HAPPINESS AT WORK:

BASIC NEEDS
Taught by Dr. Raj Raghunathan

Copyright ©2020
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Course Overview 3
How to Use This Workbook 3
Chapter 1: The Secret to Happiness 4
Chapter 2: Boosting Happiness at Work 7
Chapter 3: The Three Basic Needs 8
Chapter 4: Cultivating Happiness on Your Team 13
Notes 16
About 20

Copyright ©2020 | Methods

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All rights reserved. No part of this workbook may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any
means without permission in writing from Methods. Inquiries should be addressed to:
Methods, 105 W Riverside Dr #110, Austin, TX 78704

Overview Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 2

 COURSE OVERVIEW
In this course, author, speaker, and professor Raj Raghunathan illustrates how something as simple–
yet elusive–as happiness, can have a radical impact on the way we do business.

With his distinctive experience as a coach and advocate for happier, healthier living, Raj highlights
the importance of happiness in every aspect of our lives. He expands on the first letter in the
B.A.M.B.A. model–Basic Needs–and teaches you about the three main categories your basic needs
fall into. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to identify which of your basic needs are being met
and which of them aren’t, as well as what you can do to start improving your happiness at work.

HOW TO USE THIS WORKBOOK

Each chapter in this workbook is broken down into two sections: Chapter Activities and Post-Chapter
Activities. These sections all serve different purposes and require a different approach. To get the
most out of this workbook, we recommend following the structure below.

Chapter Activities:
These activities are designed to be
worked on WHILE you watch each
chapter. Complete these activities
when the video prompts you to.

Post-Chapter Activities:
These activities are designed to be
worked on AFTER you watch each
chapter. Complete these activities
when you’ve finished the entire
chapter.

Overview Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 3

 1. THE SECRET OF
HAPPINESS
Chapter Activities
1. In what ways can your organization improve your needs for physical safety, comfort and
health? Be specific.

Post-Chapter Activities
Fulfilling basic needs is a prerequisite for happiness at work. Ensuring that each of the domains
of basic needs below and their subdomains are fully satisfied should be highly prioritized in any
organization.

Chapter 1 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 4

 1. Circle each of the subdomains of basic needs below that aren’t being fully satisfied for you
or your team members in your organization.

BASIC NEEDS
Physical Needs Emotional Needs Mental Needs

Safety Trust Fairness

Comfort Liking Resources

Health Respect Role Clarity

2. Remember that you have a larger impact on the fulfillment of your own basic needs at
work than your organization does. For each of the subdomains that you circled, what are
some actionable changes you can make to improve these happiness requisites in your
organization? Feel free to rewatch the video for inspiration.

BASIC NEEDS
Physical Needs Emotional Needs Mental Needs

Safety Trust Fairness

Comfort Liking Resources

Health Respect Role Clarity

Chapter 1 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 5

 People tend to underestimate the trustworthiness of others, both in and out of the workspace.
You are likely not an exception. Recognizing this bias and taking steps to proactively trust your
coworkers can have a significant impact on your happiness at work. A feeling of mutual trust
between coworkers can help satisfy mental and emotional needs while helping build a sense of
belonging, autonomy, and abundance culture in the workplace. Trust is an integral component of
workplace happiness.

3. Imagine that you begin proactively trusting your team members and they reciprocate by
trusting you. What specific impacts do you think this will have in your organization?

Chapter 1 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 6

 2. BOOSTING YOUR
HAPPINESS AT WORK
Post-Chapter Activities
There are countless ways to improve happiness in your organization. A good place to start is to
focus on the easiest solutions with the highest impact and lowest cost, i.e. “juicy low-hanging fruit.”

1. Take a moment to write down some “juicy low-hanging fruit” solutions that could increase
your own happiness and/or the happiness of your team members by fulfilling basic needs
at your organization.

