Finding happiness at work: It’s not always about the headline successes

From the 23rd to the 27th of September, organisations around the world - including us - are celebrating the International Week of Happiness at Work.

It’s a reminder of something we all know; happiness at work is important. After all, we spend a significant portion of our waking hours working, and if those hours aren’t at least somewhat enjoyable, it can have a big impact on our overall wellbeing.

When we think about what makes us happy at work, the big wins often come to mind first. Moments like; Clarity award news landing in the WhatsApp chat, website stats explode off the charts, a huge customer win - or that feeling when the stand for a Business Travel Show is unveiled to the world. These headline achievements fill you with professional joy and elation.

But for me, lasting happiness isn’t about the headlines, it’s the smaller, incremental, everyday things that come from good business culture. So, I wanted to share what it is about our company and team culture that keeps me smiling Monday to Friday – and sometimes into the weekend too.

Our people

It’s a cliché for a reason. The people you work with make all the difference. Whether it’s sharing a laugh over a supplier visit, the years of car shares with your work sister (shout out to Jess Frend), brainstorming brilliant (and sometimes ridiculous) marketing ideas together, or just knowing that someone’s got your back when the pressure’s on, the connections you build with your colleagues are invaluable.

It’s these relationships that turn a good day into a great one. The quick chats that boost your mood, the collective groans when we’re all due a laptop update, and the shared excitement when someone brings in cake. These are the moments that make you realise you’re not just working with a team - you’re working with a work family.

The people we have around us at work make a huge difference, and I mean this with wholehearted sincerity, I’ve never worked with better people in my professional career.

Team success

Being an important cog in a successful team can be so much more gratifying than solo accomplishments. There’s something uniquely satisfying about watching your team achieve something amazing together. It goes beyond hitting personal targets or recognition; it’s that feeling of camaraderie that comes from knowing you’ve all contributed to a shared goal.

When you launch a new brand collectively - with everyone playing their part, or hit publish after a major new website launch, you can’t help but feel a collective pride. Like the professional equivalent of winning a relay race, where you see athletes run off to speak to the cameras together, rather than on their own. You feed off and share the joy together.

Personal success

For me, this is less satisfying than celebrating with your team, but still carries weight. There’s the fulfilment that comes from knowing you’ve done something well – that you owned it and made a success of it. It could be delivering a great presentation, hitting your targets for the month, receiving an employee recognition award.

These moments are like little pats on the back - they remind you that you’re good at what you do and that you’re making a difference. They also help to balance out your tough days and remind you there have been, and will be good days too.

One more, and arguably the most important… work-life balance: The real key to happiness

Apologies, this is the longest section by far, but bear with me, it's the one I think means the most. It might sound like a contradiction, but often the key to being happy at work isn’t even about work - it’s about being happy at home. My happiness at work is very much connected to my personal life: my relationships, the health and wellbeing of my family, and even the progress of my latest home renovation project - and I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

Three years ago in October, I became a father for the first time. It’s a life-changing moment, one that every parent will tell you is full of joy, pride, and love. But it’s also exhausting. The sleep deprivation is real, the worry about whether you’re doing the right thing is constant, and there’s an overwhelming concern for your partner’s wellbeing, too. For many new dads, there’s an added feeling of helplessness at times, wondering if you’re contributing enough or if you’re just fumbling through it all.

During those first 6 to 12 months, I often felt less productive at work. I worried if I was pulling my weight in the team and whether my lack of sleep was turning me into a grumpy colleague. My mind was constantly juggling the demands of work with the needs of my growing family. And, honestly, it made work feel harder. But as time passed and I became a more confident parent, things at home started to settle. Then, almost miraculously, work felt easier too. My mood lifted, my productivity improved, and I felt happier all around. It was a real eye-opener on how interconnected our work and personal lives can be.

This reality also hit home during the pandemic. My wife and I spent two years working from opposite ends of our dining table in a cosy two-bedroom flat. It was a blessing in disguise to have my best friend just across from me every day, but it also blurred the lines between work and home. Our living room doubled as our office, and it felt like I was never truly ‘off the clock.’ A living room was one thing, but I've often considered how much harder it must've been for those working from bedrooms, struggling to separate their professional and personal lives.

My experiences were new babies and unorthodox working conditions, yours might be any number of other personal hurdles. But what I’ve learned from these experiences is that a healthy work-life balance isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential. You can have the best job, a fantastic team, and a workplace culture that’s second to none. But if things aren’t right at home, or if you can't switch off after hours, it’s going to affect your happiness at work.

So, while it’s important to find joy in the workplace itself, it’s equally important to make sure you’re looking after yourself outside of work, too. Make time for your family, friends, and hobbies. Prioritise your wellbeing. After all, it’s much easier to show up as your best self at work when you’re happy and healthy at home.

In the end, the real key to happiness at work might just be remembering that it’s okay to switch off, focus on your personal life, and take care of what matters most. Because when you’re content in your personal life, it naturally reflects in your professional life as well.

Happy International Week of Happiness at Work, everyone! Keep smiling and keep supporting each other - you’re doing great things.