Let’s start 2021 on a happy note. On January 2 in the Wall Street Journal there was a column by Susan Pinker titled, “Dogs Really Do Make Us Happier.” Ms. Pinker did research to see if she could prove the “rumors” about dogs making people happier, especially during the pandemic. The results: yes, dogs make people happier and she quotes Lauren Powell, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, “Basically we found that the loneliness in the group that got a dog decreased by 40% and stayed at that lower level at eight months.”
What does that have to do with business? Well, if you’re happier you’ll be more productive, creative, and enthusiastic (and for business owners’ enthusiasm is one of the four things I believe an owner needs to be good at managing and/or leading, along with people, processes, and money).
If your employees are happy, they will be better employees. But you can’t get them a dog or mandate they get one. You can create an atmosphere of happiness, which is called culture. I’m not a culture expert, there are plenty of good ones around, but do know if you cover the basics, you’re 80% there. The basics, to me, include:
- Respect
- Listening
- Delegating (so they can grow professionally)
- Fair compensation
- A great environment
Are you and your company 40% happier, as those people who have a dog are?
“Chance favors the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur
“Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.” Margaret Atwood [Ed: and dogs help you maintain your disguise]
