Right now I am sitting in the Orlando airport reflecting on the past several days during which I had the fortunate opportunity to meet and share ideas with many of the 1300 learning leaders and colleagues at Elliott Masie’s Learning 2009 conference.  As I continue to digest and ponder how Scitent might implement some of the ideas that I have come away with, I am finding that my mind is anchoring on one particular talk and session that is not at all what I would have predicted to be a resonating idea from the conference for improving company performance and product offering.

Yes, I am really excited about this “new solution:” it is really easy to implement and has been shown to have amazing ROI.  As far as cost, I think that with this year’s budget, we will be able to entertain this solution in the immediate future and without resistance from our BOD or shareholders.  This new platform for development will help with streamlining internal and external communication and is likely to increase productivity and our responsiveness as a company.

What is it?

It’s an idea, an approach, a methodology, as old as humanity itself, and it was presented so simply and poignantly that I cannot ignore it. Author Beth Thomas lit up the room with her ideas and anecdotes while telling us about her soon to be available book “Powered by Happy” and I for one can’t wait to read this book and begin taking advantage of the trade secrets that Beth Thomas has shared with her readers.  Beth gives us a synopsis of what the book is about on her publisher’s website:

“You’re about to find out. Powered by Happy is a pocket-sized blueprint that will show you how office happiness is accessible to anyone. It’s as easy as taking the time to train for it. That may sound a little nuts, but think about it this way: If you want to learn a new computer skill, you train for it. If you want to learn a new presentation skill, you train for it. If you want to learn to be happy during your day job—you’ve come to the right place.
It’s not true that happiness comes only to those who were born with a naturally positive attitude or to those who have lots of money and plenty of good luck. It can be yours as well; you just need to cultivate it. Inside this book, you’ll find the tools you need to be happy every day. Not just a book of rah-rah rhetoric that gives you a big, sugary high of optimism only to leave you cold hours later, Powered by Happy offers techniques and tips to give you more personal freedom, positive feeling, deeper fulfillment, and less stress, regardless of your life or work circumstances.”

(http://www.sourcebooks.com/our-authors/beth-thomas.html)

Leveraging happiness in the workplace?  This is going to change everything!