Business And Happiness: What Do They Have In Common?

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Tony Hsieh's book Delivering Happiness is about how being happy is more important than having.

What is happiness?

On a cold autumn evening in Lviv, I walked into a bookstore for something fresh. A book in a positive cover with the word "happiness" attracted attention. At that time, I still did not know anything about who Tony Shea was and what the Zappos company was.

I started reading. I hooked on the author's story about the history of his search for the meaning of life. “I decided to stop chasing money,” a successful entrepreneur once said to himself. "Now pleasure was the object of my pursuits."

I recommend reading the book with a pencil in hand - there are so many interesting and new things that you want to make notes all the time. Zappos' principles of work combine human values and making money. Money cannot be the goal, because it does not bring happiness, Tony is convinced. It can be given by searching for an answer to the question "why?"

So what lessons can you take from this book?

It is important to find your way and live it

Knowing the path and walking it are two different things, Morpheus said in The Matrix. Tony describes his journey before joining Zapros. He started programming at school. Enrolled in Pascal courses with a schoolteacher, then worked for GDI.

It is important to find your way from childhood.

Getting good money and feeling happy are not the same thing

Tony worked for Oracle on a $ 40,000 annual salary. Soon he organized his own website development company. Displaying ads on LinkExchange generated a lot of revenue. At the same time, a period of activity in business leads him to a desire to understand the meaning of his life.

Big money reveals who you are

How would you answer the questions for yourself: “What is success? What is happiness? Where is my work taking me? Living with a question about the true meaning of your existence and seeing your purpose with little money is the path to happiness. While public opinion mistakenly imposes: more money is the same as more happiness.

Business advice that was born out of the poker analogy and became a prerequisite for marketing, finance, strategy, culture and development at Zappos

Here are some ideas:

• when there are many opponents, it is more difficult to win, even if you are the best player;
• your brand is serious;
• in finance, be prepared for the worst-case scenario;
• do not play games that you do not understand; do not be cunning. Scammers never win in the long run;
• continue your training, do not hesitate to consult;
• be tactful and develop friendships;
• do not hesitate to enjoy. The game is most enjoyable when you are not just trying to win money.

If you believe in what you are doing, then you are investing in your business to the fullest

When Zappos was on the verge of extinction, Shay sold his penthouse to save the company. For friends - a shock. For Neck, it's a risk.

The fate of a person is determined by character, and the fate of an organization is determined by the corporate culture

These principles have shaped the fate of Zappos:

• you need to constantly grow and learn;
• be open and honest in your dealings with colleagues;
• we create a healthy team and a spirit of kinship;
• achieve more with less;
• be persistent and determined;
• do not be arrogant.

The main goal is to understand what your life goal is

It is this understanding that shapes your brand. Here's how the Zappos brand promise has evolved:

• 1999 - the largest selection of shoes
• 2003 - work with clients
• 2005 - culture and core values as our platform
• 2007 - personal contact
• 2009 - the delivery of happiness.

Three types of happiness:

• pleasure ("happiness of a rock star");
• delight (the highest productivity gets the maximum demand, time flies very quickly);
• the highest goal (a person strives for something that is greater than himself).

According to research on the concept of happiness, the third type is the most long-term.

When you have a purpose in life, then you meet your destiny

Applying the concept of happiness in business is to make people happy:

• clients;
• employees, as well as to become happy yourself. An unhappy leader cannot give happiness to his subordinates;
• your employees will not be able to share happiness with their customers if they themselves are unhappy.

Be happy in your business!