“The man is guided in his pursuit of happiness not by reason, but by illusion.” – Arthur Schopenhauer I will never forget a certain occasion when, after conducting a workshop on Organizational Climate for a client, the company invited me to stay and participate in the motivational training they were organizing for their employees, which was about to begin. Wow! It didn’t take long for me to sneak out of that place that seemed more like a battle of who could shout louder, like a preaching of the gospel of happiness. You know those worship services where people think God is deaf? Just like that! Only there, they were probably testing the hearing ability of their colleagues. I cannot forget a dynamic proposed by one of the “facilitators” that he desperately wanted me to participate in. To this day, I don’t know if the guy was there to test my emotional limits or truly believed that what he was doing would bring a smile to my face at some point. Anyway, I didn’t even wait for coffee. At the first chance, I ran to the parking lot. When I got into my car, relieved but still afraid that someone abducted might be following me, a phrase said at the beginning of the “prophecy” by that facilitator stuck in my head: “… it is HAPPINESS that gives us power, makes us feel good, improves relationships, makes us more productive, and of course, happiness increases the chances of a promotion.” Really? The fact is that these events may seem fun or even bizarre, but there are still many companies taking this seriously. This will be the focus of this and the next articles. Starting with this text today, I will publish a series of them in the coming days where I will specifically address this subject that seems to have returned to the spotlight as the “super, mega, plus” solution not only to improve productivity but also for a healthy organizational climate, as well as the elixir to minimize employee absenteeism associated with physical and mental health problems. I know I published an article a while ago about happiness in companies, titled “The Misguided Relationship of Happiness in Companies,” but today I want to go further and deepen this understanding as well as demystify and make it clear what the real role (or should be) of a Chief Happiness Officer (CHO). With the goal, by the end of this series of articles, you will understand for sure that, contrary to popular belief, happiness is not, or at least should not be, the main focus of a CHO. The fact is that in the quest for happiness, we unveil a labyrinth of emotions where numbers and metrics dare not enter. Amidst this complex dance, we question: is happiness the destination or the journey? For all this, I invite you to explore the intricate layers of this quest, where human essence transcends measures and reveals itself in the twists and turns of existence. A Preview Have you ever heard of the Western Electric industry in Hawthorne, California? Well! It was part of the history of organizational behavioral development. The Western Electric factory is famous for being the location where the Hawthorne experiments took place in the 1920s and 1930s. The Hawthorne experiments refer to a series of studies conducted to investigate how environmental and work factors affected the productivity and satisfaction of workers. These studies had a significant impact on the field of industrial psychology and management theories, contributing to understanding the importance of social relationships, motivation, and the work environment in the productivity and well-being of employees. Behind these studies was George Elton Mayo, considered the main reference of the Human Relations School – one of the classical schools of management. He ended up being the target of numerous criticisms at that time for being accused of manipulating his studies and forcing the result that his theory had worked. The fact is that regardless of the criticisms, it represented a paradigm shift in management, emphasizing the importance of human and social dimensions in the workplace and providing the basis for the following five classical management schools: Behavioral Theory, Bureaucratic Theory, Contingency Theory, Systems Theory, and Structural Theory. The Human Relations School contributed to shaping contemporary management theories, highlighting that satisfaction, motivation, and interpersonal relationships are fundamental factors for organizational success, such as: Emphasis on social relationships, Focus on the worker as an individual, Emphasis on motivation and satisfaction, Importance of the group, and of course, Participative leadership. Since then, the motivational behavioral proposal emerged. Scholars and executives became obsessed with increasing employee productivity, and the classical schools were responsible for numerous studies on human behavior. At the same time, on one hand, it intrinsically helped improve the studies of behavioral and social psychology, on the other hand, it provided arguments for opportunists who began to distort behavioral sciences to offer magic pills and ready-made answers. Who doesn’t remember “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Reengineering, or “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” or even worse, “The Eighth Habit of Highly Effective People.” Anyway, the list goes on, just as there is no shortage of gurus to tell us what we have to do. There is no shortage of examples of reheated and outdated pseudoscientific theories to deceive the unwary. Until we reach the Chief Happiness Officers (CHOs) – the so-called Directors of Happiness – who began to emerge as a position in companies from the 2000s. Since then, its popularity and recognition have significantly increased over the last decade. It’s everywhere in the media. With the growing focus on organizational cultures, employee well-being, and productivity, many companies began to believe that there is real importance in promoting a positive and healthy work environment, where the secret is to keep people happy. It’s no coincidence that the creation of the Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) position becomes the focal point for leading initiatives related to employee satisfaction, engagement, and well-being within the company. But, the term CHO really gained prominence after the