lead workshop- 12 steps to happiness - developing the leader in...

Finding the 12 Steps to Happiness –Developing the Leader in You

Finding ways to increase and enhance happiness in your lifePresented by the RMIT Counselling Service

Note: This workshop is based on material the book “Standing without Shoes” by George Burns and Helen Street and “Happiness at work - A How-to Guide for Leaders” (presentation by Andrew Marty - Managing Director SACS Consulting)

RMIT University©2009 Counselling Service 2

Session Outline

• Why happiness is so important?

• Determining your own beliefs about happiness

• Developing an understanding of happiness:

– Elements of Happiness

– The Ways to Happiness

– What the research says about the circumstances that make us happy

• What you can do to enhance your happiness

• The 12 Steps to Happiness- what are they and how can you practice them?

• Putting the steps into action

– Developing your own Happiness Plan

• Why increased happiness important in terms of leadership skills?

• What we know about good leadership

• What makes team members happy

This workshop will also provide opportunities for you to experience the practice of some of the 12 steps to help to empower you to make positive changes in your life that will increase your overall levels of happiness.


Why is happiness so important?

� Are you an optimist?

� In that case you are likely to have half the rates of heart disease of

pessimists, you are also likely to have lower risk of hypertension, diabetes and upper respiratory tract infection.

� Research has found a strong link between happiness and longevity.

� Research finds that happy people earn considerably more.

� Whatever your definition of happiness, we know that people who see

themselves as happy are also in a better state of physical balance and health

(vs. those who are stressed, depressed, anxious etc.).

� So working on enhancing your happiness is a worthwhile goal because it will

also improve your health and well being + it’s a lot more fun!


Why is increased happiness important in terms of leadership skills?

• Good leadership engenders happiness in those you are leading. One of the ways of doing this is to work on increasing your own personal happiness and understanding how to achieve greater happiness and well being for yourself.

� Many organisations are now understand the importance of happiness in the workplace. Happier employees are more productive and stay on longer (reduced staff turnover). Happier organisations are more successful. Being a good leader involves understanding this and the means of increasing happiness in your team (it is more than simply providing competitive benefits and wages).

• A leader is someone people want to follow. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. Happiness is both attractive and inspiring to others.

• Understanding happiness better enables you to recognise it more readily in team members. Recruiting staff for the trait of optimism is likely to increase the likelihood of a functional team.


Why is increased happiness important in terms of leadership skills?

Leaders can achieve great things if they trust their inner energy and their work gives them pleasure. The resulting energies are infectious. To give a popular example of how this might manifest itself in the business world, consider the words of Richard Branson:

“If your staff are happy and smiling and enjoying their work, they will perform well. Consequently, the customers will enjoy the experience with your company. If your staff are sad and miserable and not having a good time, the customers will be equally miserable. So, it is a critical thing. We’ve done things differently at Virgin and that’s made life more fun and enjoyable. I’ve been determined to have a good time.

Leaders who radiate happiness can achieve better relationships with their followers, who in turn create happier customers, it is worthwhile for leaders to reflect on their own degree of personal happiness. It is therefore fruitful to encourage leaders to ask themselves:

– are you happy/unhappy?

– is happiness a relevant topic for your personal developmental plan?

– do happier people perform better at work?

– do unhappy people make worse leaders?

• Such provocative questions inevitably lead to discussions around what happiness is and how you know when you’re there.

(Wills, S. (2007) Happiness…a primary source of effective leadership, The Ashbridge Journal, Spring 2007)


A short word about happiness

• The state of happiness is defined by you – there are no absolutes about determining how happy you are or should be.

• Happiness is a variable state – levels of happiness vary depending for any one person vary from moment to moment and day to day.

• The goal is not to feel “blissfully happy” every minute of every day because

that would be impossible!

• Rather the goal is to increase the happiness in your life so that you are happy

more often than you currently are.


Tell us about your some of your beliefs about happiness….

1. I have a good understanding of what impacts my level of happiness.

2. I have a good understanding of things I can do to increase my level of happiness.

3. I believe that happiness is something you can work at and improve.

4. I believe that greater happiness is within my reach.

5. I believe that happiness comes from living in a way that is consistent with my personal values.

6. I believe that happiness involves a degree of choice.

7. I believe that trying achieving perfection is not the pathway tohappiness.

8. I do not expect to feel 100% happy all the time.

6=Strongly Agree

4=SlightlyAgree

5=ModeratelyAgree

3=SlightlyDisagree

1=Strongly Disagree

2=ModeratelyDisagree


Happiness is……(M. Seligman)

• Past: feelings of satisfaction, contentment, pride, and serenity.

