Navigating Happiness
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Introduction
In the midst of a global pandemic, a mental health crisis and increasingly intense competition for the top talent, the pursuit of “wellbeing” has become as vital for organisations as it is for individuals.
Although the productivity and creativity benefits experienced by “happy” workers are increasingly well documented, there is no conception of this topic that everyone can agree on. This primary motivator of our organisational behaviour is inherently complex.
Over three weeks, this course equips you to navigate this complexity. You'll explore perspectives from narrative linguistics, econometrics, neurochemistry, social anthropology, visual art, and beyond.
Through this interdisciplinary approach, you’ll add breadth and depth to your understanding. But the outcome is ultimately practical. You’ll be able to innovate new tools, develop evidence-based strategies and evaluate what is, and isn’t, working.
Following this course,
you’ll be able to:
Understand the complex relationship between uncertainty and (un)happiness and leverage the power of narrative to alleviate anxiety
Navigate the why and how (and why not and how not) of measuring mental states like happiness amongst groups
Consider the role of major mood molecules in influencing how organisational practices support or inhibit happiness at the chemical level
Better identify and empathise with non-neurotypical experiences of wellbeing
Understand the impact of group configuration and social bonding on collective performance and feeling
Beyond these capabilities, you will learn and think in an interdisciplinary style and be equipped to transfer this approach to other complex problems you face in the future.
You’ll also work alongside, and build relationships with, senior professionals who are facing similar challenges in a variety of industries and contexts.
Who’s this course for?
Our Navigating happiness alumni have come from a range of backgrounds, industries and career levels. What they have in common is significant influence or responsibility with respect to one or more of:
Actively developing and overseeing organisational or team culture
Managing large and diverse teams
Supporting the ongoing development and wellbeing of team members
Our alumni include senior leaders at FTSE 100 companies; serial entrepreneurs and venture capitalists; chief executives of SMEs and charities; and leaders of ‘people’ functions in global corporations.
Above all else, they share a deep interest in this topic, an actively open mind and an appreciation that this is a demanding subject that requires an interdisciplinary method.
Course components
The course will bring together five main lenses, combining concepts, experience and techniques from a range of academic and professional disciplines.
The power of narrative
Using insights from narrative linguistics and cognitive science, you’ll develop a hands-on understanding of how narrative creates meaning and alleviates anxiety – a vital precondition for happiness. By examining how, and for what ends, this cultural technology emerges in organisational life, you’ll be equipped to (de)construct narratives that powerfully influence mood and behaviour.
The neurochemistry of feeling
You will be introduced to the role of key mood molecules and how these can be successfully ‘hacked’ by different practices. This will enhance your understanding of neurodiversity and the neurochemistry underlying common mental health conditions. Equipped with this knowledge, you will consider how organisations should attempt to regulate or incentivise chemically powerful behaviours.
Making measurement meaningful
In an age of big data, opportunities abound to track our happiness. In practice, attempts to quantify our feelings can present as many problems as they do solutions. Armed with foundational concepts from statistics and behavioural economics, you’ll explore the emerging best practices and the key trade-offs these present for contemporary organisations.
Collective feeling and team click
The benefits of team ‘click’ are well documented. Grounded in social and cognitive psychology, this part of the course engages with the evidence behind social cohesion to consider how feelings of collectivity can be boosted. You’ll grapple with the nuts and bolts behind shared feelings of happiness and togetherness.
Art, culture and subjective expression
In our attention economy, the visual arts have immense power to both condition and reflect our experience. In this section of the course, you’ll explore how art and culture can be used to reinforce and subvert narratives that have a transformational impact on how we feel.
Testimonials
Faculty
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Get in touch
If you’d like to find out more about Navigating Happiness or our professional programmes more broadly please email Jasper, Director of Professional Development.