The Happy Manifesto

People work best when they feel good about themselves

Packed with examples and practical advice, The Happy Manifesto features ten core principles for creating happier, more engaging places to work. Learn more about the core principles below.

Create happy and productive workplaces

Imagine a workplace where people are in control of the work they do.

Imagine they have freedom, within clear guidelines, to achieve their results.

Imagine they are able to have the life balance they want.

Imagine they are accountable for the work they do, rather than the time they spend at their desk.

This is what we mean when we talk about happy workplaces: Organisations where staff feel trusted to do their work. Research shows that happy workplaces have better outcomes, are more profitable and have higher share growth.

In The Happy Manifesto, you will learn the 10 core principles to make this happen.

The 10 core principles

handshake 4

1. Trust your people

like 4

2. Make your people feel good

idea 3

3. Give freedom within clear guidelines

Page-1

4. Be open and transparent

Vector

5. Recruit for attitude, train for skill

celebration 3

6. Celebrate mistakes

welfare 3

7. Create mutual benefit in your community

g867

8. Love work, get a life

g3792

9. Select managers who are good at managing

motivation 4

10. Play to your strengths

5/5

“I picked up the book and couldn’t put it down — finishing the book in one night. The whole time I was reading I was nodding my head, agreeing and sometimes saying ‘Yes!’ out loud! If I could recommend an easy reading management book to any head of a company this would be it!”

Frame 285

Sarah Metcalfe

Author of Happiness

5/5

“A wonderful book — a gripping read and so interesting, as well as wise. It is truly inspiring.”

Frame 286

Professor Richard Layard

Author of Happiness

5/5

“A book that makes the complex people stuff simple and straightforward. Anyone running any type of organisation would benefit from The Happy Manifesto.”

DSCF5589-min 1

Jane Sunley

CEO of Learnpurple

5/5

“If only all organisations took the Happy approach, the workplaces of Britain would be far better places to work.”

Screenshot 2022-12-30 at 09.57 1

Neil Currant

University of Salford

Latest Podcast Episodes

Psychologically safety isn’t just about creating a comfortable climate, but about embracing discomfort. That’s because discomfort helps us grow and address complex problems, which in turn leads to greater psychological...
Co-management is a radical and fair way to run a company. One company’s approach of having no hierarchy and no bosses has allowed for a more collaborative and communicative environment,...
Happiness is not just a feeling, but an action that can be intentionally built within an organisation. By prioritising happiness and promoting engagement, pride, and appreciation, companies can create a...
Budgeting is time-consuming, can lead to quickly-outdated assumptions, and can stimulate unethical behaviours like resource hoarding. Beyond Budgeting is a management philosophy that challenges traditional management practices, specifically the budgeting...
Creating a happy and productive workplace starts with a focus on culture. A coaching culture can help build trust and encourage open communication. Sarah Pugh is the CEO of Whizz-Kidz,...
Implementing a self-managing organisation requires a shift in mindset and a commitment to creating a positive work environment. This involves giving employees trust, freedom and responsibility, as well as promoting...
When Jason Mitchell escaped the office to reconnect with his tasks, he noticed something: he was losing sight of the relationships behind the tasks. “Action has meaning only in relationship;...
The guiding principle at UK software firm Mayden is to manage the work, not the people. The company has put in place a clear decision-making process and a scaffolding structure...
A Multiplier is a leader who amplifies the intelligence and capability of their team, making work feel challenging yet exhilarating. Diminishers, on the other hand, unintentionally hold people back and...
Wholeness, self-management and evolutionary purpose are three core principles that changed Helen Sanderson’s view on teams. Helen Sanderson’s MBE is the founder of Wellbeing Teams, an organisation providing care and...
Psychologically safety isn’t just about creating a comfortable climate, but about embracing discomfort. That’s because discomfort helps us grow and address complex problems, which in turn leads to greater psychological safety. This means shifting from a parent-child dynamic to an...
Co-management is a radical and fair way to run a company. One company’s approach of having no hierarchy and no bosses has allowed for a more collaborative and communicative environment, where teams can solve problems together. Matt Perez is the...
Happiness is not just a feeling, but an action that can be intentionally built within an organisation. By prioritising happiness and promoting engagement, pride, and appreciation, companies can create a culture that leads to profitability and success. Dr Pelè developed...
Podcast title will go here
06Jan

Podcast title will go here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros.

Podcast title will go here
06Jan

Podcast title will go here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros.

Podcast title will go here
06Jan

Podcast title will go here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros.

About Henry Stewart

Henry is founder and Chief Happiness Officer of London-based learning provider Happy Ltd. Happy is one of the top Great Place to Work in the UK and top 15 in Europe, and helps other organisations to create happy workplaces.

Henry was listed in the Guru Radar of the Thinkers 50 list of the most influential business thinkers in the world. “He is one of the thinkers who we believe will shape the future of business,” explained list compiler Stuart Crainer.

His book, The Happy Manifesto, was published by Kogan Page in 2013 and short-listed for business book of the year.

Sign Up To The Happy Manifesto Newsletter

Receive weekly blog posts about happy workplaces and upcoming events, as well as quarterly newsletters from Henry with inspiring ideas and stories from around the web.

By signing up to receive emails from Happy Manifesto, you agree to our privacy policy. We treat your info responsibly. Unsubscribe anytime.