The Best Place to Work by Ron Friedman

The Big Idea: Happy employees are a competitive advantage.

Chapter 1: Success is Overrated, Why Great Work Places Reward Failure

Chapter 2: The Power of Place, How Office Design Shapes Our Thinking

office design matters
eg. red invokes attention to detail, but also anxiety
eg. silence invokes focus, but also anxiety
optimal: caves + campfires
caves are quieter spaces where people can focus and think
campfires are interactive spaces where people can collaborate and communicate
good to have: safe and warm environment, nice views, scenes of nature, sunlight, lots of plants, aquariums,
use your workspace to convey what your company is about: Apple Store = simplicity, framed pictures, employee artwork,
let the team design their workspace
don’t forget about nice bathrooms (art, plants, magazines)
if possible, let people telecommute. You can also try this web-site for the best plumbing services for your bathroom.

Chapter 3: Why You Should Be Paid to Play

to improve problem solving and creative thinking, go on a walk
exercise improves your mood, triggers chemicals that reduces stress, and improves thinking
napping also improves problem solving and creating thinking
a careful balance of work and recovery is vital
late nights and burnout culture lower long-term productivity
disconnecting is important

Chapter 4: What Happy Workplaces Can Learn from a Casino

small, frequent pleasures can keep us happier than large, infrequent ones
perks communicate on an emotional level and provide a motivational boost
on-the-job rewards are significantly more motivating than cash bonuses
variety increases happiness
variation of activities make the workplace more enjoyable
unexpected pleasures deliver a bigger thrill
unexpected events have greater emotional weight
a constant flow of surprises keeps you engaged (movie, massage therapist)
experiences are more rewarding than objects; they involve other people, the memories improve with age; they can be relived
we don’t always know why we’re happy
color/scent/music can give an unconscious happiness boost
a grateful mind is a happy one;
gratitude: gratitude journal; ask staff to share what they are most proud of since last meeting; ask staff to thank someone else for a contribution made
excessive/extreme happiness can increase tendency to make mistakes, reduce motivation; people who don’t have negative emotions are called psychopaths

Chapter 5: How to Turn a Group of Strangers into a Community

the strongest predictor productivity: friendship at work
how to create workplace friendships: proximity, familiarity, similarity
how to accelerate friendship: share personal information
shared group activities (sports) >> happy hours and cocktail parties, because of interaction
a shared purpose (or common enemy) can unite factions
friendships at work help people stay emotionally and physically healthy
gossip can be a problem but it can also be useful to establish company culture and norms
gossip tends to happen when people are feeling powerless or insecure
identify strategic and persistent gossipers early
gossip tends to be a problem when leaders gossip

Chapter 6: The Leadership Paradox, Why Forceful Leaders Develop Less Productive Teams

intrinsic motivation > extrinsic motivation
emphasizing rewards reduces intrinsic motivation
the more emphasis placed on salary and bonuses, the more employees are going to focus on them
autonomy increases intrinsic motivation
let your team set their own calendar

Chapter 7: Better Than Money, What Games Can Teach Us About Motivation

the only thing that sustains happiness is status, respect and admiration among friends/family/peers
being recognized feels good
recognition feeds our need for competence
competence increases intrinsic motivation
being ignored is often more psychologically painful than being treated poorly
undeserved positive feedback is demoralizing to others who actually deserve the recognition
feedback is more effective when it is provided immediately
feedback is more effective when it is specific
compliment the behavior, not the person
public praise is more powerful than private praise
reward high performers with more responsibility
encourage peer-to-peer recognition
find a way to give meaning to the work (eg. nonprofit fundraisers)
to experience flow, work needs to be not too easy and not too hard
consider making on-the-job learning a requirement
acquiring new skills releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine
consider peer-to-peer coaching (pods of 3)

Chapter 8: How Thinking Like a Hostage Negotiator Can Make You More Persuasive, Influential, and Motivating

good communicators listen much more than they talk
good bosses listen much more than they talk
good listeners do a lot of paraphrasing and repeat backs
resolve workplace conflicts by understanding there is a task channel and a relationship channel

Chapter 9: Why the Best Managers Focus on Themselves

Chapter 10: Seeing What Others Don’t, How to Eliminate Interview Blind Spots That Prevent You from Reading People’s True Potential

first impressions persist
referrals from your high performers (with no referral bonus) is the best strategy for hiring
interviews that involve a work assignment are optimal
cultural fit matters but too much similarity can lead to groupthink and impair innovation

Chapter 11: What Sports, Politics, and Religion Teach Us About Fostering Pride