Comments on: Happiness as Core to Your Business Model http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/ a world uncommon Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:03:36 +0000 hourly 1 By: dave http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50416 dave Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:45:19 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50416 very insightful, and slick slides as well :-) very insightful, and slick slides as well :-)

]]> By: The Axis of Misery | ::HorsePigCow:: marketing uncommon http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50393 The Axis of Misery | ::HorsePigCow:: marketing uncommon Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:59:40 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50393 [...] …the 3 elements of a business model based on delivering happiness. [...] [...] …the 3 elements of a business model based on delivering happiness. [...]

]]> By: Social Capital and the Influence of Social Networks | ::HorsePigCow:: marketing uncommon http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50355 Social Capital and the Influence of Social Networks | ::HorsePigCow:: marketing uncommon Sun, 24 Feb 2008 07:04:44 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50355 [...] and contacts we have to help us overcome any situation and/or reach true self-actualization. I can tie it very tightly to the idea of Happiness as well (but that’s for another [...] [...] and contacts we have to help us overcome any situation and/or reach true self-actualization. I can tie it very tightly to the idea of Happiness as well (but that’s for another [...]

]]> By: Greg Scott http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50282 Greg Scott Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:16:29 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50282 I love this blog! It really hits home for us at Jiibe.com. I am not trying to make a pitch for what we do, but our mission is, "helping people make better decisions for a happier life." We help people discover if their company is doing the things that can make them happy. We are creating a marketplace for people to find better work cultures. One of our favorite companies is Quicken Loans. Many people are afraid to answer the Jiibe questions because they fear repercussions from their employer, not at Quicken Loans they freely told their people to Jiibe in their blog. No company is perfect, but if they give their employees this kind of autonomy, you can bet the other principles of happiness follow close behind - http://www.jiibe.com/companies/quicken-loans and here is the blog that give their people a voice - http://www.whatsthediff.com/2008/02/my-jiibe.html#more. I love this blog! It really hits home for us at Jiibe.com. I am not trying to make a pitch for what we do, but our mission is, “helping people make better decisions for a happier life.” We help people discover if their company is doing the things that can make them happy. We are creating a marketplace for people to find better work cultures. One of our favorite companies is Quicken Loans. Many people are afraid to answer the Jiibe questions because they fear repercussions from their employer, not at Quicken Loans they freely told their people to Jiibe in their blog. No company is perfect, but if they give their employees this kind of autonomy, you can bet the other principles of happiness follow close behind – http://www.jiibe.com/companies/quicken-loans and here is the blog that give their people a voice – http://www.whatsthediff.com/2008/02/my-jiibe.html#more.

]]> By: Tony Eyles http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50268 Tony Eyles Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:14 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50268 Great stuff Tara - you are spot on. I think the term happiness is very relevant to the meaning of life and higher order motivations of individuals. We maybe don't appreciate it enough. We certainly don't consider it in our rational organisational models as there is little room for such emotional things (aren't these taken care of by rational economic man?. Thank you for your analysis - very interesting. Great stuff Tara – you are spot on. I think the term happiness is very relevant to the meaning of life and higher order motivations of individuals. We maybe don’t appreciate it enough. We certainly don’t consider it in our rational organisational models as there is little room for such emotional things (aren’t these taken care of by rational economic man?.

Thank you for your analysis – very interesting.

]]> By: The Pursuit of Happiness http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50250 The Pursuit of Happiness Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:41:59 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50250 [...] afraid to relate the world of business to the world of the personal. I loved her recent blog entry Happiness as Core to Your Business Model because it again effortlessly aligns the goals of individuals with the goals of business. She [...] [...] afraid to relate the world of business to the world of the personal. I loved her recent blog entry Happiness as Core to Your Business Model because it again effortlessly aligns the goals of individuals with the goals of business. She [...]