• Present (examples): enjoying the taste of food, glee at listening to music, absorption in reading, satisfaction in work, your environment, etc.

• Future: feelings of optimism, hope, trust, faith, and confidence.

Happiness and/or well-being comes from having Positive Feelings (such as ecstasy and comfort) and engaging in Positive Activities (that are absorbing and engaging).


Elements of

Happiness:

Enduring Level of Happiness

• The base level of happiness existing in a person’s life

Happiness Set Point

• Our genetic pre-disposition to a level of happiness – the contribution of nature. The contribution of nurture is our experiences, the habits we develop and the choices we make. Whilst we can not change our nature, we can choose happiness by choosing thoughts and activities that maximise our happiness within our nature.

Level of Enduring Happiness = Happiness Set Point + Happiness from Circumstances

+ Happiness from Variables

Happiness from Circumstances

• Our particular circumstances, like health, wealth, social life and education do impact our level of happiness somewhat. Research has shown that some circumstances do contribute to happiness whilst others have no attributable affect.

Happiness from Variables

• Including pleasures and gratifications. Or happy thoughts and happy activities.

• Pleasures sensory & emotional experiences (a delicious taste, a feeling of comfort) that are subjectively experienced as pleasurable. Are often fleeting and momentary

• Gratifications activities we enjoy primarily because of the result. For example, when helping someone leads to feeling gratified.

• Happy thoughts – make us aware that we are experiencing happiness. Thoughts about pleasure or gratification. Any one of the positive emotions can lead to happy thoughts.

• Happy activities - absorbing and engaging activities (“being in the zone”). At the time, we may not notice we are happy but afterwards we look back and realize how good it made us feel.


The Ways to Happiness

The secret to a happy life is to choose happiness.

• Choose happiness by choosing activities that maximise the elements of happiness in the formula for happiness:

–Train yourself to think happy thoughts (think about what you aregrateful for, what you love, learn to be optimistic)

–Engage in happy (absorbing) activities

• Choose happiness by seeking out happy circumstances. The circumstances that are associated with happiness and those whichhave little impact might surprise you:


Research outcomes: What are the circumstances that make us happy?

–Satisfying relationships –family and friends

–Esteem

–Belonging – community, organisations, etc

–Meaning

–Use of personal strengths

–Helping others

–Genes

–Alcohol (in moderation)

–Spiritual beliefs and/or religion

–Money (Once you have enough money to meet your basic needs for food, shelter and safety, money has little effect on your overall happiness level)

–Education

–Good weather

–Youth

–Children


What can are some of the things you can to do enhance your happiness?

�Work on enhancing the relationships in your life. Think about small ways that you can show your love and appreciation to the people you value in your life and you are much more likely to receive love and appreciation in return. Think about the relationships in your life in the past that enhanced the quality of life and impress upon yourself the value of nurturing positive relationships.

�Work on valuing yourself more. Think about who you are, what you are good at, get to know yourself and appreciate the qualities of that person rather than just focussing on what is “wrong” with you. Also – think about the possible joy that life can bring. This alone can enhance happiness.

�Think about where you are going and want to go in life. Having a sense of purpose, a reason for living is so important to create the motivation and energy to get on with life. Even if you don’t have a direction, simply engaging in the exercise of searching for meaning will have a positive impact on your happiness.

�Think about your personal sense of spirituality. This doesn’t have to be about religion, spirituality means having a sense of things bigger than ourselves, the interconnectedness of life on our planet. In other words –having a broader sense of perspective about life and the world.


What is your experience of happiness? An experiential drawing exercise

• Think of a time that you believe that you were happy and try to remember what that experience was like.

• What do you believe a happy life would look like for you?

• How would you know you were happy?

• What does happiness feel like?

• Where do you experience it in your body?

• Does happiness have a colour, a shape, a pattern to it if you visualise it as an image?

• In pairs, share with each other your answers to the above questions.

• When you are ready, using the drawing materials provided, draw your experience of happiness.

• In your pairs, share your drawing with you partner and explore together your personal meanings of happiness.


The 12 Steps to Happiness

�This “12 Step” program is intended to provide you with suggestions and inspiration about what you might be able to do to increase the levels of happiness in your life.

