By Alexa Thompson

Flickr Photo By andrewmalone

Business leaders can take seemingly small steps to improve the psyche of their employees—changing the overall working environment. Although I regularly contribute to a psychology resource site, my suggestions can be implemented without taking a psychology course. Discussing the effects of happiness is not new to WomenMedia, but I’ve been asked to add to 12 Proven Tips to Happiness to extend them specifically to the workplace.

Intimidation is Not the Answer

In any business setting, employees are the most important asset. The current economic situation and tightening job markets have increased stress in the workplace. While some employers are using this to their short term advantage—often by using intimidation or uncertainty to spurn productivity—the bulk of recent scholarship warns against this.

According to many reports, employees who feel satisfied, valued, and happy at work typically do far better than those who feel disgruntled or overlooked. These findings have led many corporate officers to implement “positive psychology” techniques in their workplaces. Some of these techniques require professional expertise to carry out, but the majority can be done by anyone, in any type of office setting.

Happier Employees are More Productive and More Innovative

The driving force behind workplace positive psychology is the notion that happier employees are more productive, more innovative, and create a more attractive working environment. Many psychology experts recommend extensive staff trainings and retreats before implementing positivity campaigns. Getting started need not be so dramatic. Executives who take things one step at a time—often introducing little initiatives each week—typically realize the same tangible benefits over the course of a year.

Below are five ideas that can be tailored to most environments.

Practice Thankfulness In The Right Way

Employees may be motivated by many different things, but all crave recognition and praise. By making the commitment to express gratitude in the workplace, you seek out and focus on the positives in your life, and encourage others to do the same.

Ideally, thankfulness should be introduced by managers or supervisors, and is best done subtly. Forcing employees to state something for which they are grateful, or say something positive about a co-worker, can seem insincere. Managers who make it a habit to send just one e-mail a day recognizing someone’s contribution, or executives who start meetings by focusing on positive strides or outstanding contributors, often find that a more positive tone follows naturally. Feeling appreciated, many experts say, is usually the first step to being truly satisfied on the job.