Musings from the CU Suite

"The Zappos culture isn’t really about happiness. It has 10 core values, and happiness isn’t mentioned once among them."

Written by Anthony Demangone

Here's a wonderful article on Zappos.  I love reading about the company, because they seem to have unlocked the secret to building a hugely successful corporate culture.  Everyone talks about Zappos and "happy" employees.

So, I wanted to find a picture that meant "happy" to me. This one works!

The author makes an interesting point.  Zappos doesn't try to make happy employees. It makes engaged employees that are tied into corporate success, and it develops them. And that tends to make people happy. Happiness is a byproduct, if you will.

The Zappos culture isn’t really about happiness. It has 10 core values, and happiness isn’t mentioned once among them. I point this out because I think it is critical to debunk the myth that links corporate culture and being happy. The myth goes something like this: Employee “engagement” happens when you have a “positive” culture where everyone is happy and friendly and “cohesive.” That’s not true. I think we’re confusing the results of a strong culture with the attributes of a strong culture.

In reality, the happiness we notice is a by-product of a corporate culture that engages people around the success of the enterprise and their own development at the same time. Hsieh actually studied the science of happiness and realized that basic pleasure, which we often associate with the feeling of being happy, is really just the first step. Touching people’s passion generated much more happiness, and connecting to a higher purpose raised the bar even more. Hsieh realized that if he could build a business that enabled a smooth flow between the passion and purpose of both customers and employees, he knew he’d be delivering happiness, and he knew he’d be successful.

I think I buy what the author is selling. When people grow, when they take ownership of their lives, I think they have a better shot at happiness. I would think that would apply to corporate cultures as well.

But as many of my friends remind me, who cares what I think?  What do you think? Do you focus on happiness, or do you subscribe to the article's point of view?  

Have a great weekend, everyone. 

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241 days until NAFCU's Management and Leadership Institute.  I can't wait. Last year's sold out. I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I would have bet on the Seahawks, and that this year's MLI will sell out as well.