Here is an excerpt from an article written by Dan Bowling for Talent Management magazine. To read the complete article, check out all the resources, and sign up for a free subscription to the TM and/or Chief Learning Officer magazines published by MedfiaTec, please click here.

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Flying into Los Angeles with its final approach nestled between mountain and sea, I was reminded of how much I love L.A. It is truly a beautiful place, one bathed in light. Driving downtown during the soul-sucking rush hour on a crowded bus, I was reminded of how much I hate L.A.

I used to live here, you see. I know its good, bad and ugly.

Our jobs can be like that, whipping up a complex stew of contradictory emotions when we ask ourselves that most confounding of questions: “Am I happy at work?” There are no simple, or even consistent answers. Exploring that question, and the more fundamental issue of what it means to be happy and what that word actually means, is what I try to do with this blog.

I am not the only one exploring happiness. This past weekend some of the top social scientists in the world gathered to present the latest research on human flourishing and well-being. More than a thousand people packed an L.A. hotel to listen to luminaries such as Martin Seligman and Barbara Fredrickson dissect empirical findings on what it means to be happy. Literally hundreds of papers were presented in a variety of forums, and my goal was to sift through them and bring you a few nuggets on work and happiness.

That, and stay out of the margaritas at the hotel bar, at least until after I attended a few sessions.

Let me warn you – looking to find places where positive psychology produces business results is not easy. In more than five years of studying and writing about happiness and work, I have yet to come across the randomized, controlled, large-scale study that establishes once and for all the causal connection between workplace happiness and shareholder value. It is like diversity or engagement – we know it helps, but it is tough to prove. That said, here are a few things I learned in L.A.:

[Actually, the first two that he discusses.]

o Organizations with strong values perform the best. Kim Cameron of the University of Michigan’s school of Positive Organizational Scholarship presented data from 40 financial services firms where performance was measured across a variety of results such as sales and ROI. Comparing the top performers against the bottom, he found that almost half the variance could be explained by “virtuous” HR practices at the top companies, such as encouraging teamwork and focusing on employee strengths. Things that make us happy at work. Take that, you 6-Sigma Death Lizards.

o A daily vacation improves your performance and happiness. Take a vacation every day, at least mentally. Your annual trip to Myrtle Beach, jammed in the family truckster with squalling kids, is not going to do it. German researcher Sabine Sonnentag presented data showing that deplugging psychologically from work needs to be daily to improve well-being and your overall attitude about your job. Turn off the smartphone and the computer at home – at least when you are finished reading this blog.

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That is enough for now. I will report back soon with some more takeaways from the conference, but know this: there is no magic pill to be happy at work (well, maybe there is, but I don’t do pharmacology). It is hard, complex and individualized work – sort of like living in L.A. – but it is worth the effort. Keep trying.

And help yourself to a margarita, on me.

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To read the complete article, please click here.

Daniel S. Bowling III is an expert on the science of well-being and work and conducts empirical research on this topic through the University of Pennsylvania. Formerly, he was a partner in a major law firm and later, the global head of human resources at Coca-Cola Enterprises, where he directed all HR activities for more than 80,000 employees worldwide. He currently holds faculty positions at both Duke Law School and UPenn. He also leads a consulting firm, Positive Workplace Solutions, that works with some of the largest institutions in the country showing that well-being enhances not just life satisfaction but productivity and performance, and writes and speaks extensively on these topics. He can be reached at dabowling@gmail.com.