Discussion 4: Welcome to the discussion. The first week of the module you will write about your initial thoughts after reviewing the resources. The initial post should be at least 600 words. During the following week you will reply to at least two of your classmates. The replies should be at least 300 words. See the discussion rubric for more details on grading. Discussions should always be completed prior to "class." If you are in an online class or an on ground course this is prior to the lesson portion of the week. Are you ready to begin?

1. Watch the Ted talk: The habits of happiness https://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tedspread 2. Choose a Ted Talk from the Following Playlist and Watch it: A TED playlist to watch: Work happier https://www.ted.com/playlists/137/shawn_achor_work_happier?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tedspread 3. Initial Post What is your operational definition of the ‘happiness factor’? How can a leader measure employees’ happiness? What are some leadership tools that may foster happiness in the workplace? 4. Reply Posts Choose two (2) students that you agree or disagree with and reply to them. You can also reply to your professor’s posts. Posts must contain thought provoking and analytical observations ; contributions embedded with academic literature and a list of references are encouraged. *Posts supported by academic literature will enhance the discussions. respond to this student: What is your operational definition of the ‘happiness factor’? Happiness is more of a state of mind. You must find the things that make you happy and do more of it. To me happiness is not something such as material but more as emotion. Happiness is the level of satisfaction displayed and how happy you are within an organization. You will show joy and willingness to complete any work directed to you. Your well-being and quality of life in your personal life follows into your work life. Finding that happiness can be difficult, changing what needs to change will improve happiness. Life is short, make sure your happiness is in your personal/home life as well as your work life. You will have a more satisfying life and accomplish your goals. How can a leader measure employees’ happiness? You can simply measure happiness by how your turnover rates are for your employees. If you notice that employees aren’t staying employed for the long run there could be other issues as to why. Many people will quit at the sign of any unhappiness, rather than finding issue and trying to fix it. Most likely more times than not, it will be because the employee is unhappy. Leadership can also just be open with their employees. Ask if they are happy or what could be causing an unhappy environment. You can use a suggestion box so employees can be anonymous and can feel comfortable enough to be open. Performance reviews can also show you your employees’ happiness. What are some leadership tools that may foster happiness in the workplace? There are many different tools that leadership can use to help promote happiness within the company. First thing first you must be in a happy place with yourself (15 Proven Ways to Encourage Employee Happiness and Engagement, n.d.). If you have difficulty making yourself happy then there is no way you can make someone else happy. Improve the things that are making you unhappy and fix it. Your employees want to know what they are doing day to day is making a difference, this will manifest into happiness (15 Proven Ways to Encourage Employee Happiness and Engagement, n.d.). Just by recognizing someone’s hard work can encourage a happier being at work (15 Proven Ways to Encourage Employee Happiness and Engagement, n.d.). Leaders need to make time for their people. You are being interested in their decisions, issues, personal life will show your loyalty and engagement (15 Proven Ways to Encourage Employee Happiness and Engagement, n.d.). Just being more emotionally available, your employees will show a difference. More than not the employee just wants someone to listen. Allowing friendships at work, will help your employees stay at a job, feel happy, and be creative. Encourage your team to hang out outside of work, use opportunities to gather everyone together into a relaxed environment so everyone can bond. If you find people are leaving the company because they aren’t happy, take the time to find out why. Exit interviews are a great resource to help explain what issues they may have had that caused them to separate from the company. Use the information you received to improve the happiness for your employees, so they stick around and do their best work (15 Proven Ways to Encourage Employee Happiness and Engagement, n.d.). Have more fun. The more fun you can encourage the team to have, the more creative your company will become (15 Proven Ways to Encourage Employee Happiness and Engagement, n.d.). Your passion as a leader will follow down into the passion of your team. That passion will stem from happiness within yourself. respond to this student: What is your operational definition of the ‘happiness factor’? Based on what I have l just learned my operational definition of the “happiness factor” is working on my well-being daily. That each and every one of my encounters are automatically and unapologetically positively demonstrated and passed along to others to share. I enjoyed listening to both Shawn Achor at TEDxBloomington and Matthieu Ricard at TED2004. Both messages taught me how to train my mind for happiness. It was almost like I was breathing and mentally growing freely while listening to them both. In the habits of happiness, I agree with Matthieu Ricard about training the mind, knowing how the mind function and quality experience. A person can go to school to learn a profession, we can learn how to be happy and have unconditional compassion at the same time. Never the day I would have thought of placing these two words in the same sentence happy and unconditional. So, true we prepare our minds for struggle and which this should not be the case. I want to scan for happiness in the world and genuinely be happy internally. How can a leader measure employees’ happiness? I believe that a leader can measure an employee’s happiness through their behavior, work, and relationship with others. I also believe that a leader should be able to identify a person that is sure of themselves. Not only the leader but everyone around the employee can feel and see who the person really is through their behavior and encounters with them. Which begs the question, “Is there such thing of a happy leader?” I can feel air and freedom over my shoulders and right leg now thinking about this question. I am inspired by what I have viewed on TED tonight. A person can learn how to be a leader and a leader should be able to recognize a happy employee as a leader too. That was what I was trying to say. In my line of work, my supervisor always say do not talk to the people as if they are your friend or as if I should be harsh during our encounter. I just do not believe this. I believe that everyone should be treated the same way that you want to be treated. I am just learning about happiness presently at this moment. To really live in the moment of happiness, to be present. I feel like crying. I feel as if I am on the right road to freedom of happiness in this module. Learning this module has shown me knowledge is key. What are some leadership tools that may foster happiness in the workplace? While listing to Shawn Achor speaking on the happy secret to better work, I will try working on his findings. To write down 3 different gratitude’s daily for 21 days. To begin journaling, writing down one positive experience that I have experienced within 24 hours. Shawn said, “that our brain will relive the positive experience.” I believe that. To begin exercising daily, this will assist with my behavior with an added benefit of weight loss. I am laughing out loud. To meditate daily, even if it is for a short time to get over cultural ADHD and focus on the task at hand. To exude random acts of kindness at work by sending an email to a person in my network praising them and to thank them. I work with a team of people. I can send an email every day based on how much assistance I receive from them. I am laughing again out loud. This module has been very refreshing. I plan to be healthy, happy and productive moving forward in my life. Thank you.