�Make each step personal and unique to you – they are not a “recipe” that must be followed by everyone in the same way.

�You don’t need to do all the steps at once – you might already be practicing some of the steps in your life right now and mightonly need to work on those you don’t practice.


Step One: Be Active

�That is – doing something rather than nothing.

�The something can be something very gentle or simple (meditation, relaxation exercise, going to an art gallery, signing up for a class in photography) or something very intense and vigorous (an aerobicsclass, bushwalking, skydiving!).

�Exercise is always a great option (research has shown that it can keep us emotionally healthy as well as physically healthy).


Step One: The One Minute Relaxation (A practice exercise)

• A quick, easy and portable relaxation exercise that can help to reduce the level of tension you are feeling. Use this every day and do it as often as you like through the day!

• Step one: Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor and preferably close your eyes.

• Step two: Now concentrate on your breath. Take a deep breath and hold it for as long as you comfortably can. Then let it out fully. Repeat this deep breath in and out.

• Step three: Focus on relaxing your fingers. Imagine the tension going out of your fingers, your palms, your wrists.

• Step four: Focus on relaxing your shoulders. Lower them if you notice they are hunched. As you let your shoulders sink, notice a nice relaxed heavy feeling in the muscles.

• Step five: Focus on relaxing your jaw. Unclench your teeth if you are clenching them and let your teeth fall slightly apart. Feel the tension leaving your jaw.

• Step six: Take another two deep breaths in and out.

Are you feeling more relaxed?

You have just practiced one of the 12 steps in less than a minute!


Step Two: Be Outgoing

�Remember that humans are social beings –interacting with others contributes to a good quality of life.

�Ask yourself – am I happy with the social interactions I am experiencing in my life? If yes – great! If not, how can increase or improve my social interactions?

�Ideas might include:

�Inviting friends over for a get together

�Make conversation with the person who sits next to you in class or the café you always go to

�Organise an outing with work colleagues or

�Just try to make eye contact and smile at fellow passengers on the train, people in the lift etc. and see what happens!


Step Two: Exercise in getting to know each other - 2

Truths & A Lie

• Get into small groups

• Each person should write two truths and a lie about themself (5-8 minutes)

and then we will try to guess each other's lie.

• The goal is to:

a) Convince others that your lie is truth (and that one of your truths is the lie)

b) To correctly guess other people's lies.

c) Get to know each other better!

• In your group, go around the circle and take turns in reading out your truths

and lies. Quiz each about each statement to help determine which are the

truth and which is the lie. Then read the statements again, stopping to allow a vote for each one. e.g., "I am Turkish. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote] I

am vegetarian. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote] I have a metal pin in my

right leg. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote]. OK, my lie was "I am

vegetarian." (10-15 minutes)


Step Three: Be Flexible

�Being flexible allows us to adapt better to the challenges that life throws at us. Realising that there are other ways to deal with the situations that arise or even just being willing to try a new way increases our chances of coping and therefore of being happier.

�Practice being flexible in what you do. Practice this flexibility even with the small things - being willing to try a meal you’ve never tried before or a new brand of toothpaste, a new route to a friend’s house or tackling a task at work differently.

�Practice being flexible in how you think. Tune into your thoughts and ask yourself “is there another way of thinking about this?”.


Step Four: Be Passionate

�Find an activity that ignites enthusiasm and passion –

something that you can find yourself looking forward to, that

can add colour and a bright spot

to the landscape of your life.

�Ask yourself “is there something

I’ve always wanted to do, but put off or not made time for?” Think

about changing that!

�If you are not sure about what might ignite that passion or enthusiasm, make it a mission to notice which ideas, events, places or stories grab your

attention and interest, that you find yourself thinking or dreaming about.

There might be some clues there to help you find something you can be passionate about!

�Some examples might be a new recreational activity, changing jobs/careers, travelling, reading, joining a choir – the sky is the limit!


Step Five: Be Compassionate

�Being kind, compassionate or caring towards someone not only helps that someone but can also help you, the giver, to feel good. Being caring and compassionate also contributes to the “good vibes”out in the world.

�Practice “Random Acts of Kindness” –

�Let someone go first in the queue at the supermarket,

�Offer someone your seat on a train or let a car with its blinker on into your lane

�Make a cake and take it to your neighbour – it could be anything.

