Happiness and work?

Posted on 2nd September 201525th January 2018 by Dale Smith

Happiness: One word with so much meaning, possibility and emotion all held together with warm memories of great times. Work: Thought by many as the root of all evil; ‘the things I have to do’ or ‘the place I have to go’ because ‘that is life’. Surely these two concepts cannot coexist to create a sentence like: Happy and Engaged Modern Workplace. Or can they?

For those who attended (or viewed online) our February 2015 BridgeTalk with Nic Marks, you will recall that he gave relevance to this topic with his talk ‘Happiness is a Serious Business’. I personally found inspiration in this talk as Nic brought to life the power that this emotion can have on individuals and the benefits that it brings to organisational culture. It also made me positively reflect on the Bridge strapline ‘connecting your people to your brand’, as within this connectivity sits many powerful emotions; one of which is happiness.

It is now my extreme pleasure to bring more happiness to the Bridge stage and focus today’s spotlight on Paul Dolan who will facilitate an informative and challenging debate with our four panellists on what drives happiness in their businesses. Sharing the stage with Paul will be senior representatives from Google, TGI Friday’s, Home Group and Lush who will collectively give us behind-the-scenes access into their cultures.

The many different ways in which we define happiness affect what we can do to improve it. To create a happy and engaged modern workplace we must first define the experiences of pleasure and purpose that we want our people to have at work. Then as leaders we can begin to develop an environment that embraces the happiness and engagement that leaves a lasting impression on those that share our employee journey.

Paul is a leading authority on the subject, and off the back of his best selling book he will bring life to a topic that many take for granted. Many books and happiness experts make prescriptions about what to do in order to be happier, without defining what happiness is in the first place. Paul will take the panel beyond this by giving practicality to what is being pursued and the impact that this has on daily activities. Happiness can have many meanings and the exciting thing about this panel is where the topic may take them.

Getting your people right

Posted on 25th August 201525th January 2018 by Dale Smith

It is hard to believe that a week as past since the last BridgeCon Scoop and this week I have been asked to direct the spot light onto the wonderful Karen Walker, Customer Services Director at First Direct. I was positively delighted when Karen agreed to come and share some of the First Direct story with delegates at BridgeCon as its award-winning service experience is second to none.

In a sector with some of the lowest levels of consumer trust, First Direct’s refreshing approach to banking demonstrates an unwavering commitment to serving their customers. Regularly cited as case study-worthy in customer experience strategy, employee engagement and just spreading a little magic, First Direct never fails to surprise me in how it has created true fans that are happy to act as advocates. Whenever they get the opportunity to sing the company’s praises they seem to do it openly.

Long before I became a First Direct customer, delegates in my training rooms would regale me with tales of amazing customer service when asked, ‘who has a great customer service example’? It was, and still is, this consistent positive feedback that begs me to question just how can you create such an outstanding culture. One that ‘just gets it’, and better yet, delivers on it daily. I asked one of my team to do a little investigating and give me their thoughts on just how they might do it. I wanted to have someone that was totally unbiased and open to go beyond what I have been told by others.

It was not long before they came back with one of the most uncomplicated answers to my questions -‘they clearly get the right people from the start’. They then presented me with these First Direct words: As much as we’re looking for the right kind of people to deliver the award winning service that our customers expect, it’s equally important we fit your criteria as well. Are you original and always on? Do you have a passion for life and take pride in your work? Here at first direct, our values are passion, pride, playful, always on, family and original. We live and breathe them everyday; they’re what make our people tick. Although we have a diverse workforce where individuality is embraced, each member of our family share our values and have certain traits that make them, well, first direct.

First Direct make a point of recruiting staff based on character and values rather than technical ability. This is combined with a culture of looking after each other and reward and recognition at every opportunity. The management ethos is such that if they didn’t look after their people, how could they expect them to look after their customers? It is with this and much more that I will end as I began – I am so delighted that we will have the opportunity to hear first hand more about the amazing First Direct brand story and the fantastic team that supports it.

Turning data into actions

Posted on 19th August 201525th January 2018 by Dale Smith

With BridgeCon2015 only two months away, I have to say that I am personally excited by this event. I am so looking forward to hearing from all the amazing speakers that are supporting this conference with their experience.

This first edition of The BridgeCon Scoop has shone a spotlight on Chloe Strauss, and what better place to start than by getting to the heart of what drives people to engage with the brands they represent and the people that they share this journey with. The importance of better understanding our internal and external customers is key to the future success of businesses, and Gallup has proven to give access to insights into this area. Chloe will share some of this data and bring it to life in a way that just makes sense.

Building a happy and productive culture is demanding and takes considerable concentration across key trigger points within the organisation. However, without a question in my mind, it is also one of the most exciting and rewarding adventures leaders will ever be on.

Having worked across most industries and in countless organisations, the one thing that often surprises me is just how many ‘sames’ we share when it comes to what truly motivates us at work. I look to an organisation like Gallup as a gift; their research team and consultants gain access and answers to questions that puzzle me daily. The work that they do allows me to see trends in behaviour, desires and many work-related people opportunities that I otherwise would not be able to access.

I encourage you to come prepared with questions for Chloe as I know she will take your thinking into new and exciting places. The BridgeCon strapline says “everything begins with an idea”, and this exciting start to the event will set the pace for the rest of the day.

Dale Smith

Chairman