High-pressure delivery cycles, on-call fatigue, and constant context switching quietly erode the very capacity teams need to ship reliably. This session gives engineering leaders and ICs a practical playbook to reduce burnout and raise engagement—without big budgets or headcount. Kapil shares his G.P.S. for Happiness™ framework—Gratitude, Purpose, and Small Acts (Smile)—translated for DevOps realities: incident reviews, stand-ups, retros, and handoffs. The focus is not “feel-good” theory; it’s micro-habits that improve collaboration, psychological safety, and execution under stress.

Participant will learn: A 3-step ritual teams can use in <5 minutes to reset energy before high-stakes work (deploys, incidents, war rooms). How to connect daily tasks to personal and product Purpose, so motivation sustains beyond deadlines. “Small Acts” that lift morale during on-call rotations and reduce friction across Dev, Ops, and Security. A manager toolkit to turn disengagement into ownership—leading to better MTTR, lower change-failure rates, and stronger retention. Why it works: DevOps thrives on trust, clarity, and fast feedback. The GPS framework operationalizes those human levers so the team can think clearly, collaborate faster, and finish stronger—especially when things break. Format: Fast-paced talk with stories from high-pressure environments, field-tested exercises, and take-home prompts teams can start using the same day.

Outcomes: Attendees leave with a shared language and simple rituals they can insert into existing ceremonies—no extra meetings required. The result: calmer incidents, tighter collaboration, and a team that has the energy to keep improving.

Kapil Patel helps leaders in high-pressure industries turn stress into engagement and burnout into brilliance. He is the founder of Inspiring Happiness at Work™ and creator of the G.P.S. for