�Observe how it affects them, how it makes you feel and whether it enhances your relationships with the people in your life who you are kind and compassionate towards.


Step Six: Be Focussed

�That is, practice being “in the moment”,

being mindful or involved in what you are doing in the here and now.

�Try to reduce rumination, try to let go of worries because worrying about

something doesn’t really change the

outcome anyway! Try to notice when you are worrying overly about the small

things and challenge yourself to think differently about them.

�Redirect your focus and energy back to the moment – the more you

practice, the easier it gets. Tune into what is happening, what do you see, hear, taste, smell, sense, feel in the moment to bring you back there if you

find yourself drifting off into “worry land”!


Step Seven: Be Positive �You will probably not be surprised

to learn that pessimism is linked

closely to depression and optimism to happiness.

�Learning to lean towards optimism is an important step in

the ongoing quest for happiness.

�This doesn’t necessarily mean

becoming “Pollyanna” or refusing to acknowledge that bad things do

happen, but rather try to address the balance –

�Do you always look for and

notice the negatives?

�Do you ever try looking for the

positives?

�Think about this phrase – You

see what you look for.

�Change your “tuning” so that you

actively search for examples of

when things are good or go right

as well as noticing when they

don’t.


Success Secrets Of Optimists

• Optimist Success Secret 1: The ability to see problems as temporary and recognise that

things constantly change.

• Optimist Success Secret 2: Optimists contain problems. Problems do not colour their

whole life when they happen (kept contained to and only affect a small area of their life).

• Optimist Success Secret 3: Optimists look at problems as just a challenge to solve. They

are caused by external situations not by a person.

• Optimist Success Secret 4. Optimists actively look to see what attributes in themselves

contributed to a positive outcome (ex. they got their job promotion was because they are so

persistent and methodical). They actively look for their strengths.

• Optimist Success Secret 5: Optimists actively look for what situations cause the problem

and don’t see a person as the cause.

• Optimist Success Secret 6: Optimists tell themselves positive stories about themselves

(self talk). Optimists tell positive stories to others about what is happening in their lives.

• Optimist Success Secret 7: Optimists look forward to success in the future. Positive

events are signs that more success is on its way. Therefore they expect more success and

achieve more success.


An exercise in optimism: Group Discussion

1. Your car breaks down and you have to

walk to uni.

2. You wave to a classmate on the other

side of the caf and they don’t wave

back.

3. You find out that you don’t get a job

you applied for only because the

successful applicant has more years of

experience than you.

4. You order a dish at a restaurant but

the waiter tells you that it is not

available today and you have to have

the second option you were

considering instead.

5. You fail an assignment but are given another opportunity to resubmit.

6. You get on the wrong train and end up in a suburb you don’t know.

7. Your friend tells you that they are sick and can’t come with you to a party you were really looking forward to going to.

8. You ask someone out on a date and they don’t get back to you immediately

9. Your brother rings to tell you that you forgot your mum’s birthday.

10.You leave the house without an umbrella and it starts to rain.

11.You spend hours cooking a dish and it burns.

• What would you think if the following things happened to you?

• What is an optimistic way of looking at these situations?


Step Eight: Be Aware of Possibilities

�Wherever possible, expand your range of choices – create new

ones, explore the options that are already “out there” for you. The

more choices you have, the more

likely you are to feel in control of what is happening in your life.

�Learn to recognise what you can and can’t control and focus your

energies on the things you can control, the choices you can make.

�Focus on your self talk – if you notice yourself saying “I have to..” or “I have no choice”, take a moment to think about whether there are other options.

Ask yourself what you can do rather than what you can’t do.


Step Nine: Be a Problem Solver

�Happy people in general tend to be good problem solvers, possibly because they also feel that they have choices and therefore some control over what is happening in their lives.

�To be a good problem solver, start by asking yourself: “What do I want to do about this?”

�Then ask: “How can I put this into action?”

�And finally: “When can I put this into action?”

�Remember that having a plan is great but the most important part is putting it into action!


Step Ten: Be a Sensory Seeker

�Increased stimulation and novelty in life leads to greater enjoyment. We receive this stimulation through our five senses.

�Ask yourself – is life stimulating or boring for you? What could you do to increase the level of excitement?

�Try something in each sensory area: look for the colours in the day, the pleasurable sounds in your life, the fragrances in your garden, the tastes you love, the textures you enjoy touching.

