In recent times, Finland has gained notoriety because the “happiest nation on the earth” for its continued dominance within the UN’s World Happiness Report, rating first for the six years working. But, this happiness doesn’t translate into notoriety. For instance, many individuals are sometimes stunned to listen to that tech giants akin to Nokia, Supercell, and Kone, are in reality Finnish. That being stated, you wouldn’t be chastised by a Finn for not understanding this. We’re well-known for being comfortable–and comfortable not being well-known.
Central to Finnish tradition is the phrase “kell’ onni on, se onnen kätkeköön,” which roughly interprets to, “Whoever has discovered happiness, that happiness they need to disguise.” This phrase is just not designed to encourage individuals to be unhappy, or to cover their feelings. As a substitute, it actually simply means to be humble and content material, and never go round beating your personal drum. It implores us to concentrate on who we’re, versus the facades we’re constructing. This proverb guides a lot of Finnish tradition–and is probably why you haven’t heard of many Finnish corporations, regardless of having used their companies.
With much less emphasis on the success of these round us, the societal stress to attempt for, and attain, happiness is felt far much less. To appease the oppressive local weather, Finnish tradition fosters a way of neighborhood. We’re all getting rained on collectively, at the least! There may be additionally a novel belief within the media, governmental businesses, and between residents.
Within the office, this notion of mutual belief is answerable for Finland’s progressive perspective in the direction of work-life stability. It’s properly reported that Finnish companies are comparatively extra prone to supply versatile working hours, with a research from accounting agency Grant Thornton discovering that 92% of Finnish corporations allowed employees to adapt their hours, in comparison with simply 76% within the U.Okay., and even much less in different European international locations. While many companies globally have begun to simply accept the correct to versatile work because the pandemic, Finland was many years forward of the curve, passing its preliminary Versatile Working Act in 1996. It’s very a lot embedded in our DNA to look out for our workers: a 2018 research discovered that greater than 4 in 5 Finns say they belief different Finns, which was disproportionately greater than the remainder of Europe. With much less of a need to get one up on the following particular person, it strengthens our office relationships, and permits happiness to be shared by having fun with a wholesome work-life stability.
Regardless of changing the work-hard-play-hard philosophy with versatile office insurance policies, Finland stays a hotbed for profitable and ingenious corporations. An estimated 4,000 startups and 11 unicorns make up the nation’s ecosystem, and Finnish corporations are working with quiet confidence regardless of a uniquely robust international atmosphere. In 2022, Finnish startups obtained a report $1.8 billion in funding, and while forecasts counsel that 2023 figures is not going to attain the identical heights, Finnish and different Nordic and Baltic startups proceed to punch above their weight, proving their technological prowess with the emergence of recent applied sciences and a rising deep tech scene.
Whereas Finnish corporations assume that the perfect product will promote itself and will not shout about it as a lot as their noisy neighbors, we’ve a knack for creating ubiquitous, game-changing corporations that make individuals’s lives simpler.
In latest occasions, it has turn out to be clear that investing in firm tradition results in higher outcomes than pushing workers to the brink of their limits. Whether or not you might be searching for enterprise success or a happier life, the rules of humility, belief, and stability apply all the identical. Fostering a aggressive and strict work atmosphere can result in greater income within the brief time period, however over time will hinder worker efficiency and result in a excessive turnover of employees. For these causes, it’s essential to place time into constructing an organization that’s culturally and financially robust, even when it might take longer, it is going to be price shouting about when it’s prepared and delivering on guarantees.
As talked about, “kell’ onni on, se onnen kätkeköön” doesn’t imply a ban on all happiness. Studying the best way to have fun wins is essential in each aspect of life. It means as an alternative of simply speaking about happiness, put the issues in place to make it occur. Very similar to the yearly fanfare for “Finnish secrets and techniques to comfortable residing,” there aren’t any shortcuts to success in life or enterprise. Study to take pleasure in humility, and over time, the world will begin to shout about you.
Miika Mäkitalo is the CEO of Finland-based firm HappyorNot.
Extra must-read commentary printed by Fortune:
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary items are solely the views of their authors and don’t essentially replicate the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
