Leadership - How employees feel about the head of the organisation, senior management and the organisation's values and principles
Leadership has the biggest influence on how employees feel about the organisation.
Leaders need to create inspiring visions and provide clear direction to positively Impact the My Company factor.
When it comes to Wellbeing, no amount of free fruit or stress busting classes are going to address an imbalance. Employee Wellbeing is a by-product of the leadership and management culture.
If there’s pressure at the top of your organisation, it won’t take long to be felt throughout.
Commercial has run a successful environmental programme for a number of years. It is the first company in its sector to become CarbonNeutral and was declared a Beacon Company for sustainability in 2008. It has successfully reduced waste to landfill by over 90% and normalised carbon emissions by over 70% since 2006. They also have Green Angels, which are a small group of staff from different parts of the business with different levels of seniority who work together for a short time on a project. They are tasked to deliver two things; communication and business transformation. Each Green Angels group selects one commitment as the focus for their activity. One team focused on Eliminate Waste and revamped the internal signage, introduced new recycling bins and added two new recycling streams. They also held a “What a Load of Rubbish Day” which included all staff in seminars, tours and a game to encourage recycling. Following their activity, not only did the level of contamination in recycling bins decrease, but staff also reported much better recycling rates at home.
Arthur Hindmarch the MD spends a morning every month with all new starters, taking the time to get to know them individually, taking them around the premises, explaining the functions of teams, developments that have taken place and plans for the future. He is very involved and hands on working with sales people across all divisions of the company. He personally launched the Added Value Programme and is spending time working with Business Development Managers across the business to empower and train them to sell cross divisionally all of the products and services. Arthur is a humble, open, understanding, funny and empowering individual. He firmly believes that staff should be given the space to grow and at times learn from their mistakes in part of that growth, is hugely appreciative and constantly praises all the staff personally.
Commercial has run a successful environmental programme for a number of years. It is the first company in its sector to become CarbonNeutral and was declared a Beacon Company for sustainability in 2008. It has successfully reduced waste to landfill by over 90% and normalised carbon emissions by over 70% since 2006. They also have Green Angels, which are a small group of staff from different parts of the business with different levels of seniority who work together for a short time on a project. They are tasked to deliver two things; communication and business transformation. Each Green Angels group selects one commitment as the focus for their activity. One team focused on Eliminate Waste and revamped the internal signage, introduced new recycling bins and added two new recycling streams. They also held a “What a Load of Rubbish Day” which included all staff in seminars, tours and a game to encourage recycling. Following their activity, not only did the level of contamination in recycling bins decrease, but staff also reported much better recycling rates at home.
The company offers all employees a diverse range of social activities throughout the year including an annual subsidized ski trip, annual charity walk weekend and an international rugby match. They have found that spending time with staff members outside the work place is an excellent opportunity to find out what interests them both socially and professionally and in these relaxed settings they have received very valuable input into how the company, Senior Management Team and individual managers are perceived and the staff are very willing and open to provide feedback on any new company proposals and offer their own ideas for the company to consider. They always value the input of ideas from employees, one particular example was a suggestion to help the company increase its environmental recycling where they implemented a process to recycle all cardboard packing materials received in the Warehouse and Support Office and are now looking to extend this process to all their branches.
In response to feedback received from Managers' during their annual reviews in March 2011 requesting presentations from external speakers; the company engaged with Philip Hesketh, a world renowned motivation speaker to conduct training seminars for all staff. The seminars aimed to energise and motivate staff, build their confidence and enhance their customer service abilities. These were well received by all staff members and feedback was very positive. The leader of the organisation leads the organisation with real passion and drive, believes in quick decision-making and does not shy from making hard choices. His open door policy extends to emails and telephone calls and staff do not shy away from contacting him as they know he will listen and offer fair and direct feedback or advice. He is a people's person and makes each member of staff feel valued and appreciated. He values his good relationship with staff and will always ensure they receive the appreciation of the company for their hard work. At the core of his business style is a non-judgemental broad-minded attitude which is evidenced by his positive focus on and interaction with staff.