�Noticing the small things can increase the sense of stimulation in your life as well as the enjoyment!


Step Eleven: Be Connected

�Feeling connected to a community is one of the most important aspects of well being. Those who feel part of a community report less depression and greater levels of happiness.

�Similarly, those who have a sense of spirituality – the notion that there is something bigger than themselves that they are a part of (doesn’t necessarily mean being part of a religion) are less depressed and happier.

�Ask yourself which connections (with people, animals, nature and/or spirituality) enhance your well being. Seek out more of those that are beneficial and deepen the connection – make the time to connect.


Step Twelve: Behave in a Happy Manner

�A large part of happiness is about being able to walk the walk. Even if you don’t feel happy within, try acting like a happy person does. You might be surprised to learn that reality then does catch up with the “fantasy”!

�Choose a happy person that you see as a role model. What do they do? Observe their behaviour and see if you can emulate it.

�What tells you they are happy? Is it in the way they act, the way they think, the way they interact in their relationships with others, in their sense of playfulness, laughter, smiles? Can you try to copy some of these? Which ones fit and work for you? Keep on with those!


Exercise on observing happiness

Get into pairs and discuss the following:

• Who is the happiest person you know?

• What lets you know that they are happy?

• What is your understanding of how they have been able to achieve this level of happiness in their life?

• How do you think this happy person handles adversity or when things go

wrong?

• What would they say is the secret to their happiness?

• What leaf could you take out of their book?

• What is one way you could you act in a happy manner as they do?


Putting the steps into action

�Now here comes the challenge – which of these steps will you put into action and how?

�Choose steps that you know will be possible for you to do, that you feel some excitement about doing or that you feel interested in doing.

�The idea is not to choose steps that are going to be too hard orunmanageable – be realistic so that you give yourself the best chance of being successful in practicing the steps

�Group Discussion: What are your preliminary ideas for the steps you could personally practice in the coming week?


Developing your own Happiness Plan

�Choose 7 personal happiness steps to practice in the next week and write them down on your plan (see handout). Put your plan up somewhereprominent where you will see it and remember it each day.

�Practice one happiness step each day in the next week.

�At the end of the day, think about how much practicing that step has made a difference to your day. Think about how you felt/your mood (before, during and afterwards),– what were the positive impacts of practicing the step? Write these positive impacts down

�Assess again at the end of the week.

�When you are assessing the impact of practicing the steps, explore how they may have empowered you; which ones have been most helpful; the changes that they made; which ones are worth doing more of in the future?

�Try filling out the following questionnaire today and then again at the end of your first week to see if there are any differences….


The 12 Steps to Happiness Assessment Questionnaire

1. Being active: How active and engaged are you in your life?

2. Being outgoing: How well do you connect with others in your life?

3. Being flexible: How often do you step out of routine, try doing something differently or try thinking differently?

4. Being passionate: To what extent to the things you currently have in your life fuel your passion and enthusiasm?

5. Being compassionate: How often do you practice kindness and compassion towards others?

6. Being focussed: To what extent are you able to be “in the moment”, in the “here and now” when you are doing something or with someone?

7.Being positive: How positive or optimistic are you about life in general?

8.Being aware of possibilities: To what extent do you see the possibilities and options in your life? To what extent do you feel that you are able to make positive choices ?

9.Being a problem solver: How effective are you at being a good problem solver?

10.Being a sensory seeker: How much do you stimulate your five senses in your everyday life?

11.Being connected: To what extent do you feel a part of something bigger than yourself – a community; having a sense of spirituality?

12.Behaving in a happy manner: To what extent are you able to act in a happy manner?

Mark on the line provided (see handout) the degree to which you currently practice each of

the 12 steps where the left side is “not at all” and the right side is “almost always/very much”:


Tell about your beliefs about happiness now….

1. I have a good understanding of what impacts my level of happiness.

2. I have a good understanding of things I can do to increase my level of happiness

3. I believe that happiness is something you can work at and improve

4. I believe that greater happiness is within my reach

5. I believe that happiness comes from living in a way that is consistent with my personal values

6. I believe that happiness involves a degree of choice

7. I believe that trying achieving perfection is not the pathway tohappiness

8. I do not expect to feel 100% happy all the time.

6=Strongly Agree

4=SlightlyAgree

5=ModeratelyAgree

3=SlightlyDisagree

1=Strongly Disagree

2=ModeratelyDisagree


Happiness and Leadership

1. Happy leaders work better with others – they are able to achieve better relationships with team members. Happy people are a lot more fun to be around and consequently have better relations at work.

