There’s nothing new to the idea that happy employees boost the bottom line. But what really makes workers happy in a meaningful way? And how do you build a company culture that nurtures this happiness—and at what expense?

“There are many old business models that used science and control to try to get the most of their employees by treating them as robots,” says Danna Beal, workplace consultant and author of The Extraordinary Workplace: Replacing Fear with Trust and Compassion. “When a company ignores the hearts and souls of its employees, it can be likened to shooting a hole in the gas tank and then asking why they aren’t getting better mileage. People are the energy that drives the company. When companies help people develop as whole people, they then develop their full potential—including at work.”

There is plenty of evidence that these work-based programs are dollars well invested. University of Calgary professors found that the No. 2 most important thing that made people happy at work is a strong sense of engagement, following flexible work schedules. This was followed by a sense of being appreciated at work, and the ability to try new things professionally.

A few program ideas that can help promote personal growth:

• Bring in speakers for regularly scheduled “lunch and learn” sessions on topics that might include goal setting, time management or health/nutrition/disease management and prevention.
• Offer free biometric screenings and health risk appraisals, then connect employees with one-on-one health counselors or facilitate support groups to help identify and achieve health-related goals.
• Implement “walking meetings”—whereby you hoof it during the face-to-face session.
• Start book clubs with a reading list of suggested titles that underscore your company’s philosophy.
• Offer your office and campus as a meeting place for employees’ interests outside of work—volunteer committees, sports practice or professional organizations.
• Create a format in which workers can showcase their non-work-related passions—whether a talent show, rotating gallery exhibits, videos of employee projects on the intranet, or a designated section in the newsletter.
• Offer the services of a financial advisor to help employees work toward personal finance goals.
• In Juniper Networks’ annual “Learn & Lead Week,” employees at all levels and departments learn mentoring skills and leadership skills, and connect through dinners sponsored by senior leaders.
• Encourage employees to start office-based clubs focused on interests such as sports, crafts, or green or volunteer initiatives.
• Designate a quiet room where workers can take a break and meditate or otherwise quiet their minds.
• At the e-commerce firm Shopify, the performance review is focused on self-analysis and career growth and planning, and training is focused on an area of interest to the employee.

—Emma Johnson, Success Magazine

Author Danna Beal has a mission: to replace fear with trust and compassion in the workplace.

Sounds like a tempting idea? She wants managers to stop disempowering their employees and for co-workers to cease sabotaging each other. It's time to put ego in its place so that inner security and freedom can be attained and relationships can be built on compassion and trust. Workplace nirvana, perhaps?

What do you need to do to transform yourself into an enlightened leader? According to Beal, "the leader must be genuine or the energy exchange between the leader and group members will not foster growth and inspiration". You must lead with a compassionate heart and swap personal goals for collective decision-making. It means containing your ego so the free flow of creative energy from the group process is unblocked.

"Leaders who use dominance to control their employees cause suppression of emotions, which results in internal competition and lack of cooperation," writes Beal. If this is you, take a step back, play some meditative music and relax. Humility, compassion and acceptance - think of it as your new managerial mantra.

—Emma De Vita, Third Sector

The power plays of many workplaces are wasted productivity. The Extraordinary Workplace: Replacing Fear with Trust and Compassion is a business guide that condemns the rat race mentality that has taken form in many places of work, stating that it leads to more concern with getting ahead than it does getting the job done. Stating that a friendly workplace is one that is a productive one and the paranoia and fear of the rat race cause endless problems, The Extraordinary Workplace is a thoughtful read that should be considered by any manager or business leader.

—Midwest Book Review