Happy Coaching is the rather delightful term used for a serious aim - if you have a contented workforce, productivity rises and employees stay.
Harry Wong - also known as 'Dr Happy' - is a neuro-linguistic practitioner who trains people in groups and one-to-one sessions on how to communicate successfully in the workplace by tutoring them on finding self-fulfilment and better communication tools.
Wong's 'Success with Happy Coaching One-Day Workshop' on March 30, jointly organised by Classified Post and Kornerstone, is aimed at helping business managers improve their ability to interact and communicate with employees and bosses. The activity aims to provide them with the tools to motivate their staff and be happier people themselves.
Trained as an auditor, Wong was working in Vancouver in the 1990s when he came across a newspaper article about neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). Interested, he decided to attend a session. He is now a highly qualified specialist in the practice.
'I often meet people in seminars who say, 'I don't need it, there's nothing wrong with me',' Wong says. But, as he explains, his seminars are more about taking a common-sense approach.
'If your staff members are not happy, they will complain, get angry, and eventually leave. As a result, companies [will incur] the cost of retraining new people. If they are happy, they work hard, don't mind staying late, and like their bosses,' he says.