What makes people feel good? Does lifting their spirits boost performance? Evidence that happier people do a better job is surprisingly elusive, creating lively debate on whether investing in workplace contentment is worthwhile.

‘Positive psychologists’ say they know how smiles can pass from staff to customers and shareholders - taking issue with ‘defensive pessimists’ who see dissatisfaction as a stimulus to stronger action. Do superlatives - ‘what a great job you’re doing!’ - raise people’s game by building commitment, or ruin it through complacency?

This report draws on the latest research to assess:

• what makes people happy, and how their state of mind can be measured
• how employees’ happiness relates to that of co-workers, managers and clients
• how happiness affects performance, and can help people ‘reach a peak’
• how happiness can be raised to start a ‘virtuous circle’ of feeling and doing better

• Defining Happiness
• Finding More Fun
• Two Sides to Happiness
• Inner Happiness
• Extrinsic Drivers
• Building Team Spirit
• Happiness with Change
• Taking the Measure
  of Workplace Happiness
• Using Survey Results
• A Happier Workplace
• References & Further Reading