creation of a course called “The Chief Happiness Officer” at Harvard University. The course was developed by Professor Tal Ben-Shahar, an American and Israeli, a professor and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership. It was in 2007 when he offered his first course on happiness in the workplace, focusing fundamentally on positive psychology, leadership, and well-being. From this course, the concept of having a happiness officer in companies really gained momentum and began to spread and attract more attention. But, what are we really talking about? What happiness? In the first few minutes of the course, Tal Ben-Shahar says something very similar to: “If you haven’t experienced disappointment, you probably can’t be happy. Disappoint once, twice, ten times, as many times as necessary for it to be possible to find happiness.” Perhaps, in other words, Tal Ben-Shahar is really interested in inciting his students to understand that the ability to experience happiness is somehow related to the ability to face disappointments and challenges. That is, first, we can understand that disappointments and challenges are inevitable in the trajectory of any individual. The essence behind this statement is that by facing and overcoming these difficult moments, people develop resilience and learn to value moments of joy and satisfaction more deeply. Furthermore, the comparison between moments of disappointment and happiness is a central idea of the course. The idea is that by contrasting these opposite emotional states, we are able to more fully appreciate the positive moments in our lives. Additionally, there is personal growth derived from experiences of disappointment, which is fundamental for a reflective life. Through internal reflection and overcoming challenges, people can develop greater self-awareness and a deeper appreciation for life, resulting in a more authentic sense of happiness. Of course, Tal Ben-Shahar shows us how important it is to emphasize that dealing with disappointments can contribute to a more realistic acceptance of reality. Recognizing that disappointments are a natural part of human existence can prevent the relentless pursuit of an idealized happiness and allow us to find contentment in the small things of daily life. However, this is not exactly what has been circulating among the functions of a CHO. This also reminds me of a book I read some time ago called “The Happiness Industry” by Will Davies. This author offers a valuable and critical perspective on the emergence and function of the Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) position. Through the well-founded critique presented by Davies, it is possible to examine the role of the CHO in a deeper and more contextualized way, considering the subtleties and complexities involved in promoting happiness in the workplace. From his reading, it is possible to reflect on the idea of designating a specific position to promote happiness. It helps raise questions about whether this is an authentic approach or an attempt to control the perception and feelings of employees. As Davies said: How would it be possible to measure happiness? What are the metrics of happiness that are not susceptible to manipulation and use as tools of influence? In the case of the CHO, it would not be possible to assert that a happiness manager would not measure employee satisfaction guided by organizational interests, instead of genuinely prioritizing the well-being of employees. In other words, this instigates reflection on the extent to which the CHO’s actions are influenced by institutional agendas, rather than addressing the true needs of employees. By the way, behind this, what is the impact of happiness marketing on individual choices and perceptions of value? This has direct implications for the role of the CHO, as it may be at the center of initiatives promoting a culture of well-being and happiness, isn’t it! The critical exploration of these strategies can raise concerns about creating an idealized image of the workplace, masking deeper issues and potential challenges faced by employees. In this sense, it is necessary to encourage questioning the authenticity, motivations, and impacts of this role. The critical exploration of these aspects contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the role of the CHO in modern organizations and opens up space for an informed discussion about the true purpose behind promoting happiness in the workplace. When we delve into studies and research on the impact of happiness in companies, what we find is an abyss without any possibility of measurement. It is still unclear whether encouraging happiness at work is always a good idea. Of course, there is ample evidence to suggest that when an employee feels good in their work environment, they are less likely to leave their job, tend to satisfy customers better, are more reliable, and are likely to be more committed to the company. However, there are real questions that demonstrate the importance of happiness, and everything may just be myths. I invite you from now on and throughout the articles to reflect on some of them: How to Measure Happiness Particularly, this may be the part that I like the most, and you will soon understand why. The fact is that measuring happiness is almost impossible because people are unique, and happiness is entirely subjective. The complexity of translating emotions, feelings, and internal states into numbers or objective scales is a challenge that science and psychology have sought to face, resulting in a variety of approaches and metrics. However, the multifaceted nature of happiness, influenced by cultural factors, personal experiences, and unique moments, makes this process an ongoing and, in many ways, individualized journey. Once, I was in the dentist’s office waiting for my turn, and I saw one of those super “sanitized” magazines that aim to show how the rich live. On the cover, it was highlighted, “Happiness – Take the test and measure your happiness.” Curious as I am, I took the test, and it almost depressed me. According to the magazine, my result was between deep depression and a potential candidate for suicide. How come? I didn’t even … Continue lendo ORGANIZATIONAL HAPPINESS PART 1: ARE THEY ALL JUST MYTHS?