GTP22: What makes us really happy at work?
Investors in Excellence
This blog post has been produced for the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce as part of the 2022 Growth Through People campaign.
Growth Through People is the Chamber’s annual campaign aiming to help local firms boost productivity and grow through improved leadership and people management skills. In 2022 this involves 8 free webinars and events sharing best practice advice and guidance taking place throughout March, and a Growth Through People conference on 30th March. In addition, throughout the campaign the Chambers will be publishing thought leadership podcasts and blog content such as this.
Thanks to our Headline Partners and Sponsors – Aston University, Birmingham City Council, South and City College Birmingham and the West Midlands Combined Authority - all Growth Through People workshops are free to attend. Interested readers can find out more and register to attend Growth Through People workshops here, and the Growth Through People conference here.
Attracting and retaining the best people is within the scope of any business or organisation.
Let’s start with what makes a great workplace:
- Core values create the culture we work in.
- Culture is vital to happiness and success.
- All work is a process.
- Get the processes right for the right person, in the right job, at the right time.
- Culture and strategy are the two Weetabix we should all eat for breakfast.
- Strategy sets the line of sight and the direction of travel.
- Make the purpose clear and make it consistent across the business.
- Include your people in defining what success looks like, what their roles are in achieving it, and let them work to objective key results.
- Recognise and reward every achievement.
What makes us happy?
It’s true, digital dairy farms have the best cows and the happiest cows produce the best milk. Why? The cows choose for themselves when they get milked, individually recognised, and receive a good feed reward.
After twenty-five years of working with excellence, we know what makes people really happy in life and work. Don’t forget to keep life and work as close as possible:
- Be positive.
- Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
- Give more than you take or work at the 5:1 ratio – for every one thing you take, put five in.
- Smile and laugh.
- Look up.
- Spend some time alone to be more self-aware.
- Work at great relationships.
- Do what you love as much as possible.
- Give generously.
- Avoid the regrets.
- Think, reflect, and feedback.
- Unclutter life and work.
- Don’t compare.
- Be motivated for success.
- Start and finish everything.
Advantages of excellence
Excellence is being enabled to produce your absolute best in any situation where the environment is conducive to do so or not.
Excellence is achieved when we best fulfil our core values or we’re true to what we believe.
Success happens when every person best fulfils the big business objectives.
- Involving every person first and foremost.
- Learning and developing together.
- Developing, improving, and growing sustainably.
- Innovating and creating.
- Engaging, enthusing, and empowering people.
- Happier people and happier customers.
- Improving economically, efficiently, effectively, and ethically.
- Increasing people satisfaction and involvement.
- Improving reputation.
- Increasing happiness, health, and wellbeing.
Kevin Hart, MD and Programme Director of Investors in Excellence
Kevin Hart, MD and Programme Director of Investors in Excellence, is a specialist in Strategic Human Resource Management and Talent Development. He has an extensive background in diverse operational situations, managing complex cultural change programmes to meet strategic objectives. An inspirational leader and outstanding team player.