Database Support Team Motivated by Desire to Create Happiness

In honor of   Happiness Happens Month  in August, I asked FundRaiser staff a few questions about how they make happiness happen. My questions were:

1. When you are stressed at work, what do you do to help yourself feel better?
2. If another staff member is stressed, what would you do to help, or suggest to them?
3. How do you see FundRaiser as a company aligning with Happiness Happens Day?
4. Do you have a phrase or a motto or thought that you use to help yourself ground and regain a positive perspective when you are feeling stressed?
5. When a customer is stressed, what sort of things do you think might help them come back to feeling better again? OR how would you respond to help them feel less stressed?

Below are our street-tested copings for creating happiness daily. It's not software tech support, but some of the suggestions have carried us, and our customers, through some sticky technical situations. If you are a FundRaiser customer, you know what a strong emphasis we put on offering the best technical support available at any donor database company, and this is one of the key ways we accomplish that. 

How would you answer these questions yourself? I'd love to hear, and you can post them to the FundRaiser facebook page or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Autumn Shirley, CEO, Sales & Marketing Manager

1. When I'm stressed, I listen to classical music. I turn music on. If I can, I  walk around the West Plains town square. My favorite stress relieving music right now is classical guitar by Tommy Emmanuel.
2. If a staff member is stressed, I think it might help them to go outside and clear their head a little. Maybe get coffee, or something you enjoy. Those things can remind you that work isn't everything and give you a perspective.
3. I like celebrating Happiness Happens because everybody could use a little reminder that life is passing everyday. Take a little time to be happy in it!
4. I like to remember "Be the change you want to see." This reminds me of what is important and grounds me. It helps me remember that one person can only do so much, so focus on what you can do.
5. If a customer is upset, I try to communicate that I understand they're upset. When someone takes the time to voice their displeasure, it's important  to know that the person you are talking to is actually listening. Then I assure them that we'll get it resolved and take care of it for them.

Joshua Shirley, CFO, Technical Development Manager

1. If I'm stressed at work, I listen to classical music.
2. If a staff member is stressed, taking a break can help; if possible, tell a joke, or eat ice cream. FundRaiser keeps ice cream in the fridge!
3. FundRaiser celebrates Happiness Happens because it goes back to the core belief that the job isn't just a job. It's a mission to improve other peoples' life.
4. I remind myself "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do". What I mean by this is that you actually do things that are challenging because you want the results. So the word/phrase 'have to' is kind of a misinterpretation. When you rephrase it with the understanding that you chose this for reasons that you agree with, then your mind/thoughts make you happier.
5. When I hear that a customer is stressed, my advice is to take some time and make sure you are encouraging yourself so your mission can be successful. We give our staff the day off on Happiness Happens Day at the beginning of August with a basic underlying intention of making sure we all have a chance to relax and reflect, so we can come back better at our jobs, and in a better place to help our customers.

Sasha Daucus, Social Media Director

1. When I get stressed I take a break, go outside and take a walk and look at something different, something that helps me shift my focus.
2. If a staff member is stressed, I listen and try to understand where they are coming from, what is happening for them. Sometimes I might have a different perspective to share and sometimes I just want to hear what they have to say.
3. I like that FundRaiser celebrates Happiness Happens, because I feel like that reflects a real feeling in our office that happiness is something to value and if you need to make changes to get happy, then you will receive support in doing that.
4. When I am stressed, I remember compassion for myself and others. I touch in with that and make it a real feeling. When I can really connect with compassion, then life takes on a whole different feeling and there is a deep level of happiness regardless of whatever is going on in the world.
5. If a customer is talking to me and stressed, I listen. If it is related to something about FundRaiser then I assure them that I will take the issue to whoever on staff can really help them. If you have a problem with FundRaiser, we really do want to hear about it. We want to understand and communicate about it to reach the best resolution possible.