In response to feedback received from Managers' during their annual reviews in March 2011 requesting presentations from external speakers; the company engaged with Philip Hesketh, a world renowned motivation speaker to conduct training seminars for all staff. The seminars aimed to energise and motivate staff, build their confidence and enhance their customer service abilities. These were well received by all staff members and feedback was very positive. The leader of the organisation leads the organisation with real passion and drive, believes in quick decision-making and does not shy from making hard choices. His open door policy extends to emails and telephone calls and staff do not shy away from contacting him as they know he will listen and offer fair and direct feedback or advice. He is a people's person and makes each member of staff feel valued and appreciated. He values his good relationship with staff and will always ensure they receive the appreciation of the company for their hard work. At the core of his business style is a non-judgemental broad-minded attitude which is evidenced by his positive focus on and interaction with staff.
Citywire has an open plan office for all staff including senior management, this helps keep communication lines open at all levels of the business and direct feedback is welcomed by the Senior Management Team. The Chairman and CEO hold quarterly "town hall" meetings, where everyone in the company is invited; this keeps the staff up to date on company progress and actively encourages questions from staff. Citywire Improvement Group selects twelve individuals each year and gives them the opportunity to present their ideas to help improve the company. The Citywire Improvement groups have been continued with a further two offsite meetings taking place this year. The people invited are asked to come up with ideas to improve life at Citywire.
Citywire has an open plan office for all staff including senior management, this helps keep communication lines open at all levels of the business and direct feedback is welcomed by the Senior Management Team. The Chairman and CEO hold quarterly "town hall" meetings, where everyone in the company is invited; this keeps the staff up to date on company progress and actively encourages questions from staff. Citywire Improvement Group selects twelve individuals each year and gives them the opportunity to present their ideas to help improve the company. The Citywire Improvement groups have been continued with a further two offsite meetings taking place this year. The people invited are asked to come up with ideas to improve life at Citywire.
Citywire Holdings believe their holistic approach to promoting socially responsible behaviours towards the environment, social justice or local community relations is the most effective thing they do in ‘giving something back'. They have a dedicated ‘in the Community' team formed of employee and senior management representatives who help identify, develop, communicate and support employee participation in a breadth of ‘giving back' opportunities and initiatives. They include schools careers fairs, tea party concerts for the elderly and operating a food bank donation facility. Beneficiaries include local, national and global representatives including the young, the elderly, people in poverty or facing other social and educational challenges, people with disability and victims of natural disaster. They also sponsor every employee who undertakes a charitable fund raising initiative or challenge and actively encourage them to pursue internal promotion and awareness of their cause.
Managers ensure that individuals undergo a company induction which provides a context for an employees' role and impact on the wider organisation. They consider the level of support individuals will need to achieve their tasks and review this regularly asking for feedback on how they feel things are going. Regular informal conversations are held to ensure staff are happy and feeling supported alongside the formal bi-annual performance review process. They also respect employees' life outside of work and encourage home-working where the business can support this. They also consider requests for part-time roles and support these where they can in terms of business need.
As an organisation they undertake staff surveys twice a year as part of their biannual performance review process. At one of their sites an annual staff survey clearly stated that better internal communication was needed. A Comms Group was subsequently created consisting of a diverse range of volunteers from across the site and they have been successfully creating a quarterly newsletter for all of their staff at Nottingham. This is a great way of communicating upcoming events, charity information, recommendations and other areas which might be of interest to staff. It also regularly profiles different partners at the Treatment Centre and has received great feedback from all staff. They also operate an open-door policy for all management including the CEO. Despite being split across a number of sites, they come together every Monday for a video-conference call run by the CEO with contributions invited from all Partners.