Our environment has a profound impact on our behavior. It is constantly nudging us to behave in
certain ways. It can guide us to act in ways that are conducive to our own happiness, but can also
steer us towards behaviors that are detrimental to both our organization and ourselves.

2. How can your work environment be changed to nudge people into behaving in a way that
will increase overall workplace happiness? If you are struggling to answer this question,
try envisioning your ideal work environment. What, specifically, makes that work
environment so fantastic?

Chapter 2 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 7

 3. THE THREE BASIC NEEDS
Chapter Activities
Read each of the prompts below and score them based on how relevant they are to your current
situation. Give them a (1) if you strongly disagree up to a (5) if you strongly agree.

PHYSICAL NEEDS

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Agree

I do not do hard drugs or smoke and

rarely consume excessive alcohol.

I do not suffer from major bodily

pains and aches.

I lead a healthy lifestyle, i.e. I eat

well, exercise regularly, and get
adequate sleep.

EMOTIONAL NEEDS

By and large, people are good-

natured and well intentioned.

I do my best to help my peers if

and when they need my help.

I perceive, by and large, that

people are trustworthy.

Chapter 3 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 8

 Read each of the prompts below and score them based on how relevant they are to your current
situation. Give them a (1) if you strongly disagree up to a (5) if you strongly agree.

MENTAL NEEDS

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Agree

I live within my means and save

regularly.

I strive to be transparent and

communicate clearly and
proactively with my coworkers.

I consider it part of my
responsibility to figure out my
role in my organization.

Post-Chapter Activities
1. In this video, you were introduced to several “juicy low-hanging fruit” ideas that can help
you better fulfill your own basic needs. These are listed below. Based on the survey you
have just completed, pick one or two of these activities that would benefit you the most.
Write down a specific plan of action for how you can begin to regularly implement this
change in your life.

Juicy Low-Hanging Fruit Plan of Action

Journaling

Practicing Financial Prudence

Monitoring Health Indicators

(BMI, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar Levels)

Leading a Healthy Lifestyle

(Move more, eat right, get better sleep)

Chapter 3 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 9

 2. Make a list of several small and realistic changes that you want to make in your life on a
daily basis. You can look at your answers on the previous page for inspiration.

3. Choose the juiciest, lowest-hanging fruit on the list above and begin implementing it in
your life tomorrow. This is not a joke or a hypothetical, actually do this. This course won’t
provide any significant benefit to your life unless you take action.

4. How, specifically, will you implement this action item each day?

5. What obstacles might you encounter when following through on this change and how can
you overcome them?

Chapter 3 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 10

 There are numerous strategies you can employ to help you follow through on this change. For
example, you can:

1. Have an Accountability Partner

Having an accountability partner can be both mutually beneficial and an effective

strategy for helping you follow through with making beneficial changes at work and
in your personal life.

Make a small list of potential accountability partners that you could use in the
future.

If you can’t find an accountability partner, there are plenty of potential alternatives
such as smart watches, phone applications, and websites that you could use to help
you. Think outside the box when looking for solutions to help you commit to making
positive changes in your life.

What other tools can you employ to increase your chances of following
through on the changes you want to make?

Chapter 3 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 11

 2. Start Small and Build Change Gradually

You’re much more likely to succeed in making habitual changes if you start with
small action items that can be easily implemented in your existing routine.

For the action item you selected above, commit yourself to making this one
tiny change every day and keep track of your success or failure using whatever
tools suit you best. If, for whatever reason, you miss a day, don’t dwell on it.
Focus on all the days you have successfully implemented this change and just
keep moving forward.

Set a date on your calendar 4 weeks from now to begin implementing a second
change using the same guidelines as above. Continue this process, month after
month. These small changes will gradually accumulate and result in drastic
improvements in your happiness at work and in your personal life.

3. Change Your Environment

Our environment is a powerful influencer of our behavior. You can make small
changes in your environment to nudge you towards acting in more desirable ways.

