#020 Chris Smith | Finding happiness at work

A learning journey conversation with a fellow EMBA student

In this episode Petro speaks to fellow UCT EMBA student, Chris Smith (Freelance Consultant in Project and Business Management).

Over the past two years (2020-2021) we have been working towards our Executive MBAs through the University of Cape Town's Graduate Business School. With classes moving on-line due to the covid-19 pandemic there wasn't enough time (for me) to connect with fellow students and hear about their research projects. I decided to interview my fellow students to hear about their research.

In this podcast I ask Chris about his research, which focused on improving happiness at work, what leaders can do...and why they should do it. Chris tells me more about why he chose this topic, how he did the research and what his major findings were. He also shares how this research changed him and the way he thinks about finding happiness at work.

Chris found that happiness at work is not necessarily based on rewards and financial gain, but that the most dominant drivers for happiness were purpose and authenticity. He also found that leaders have an important part to play in helping their direct reports find purpose and happiness at work. Find out more about UCT's Graduate School of Business EMBA programme here: · Connect with Chris Smith · Connect with Petro · Solid Gold Podcasts