As an organisation they undertake staff surveys twice a year as part of their biannual performance review process. At one of their sites an annual staff survey clearly stated that better internal communication was needed. A Comms Group was subsequently created consisting of a diverse range of volunteers from across the site and they have been successfully creating a quarterly newsletter for all of their staff at Nottingham. This is a great way of communicating upcoming events, charity information, recommendations and other areas which might be of interest to staff. It also regularly profiles different partners at the Treatment Centre and has received great feedback from all staff. They also operate an open-door policy for all management including the CEO. Despite being split across a number of sites, they come together every Monday for a video-conference call run by the CEO with contributions invited from all Partners.
All Head Office staff and their partners and children were invited by the company to a day at the Bournemouth Air Show in the Summer of 2011. This included their own viewing area at a top hotel on the West Cliff above Bournemouth seafront, a barbeque and bar/refreshments throughout the day.
Ceuta spread the 'green word' outside by way of communicating and encouraging their people and all their suppliers to be thoughtful about the environment at home as well as at work.
Ceuta spread the 'green word' outside by way of communicating and encouraging their people and all their suppliers to be thoughtful about the environment at home as well as at work.
ByBox gives everybody the chance to prove to themselves how good they really could be. It helps them to find and unlock the unique energy that is in all of us but that so many other companies work so hard to stamp-out. At ByBox, it doesn't matter a jot where you came from, how old you are, how you were educated or what you do in your spare time. All that matters is that you have the true desire to be part of something memorable.
ByBox gives everybody the chance to prove to themselves how good they really could be. It helps them to find and unlock the unique energy that is in all of us but that so many other companies work so hard to stamp-out. At ByBox, it doesn't matter a jot where you came from, how old you are, how you were educated or what you do in your spare time. All that matters is that you have the true desire to be part of something memorable.
ByBox gives everybody the chance to prove to themselves how good they really could be. It helps them to find and unlock the unique energy that is in all of us but that so many other companies work so hard to stamp-out. At ByBox, it doesn't matter a jot where you came from, how old you are, how you were educated or what you do in your spare time. All that matters is that you have the true desire to be part of something memorable.
The Operational Board have increased the level of authority that managers and team leaders have in relation to employee relations and budgetary control. This was done to empower the lower tiers of management. In addition to this they are the people that work closest with staff members, they know them as individuals and by allowing them more authority to make decisions based on what they feel is best for their staff has helped to boost staff morale, productivity and in turn engagement.
Brookson Ltd held a 15 Year Party in September 2010 to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of the company. There was a large focus on how the company had progressed over the 15 years it has been in operation and awards and special mentions were given to staff that had helped to contribute to the success of the business. The event celebrated both the achievements of the company and also the achievements of individual staff members. There was a three course meal, free bar and lots of entertainment this combined with the awards demonstrated that the company recognised and wanted to reward staff for their hard work over the past 15 years which collectively has resulted in the company's success.
Brookson Ltd held a 15 Year Party in September 2010 to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of the company. There was a large focus on how the company had progressed over the 15 years it has been in operation and awards and special mentions were given to staff that had helped to contribute to the success of the business. The event celebrated both the achievements of the company and also the achievements of individual staff members. There was a three course meal, free bar and lots of entertainment this combined with the awards demonstrated that the company recognised and wanted to reward staff for their hard work over the past 15 years which collectively has resulted in the company's success.
Supporters regularly refer to the role profiles ensuring that the employee is clear about their role and responsibilities and the company's expectation of them, recognising the effort and contribution everyone makes by saying thank you at Team Meetings and away days.
In March the company had an away day at Foxhills Golf Club in Ottershaw, Surrey. The day's theme was 'World Book Day Characters' and the whole team came in fancy dress. There were all the characters out of Alice In Wonderland, Charlotte's Web, Winnie the Pooh, Where's Wally? and The Cat in the Hat to name a few. The day's activities focused on developing their Knowledge Management systems and processes as well as sharing information and best practice. The evening's activities involved pre-dinner drinks, team quiz and a dinner. Everyone sat on round tables with people they don't normally work with to increase connectivity. There was a tremendous spirit all day and everyone came away feeling energised.
