The Truth About Better Decision-Making (Collection), 2/e

Truth 16. Employee happiness is serious business

Is it really your job as a manager to worry about whether employees are happy? No, not if you care only about bodies showing up and just pushing buttons and levers all day without any special thought about quality or safety. In that case, their happiness is irrelevant (to you). If your high turnover is acceptable, employee happiness isn’t essential. If you can tolerate vandalism or workplace violence, go ahead and skip this truth.

Let’s say, however, you’d prefer a workplace where people get along, voluntarily help each other, think independently and creatively, take safety practices personally, show up dependably, and take pride in the company they work for. In that case, employee happiness is ...