Why I had a “Joy Partner” at Work

One of my leadership strategies was having a joy partner at work. The idea comes from positive psychology.

Every day, we asked each other a simple question:
What brought you joy today?

That was it. No fixing. No problem-solving. Just noticing.

Knowing that I would be asked that question changed how I moved through my day. It trained me to pause—to recognize moments of connection, laughter, meaning, silliness, or calm as they happened. When I found joy, I allowed myself to rest in it, even briefly, and to hold it as something worth remembering.

Sometimes I shared it. Sometimes I didn’t. But the act of noticing mattered.

In demanding roles, especially in leadership, joy can remind us that even on hard days, not everything is hard. It helped me stay present, more regulated, and human.

Looking back, my joy partner wasn’t just a colleague (thanks, Ryan). They were part of my relational architecture—a small, intentional structure that made the work more sustainable.

Funny how joy grows when it’s noticed, and it deepens when it’s shared.