivate.
According to a study undertaken by the University of Warwick, “happiness can increase productivity by up to 12 percent.” This isn’t merely a number but a testament to the impact that a positive work environment can have on an organisation’s performance.
Corporate happiness is not a one-size-fits-all concept but rather, a dynamic and evolving facet of organisational culture.
It includes various dimensions including work-life balance, recognition, career development and a sense of purpose. Creating an environment where employees feel valued, understood and aligned with the company’s vision is fundamental to achieving genuine corporate happiness.
Fostering corporate happiness is both an art and a science; it calls for a thoughtful approach to leadership, a commitment to continuous improvement and genuine concern for the wellbeing of every individual within the organisation.
It is important therefore, that organisations reflect on the ideas and practices presented in the pages that follow, and consider how they might be applied to their workplaces. This principle remains as relevant today as ever, and serves as reason for those striving to create workplaces where happiness and success go hand in hand.
