Welcome back to Office Hours with Arthur Brooks. In this episode, I turn to a place where many of us spend most of our waking hours: the workplace. Whether you’re an employee, a manager, or leading an organization, happiness at work is not just a nice-to-have; it is a proven driver of productivity, loyalty, and even company performance.

Drawing on research from Irrational Capital and insights from my book The Happiness Files, I share the six factors that truly make people happier at work, and explain why gimmicks and perks cannot compare.

I discuss: 

• The most important factor that drives happiness at work

• How direct, honest communication reduces fear and builds trust

• The surprising impact a manager’s mood has on team morale

• One of the easiest and fastest ways to boost happiness and productivity at work

• How investing in learning, mentorship, and growth creates lasting engagement

• Should you be making friends at work?

• The leadership styles that fail employees and the two that actually inspire loyalty and performance

• How much do your pay and perks directly impact your happiness?

 • Audience Q&A on knowing if there is a God, if your personality makes you more likely to be unhappy, and dealing with temptation

We’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at officehours@arthurbrooks.com. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening!

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Where to find Arthur Brooks: 

• Website: ⁠https://arthurbrooks.com/⁠

• X: ⁠https://x.com/arthurbrooks⁠

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/⁠

• Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/⁠

• YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/⁠

• Email: ⁠officehours@arthurbrooks.com⁠

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Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(04:46) A no-gimmicks approach to workplace happiness

(06:06) What research shows about happiness in the workplace

(12:20) Six factors that drive workplace happiness

(14:35) #1: Innovation: Openness to input and ideas 

(16:43) #2: Direct management: Clear, direct communication 

(20:08) #3: Organizational effectiveness: Focus on efficiency and limit meetings

(23:17) #4: Engagement: Invest in employee growth 

(26:40) #5: Emotional connection: Fostering a culture of friendship 

(31:36) #6: Organizational alignment: aligning external mission with company culture

(33:49) Intrinsic benefits vs. extrinsic benefits 

(35:20) Daniel Goleman’s 6 leadership styles 

(36:24) Four leadership styles to avoid

(38:53) The two most effective leadership styles

(40:00) A quick recap of the six factors that contribute to employee happiness the most

(41:58) How do you know there is a God? 

(44:30) Are you predisposed to lifelong unhappiness due to your personality?

(47:00) How to deal with temptation

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Referenced:

• Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1885.html

• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/

• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN

• The 8 Stupidest Management Fads of All Time: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-8-stupidest-management-fads-of-all-time/

• Does Employee Happiness Have an Impact on Productivity?: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4766

• Happiness and Productivity: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/681096

• J.P. Morgan Research: https://www.irrational.capital/jp-morgan-research

• Why Meetings Are Terrible for Happiness: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/11/why-meetings-are-terrible-happiness/672144/

• Dear Manager, You’re Holding Too Many Meetings: https://hbr.org/2022/03/dear-manager-youre-holding-too-many-meetings

• The Magic of 30-Minute Meetings: https://hbr.org/2016/02/the-magic-of-30-minute-meetings

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Production and marketing by ⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email jordan@penname.co

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Office Hours with Arthur Brooks. I’m thrilled to start this podcast with a topic I’ve devoted much of my life to: how we can be truly happier.

This episode draws from my new book, The Happiness Files, a collection of essays from my How to Build a Life column in The Atlantic. But more importantly, it’s grounded in science, drawing on a 2020 study where top researchers ranked the most practical and effective ways to get happier.

Today I discuss: 

• The top 5 research-backed ways to improve your well-being

• Why investing in your close relationships is the single most powerful thing you can do to be  happier

• How joining a club or values-based community can restore your sense of belonging

• The link between lifelong learning and growing happiness over time • Why transcending your ego through faith, philosophy, or awe brings clarity and peace

• How physical exercise reduces unhappiness (and why that matters more than you think)

• Why self-esteem alone won’t make you happy—but understanding your emotions might

• The three elements of a real happiness strategy (and how to build your own)

• How to move on from heartbreak (and why sad music really does help)

• And much more!

Since it’s the very first episode, we’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at officehours@arthurbrooks.com. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening!

—

Where to find Arthur Brooks: 

• Website: https://arthurbrooks.com/

• X: https://x.com/arthurbrooks

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/

• Email: officehours@arthurbrooks.com

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Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:25) Introducing The Happiness Files and “10 Practical Ways to Increase Your Happiness”

(07:16) Principle #1: Invest in your relationships

(12:20) Principle #2: Join a club

(16:26) Principle #3: Be a lifelong learner

(20:11) Principle #4: Focus on something bigger than yourself

(26:03) Principle #5: Get more physical exercise

(29:35) Recap of principles 1–5

(30:22) How to craft your own happiness plan

(31:44) Strategy #1: Deepen your understanding

(32:30) Strategy #2: Practice regularly

(32:42) Strategy #3: Crystallize your learning by teaching others

(35:06) Q&A: Getting over a breakup and Arthur’s most surprising research finding

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Referenced:

• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN 

• Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1885.html

• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/

• What the Longest Study on Human Happiness Found Is the Key to a Good Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/harvard-happiness-study-relationships/672753/

• Ways to Greater Happiness: A Delphi Study: https://link.springer.com/journal/10902

• The Harvard Study of Adult Development: https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org/

• The Drive with Peter Attia: https://peterattiamd.com/podcast/

• Huberman Lab: https://www.hubermanlab.com/podcast

• America’s Declining Social Capital: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1981-25768-001

• The Best Friends Can Do Nothing for You: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/04/deep-friendships-aristotle/618529/

• Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community: https://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Community/dp/0743203046

• Daily Stoic: https://dailystoic.com/podcast/

• Johann Sebastian Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

• Vipassana Meditation: https://www.dhamma.org/

• Insight Meditation: https://www.insightmeditation.org/

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Production and marketing by ⁠https://penname.co/⁠. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email jordan@penname.co

Hi Friends, I’m Arthur Brooks. I’m a social scientist, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and a columnist at The Atlantic. I write, speak, and teach about the science of human happiness. This is a field that blends neuroscience, behavioral science, philosophy, and religion for insights on how all of us can live better, and be happier. 

This work is more important now than ever. Happiness has been falling, and unhappiness rising, marked by increases in depression, anxiety, loneliness, and polarization. My life’s work aims to address these problems head-on, and turn them into opportunities for growth and learning. I have dedicated the remainder of my life to lifting people up and bringing them together, in bonds of love and happiness, using science and ideas. 

And that’s the purpose of my show, Office Hours. Each week, I will give you a glimpse into the cutting edge research on happiness, and explore how you can use it right now to improve your life—and share what you learn with those you love. 

So join me in the movement to build a happier world–starting with you.