We have already seen the gold standard of instagram – knitted hats, candlelit dinners, timber, romance of northern countries. Turns out that there is an actual term for all these things – hygge. The world learned about it in 2016, when “hygge” appeared on the Oxford Dictionary short list of the “words of the year”. It comes from Denmark and has no precise translation. Hygge rather expresses a certain state involving comfort and hugging.
What do comforting hugs of hygge bring to business?
Danes believe that even work can be hygge. They apply this philosophy to business and work relationships. Psychologists identified six key business-related factors that help Danes achieve high efficiency and feel comfortable and happy at work. Three principles are directly aimed at raising the bar of productivity in the office: rationality and minimum of staff, standard solutions are the best solutions, expansion without expenses.
Rationality and minimum of staff
The key words that characterize the Danish way of doing business are efficiency, rationality and simplicity. Companies in Denmark successfully survive crises due to the absence of unnecessary expenses. JYSK (and Swedish-found, but Dutch-based IKEA) are great examples of such business models. The companies open stores around the world, but the number of employees in the head office does not increase.
Standard solutions are the best solutions
It is important for Danes to increase volumes, but at the same time stay within the limits of the built-in business processes. In Danish companies, no one would take up a risky project that will entail large resources and give unpredictable results. In their opinion, standard solutions are the best solutions. Practice shows that it is true for non-Danish businesses as well.
Expansion without expenses
Danes easily copy the best models of doing business. Opening stores in new cities doesn’t mean the company should increase expenses. Automation of processes is a huge part of hygge philosophy and the approach of cutting expenses. Human labor in Denmark is very expensive. Danes are trying to automate any process possible. If you correctly implement automation, then all business can be managed without leaving the office.
For example, business automation dramatically increases the value of work. Automating useless processes means that your employees will no longer have to deal with them. They will be able to focus on work that creates more value and makes more money for your business.
The most obvious benefit of automaton is minimizing human error. No matter how much attention to detail your employees have, they’re still human. There is always a small chance that someone will forget something, an email will be left unsent, a signature not checked, etc. The consequences here can be anything between minor to catastrophic. The right software will change the probability of mishap to zero.
In general, hygge philosophy is about getting rid from infancy, adopting rational solutions and living in a society. It teaches business to successfully adopt the best practices, automate all processes and cope with any obstacle, by having a contingency for every situation. It all allows any worker experience satisfaction from life. We have a lot to learn from the mysterious “hygge” philosophy.
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