The Happiness Index - Data. Insight. Stories

Matt Phelan

Research, data, evidence and the stories of people focused on employee engagement, workplace happiness and driving performance at work. Connect with Matt via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewphelan/

  1. AI, workplace culture and the future of work with Dan Södergren

    10월 14일

    AI, workplace culture and the future of work with Dan Södergren

    What if AI isn’t changing your culture... just turning up the volume? 🤯 This week, the "AI Uncle" himself, Dan Södergren, returns for a record third time to unpack the Fifth Industrial Revolution — and why your mindset matters more than your tech stack. Dan’s message is clear: AI amplifies the leadership culture you already have. If it’s strong, you’ll thrive faster. If it’s flawed, you’ll fail faster. Drawing on data from Europe’s largest HR leadership survey, Dan shares the three biggest challenges facing leaders right now: 💻 The Shadow AI problem – Over half of companies have no AI policy, so employees are quietly using unsecured systems. A huge risk for trust, security, and retention. 📉 The training crisis – Only 7% of HR leaders feel confident making data-led decisions. Without AI skills, your people are 35% more likely to leave. 🧠 The leadership paradox – Leading “superhuman” teams powered by AI demands new levels of emotional intelligence, agility, and data-driven thinking. But this isn’t a doom story — it’s an opportunity. Dan explains why curiosity and the ability to “vibe code” are now the real hard skills. And he reminds us: AI won’t replace you — but someone using AI might. If you want to understand how to lead through this revolution — and keep your people happy, human, and ahead — this is the one to listen to.

    50분
  2. Embedding equity and AI into the workplace with Bertille Calinaud

    10월 7일

    Embedding equity and AI into the workplace with Bertille Calinaud

    What if the biggest challenge facing your business isn't competition, but accidental unfairness built into your systems? 🤯 This week, we're joined by Bertille, a diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner, to tackle the most complex and important questions of our time: equity in the workplace and the ethical challenge of AI. Bertille simplifies "equity" to a powerful concept: fairness and equal outcome. She argues that real change is achieved not through visible, temporary programs, but by embedding equity into systems and processes. This often un-glamorous work ensures everything is measurable, objective, and fair. We dive into the pressing issue of AI and bias in recruitment. Bertille warns that models trained on historical data risk reinforcing systemic inequities. She stresses that the keys to responsible AI use are transparency about how models are trained and understanding what and why you are using them. Ready to learn how to future-proof your organisation by building fairness and ethical guardrails around your people processes?

    46분
  3. The Happiness Business School with Madalena Carey

    10월 2일

    The Happiness Business School with Madalena Carey

    Matt Phelan sits down with Madalena Carey, founder of Happiness Business School, to explore a serious question: Why are over 90% of her clients reporting anxiety and burnout linked directly to the labour they do? This isn’t a chat about faking a smile. Madalena explains the real science that drives the Happiness Business School philosophy. True positive psychology isn't about ignoring negative emotions. It’s about understanding them. We discuss how your brain is wired for risk and why you must remove the organisational roadblocks to truly "optimise" the lives of your people. It’s simple elegance: Happiness is a performance metric. Madalena shares data from major scientific studies that prove the link: when your people feel good, they are consistently more creative, energetic, and committed. Curious how one person’s journey inspired a movement to humanise the workplace through data? Listen in to learn how to change your perspective when you can’t change the toxic culture itself.

    45분
  4. Unplugging to Re-Connect with Riina Gröhn

    9월 19일

    Unplugging to Re-Connect with Riina Gröhn

    The unconventional power of digital detox In a world of constant notifications and "always on" culture, what if the most strategic thing you can do for your business is to turn everything off? 🤯 This week, we're with Riina Gröhn, Chief People Officer at LIWLIG Group, who shares the story behind her company's unconventional all-employee event called Unplugged to Re-Connect. They took everything normal for a corporate event—laptops, slides, and even phones—and put it all away. Riina shares the surprising reality of orchestrating an event for over 300 seasoned event professionals, and how they handled everything from waking people up without alarms to creating a phone park for their devices. She reveals the remarkable outcomes, including a 53% increase in employees considering a change to their daily digital habits and a newfound sense of togetherness. Are you ready to learn how a digital detox can improve your company culture and drive long-term business performance?