What changes can you make to your environment to help you implement the
action item you have selected above?

Chapter 3 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 12

 4. CULTIVATING HAPPINESS
ON YOUR TEAM
Chapter Activities
Read each of the prompts below and score them based on how relevant they are to your current
situation. Give them a (1) if you strongly disagree up to a (5) if you strongly agree.

PHYSICAL NEEDS

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Agree

I work in an environment in which I feel

physically safe.

My work environment is physically

comfortable.

My organization takes care of my

and my dependents’ medical needs.

EMOTIONAL NEEDS

My leaders trust me.

My peers like me.

Chapter 4 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 13

 Read each of the prompts below and score them based on how relevant they are to your current
situation. Give them a (1) if you strongly disagree up to a (5) if you strongly agree.

EMOTIONAL NEEDS

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Agree

My direct reports respect me.

MENTAL NEEDS

My salary is fair given how much my

peers make.

There is sufficient transparency

and clarity of communication in my
organization.

I have clarity on the criteria on which I

am evaluated at work.

1. What could be done in your organization to make it easier for you and your team members
to seek help when needed? Be specific.

Chapter 4 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 14

 Post-Chapter Activities
As we now know, happier workers are more productive, and organizations that value their team
members’ happiness grow more quickly. As a bonus, helping others fulfill their basic needs also
directly increases your own happiness. It is therefore in you and your organization’s best interest
to implement “juicy low-hanging fruit” action items in your organization that fulfill basic needs.

1. Using your own ideas as well as those from the video, fill in each section below with “juicy
low-hanging fruit” activities that could be implemented in your organization to accomplish
each goal. Use your imagination and get creative here. There are limitless ways to boost
happiness in the workplace.

Make Healthy Encourage Best Possible

Improve Role Clarity
Living Easier Work-Life Balance

There is often a stigma against seeking help, both inside and outside the workplace. Rather
than being seen as a sign of weakness, seeking help should be viewed as a sign of strength. It
demonstrates one’s willingness and desire to take care of oneself, to improve, and to grow. In fact,
vulnerable leaders are seen as more courageous, trustworthy, and authentic in the eyes of their
team members. Regardless of your experience, knowledge, or position, we all need help, which is
okay!

2. When have you denied or not sought help at work when you should have? How would that
situation have been different had you accepted or sought help?

Chapter 4 Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 15

 Notes

Notes Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 16

 Notes

Notes Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 17

 Notes

Notes Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 18

 Notes

Notes Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 19

 ABOUT DR. RAJ
Dr. Rajogopal Raghunathan is an award-winning professor and author of If You’re So Smart, Why
Aren’t You Happy?

Born in Trichy—a historic city in south India, Raj’s childhood was full of travel, as his father was
a Civil Engineer for Indian Railways. This ignited his passion for understanding and absorbing
different cultures, people, and places. His genuine love for human community and compassion was
evident in his early inclinations towards friendships.

He attended the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences for his undergrad degree in engineering,
got his MBA from IIM Calcutta, and earned his PhD from the Stern School of Business at New
York University in 2000. In 2005, he was recognized as a Marketing Science Young Scholar for his
contributions to the field. His work has been cited in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times,
and The Houston Chronicle, among others, and he’s been published in esteemed academic journals
such as the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Marketing. Raj is currently a professor
of marketing at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

His breakthrough theories around human decision making and how it relates to happiness combine
elements of behavioral psychology, decision theory, and marketing to try and understand the inner
workings of consumer behavior. His 2016 book If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy? marked the
beginning of his shift towards happiness-focused research and its relationship to human decision-
making.

CONTACT METHODS
Have a question or comment about the course? Interested in working with one of the coaches?
Reach out to us using the contact information below and we will be in touch with you shortly.

contact@methodsofleaders.com

833.563.8463
105 W Riverside Dr #110
Austin, TX 78704

About Happiness at Work: Basic Needs | 20