Joy at work - why settle for anything less?
In Joy Works: Empowering Teams in the New Era of Work, Alex Liu delivers an engaging blueprint for ensuring people feel safe and inspired at work. Liu, the managing partner and chairman of Kearney, asks, "Why would we settle for anything less than joy at work?" In the book, you'll find a step-by-step action plan for approaching joy at work using the three key drivers that determine employee happiness - people, praise, and purpose - and learn how to implement that plan for maximum results and maximum joy.
The author demonstrates how to create more joy for your people at work, in both virtual and in-person environments, as well as how to incorporate joyfulness even in periods of dramatically heightened stress. He calls on his years of conversations with leaders around the world, both as an advisor to executives and through his popular podcast, Joy@Work. Readers will learn from a diverse collection of leaders, from psychologists, academics, athletes, nonprofit and board leaders, and a Broadway producer, to leaders at companies including HPE, Cisco, T-Mobile, SAP, and UPS. In the dialogues and research, readers will also find:
- An introduction to "ikigai," a Japanese concept meaning "reason for being" - a framework we can all use to find joy and meaning in our work
- An investigation into the link between social justice and joy, using conversations with leaders who have committed to making social progress a priority
- A new perspective on how the next generation will view joy at work, the Great Reflection, and the shifting balance of power in work cultures
- In-depth discussions about people, purpose, and praise: the three key elements in building a joyful work experience
- A call for more reflective leadership - a new approach to power leaders through uncertain and challenging times
Joy Works is an essential handbook for anyone who wants to create more joy in their work - the leaders who want to shift corporate cultures, managers who are facing pressures to innovate, young people who are adamant that they can have a life and a career that's centered around joy and meaning, and anyone who thinks "joy at work" is a near-term possibility, not an oxymoron. This guide to the changing reality and opportunity of work belongs in the libraries of anyone interested in creating a more engaging and productive virtual, hybrid, or in-person workspace.
Let's build more joy.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Foreword xiii
Introduction 1
Why joy matters to me 1
Joy at work 3
People, praise, and purpose 4
Joy, justice, and a better world 5
The future of joy at work 6
Who you’ll hear from in this book 7
Who this book is for 9
Chapter 1 Why Business Leaders Should Prioritize Joy at Work 11
Joy is your biggest business opportunity 11
Joy powers execution 13
Joy is critical for all kinds of business 15
Joy is the foundation for many key business metrics 15
Chapter 2 What the Research Tells Us About Joy 21
The joy gap is real 21
The joy gap is growing 23
We know what triggers joy at work 24
We know what’s holding us back from joy 26
Section One The Three Drivers of Joy at Work 29
Chapter 3 People 31
Create belonging: It matters more than money 33
Create connection points 35
Be a people-focused leader 38
Think like a gardener and create “human magic” 40
Chapter 4 Praise 43
Praise autonomous work 44
Pair praise with feedback 45
Focus on the quality of praise, not the quantity 46
Praise individuals, not just groups 46
Encourage people to show appreciation for their colleagues 47
Use praise to underscore impact 48
Chapter 5 Purpose 51
Understand your ikigai (a reason for being) 52
Find your zest 54
Rethink the corporate purpose statement 55
Mind the gap 56
Personalize purpose 57
Section Two Joy in a Post-2020 World: How to Create More Joy 63
Chapter 6 Joy in the Hard Times 65
Embrace change 66
Accept that failure is inevitable 67
Acknowledge your mistakes and get real 67
Have the courage to be a beginner 69
Take time to reflect 71
Double down on purpose 71
Keep chasing your goosebumps 73
Chapter 7 Safe, Seen, Supported, Inspired 75
Safe 75
Seen 79
Supported 81
Inspired 84
Chapter 8 Virtual and Hybrid Work 89
Be aware of how remote work is different than in-person work 90
Make conscious decisions about where you’ll work 91
Find new ways to build connection 93
Rethink how you measure performance 95
Stay open to change 95
Chapter 9 Social Justice and Joy 97
Joy and justice for all 98
How do we push “social justice” into the mainstream of business? 101
Hope for the future 112
Section Three What’s Next for Joy at Work? 115
Chapter 10 The Joy of Innovation 117
Leapfrog your legacy 117
Look for new ideas in unexpected places 118
Stay at the edge 120
Empower people to innovate 121
Look at purpose through the lens of innovation 121
Chapter 11 The Next Generation of Joy at Work 123
Pass the baton 123
Join the “Great Resignation” - or is it the “Great Reflection”? 124
Shift the balance of power 127
Keep your promises 128
Put your values into action 129
Make culture a nonnegotiable 129
Rethink old trade-offs 130
Accept change as a constant 133
Conclusion 135
About the Author 137
Index 139
