I've mentioned this before, but I used to work for an organization where "fun" was a core value— literally. There were company cheers, meeting hugs and lots of happiness—sometimes forced happiness. While the concept of a fun-loving workforce is important, it must stem from the top and it must be delivered in a consistent, authentic way.

In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share some examples compiled by blogger Alexander Kjerulf on how the C-suite can help to instill a company culture of happiness.

1. Hold regular lunches with employees. One executive of a huge Turkish organization has had a monthly lunch with 10 randomly picked employees for years now. Every month 10 employees get a chance to have a nice lunch and over the course of a couple of hours get to ask any question they want and air any concerns or complaints. They also get a chance to meet him in an informal setting and get a sense of who he is as a person.

2. Perform random acts of workplace kindness. One CEO decided to make fresh pancakes and waffles one morning. He simply showed up in the hallway of the office, plugged in a griddle and began making pancakes. It was fun to surprise his employees and see their reactions.

3. Celebrate! The Danish agency of about 200 employees has a monthly breakfast meeting where important information is shared with all employees. At this meeting, the director always shares two or three successes that the organization has had since the last meeting. She'll highlight how they've completed a big project or won a court case and make sure that the people who worked on that project are recognized and celebrated.

4. Encourage bad news. One CEO had a strong desire to receive all bad news as soon as possible. He knew bad things happened (they do in all workplaces) but he also knew that some employees were to afraid of reprisals and didn't want to come out and directly say that they might miss a deadline or have to disappoint a client. So he trained himself and his managers to always receive bad news with a smile and a phrase like "Thank you for telling me that." This took some practice.

5. Meet with new employees. One fast-growing company has a tradition where the CEO hosts a monthly afternoon tea at his home for all new hires that month. It's a completely informal gathering that serves two functions: He gets to meet all the new people and get a sense of who they are, and he takes some time to talk about the company's history and vision. It's a powerful way to show the new hires the values and purpose of the organization.

We could list a hundred more ideas, but the key to authenticity is this: It must flow from a genuine care for the employees. If the CEO doesn't honestly care about the employees, then he or she shouldn't try to fake it.

Also, it's OK to go a little outside of your comfort zone; however, do what's comfortable for you. If you do things you actively hate, that fact will shine through and it probably won't work.

Finally, consistency over the long term is mandatory. If you do this for a short while or only do it some of the time, it will be recognized as a fake action.

Why is happiness important in an organization? It shows that you put your employees first, just as you put your family first. It's a sense of dedication and loyalty, and that's what business is about.

Source: Alexander Kjerulf is the founder and chief happiness officer of Woohoo inc and one of the world's leading experts on happiness at work. He is an author and speaker, presenting and conducting workshops on happiness at work at businesses and conferences in more than 30 countries. His clients include Hilton, Microsoft, LEGO, IKEA, Shell, HP and IBM.