    50분
  5. The quest to map global workplace happiness

    9월 12일

    The quest to map global workplace happiness

    In a world full of unknowns, what if we could finally light up a map of global workplace happiness? 🌍 This week, our brand manager Joe takes over as host to grill our co-founder Matt about a groundbreaking new project: the Global Workplace Happiness Report. For over a decade, The Happiness Index has been gathering data, and now, thanks to new technology, we're ready to create the first-ever global picture of workplace happiness. This isn't about "toxic positivity" or telling people they should be happy. This is about understanding a subject that we know drives performance and great business outcomes. The goal is simple: reconnect companies and their people so that work is fulfilling and businesses perform better. We discuss the vision, the daunting technical and logistical challenges, and the incredible global partnerships with companies like Google that are making it all possible. Ready to be part of the most ambitious workplace happiness study ever? Your voice is needed to make this project a success.

    19분
  6. When You Grow Up, What Do You Want to Be? The Science of Workplace Happiness

    9월 4일

    When You Grow Up, What Do You Want to Be? The Science of Workplace Happiness

    What if the secret to your organisation's success is hidden in a childhood dream? 🤯 This week, we share a truly unique and fascinating story about a young beetle named John—a Liverpool native who just wanted to be happy. This talk uses John’s journey to prove that happiness is not a soft skill; it’s a non-negotiable strategic metric. We reveal how John’s daughter, Jude, uses world-class research to expose the science of well-being, showing him exactly why his adult life went wrong. This talk introduces the Fab Four drivers of human happiness, straight from our data, proving that fundamentals like Safety, Acknowledgement, Freedom, and Relationships directly impact your business. (Keep your ears open! See how many cheeky Beatles references you can spot in the story.) Ready to understand the human science behind peak performance? Tune in to decode the evidence.

    5분
  7. Regenerative Performance: Why You Can't Pour from an Empty Cup with Dr James Hewitt

    8월 27일

    Regenerative Performance: Why You Can't Pour from an Empty Cup with Dr James Hewitt

    In a world of 'hustle culture' and burnout, what if the secret to elite performance isn't grinding harder, but recovering smarter? 🤯 We're joined by James Hewitt, a human performance scientist and former professional athlete. He's here to challenge everything we think we know about productivity and wellbeing. This isn't about working more. It's about a groundbreaking approach called Regenerative Performance. James unpacks why our traditional, extractive models of work are failing and why a leader’s personal wellbeing is the number one predictor of their organisation's wellbeing. He also reveals how something as simple as a three-to-four-day break can be as effective as a month-long vacation for recovery. We explore the science behind chronotype bias, the surprising truth about coffee's effect on our brains, and how to use a "regenerative mindset" to thrive under pressure. From sleep to nutrition and even fitness, James provides the playbook for a working life that builds you up instead of burning you out. Are you ready to stop running on empty and transform your approach to work and life?

    53분
  8. Decoding Your Brain: The Science of Benevolence with Mark Dean

    8월 21일

    Decoding Your Brain: The Science of Benevolence with Mark Dean

    This week, we're joined by Mark Dean, a brilliant brain and mind scientist on a mission to end mental ill-health in the workplace. We dive into the fascinating science behind benevolence—not just as a moral virtue, but as a strategic business driver. Mark shares his powerful insights on how we can use our brains to achieve happiness, even when facing challenges. He introduces the "bus principle" and the power of pausing, teaching us how to watch our thoughts without being controlled by them. He also reveals a stark data point: while most people think sunshine makes us happier, office workers are often unhappier on sunny days, as they yearn to be outside. Crucially, Mark provides a look into the brain during acts of benevolence. He shares research showing that giving kindness increases our serotonin and dopamine levels, while lowering stress hormones. The latest World Happiness Report confirms this, showing that benevolent acts are 10% higher globally since the pandemic. Are you ready to understand your brain better, cultivate kindness, and use the science of benevolence to not only improve your well-being but also transform your workplace culture and performance?

    50분
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Research, data, evidence and the stories of people focused on employee engagement, workplace happiness and driving performance at work. Connect with Matt via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewphelan/

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