The Happy at Work Podcast

• The Business Case for Being Nice: How Kindness Transforms Workplaces

  Send us a textMJ Scharr, a kindness strategist and wellness thought leader, explains how kindness provides the most effective entry point to improving our overall wellness and transforming workplace culture. Through compelling research and personal insights, she reveals how kindness impacts everything from arterial health to company profits.• Mood is the easiest wellness habit to change, and kindness provides the most effective and lasting boost• Kindness in the workplace directly improves engagement: 54% of employees who can approach managers with questions are engaged versus only 2% of those who can't• Workplace incivility costs US businesses an estimated $2.7 billion daily through lost productivity• A groundbreaking study showed rabbits receiving affectionate handling had 60% less arterial plaque despite identical high-fat diets• Experiencing kindness reduces cortisol, inflammation, and stress while improving sleep quality• Learning to receive kindness graciously creates "positive resonance," strengthening relationships and multiplying benefits• Rather than random acts of kindness, aim for routine "micro-kindnesses" that become part of your identity• Addressing burnout through kindness requires organizational change that creates psychological safetyIf you'd like to hear future episodes, be sure to subscribe to the Happy at Work podcast and leave us a review with your thoughts. Send us an email at [email protected] if you're interested in collaborating with us or appearing on a future episode.To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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• Breaking Free from Outdated Leadership Models with Luis Marrero

  Send us a textLuis Marrero, CEO of the Boston Institute for Meaningful Purpose, reveals how our deeply held unconscious beliefs about human nature prevent workplace engagement from improving despite decades of research and initiatives.• Working with Transaction Analysis Psychology within major companies like Disney and DEC before founding the Boston Institute in 1986• Distinguishing between meaning (about being) and purpose (about doing) - purpose fulfills meaning• Explaining why workplace engagement statistics haven't improved in 20 years despite abundant knowledge• Tracing how historical figures like Machiavelli and Adam Smith embedded harmful assumptions about human nature into organizational structures• Contrasting Theory X management (assuming employees are lazy and untrustworthy) with meaningful purpose psychology• Highlighting the importance of organizations leading with the social component before technical and business components• Describing the "Cassandra Effect" - having answers but being unable to see or believe them• Introducing the meaning analysis framework that helps identify quality of meanings through attribution, intelligence, health, harmony, and mindfulnessFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter for more happiness insights and email us at [email protected] to collaborate on future episodes.To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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• Navigating Uncertainty: Kevin Eikenberry's Guide to Flexible Leadership

  Send us a textKevin Eikenberry shares his expertise on flexible leadership, arguing that flexibility is the essential antidote to uncertainty in our complex, ever-changing world. Drawing from his experiences growing up on a Michigan farm and three decades running his leadership development company, he offers practical wisdom on leading through turbulent times.• The key to flexible leadership is embracing "both/and" thinking instead of "either/or" approaches• Leaders must manage tensions between priorities rather than choosing one extreme• When facing uncertainty, leaders should share what they know when they know it to prevent harmful rumors• Creating a flexible organization requires having conversations about change, not just informing people• During change, remind people what's NOT changing to provide stability and context• Micromanagement prevents organizations from accessing up to 40% of their employees' skills• If your leadership approach isn't evolving while the world is changing, you're increasingly out of alignmentTo stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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• Eddie Pate: Creating Inclusive Workplaces One Small Action at a Time

  Send us a textEddie Pate shares insights from his career leading diversity initiatives at major companies and his new book on inclusive leadership practices that create belonging. He explains how small daily actions create lasting ripple effects that transform workplace culture through accessible, practical strategies.• Eddie's journey from sociology doctorate to diversity leadership at Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon• Balancing corporate leadership with prioritizing family responsibilities• The 2IL model for inclusive leadership rooted in social psychology• How "spending your privilege" creates visibility and opportunity for underrepresented voices• Making inclusion accessible through daily practices rather than overwhelming initiatives• Empathy as the foundation for creating truly inclusive workplaces• Navigating the current DEI backlash while staying committed to the work• The business case for inclusion: better talent attraction, retention, and innovationTo stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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• Fairness at Work: Data-Driven Design for Real Results

  Send us a textSummaryIn this episode of the Happy at Work podcast, Tessa and Laura engage with Siri Chilazi, a senior researcher at Harvard Kennedy School, to discuss her new book 'Make Work Fair'. The conversation explores the importance of embedding fairness into workplace culture, the role of power in shaping norms, and the evolving language around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Siri shares key insights from her research, emphasizing the need for data-driven approaches to create equitable workplaces and the impact of individual actions in driving systemic change.TakeawaysSiri Chilazi has been passionate about gender equality throughout her life.The book 'Make Work Fair' aims to bridge the gap between research and practice.Many corporate DEI efforts have not yielded significant results.Fairness should be embedded into everyday work practices, not treated as a standalone program.Data, goals, and accountability are essential for operationalizing fairness.Cultural norms significantly influence workplace behavior and decision-making.Everyone has the power to influence norms within their sphere of control.DEI should be integrated into the core business strategy for success.Awareness of workplace inequities is crucial for driving change.Small individual actions can lead to significant organizational transformations.To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

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