Larry Weaver, Training Manager

1. For general deadline stress, it helps to step back, take a break, have a smoke and coffee, and let my mind wander in unrelated thoughts.
2. If another staff member is stressed, it depends on what they are stressing about, of course, but "take a deep breath, take a break, relax and regroup".
3. At FundRaiser, full-time employees get a day off a month. As there is no national holiday for us during August, Happiness Happens fills the niche.
4. The phrase I say to myself when I'm stressed isn't printable. My old biker buddies always said "life s***s and then you die"...  meaning that, in the long run, we all have the same fate, so why worry?
5. In my job, most customer stress is from not being able to accomplish what they need within FundRaiser, so I try to help them complete their task, which always makes them feel less stressed.

Gene Weinbeck, Company Founder, Lead Programmer

1. If I'm stressed, I eat chocolate... or I get up and look in the fridge for ice cream. Sometimes I just focus more deeply on what I am doing, and sometimes I switch what I am doing.
2. If a staff member is stressed, I think the best thing they could do would be to go outside and look at the horizon, walk around; do something to get away from here and let their mind escape. If they can't take a walk, then I'd give them a chance to talk it out, ask them "What's up? Why are you stressed?" I'd give them a chance to vent... then offer them ice cream or chocolate. 
3. I think Happiness Happens fits with FundRaiser because it's an unusual and quirky holiday that appeals to our preferred way of being. It appeals to who we are: we'd like to be happy. There's something satisfying about the phrase "Happiness Happens", too, how it rolls off the tongue.
4. I keep quotations pinned up at my desk all around me. Typically, they are from my Zen-A-Day calendar. My current favorite is "It is just as is and ain't no is-er".
5. If a customer is stressed then I listen to them. If they are stressed or annoyed about FundRaiser, then I'd restate what I'd just heard and ask if that's accurate and make them feel heard.  If it's a mistake of mine, then I tell them that I'll look into it or take care of it. If I sense that they might be open to it, I may also say, "pay attention to your heart and follow that... and don't believe everything you think."

Jonathan Smith, Lead Support Technician

1. When I'm stressed at work, I get up and walk away from my desk – take a walk outside (weather permitting).
2. If another staff member is stressed, I’d suggest that they take a walk. (Works for me, right?)
3. Happiness Happens Day at FundRaiser reinforces the idea that we, as a company, are concerned with the well-being of ourselves as individuals.
4. The phrases I say to myself are "it is what it is" and that  "I can only do what I can do". When it gets bad, those two phrases do help me focus. They tend to work hand-in-hand with response (1) above.
5. When I sense a customer is getting stressed, I try to help them understand that I am in it with them, whatever the situation may be.  It seems to help when people don’t feel alone and understand that we will help them get the problem solved.

Nick Haring, Support Technician

1. I don't get stressed at work. It's easy going here. When I do get stressed, I take a break and stop for a moment.
2. If a co-worker is stressed, I try to make a joke or help them see another perspective
3. I like working the tech lines on company holidays, like Happiness Happens Day, because then I get a floating holiday that I can take at another time. I like the flexibility of that.
4. When I'm stressed I reflect on Carl Sagan's piece called Pale Blue Dot.
5. When a customer gets frustrated,  I think the most helpful thing I can do is stay calm. If I were to say something, I might suggest they take a step back and take a deep breath.

Marcy Weinbeck, Company Founder

1. When I'm stressed, I distract myself or choose to do something that I can accomplish.
2. What I like to do when someone I am talking to is stressed is to ask if there is a way I can help and remind them that I care.
3. I like that FundRaiser celebrates Happiness Happens, because I want the movement to spread and for more people to value being happy and make the choices that help them to do that.
4. The phrase I use to help myself when stressed is "All is well". It's a reminder that everything changes; nothing stays stressful forever; and ultimately, I am not where the buck stops.

Smudge, CMO (Chief Morale Officer)

1. When I'm stressed, I go sharpen my claws on Autumn's chair to get some attention.
2. If another staff member is stressed,  I say try #1 above. It really works.
3. I don't remember getting anything special to eat on Happiness Happens Day... I think we need to rethink this.
4. My motto is "Eat, sleep, get pets, give hugs and when in doubt, tear around the office". There's something for everyone and all situations in that.
5. When a customer is stressed, I'd say, "have you petted your cat lately?"

What would you answer these questions, yourself? I'd love to hear, and you can post them to the FundRaiser facebook page or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Sasha Daucus.