Is the modern workplace designed for efficacy, not joy?

Is the modern workplace designed for efficacy, not joy?

By Tsifodze ERNEST

In today’s world, happiness has become a crucial item on the checklist of well-being. On a broader spectrum, when a nation is doing well, economists usually emphasize the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The GDP index measures the health and size of the economy by considering the total value of all finished goods and services produced in the country during a specific period.

This is no different from the productivity that employers expect from their workers in the workplace. The effectiveness and efficiency of the workers in hitting targets and goals for the company help to keep the bloodline of the business active.

In today’s highly competitive workplace, setting KPI (Key Performance Indicators) that rely on the time, resources, and effort of their employees to produce results, products, and services often pays little attention to the happiness factor of the employees.

Yet the question still lingers: why little or no emphasis on Gross Happiness Product (GHP) at the workplace, personal space, or even in many countries? Bhutan, since 1972, has proven that Gross National Happiness (GNH) is one of the surest ways to promote the well-being and happiness of its citizens.

The ability to prioritize the GNH (Gross National Happiness) over purely economic metrics, GDP (Gross Domestic Product), inspired the UN’s 2011 resolution on happiness as a development goal, the World Happiness Report was birthed from 2012 to date, and the International Day of Happiness (March 20).

The study by the University of Warwick, published in 2024, highlights how happier participants were 12percent more productive when there was a little investment in their wellbeing by giving employers treats or showing them comedy clips.

While unhappy participants were 10percent less productive when asked about their recent tragedies. The participants were over 700 people.

People over profit?

Measuring happiness is very difficult. In our little space, we attribute happiness to various elements like getting the latest gadgets.

In some cases, it is about how much you have in your bank account. Sometimes, it can be about having good health. For some, it is the gigantic lifestyle, and for others, the quietness of their living.

The world corporate setting today operates in different dynamics. It is often misconstrued as “performance incentives” as a happiness dose.  Imagine a world where corporate boardrooms don’t confuse “End of Year bonus” with happiness.

Imagine “Working from home on Fridays”, how about “Take a mental Break on Mondays”. How about offering a “happiness bonus” to staff just for lunch or a little treat? That will, in more cases, deepen their desire to work and feel good in their workplace.

But will capitalism allow that?

Capitalism is built and designed heavily on performance, which creates an overworked culture where many people burn out.

It is even severe in a hyper-competitive space where social bonds are weakened. Fair to say it breeds anxiety and depression.

However, well-being can thrive when a strong social safety net is created to consider workers’ well-being. Humans are social animals, we need healthy social interactions to thrive.

According to the World Bank Data for 2022, informal sector workers in developing countries spend 50-70 hours across multiple jobs due to economic necessity.

Again, the International Labour Organization (ILO) data from 2023, covering over 187 countries, pinpoints that workers spend about 33-40percent of a 24-hour day at work, equivalent to 8-10 hours out of 24.

In this case, the structure and policy framework governing our workplaces matters to the overall well-being of people.

But does the Human Resource Management Team respond to this quagmire?

The role of the Human Resource Management Team can promote dialogue through various initiatives and policies.

Some organizations have policies that give room for workers to trade leave days for a pay rise. Others enforce that workers take their leave irrespective of whether they want it or not.

A little push in the right direction oftentimes goes a long way to contribute to the well-being of the workers.

Imagining wellness programs, making available resources to support staff, organizing wellness training to help educate staff on the needs, and pushing for a more inclusive environment where workers feel seen, heard, and appreciated.

The Human Resource Management Team must shift from cutting costs for the sake of profits and prioritize workers’ well-being to help push productivity forward. But is the onus just on the Human Resource Team?  Or do individuals’ efforts contribute crucially to the conversation? A big Yes.

First, we must understand that we ‘Human beings’, not ‘Human Doings’. Individuals should prioritize taking leave, going for retreat, and taking time off when their body does not feel right. Happiness and health are two sides of the coin. Both health and happiness are decisions.

But to make a good decision on your happiness, you must value presence more than your performance in your workplace.

The promotion you are seeking, the pay rise, and the dream house you want to buy. As good as they may sound, consider going for a walk too, buying ice-cream, playing with your kids, talking to an old friend, enjoying your lazy Sundays, volunteering to a cause, and taking time off to rest and sleep. It cost nothing.  One needs to understand that what truly makes us happy is not external.

Consumerism, for instance, has proven from time to time that possessing a lot of things doesn’t equate to being happy.

Just like a child giving a child a lot of toys and equating the feeling to this child being in the arms of his parents. The same can be said that chasing money or working for money brings little joy.

The goal in life is to find coherence. A person’s ability to be anchored in themselves and aligned within themselves to recognize the chaos around them is the differentiator.

The ability for one to “BE’ by feeling safe. Feeling real. Remembering themselves (Self-awareness).  Aligning their inner signal, not the world scoreboard, deeply defines one’s approach to work.

Instead of working hard today for money and paying later with the money for your health, it is best to find a balance for your wellbeing and your work. Remember, in a world obsessed with speed and achievement, slowing down feels like weakness.

But it can be a strength since it gives space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect, and start again. Slowing down isn’t falling behind. It’s making sure you’re moving in the right direction. In the stillness, we find clarity, resilience, and the wisdom to create a life that aligns with who we truly are.

Life is not a race.

>>>The writer, founder of Nalike Africa is a leadership facilitator, published author (Life Beyond the Ordinary and Minerals for the Mind), startup mentor and board advisor. He is alumnus of Anant National University, India and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana and at Harvard Business School he studied Power and Influence for Positive Impact (Certificate Course). He can be reached via tsifodzekwadzo@gmail.com

The post Is the modern workplace designed for efficacy, not joy? appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.