It used to be that “work” came married to adjectives like “hard” rather than “fun”. The discovery that happy workforce is in fact more productive one is all part of more wholistic approach to management philosophy. Yes indeedy, workers are people too, and managing workplace relations successfully has whole lot in common with building successful personal relationships. Not surprising then that the line between business and general “self-improvement” literature is becoming little blurred.
Ben Renshaw is one of the new breed of business authors who traverses both territories – he coaches business leaders and is also billed as “Britain’s leading relationship expert” in reference to UK Channel 4 documentary entitled the Perfect Match.
His books range from the business-oriented Successful but something missing to small tome of aphorisms entitled The Secrets: 100 ways to have great relationship.
A regular visitor to New Zealand where his wife Veronica was born, he is back this month promoting his books and presenting seminar on how to achieve “more success, less stress”.
It’s all to do with putting more proactive pressure on the happy button. You don’t just pursue happiness like it’s some receding long-distance goal. Nope you cart it along with you. Instead of the pot at the end of the rainbow, it’s more like the lunchbox you take on life’s journey. Well, with this sort of stuff, there’s always the risk of sounding tad twee – but that is no cause to under-rate its significance. Renshaw is co-director with Robert Holden of the Happiness Project which emerged from the latter’s National Health-funded Laughter Clinics and shot to fame after BBC documentary recorded the happy effects of its programme on three participants.
The process is not so much one of learning how to be happy as dismantling some of the self-imposed barriers that prevent happiness. They’re often the same barriers that prevent success.
