This is how you help managers to increase happiness at work

More and more organizations are putting happiness at work at the heart of their personnel policy. But happiness at work is a broad concept that you can use in all directions. How do you ensure the right focus? Answer: by teaching your managers three things.

Patagonia and the power of happiness at work

‘Let my people go surfing.’ These five words form the core of the personnel policy of Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor brand Patagonia.

Early on, he thought: if I want to inspire people to take good care of the planet, then I have to take good care of my people. As an outdoor athlete himself, Chouinard knew how important it is to seize the moment: if you’re a surfer and the waves are good, you want to go into the sea. And that is why Chouinard gave his people the freedom to organize their own time. So that, when the waves would call, they could extend their lunch break a little to dive into the sea. After which they would start the second half of the day extra motivated and full of good ideas (because that’s what you get when you do something completely different).

Yvon Chouinard was far ahead of his time. Today, many organizations are trying to follow Patagonia’s example. The labour market has become tighter and the world more complex: disruptive changes follow each other in rapid succession. In 2025, as an organization, you really have to have something more to offer than a good salary and an easily accessible coffee corner. To achieve your ambitions and overcome the challenges, you need healthy, resilient people who really suit you.

Happiness at work starts with good leadership

The story of Chouinard and Patagonia has two lessons. One: it pays to focus on happiness at work. And two: the happiness at work of your people starts with good leadership. Now, not every organization has a headquarters next to the beach of California. But you don’t have to. You can even work on happiness at work at a business park in Diemen-Zuid. And you do that, among other things, by investing in good leadership and giving them the tools to increase the team’s happiness at work.

Now leadership is often made more complicated than it is. Actually, it is very simple, a manager must be able to do three things: identify, motivate and steer.

“Happiness at work does not start with a ping-pong table, but with a leader who really sees, listens and gives direction.”

Signalling: seeing what’s going on in time

A good manager knows what is happening under the surface. Not only whether someone is performing well, but also whether someone is feeling good, experiencing tension, is stressed and is sufficiently motivated. Many problems do not arise all at once, but build up. By keeping your finger on the pulse, you can ensure that your people remain happy and engaged and prevent dropout and a negative atmosphere (which often goes from bad to worse).

Motivating: Letting the spark burn

A good leader knows what intrinsically motivates his or her people and can have conversations about this. So it’s not about rewarding or pushing, but about connecting with what people themselves find important in their work. See the example of Patagonia: if you know that your people like surfing, make sure they can surf. And, even better: let them organize their own time. People who are motivated work with more energy, responsibility and creativity. They are more resilient and engaged. And are less likely to drop out.

Steering: giving direction and being clear

A good manager creates clarity in his or her expectations about the goals to be achieved and the behavior of his or her people. If employees do not know where they stand, noise, frustration or passivity arises. It also becomes difficult to address people about their behavior, because the frameworks are unclear. It is therefore crucial to be able to objectively observe attitude and behaviour, to have the conversation about it and to link it to results. People who know exactly what they are committing to, why they do it and how they can develop themselves, experience more happiness at work, will perform better and stay longer.

More than the sum of its parts

This seems complicated, but you can learn to identify, motivate and steer. A good manager does not have to be an accomplished psychologist. At Buddy, we give masterclasses to managers and help them with their individual development. So that they get the right tools to keep people healthy, motivated and effective. And thus increase their happiness at work.