Happiness coaches

Why some companies in India are turning to happiness coaches to change workplace culture.

India has relatively high levels of anxiety and depression, with work-related stress often cited as one of the driving factors. The workforce is one of the youngest in the world, and the challenge for employers is to keep staff engaged and energetic, rather than burnt out.

Some corporates have resorted to unusual tactics, employing happiness coaches like Pravin Chaturvedi. The 33-year-old Mumbai-based former sales executive works with companies to improve morale, using a concept developed with a US-based wellbeing institute. Chaturvedi believes it just takes three simple steps to create happiness in the office; workers should be accepting of differences, express gratitude and connect with colleagues more often. One tip is to shift from ‘You’ statements to ‘I’ statements. “If someone is not listening to you, instead of saying ‘You never listen to me’, you can say ‘I feel unheard, can we talk?’,” he explains.

Growing demand for happiness workshops offered by coaches like Chaturvedi indicates bosses are keen to address problems with work culture, while a survey last year showed Indian companies were starting to take a more holistic view of workers’ health. After all, happy workers are productive workers – and a word of advice from the happiness professionals: don’t wait until there is a problem to act.

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Image credit: Piero Zagami and Michela Nicchiotti.