Have you ever heard that phrase at your workplace, or worse yet, have you ever said it yourself? It seems to reflect the negative perception that most people have about work, and perhaps that's why it's so challenging to talk about "Happiness at work" in companies. Companies don't want happy employees; they want growth, business continuity, satisfied customers, benefits for shareholders, survival, market leadership. While it's true that many modern companies have a noble vision, such as "changing the world" or “improving people's lives”, the way they measure success remains the same: results.

Throughout history, various ways of organizing work have been sought to achieve better results. In the late 19th century, Frederick Taylor introduced scientific management into work organization, developing time and motion studies aimed at increasing workers' productivity in factories. Douglas McGregor, on the other hand, described in his book "The Human Side of Enterprise" (1960) two contrasting management philosophies, which he called Theory X and Theory Y. In Theory X, managers believe that workers only act under threats, while in Theory Y, managers believe that people want and need to work.

These and other thinking styles have contributed to the development of modern companies and corporations eager for growing results. Despite significant progress in the genuine interest in employee well-being, we still see many managers and directors with a Theory X mindset.

During my more than 30 years in corporate career, I had the opportunity to work for companies with a culture that valued employees, but I also had to deal with difficult bosses. Once, I worked for a family-owned company where the owner, Joaquin, was my friend. The company had a Theory X mentality, so we had deep conversations to implement some changes, but my friend thought I was some kind of "Mother Teresa." One day, a quality issue arose in a project, and Joaquin asked me to help by working with the implementation team to resolve it. During a review meeting, Joaquin was very angry because the problem wasn't solved yet. I explained the progress and the days and nights the entire team had been working, but he replied, "I don't see commitment." Surprised, I responded, "Don't see commitment? I was here until 2 am yesterday while my mother is dying, doesn't that seem like commitment to you?" His response left me stunned: "I don't give a damn if your mother is dying; I want this resolved!" The next morning, my mother passed away. A few days later, I resigned from the job.

This may be a dramatic case, but it remains a reality that many bosses act violently when things don't satisfy them.

Much has been said about happiness at work and its positive impact on results, but two particular cases have helped me in conversations with clients. The first is the "Aristotle" project at Google, which seeks the characteristics of the "most effective work team" and concludes, after several years of testing, that the most successful team is one that primarily has psychological safety. The second case is Gallup's decades-long study of engagement, which concludes that on average, only 2 out of 10 employees are fully engaged in their work. Gallup's most significant finding is that 70% of the variation between the most engaged and persistently disengaged teams is solely the manager.

Many companies have implemented policies to promote a friendly culture in their organization, from flexible schedules to meditation rooms or free snacks and drinks. While these contribute to better socializing, what shows a more significant impact on employees' happiness and commitment is their relationship with their leader. A leader who genuinely cares about their employees, works with them on their development plan, maintains ongoing conversations, challenges them to achieve goals, and recognizes their strengths and efforts.

In conclusion, happiness at work does generate positive impacts on company results, but to change an organization, we must learn to speak "in its own language" and start by working on the development and preparation of its leaders.

To learn more:

• The Principles of Scientific Management Paperback – July 8, 1997 by Frederick Winslow Taylor
• The Human Side of Enterprise, by Douglas McGregor
• The Same Old Principles in the New Manufacturing, by David A. Hounshell, Harvard Business Review Magazine, Nov 1988
• The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson – Wiley 2018
• "Employee happiness and business success are linked." The Economist magazine, August 3, 2019
• "Google Says The Best Teams Have These 5 Things" by Zack Friedman, Forbes magazine, January 28, 2019
• "Google Spent 2 Years Studying 180 Teams. The Most Successful Ones Shared These 5 Traits" by Michael Schneider, Inc. Magazine
• "Employee Engagement vs. Employee Satisfaction and Organizational Culture" by Jim Harter, Gallup website, August 13, 2022
• "Harvard’s Arthur C. Brooks on the Secrets to Happiness at Work," Harvard Business Review, Business and Society, September 1, 2023
• "State of the global workplace 2023 Report. The voice of the world’s employees." Gallup 2023

Few words about the author:

Juan Carlos Cuesta, a computer systems engineer from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and holder of a master's degree in international business from Thunderbird University. He has worked in technical, commercial, and marketing positions for over 30 years in companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Compaq, Adobe Systems, and Microsoft. He is a co-founder of Gentres, where he assists companies in developing a culture of continuous learning. He is passionate about the subject of happiness and enjoys writing and giving lectures to inspire young people to pursue their dreams.