Having Fun At Work: Dr. Heather Walker
Back in 2009, Dr. Heather Walker became fascinated by the idea that having fun at work could lead to a levity effect, where businesses can actually reap benefits from their employees lightening up.
She went on a journey with a small team of graduate students at Saint Louis University to identify and understand the components of levity at work.
Through her dissertation research, Dr. Heather Walker studied 800+ professionals, and she too discovered that higher levels of levity are related to higher levels of several employee impressions.
Sensing global despair and utter chaos, Dr. Heather Walker shed her alter ego and took to the skies to bring levity to workplaces everywhere.
Her mission is clear: To support leaders who care about the environment they create with data and insights that improve levity at work.
In an effort to help others, Dr. Heather Walker embarked on a journey to uncover the glue that binds us together at work. Using employee stories as the basis of her exploration, she was able to detect a common thread among those who love their work environment–levity. This was not a well-researched concept at the time–no definition, no validated surveys, no data. She used the stories to carve out a definition of levity and its components (i.e., amusement, edification, and buoyancy).
She pioneered scale development and validated the Levity at Work Scale. In partnership with fellow leaders and organizations, she continues to collect stories and seeks to understand how the academic model works in practical settings.
Together we can transform the employee experience–one office at a time.
Books Recommended by Heather Walker
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki
The First 90 Days, by Michael Watkins
The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne
Your Erroneous Zones: Step-by-Step Advice for Escaping the Trap of Negative Thinking and Taking Control of Your Life, by Wayne W. Dyer