At an Away Day in April the Senior Management Team spent the day facilitating the whole team in the development of the 5 year plan. This was done by first asking the team to step into the tardis, and via various stimulations, come up with their vision of the future both professionally and personally. The team were then split into groups and each group had a lense to explore the future through and brainstorm what the business would look like in that area. The groups were then asked to present their thoughts back to the whole team at the end of the day. These thoughts and ideas were then used back at the office by the Senior Management Team in the final write up of the 5 year plan. The inclusiveness of the day had a huge impact on the team which was reflected in the very positive verbatims recieved in their bi-yearly employee engagement survey.
All staff are actively encouraged to put forward ideas to the Leadership team. This is made easier by the fact that they have face to face contact with all the Directors on a very regular basis. The speed with which good ideas are followed up and implemented is outstanding. Boodles plan to fully understand the results and identify the topics with the biggest impact. The Directors and HR Manager will devise an action plan with clear goals and a timescale. They will then communicate the results and share their commitment to an action plan to all staff, linking it to the business plan. Continuous monitoring of the action plan and celebration of successes.
Employees recieve handwritten cards from the Managing Directors for exceptional work. Staff are proud to receive them and it really encourages motivation and commitment.
Boodles genuinely and sincerely care about staff uplifting and motivating. They are 100% hands on and accessible to all staff, setting high standards and leading by example.
Blue Rubicon has created a unique reward scheme that recognises the efforts of individuals while at the same time reinforcing the culture of thirst for knowledge and knowledge sharing. The scheme is called R&R – Rest and Relaxation through Reward and Recognition. The purpose is to recognises the effort put in by every member of staff to delivering great work by encouraging time out for work life balance. All 130 staff are given an annual pot of £200 to draw down from over the year to encourage time out from their daily routine. The money can be spent on gaining new insights, a fresh perspective, indulge their passions or enhance wellbeing. £100 must be spent on taster classes/experiences set up by the company on a quarterly basis. These events are social and encourage people to spend time with colleagues who they may not work with and get to know them learning something new together –from ghost walks of London to wine tasting or yoga. The other £100 can be spend on anything the individual chooses as long as it supports gaining new experiences or enhances their well being. The things people have chosen to spend it on range from; learning how to be a cookery writer, buying a sewing machine to indulge a passion for clothes design to enlisting a personal trainer to get ready for a marathon. All of the activities are a thank you from the company for the individuals contribution to Blue Rubicon's success whilst encouraging time away from their desk to learn, have fun and encourage work life balance.
Blue Rubicon place a huge emphasis on the sharing of knowledge and thirst for knowledge within their culture – facilitating and encouraging this at the most senior level of the company. This is reflected in knowledge sharing forums that have been part of their DNA for over a decade: Their Thursday lunchtime ‘brown bags' are open to the whole company to come and learn from inspiring internal and external speakers over lunch. The company constantly look for ways to extend this principle to provide new and exciting opportunities for employees – and this was behind the launch last year of Blue Rubicon's ‘Exchange'. This has been established with three different types of agencies within the marketing sphere including advertising and experiential, to provide opportunities for their people to exchange ideas and knowledge. In a formal way this involves shared training on a wide range of topics. On an informal level, the Exchange provides a network of peer to peer contacts to act as sounding boards, test ideas out on, invite to brainstorms and simply create new inspiration and shared knowledge. The Exchange also provides opportunities for mentoring with very experienced senior people from across the marketing mix to explore personal development from a broad perspective
The company recognised the need to re-visit some of the fundamentals of their 5 year business plan: the market had changed significantly, they had been through a tough year financially and needed to re-ignite some of the passion employees felt about working for Blue Rubicon. They consulted and engaged everyone in this process – and ultimately re-shaped a bolder and ambitious growth plan for the next 5 years. This was presented by the senior management to the whole agency where we were clear about: Where the company was headed and why, Identifying the opportunities for individuals to have personal progression. As a result this inspired debate across the agency – at the Q&A session and during the following days. Specific feedback was sent directly to their CEO and included: “Thank you for today's presentation – I found it really inspiring. It's really exciting to be part of an agency with such bold ambitions!”
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