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Happiness

by Jim DeSena, CSP

"You can't buy happiness." Is it true or just regret from people who wish they could? New research by Dr. Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, and Dr. Tim Kasser, is showing that people whose primary focus is on money, fame or beauty tend to be more depressed and have more "behavioral" problems and physical discomfort. People who primarily want to develop close relationships, become more self-aware or contribute to the community tend to be happier. The keywords are primary focus.

They also found that extrinsic satisfactions such as wealth, beauty and fame, don't have to result in dissatisfaction. But it appears that if we achieve those without a meaningful balance in our relationships, our growth or contribution to others, we tend to feel unfulfilled.

Is it because wealth, beauty or fame are a bit like cotton candy - it tastes sweet and fluffy but not enough substance? Is it because they don't relate to our humanness? What does your experience tell you?

These insights are for individuals, but there is a parallel with corporate mission or purpose statements. Some corporate mission statements focus on fulfilling important customer needs. Others focus on factors such as revenue, growth or market share. Which is better? Well, revenue, growth or market share measure how well a company is doing at delivering what customers want. If a company's basic purpose fills an important customer need, the rewards follow.

Here's an example. What is Disney's mission? Basically, it's to entertain people. Here is a company with thousands of employees that can describe what it does for its customers in two or three words. They make money because they entertain people. Would they make as much money if their primary goal was to be the biggest entertainment company, or the fastest growing? Would shifting from what customers want to what Disney wants help them? Probably not.

©1999 James A. DeSena

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