Why you should share the happy
Written by niki juhasz
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, to about eight years ago.
I met Katie (you know, Forthright’s founder) when she was communications director at Children’s Law Center (CLC). She hired me for the *first time* as she was building out her team.
Part of my job was ensuring everyone at CLC – from our guardian ad litem attorneys to our policy team – was well-informed about the news that could impact our work. I spent every morning collecting the most relevant articles and sharing them all in one email.
And since we served kids involved in the foster care system, families facing housing insecurity and students experiencing education discrimination…that news was often (too often) bleak.
So every Friday, I added a category to the end of my morning news recap: Friday Happy.
I used Friday Happy to share good news. Think the newest baby gorilla taking over our hearts and newsfeeds, a link full of dad jokes, an article about a couple who found each other after 50 years and got married – anything bright and happy!
And you know what? The entire staff LOVED them.
how we bring the happy at forthright
Let’s fast-forward a couple of years. Katie moved, ABANDONING me in DC. But it’s okay, because it didn’t take her long to start Forthright and promptly hire me for the *second time.* As part of building a People First firm, she wanted us to bring the happy to Forthright, too.
Six years later, here are just a few ways we do it:
#FridayHappy Slack channel. We have an optional Slack channel dedicated exclusively to happy things that anyone on the team can share to – not only on Fridays, of course. Our team members share articles they enjoyed, pictures of their kids and fun updates about their accomplishments. (Shoutout to Ashley, who recently ran a 5k with her adorable pup, Hubble!) It brings us all joy and helps build camaraderie, too.
Recognizing our team. This can be as simple as a shoutout on Slack when our team completes a tricky project. But we also have a budget specifically for saying thank you to our team. That means we can send each other coffee, a pastry or a cute card just to tell our colleagues how awesome they are. Katie got me a tiara once for completing a particularly tricky government proposal – true story. A little can go such a long way.
Showing our partners we appreciate them. I feel so lucky to get to work with our amazing partners every day. You’re doing *such* incredible work. From our thank you cards to sharing Forthright swag, we like to show appreciation however we can.
you should bring the happy to your organization
Data shows that a little happy goes a long way, from building stronger teams to reducing negative feelings overall. We recommend sharing the happy with:
Your team. Research shows that laughing together literally helps lighten a workplace. Sharing joy also reduces stress and anxiety, and helps bring people closer together. The data also says employee recognition impacts both happiness and performance.
Your donors. You’ve probably heard of compassion fatigue. It’s been increasing for years. For donors, that means it may be just a little harder to…well? Care. We can’t keep sharing the bad and expect people not to burn out. That’s why it’s so important to share the wins and the happy. Show your shared work’s positive impact! (And do it without an ask.)
Your partners. While donors and supporters keep the lights on, we couldn’t do this work without our partners – from volunteers to fellow advocates. Sharing the happy with them can be as simple as sending along a quarterly note that tells them all the good things they’ve helped accomplish, celebrating a volunteer of the year or highlighting your partners on social.
It starts with a compliment, an email, a moment to think – what’s making me happy today? What can I share?
Let’s bring the happy, together.
