How we do things and perceive the world has changed over the past year. More than ever, there is a need to go deeper, reevaluate, and make adjustments to the different aspects of our life; this is true for corporations and individuals. For corporations, it means looking at their mission and values, how employees identify with those values, is the company attracting quality employees? or is it experiencing high employee turnover? For employees, it means looking inwards, how they view themself, how they respond to problems, interact with others in their personal and professional life, their role within the organization, and as team players, evaluate if they are reaching their maximum potential.
Working individually with employees is crucial in making fundamental changes within an organization, helping each realize their value and how they can better serve the company; supporting them to bring the best in them is a win-win situation. Each employee will appreciate the results in their personal and professional lives; businesses will see the results by experiencing a better work environment, more productivity, more collaboration, and ultimately, more revenue. To do this may take more effort, but the responsibility is shared, everyone will do their part, and in the end, companies will experience a positive transformation. Happy employees who feel empowered, valued, and respected are more likely to excel, it will make them feel good about themselves, and with the right approach, companies will thrive.
Inhance developed the 7 Steps to Happiness Program with this in mind, and it is now available online, allowing employees to go through it individually and privately. Each step takes seven days, each day with real-life application exercises and reflections, for a total of 49 days to complete the program. It covers every aspect of our being and works on the areas that most impact how we live life:
Our Mind: thoughts influence our reality. We have 64,000 thoughts per day on average, 80% of those thoughts tend to be negative thoughts, and studies have shown how our thoughts create our reality. The first step to happiness is to learn to manage your thoughts and shift to a positive mindset.
Our Self: the way we see ourselves reflects on how we interact with others. The measure of love and respect we have for ourselves is the measure of love and respect we receive from others. The second step to happiness is to learn to love ourselves.
Our Life: we cannot change the world, but we can choose how we see it and what we do. The third step towards happiness is to learn to accept life as it is, be grateful for what we have, and recognize pain and challenges as opportunities to heal and grow.
Our Relationships: are a reflection of ourselves. We learn to appreciate people in our lives even if we do not have a good relationship with them because they are often our biggest teachers. The fourth step is to learn to build healthy relationships and resolve conflicts.
Our Spirituality: clarity comes from within. Setting aside a moment every day to connect with our inner selves will give us clarity and balance. The fifth step teaches us to listen to our inner voice, to our heart. This practice will help us align our thoughts, feelings, and actions– when we achieve this, we find harmony in our lives.
Our Body: is the instrument to walk through life and meet our goals. Our health, what we eat, and how strong our body is, affects the way we think and feel. The sixth step is to learn to listen and take care of our bodies.
Our Purpose: knowing what we want in order to have control of our life. The seventh and last step will teach us how to live with purpose, to give meaning to every decision and action we take.
Happiness is good for Business; several studies demonstrate that happy employees are more engaged, productive, and willing to collaborate, being instrumental in the success of the company. It also helps in building a positive work environment ultimately influencing the corporate culture. The repercussions are many, creativity blossoms in positive and healthy environments, it will also decrease employees’ turnover and attract quality workers, and so on. Companies that invest in the welfare of their employees and provide the resources for leaders to create the conditions prosper.