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RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

and mastery), autonomy (independence) and a sense has been that social progress happens if we can im-
of relatedness (working together) need to be in place, prove economic progress. If we increase GDP per capi-
should organizations want to nurture healthy environ- ta… life gets better.” Although that’s true, he believes
ments filled with self-motivated, happy employees. that’s not enough. A successful society fosters free-
When these three basic elements thrive in a workplace, doms, equality and springboards to launch generations
companies will benefit by way of worker retention, higher.
productivity and people who passionately love what
they do. Happiness is a business imperative

Take, for example, the critical element of autonomy. If health, wealth and happiness on a societal level
When employees are entrusted to oversee a task, un- seem to suggest some common features, shouldn’t we
encumbered by scrutinizing and bureaucratic road- apply this litmus of scale to our own corporate cultures?
blocks, they have proven to perform better and last As Curtin University research has found, organizations
longer on the job. They are more apt to innovate and that apply high amounts of trust and employee inde-
offer fresh, creative solutions to historical problems, pendence reap better rewards, both in profits and com-
because they are unhindered by politics and conven- pany morale. Companies that unlock passion unlock
tionality. Autonomy brings out the best in people, ena- performance; they ignite innovation and stir up nonline-
bling them to inculcate the skills and rich experience of ar thinking, which tips companies into cutting edge cre-
life outside of work into the job itself. Rather than ativity and higher levels of productivity.
‘leaving your life in the lobby’, day to day knowledge
can be infused into critical aspects of work and tip ‘good Opportunities to grow and gain new skills, to interact
ideas on paper’ into ‘better ideas in practice’. across fields of expertise and levels of management,
promote employee whole-heartedness and self-
Money still won’t buy happiness motivation. The more an organization understands
what is important to a person, the greater sense of
‘Happiness’, however, has a back story. Companies, meaning and fulfilment that person feels on the job, and
even countries, who rank high on the happy factor are the broader impact that individual can have on the or-
the result of meticulous investment and careful plan- ganization as a whole. When organizational culture
ning. So strong is the link between happiness and so- adopts a language and posture that prioritizes the em-
cial wellbeing that the UN has reworked its quantifiable ployee’s experience and promotability, companies will
diagnostics of social progress and success to set the inevitably benefit.
state of mind front and center of the analysis.
As the saying goes, “The happiest people don’t have
For too long, the world has upheld Gross National Prod- the best of everything; they just
uct (GNP) as the primary measurement of prosperity, make the best of everything”. Im-
said UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon, in 2012. Des- agine what we could pull off, if the
ignating a day for its pre-eminence as a “goal of public touchpoints of autonomy, compe-
policy”, the UN backed the launch of International Hap- tency and collaboration were
piness Day with the first of its kind, 2013 World Happi- named and carefully placed within
ness Report. Drawing the distinction between happi- our HR processes. If happiness
ness as an emotion and happiness in the sense of life was more than lip service and
satisfaction, the report was able to put flesh on the integral to our corporate agenda,
bones of a historically esoteric body of thought. we would probably end up accidentally stumbling over
profit. Now there’s something to smile about. ◊
So too has Harvard economist, Michael Porter, who’s
currently putting chart-topping Iceland to the test with By Vicky Webb, Aurecon
the launch of what he calls his “Social Progress Index”
– a new scale for measuring how well societies are This post originally appeared on Aurecon’s Just Imag-
ine blog that provides a glimpse into the future for curi-
functioning. Essentially, he argues that, no matter how ous readers, exploring ideas that are probable, possible
well a society provides for its citizens’ basic needs, they and for the imagination. You might want to subscribe
will never be satisfied if opportunity to innovate and im- here to get access to the latest blog posts as soon as
prove upon their lives is lacking. Porter says, “The idea they are published

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