Jessica Pryce-Jones, CEO and founder of consultancy iOpener, shares her five-C happiness model.

1. Happiness is firmly on the agenda for
individuals and organisations today.
Jessica Pryce-Jones, CEO and founder of
the Oxford-based consultancy iOpener, and
regular contributor to London Business
School’s (LBS) Executive Education
programmes shares her five-C
happiness model.
‘C’ IN HAPPY
THE INVISIBLE

2. 2
The pursuit of happiness
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Restaurant chain Nando’s ascribes a
key factor in sales growth to how happy
its staff are. Consequently, 50 per cent
of each manager’s bonus is based on
staff survey results and how happy the
staff says they are.
“Happiness at work is a mind-set that
helps you maximise performance and
achieve your potential. If you change
your mind-set you change
your actions.”

3. 3
The pursuit of happiness
AN UNHAPPY CONTRIBUTION
Step out of your comfort zone to grow
and learn.
“Things that make us unhappy can
contribute towards our happiness.
Our data is clear – most people don’t
like being given a big new challenge but
they love having done it. Your comfort
zone is never stretched by doing
something easy, if you’re always acting
within your comfort zone, it shrinks.”
3

4. 4
The pursuit of happiness
MODELLING HAPPINESS
Pryce-Jones is fascinated by the
power of networks in organisations
where individuals act as advocates of
happiness rather than spreading the
doom-and-gloom that seems to be
hard-wired into our psyches.
She shares her five-C model to better
understand happiness at work.

5. 5
The pursuit of happiness
CONTRIBUTION
This is the effort that you, as a team
member, make and your perception of
your personal contribution to work.
1

6. 6
The pursuit of happiness
CONVICTION
The motivation you have and the
passion you are willing to show,
whatever the circumstances.
“Conviction is your short-term
motivation and this is person specific
and feeds into efficiency, effectiveness,
resilience and having a positive impact
on the world.”
2
6

7. 7
The pursuit of happiness
CULTURE
How well you slot into life at work and
fit the organisation’s environment.
“Culture is your feeling of fit,” says
Pryce-Jones.
3

8. 8
The pursuit of happiness
COMMITMENT
The extent to which you are engaged
with your work.
“Commitment is your long-term
engagement with an organisation and
in what you’re doing.”
4

9. 9
The pursuit of happiness
CONFIDENCE
The sense of belief you have in yourself
and the job at hand.
5

10. 10
The pursuit of happiness
SURROUNDING THE Cs
On the outside of the five Cs is:
trust, recognition and pride in your
organisation, and from it.
At the centre is achieving your
potential.

11. 11
The pursuit of happiness
MEASURED HAPPINESS
Pryce-Jones champions bringing
measures to the topic – “this is all about
being tied to performance”.
If organisations bring an index to life
which monitors and measures the
happiest organisations, what
is measured might – eventually –
become a reality.

12. The full blog post was published on
London Business School Review online.
Visit the website: www.london.edu/lbsr
Illustrations by Magictorch