Eat Sleep Work Repeat

Should we focus on making workers happy?

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How important is a happy workforce? According to Mark Price, the former boss of Waitrose, it's the main thing that leaders should be thinking about. Make your workforce happy and the profits will follow. Mark's new book is Happy Economics.


To prove it Mark cites his experience running the supermarket chain, when with a goal of workers happiness he made it the fastest-growing, most profitable supermarket in the UK.


The original purpose of the John Lewis Partnership, as laid out by the very same John Lewis , was to uphold the happiness of the people who worked inside the organisation.


Mark's new book is Happiness Economics. Mark's book makes the assertion that the quickest way to business success is to focus on creating happy employees.


This is genuinely a brilliant listen - and one that you might benefit from reading the transcript of - you can get the transcript here.


While I got real value from the book, I actually found the conversation even more enlightening. It challenged some things I believed and I found myself reflecting on it for the day afterwards. I think there’s a clarity in the conversation that the book lacks at times - I think it’s the challenge of books to be honest. We’re so used to ideas being visually backed up that when we’re paging through 200 pages of words the emphasis is often lost. Maybe they work best together.


Mark has a clear 6 stage framework for making a happy, productive workforce laid out in his compelling new book Happiness Economics.


  • Reward and recognition
  • Information sharing
  • Empowerment
  • Wellbeing
  • A sense of pride
  • & Job satisfaction


Mark's company is WorkL. You can take their surveys and see their data on that link.


Key takeaways


  • The happiness of employees is crucial for driving productivity and increasing profits
  • Managers play a vital role in creating a positive work environment and should focus on training, recognition, and coaching
  • Leadership should involve setting a clear plan, making employees feel valued and important, and maintaining optimism about the future.
  • Well-being initiatives should go beyond tokenistic measures and address underlying issues in the work culture. Employee happiness is crucial for workplace culture and productivity.
  • The six key drivers of happiness at work are reward and recognition, empowerment, sense of pride, line management, career development, and job satisfaction.
  • Implementing these drivers effectively can lead to improved well-being, productivity, and business performance.
  • Building a positive culture is essential, and companies should focus on measuring and improving employee happiness.


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