2. Happy leaders are more creative - being in a good mood leads to more creative ideas, greater flexibility and fluency.

3. Happy leaders fix problems instead of complaining about them – they are able to problem solve much more effectively.

4. Happy leaders have more energy - they are therefore more efficient at everything they do.

5. Happy leaders are more optimistic - optimists are more successful and productive. It’s the old saying “Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re probably right”.

6. Happy leaders are more motivated - the only sustainable, reliable way to be motivated as a leader is to be happy and like what you do.

7. Happy leaders learn faster - When you’re happy and relaxed, you’re much more open to learning and trying new things.

8. Happy leaders worry less about making mistakes - and consequently make fewer mistakes –happy leaders tend to learn from mistakes and move on because they feel more relaxed. They are able to take responsibility, apologise and fix it.

9. Happy leaders make better decisions - unhappy leaders operate in permanent crisis mode and are more likely to resort to quick fixes, bullying tactics and lose sight of the big picture. Happy leaders make better, more informed decisions.


What do we know about good leadership

– Good leaders continually practice and work on improving their natural leadership skills and have the drive and enthusiasm to keep doing this.

– Leadership is not about power or about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the achievement of common goals. Good leaders provide supportive coaching.

– Good leaders have a clear sense of purpose. They have a good understanding of where they are (their environment), where they are going, why and how to get there.

– Good leadership is about who you are, what you know, and what you do. Good leaders lead by example.

– Good leaders are good communicators and are good at building fruitful relationships with team members.

– Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. They do not claim to know everything, and do not rely upon their skills alone. A good leader listens to advisors, gathers information from various sources, performs studies as appropriate to help with decision making.

– A good leader engages and directs others and has the ability to make and enact tough decisions and get their team behind the decision.


6 valuable leadership tips

1. Choose your team well – be involved in selecting team members wherever possible and aim to choose motivated and optimistic people who understand your vision.

2. Provide the necessary information, training, and incentives – ensure that your team know how to fulfil their responsibilities by providing information and/or training. Use incentives (financial and others) that can inspire and motivate.

3. Stay in touch with your team - be interested in what employees think and feel. Get to know your team, their names, what each one is doing, and where they want to go with their lives. It is easier to follow a leader who understands and cares for your welfare.

4. Create a vision and direction - develop a shared vision with your team and direct and inspire team members to follow and believe in that vision.

5. Set the example - model what you are looking for in team members. Create a culture of respect, honesty and justice (fair play) by leading by example.

6. Keep the morale high – this can be achieved through incentives (as above) but also by showing your team that you value them and they are important to the overall vision. For example, express gratitude, offer encouragement and collaborate with your team so that they feel empowered to be part of the process and know that what they think and do makes a difference.


What makes team members happy?1. Connection and belonging

� It is a universal human need to attain a sense of belonging. We might achieve that sense of belonging through family, friendships, community, clubs, and colleagues.

� In a team environment, a sense of belonging is also achieved via the team culture – the ability for team members to relate well to the vision of the team, feel connected and part of the process.

� As a leader, it is important to remember to provide opportunities for team members to connect and spend time together in groups. For example, via:

�Social gatherings

�Formation of interest groups on either work or non-work issues

�Health and fitness activities (these also work because there is an esteem benefit – “the organisation cares about me”)


What makes team members happy?2. Things to look forward to

� Research tells us that holidays, weddings, births, etc, serve much of their happiness purpose before the event. Having things to lookforward to is important to current happiness.

� A truthful description of what’s good about your team’s future can give team members a sense of what to look forward to.

� People need to believe in their career futures

� Establishing an anticipated vision provides team members with momentum. We know that workplaces with employees who are merely there for a wage, are starved of creativity, energy, and initiative and are generally less happy.


What makes team members happy?3. Pleasant experiences

� Building time for fun, relaxation and enjoyment into the team process

� Adding small touches like good tea and coffee and refreshments to the work environment.

� Creating a pleasant space to work in (comfortable, aestheticallypleasing)


What do you think is important?

• Group Discussion:

• If you were asked to head up a project team for your next assignment, what do you think would be important for you to focus on when leading your team?

• How might you increase happiness for yourself and your team members?

• What will you take out of today’s session that could help you to become a good leader?


Any questions or comments?

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