It’s no secret to my friends that, although I’m probably less than 15% Danish, I love my Danish heritage. At my wedding my mother made a Danish wedding cake and we froze 25 bottles of the “delightfully” caraway and dill flavored Danish Aquavit in blocks of ice and our guests proceeded to drink them all. That was a helluva night! My grandfather is responsible for my love of all things Danish as he and my mostly Norwegian grandmother made sure that we were surrounded by all things Danish and Scandinavian at all times that we were at their house. From Danish Butter Cookies, to handmade Danish Christmas tree ornaments to the annual Christmas phone call to family in “the old country” we were never far from our Danish roots when we were back with them in Iowa.

As the years have gone by we’ve continued many of these traditions in our own home…especially the Aquavit. If you stop by our house any time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, you’re bound to be offered a small taste of this “Water of Life” in specially designed glasses that have been passed down through the generations. You’ll either hate the stuff (a few people just don’t have the advanced palate of a true Dane) or you’ll end up staying all night and drinking the last drops out of the bottle cap and sleeping in our guest bedroom. The Danes would be most proud of the latter because of a little known, VERY Danish concept called “Hygge.”

Hygge, (pronounced hoo-gah, or hue-gah) is a typical Danish concept, with roots reaching back for centuries. The word itself may be roughly translated to “cozy”. However, hygge means so much more than a simple word. As a concept, hygge could be described as a feeling of comfort or coziness while enjoying good food, good drink, and great company. Coming over to our house for a short visit and then staying all night drinking the last drops of aquavit out of the bottle cap and sleeping in our guest bedroom is very hygge. I’m a huge fan of anything that makes life a little bit cozier. So, in the spirit of all things good (and Danish) I offer you these ways to incorporate hygge into your business.

Be Nice To Your Employees – As a business owner, your job is more than to just make sure that the bottom line of the business is healthy. You have an obligation to make your people feel welcome, seen and recognized. When people feel appreciated they will be more resilient and more able to handle daily challenges.

Be Vulnerable – Yeah, I know…you want to be seen as the guy who knows everything, the one who has all of the answers and can conquer any challenge, but here’s the deal; your employees know better. They know that you’re human and make mistakes and if you acknowledge your mistakes and even point them out to your employees and ask for help you’ll be surprised at how authentically they will come to your aid.

Don’t Be A Cheapskate at the Company Party – Yes, I know that you spend every day around your people and sometimes the last thing that you want to do is spend more time with them, and more money on them, at the company party. But here’s the thing. The money that you spend to make the company party a memorable and enjoyable time will come back to you many times in employee loyalty and participation. They’re responsible for your livelihood. Take care of them.

Create Private Workspaces When Possible – Your team members need spaces to decompress, focus, and shield themselves from the outside world every now and then. While shared workspaces are attractive to both the budget and the times, more recent studies suggest that they actually act to drain employees of their energy. If at all possible, even in an open office, create places that employees can personalize and make their own.

Bring Back The Potluck – Comfort food is the very essence of hygge, and what better way to replicate the cozy nature of dinner at home with friends than to bring your favorite recipes from home. And don’t rush it. Give people the time, space and grace to congregate around the food counter and enjoy each others company.

That’s just a few ideas of ways that you can emulate the Danes and bring a little hygge into the workplace. The Danes, after all, are the happiest group of people on Earth. So maybe they’re on to something. ☺