Happiness Before Success

If I make $X, I can go on vacation to Barbados and buy that 26" boat that I can dock at my new cabin, then I will be happy. If I had season tickets to the Vikings and had one more garage stall so I don't have to squeeze in and out of my car door, then I would be happy. If I become what I consider successful, then I will be happy. Not true. Not somewhat, kinda, or a little true. And depending on the day, I've thought those thoughts, and I would bet season tickets that you have too.

Simply put, happiness is the precursor to success. Success is a moving target that you can't hit. It's like when you pay $5 at the fair to shoot a basketball at a hoop that's rim is smaller than the ball. You never won the giant teddy bear and will never win success. When you think you've hit it, your definition of success changes and instantly has a new definition, or number. Congrats, you've just created a new standard. And when I say congrats I don't say it sarcastically, I say it with intent because you are someone who inherently desires to be better and shoots for a higher standard.

This concept is important for us to internalize at an individual and corporate level. Individuals need to understand what makes them tick. Companies need to understand the individuals that make up their company and what makes each one tick instead of thinking of them as a number. If they know what makes them tick, they are in better position to make them happy, which sets them up for success. Depending on the person, there are countless items (big and small) that may sit atop the list when driving their happiness such as: flexibility, talent aligns with job, autonomy, positive feedback, faith, family, health insurance for their dog, seeing their child go to college, rock climbing, volunteering youth dance classes... the list goes on.

When happiness is present, so is discretionary effort because there is a sense of purpose, passion, gratification, and self-identification. Here is a filter for individuals and companies to think through when looking at how to bring more happiness to the world:

Find what makes you happy and do it!

'Steeling' Workers Sense of Worth

Technology introduces new jobs every day that didn’t exist yesterday. As jobs, government, and economic activity demonstrates that there is no constant, relationships between employer and employees demonstrates just the opposite, the same principles apply today that did in 1892.

1892 marks when one of the first unions was formed by the Homestead steel workers. Two-thousand workers amassed into one voice, demanding that 12-hour / 6-day work weeks to keep up with demand under dangerous conditions was not fair treatment. These demands sat at the feet of Henry Frick. The man who was named Chairman of Carnegie Steel Company and was put in charge of the mills operations by Andrew Carnegie, an industrialist that made an equivalent of $3.5 billion today while expanding the America steel industry.

To understand what mistakes Frick made when mis-communicating to his workers which eventually led to community outrage, we will examine three key principles that still apply today that would have helped Frick turn the tide:

1. Remove the Blinders

Profit-driven. Frisk was focused on making money as all managers still are today, but he chose to ignore all variables that would be negatively impacted by his actions and ramping up production while bringing in unskilled workers to work unreasonable hours. Tip: Human nature always defeats a big idea about how to change human nature. Managers, focus on purpose first and profit second! Employees will work harder and driver higher profits if they understand how they tie into the purpose and have a trust in the employer to act responsibly and honestly.

2. Best Friend Syndrome

Gallup has “A Best Friend at Work” being one of the twelve elements to great managing. I don’t disagree. A best friend can get one excited to go to work because one’s social wellbeing is present at their career. It also aids in withstanding adversity, as a best friend is more likely to see a hazard and step in to help. However, Carnegie and Frick’s friendship provided a mental backing for Frisk to strut his power and motivate through force. For example, Frisk hired the Pinkerton’s to take the mill back from the strikers by force, with it ending in bloodshed. Because of their friendship, Carnegie gave Frick the authority from a far to take the action he felt suitable, believing in his human judgment. Carnegie received news of the unexpected. Carnegie believed in unions and was quoted, “no steel mill was worth a single drop of blood.” Best friends at work can’t read your mind. You still need to communicate….over communicate!

3. Empower Employees to Give Opinions

God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason, to do twice as much listening as talking. The front lines generally know best in determining how to combine efforts for the greatest cumulative result. Frick gave instruction without listening. Workers disengage when their thoughts don’t count or feel their work is rewarded/appreciated. This communication was detrimental as Frick ignored the fact that these workers felt like the mill was theirs, not Frick’s. Because he ignored this insight, the human condition was threatened. Empower employees to shape the company and acknowledge their input is considered.


This example in American history is focused on employer-employee relationship but the same principles of nuturing a positive relationships between parties can be carried over to the customer, community, and family/friends. Engagement is highly driven by trust: The art and science of developing and maintaining mutually valuable relationships.

There is a human condition to keep your head above water. And when your life sets sail, there will be countless occurrences to decide whether to engage in certain relationships that will enhance your chances at survival or direct you towards danger.



A valuable relationship is at the core of any engagement whether it is marriage, customer, employee, brand, coach, or other.



This evolution model shows once you get to stage 5, you can continue moving onward and upward.

Engagement Lust

All leaders would agree employee engagement sounds terrific, but knowing how to begin acting on it isn't common knowledge. In fact, acknowledging action is needed is a success itself. Engagement along with innovation is an investment that should be treated with importance and should not be ignored when focused on the bottom line. As Bob Kelleher shares in his book 'Louder Than Words', how to engage is at issue, not whether to engage. Here are a few things to consider when beginning to take action:

Stay Interviews

Exit interviews are too late. What made them leave is not as valuable as what makes them stay. Understand what keeps your employees at your company and how that differentiates from competitors. Market those key differentiators.

Generational Differences

There is no one size fits all when trying to create an engagement program. Most are motivated by achievement over monetary incentive but Generation Y can be more motivated by flexibility. Know what makes the person tick, not what makes the group tick.

Invest in HR

Engagement is at its peak when starting a job. How to keep it there is on the traits that the employee composes. Make sure those traits match the traits that are outlined in your organization's values. More emphasis should be put on scanning for traits than on the resume.

The Right Role

An outstanding employee doesn't automatically make for an outstanding leader. Find ways to promote outstanding employees without making them a manager of people if they would not be good at it or want that responsibility. Learn what alternative options there could be for promotion by discussing what the employee would find motivating in a Stay Interview (noted above).

Too Damn Transparent

No one will complain about being over communicated to. Share with employees where the company is going, why it's going there, and how it's going to get there. Do this well and you should see employee referrals go up for new hires - be sure to track this measure, it is a good indication for how engaged your employees are.

This list will stop at five so we can focus doing a few steps very well before adding more. In all, why is this so important? Because your employees are the ones communicating your brand, making more impressions than any ad you may be spending millions of dollars on. Another quote to remember from Bob Kelleher, CEO of the Employee Engagement Group, "High profit business with low engagement scores is a mansion built on sand."