How to Open the Doors to Happiness

Creating happiness in communities and entire nations is not an easy thing to achieve, but by using specific ways that will carefully work to alter policies, countries can undoubtedly open the doors to happiness.

2019 Global Happiness and Well-Being Policy Report, among many things, discusses precisely that as well.

It takes us through several ‘how to’ lessons or stages that discuss successful happiness policies. Let’s take a better look into each one, as all of them combined will help us find out the secrets to opening the doors to happiness.

Establishing a Happiness Strategy

A specific happiness strategy can be developed on smaller and larger scales, for organizations, ministries, cities, regions, and even countries. The key is to use buy-ins and draw happiness data which then needs to be evaluated to create a successful strategy that will promote happiness and well-being.

Turning the Talk into Action

The best way to get to action is the availability of great examples to copy, together with encouragement of innovation and experimentation at the operating level. Taking things to action requires a human team, where the most essential elements are leaders, shared enthusiasm, and high levels of trust and a sense of purpose.

Collaboration within Portfolios

Research has shown that people in flatter organizational structures tend to be happier, and that collaborative teaching structures are connected to higher social capital. For that reason, policies and procedures should attempt to increase trust among colleagues in organizations.

Collaboration across Ministries, NGOs, and Other Interested Sides

Higher levels of specialization are necessary; each department needs to use its tools to accomplish its defined goals and objectives. Even if broader objectives are possible, they need to be sought by using the department’s tools and resources.

Space for Experimentation, Evaluation, and Risk-Taking

The key ‘how to’ advice here is to build an enthusiastic team of collaborators who will drive innovation.

Consistent Policy Choices

To achieve consistency here, a standard is needed for well-being evaluation. This standard should contain all relevant factors and needs to be able to establish equivalent values for policies in different areas.

Continuity

Continuity needs to exist for happiness to survive, which means that ideas developed need to be maintained by the following leadership structures, or governments. That can be achieved through long-term commitments to policies.

Learning from Different Experiences

The very purpose of the global happiness report is to collect and share successful policy experiences from across the globe. The point of that is to cast light on ideas that have successfully worked elsewhere and to implement them in other regions, but also to create networks of people derive inspirations from their peers.

The Bottom Line

These ‘how to’ lessons are not easy to implement, at least by existing bureaucratic structures, especially on the national level. However, there’s a lot of public interest that hasn’t stopped growing, enthusiasm for redirect policies that will enable happiness on more broader levels.

What might be needed here is the development of certain safe spaces where happiness innovations can develop, using these ‘how to’ lessons.