]]> By: Basti Hirsch http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50239 Basti Hirsch Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:18:05 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50239 I discussed similar ideas with <a href="http://twitter.com/digitalvillages" title="@digitalvillages" rel="nofollow"> following the high-school shooting in Finland. Modern welfare states already provide food & shelter, i.e. base of Maslow's hierarchy. If we'd move to broaden our view of happiness than it'd be quite clear that it shouldn't just be well-fare for all, but well-being as well. Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_national_happiness I discussed similar ideas with following the high-school shooting in Finland. Modern welfare states already provide food & shelter, i.e. base of Maslow’s hierarchy. If we’d move to broaden our view of happiness than it’d be quite clear that it shouldn’t just be well-fare for all, but well-being as well. Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_national_happiness

]]> By: alan p http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50238 alan p Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:50:39 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50238 Some very good stuff in those slides, and as anyone who has consulted to a variety of companies can testify, "company happiness" has a major impact on life, health...and productivity. The area that does worry me a bit is going too gung-ho / dewey eyed into "political happiness 2.0" - on the one hand one risks the Benthamite quicksands of the "greater good" - which historically has had tragic consequences - and on the other the "cult of me" which - if emerging happiness research is correct - actually leads to a large amount of un-happiness. One of your slides showed Jonathan Haidt's "the happiness hypothesis" which I think is one of the better books on happiness as it is based on the "hard" psychological research going on rather than opinion (which fields like this are prone to) - some of which (eg freedom and choice is good, but too much is not) is quite counter-intuitive and does go against some of the current "feel good" philosophies. There is clearly a happy medium that needs to be negotiated ;) Some very good stuff in those slides, and as anyone who has consulted to a variety of companies can testify, “company happiness” has a major impact on life, health…and productivity.

The area that does worry me a bit is going too gung-ho / dewey eyed into “political happiness 2.0″ – on the one hand one risks the Benthamite quicksands of the “greater good” – which historically has had tragic consequences – and on the other the “cult of me” which – if emerging happiness research is correct – actually leads to a large amount of un-happiness.

One of your slides showed Jonathan Haidt’s “the happiness hypothesis” which I think is one of the better books on happiness as it is based on the “hard” psychological research going on rather than opinion (which fields like this are prone to) – some of which (eg freedom and choice is good, but too much is not) is quite counter-intuitive and does go against some of the current “feel good” philosophies.

There is clearly a happy medium that needs to be negotiated ;)

]]> By: Melany Gallant http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50235 Melany Gallant Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:10:17 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50235 Maybe the reasons government and businesses "can't see their role in this" is because it is perceived as too difficult to achieve. A sort of "where to start?" attitude. And, perhaps the people within these organizations feel too disconnected from citizens and customers to really know what their roles are in enabling said happiness. So like Tim Walker says, this type of exercise does need to start internally to foster a work environment that is exciting and fulfilling but also to help employees recognize their roles in making it happen for citizens and customers. It's something my company is now working on and so far, the exercise has been incredibly insightful. Maybe the reasons government and businesses “can’t see their role in this” is because it is perceived as too difficult to achieve. A sort of “where to start?” attitude. And, perhaps the people within these organizations feel too disconnected from citizens and customers to really know what their roles are in enabling said happiness.

So like Tim Walker says, this type of exercise does need to start internally to foster a work environment that is exciting and fulfilling but also to help employees recognize their roles in making it happen for citizens and customers.

It’s something my company is now working on and so far, the exercise has been incredibly insightful.

]]> By: Molly McGinn http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-50234 Molly McGinn Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:30:51 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/02/03/happiness-as-core-to-your-business-model/#comment-50234 I saw your "Fare thee well January" twitter, and now this. I'd like to join you on that tune. In the last 30 days, I was laid off from my job, and quit a regionally successfully band headed for the studio and a summer full of festivals. And when I look back at the months preceding these changes, there was a drastic lack of the qualities the Psych Assoc. used to spell happiness. As I read your post, I had this feeling, "Oh, so that's what it was. That's why I was so damn unhappy." Thank you. I still like Charlie Brown's definition of happiness, too. I saw your “Fare thee well January” twitter, and now this. I’d like to join you on that tune.

In the last 30 days, I was laid off from my job, and quit a regionally successfully band headed for the studio and a summer full of festivals. And when I look back at the months preceding these changes, there was a drastic lack of the qualities the Psych Assoc. used to spell happiness. As I read your post, I had this feeling, “Oh, so that’s what it was. That’s why I was so damn unhappy.”

Thank you.

I still like Charlie Brown’s definition of happiness, too.

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