Lessons from the Pursuit of Team Happiness in 2024

In January 2024, we asked you, our valued network, to share your aspirations for the year, and a resounding theme emerged—team happiness. As we reflect on the year, we wanted to capture the key lessons learned and insights gained from fostering happier, more connected teams.

The Key Drivers of Team Happiness

Connection and Belonging

Building genuine connections was the foundation of team happiness. Organisations found success through multicultural celebrations, team-building retreats, and simple bonding activities like coffee walks. One innovative approach was the introduction of a ‘Happiness Whiteboard,’ where employees shared wins, doodles, and words of encouragement—turning a small act into a morale-boosting ritual.

Recognition and Appreciation

Small, consistent acts of recognition made a significant impact on engagement and motivation. Whether through company-wide shoutouts, milestone celebrations, or structured employee recognition programs, teams thrived when their efforts were acknowledged and celebrated.

Trust and Psychological Safety

Employees flourished in environments where they felt heard, valued, and safe to express their opinions. Teams that prioritised honest conversations and replaced the standard “How are you?” with “How can I support you?” saw a meaningful lift in morale. Leadership transparency and open-door policies played a crucial role in fostering trust and security.

Flexibility and Well-Being Initiatives

Happiness isn’t just about work—it’s about balance. Organisations that introduced flexible working arrangements, well-being programs, and wellness days helped employees manage stress and avoid burnout. Monthly morning teas focused on mental health topics and structured well-being committees helped champion work-life balance.

Purpose-Driven Work

Teams that connected their work to a greater purpose experienced heightened happiness. From charity initiatives to community-driven projects, organisations that emphasised impact found their employees more engaged and fulfilled.

The Barriers to Team Happiness

Despite these positive strides, challenges persisted. The most common barriers included:

• Change Fatigue – Rapid shifts in leadership, strategy, and team structures created uncertainty, making it difficult for employees to feel settled and secure.
• Resource Constraints – Budget cuts and increased workloads led to stress and burnout, reducing engagement.
• Remote Work Disconnect – While flexibility was a key driver of happiness, some remote teams struggled to maintain a strong sense of connection, requiring more intentional virtual engagement efforts.

Looking Ahead: Sustaining Happiness in 2025

The key takeaway is clear: team happiness isn’t a one-time initiative but an ongoing commitment. By fostering genuine connections, prioritising recognition, and ensuring employees feel valued, supported, and empowered, organisations can cultivate a thriving workplace culture.

Creating Team Alignment

One emerging theme across responses was the importance of team alignment. When teams and individuals feel connected to clear organisational goals, barriers diminish, collaboration flourishes, and innovation becomes a shared challenge rather than an isolated effort.

Clear macro-level objectives provide a structured framework for reward and recognition. Gone are generic ‘productivity’ awards—replaced by recognition efforts that align with short-term successes and long-term strategic goals.

Your Theme for Success

At Be Challenged, we find that an effective way to translate commercial objectives into a culturally rich vision is by creating an annual theme. Much like advertising, a theme helps to guide people toward desired outcomes through persuasive and engaging communication. Metaphors and storytelling add vibrancy to otherwise clinical objectives, ensuring consistency across departments and leadership levels.

Do You Have a Connection Plan?

A connection plan helps manage the cadence of team engagement. Too much at once can be overwhelming; too little creates disconnection. By centralising engagement initiatives across the year, businesses can proactively maintain alignment and culture in a sustainable way.

We build connections in four key ways:

Let’s Build a Thriving 2025 Together

If team happiness and alignment are priorities for your organisation in 2025, we’d love to help. From setting a unified direction through an annual theme to bringing it to life with a connection plan, our team at Be Challenged is here to support you. Get in touch at team@bechallenged.com.au to explore our approach.

Thanks for reading,
Kingsley Seale
Be Challenged | Managing Director