Team Cohesion = Performance

Ewan Hilton Chief Executive works above and beyond his role within the organisation to raise public awareness of mental health and the difficulties faced by people with mental health problems, both through Welsh Government platforms and with the media in Wales. By partnership working with other organisations in the sector, he leads in a way that allows Gofal to deliver that message even more strongly than they could on their own. Part of the organisation's Strategic Plan is to create a culture which is led by Experts by Experience, involving their service users in every aspect of their work. The core competencies are linked to the Organisational values and demand that Senior Managers work as role models of each competency for the rest of the organisation. Ewan Hilton Chief Executive does not have an office base, enabling him to work from any of the satellite offices. Ewan is extremely approachable and enjoys engaging with employees, plus he takes the opportunity when working in different sites to speak to and listen to employees on a day to day basis. He is also able to email "all users" in the organisation.

Gofal have committed to becoming a Thinking Environment. This is the start of a journey which will take them several years, but the organisation have started by training every Line Manager in the principles of the Thinking Environment, helping them lead team meetings in a way which actively encourages listening and full participation of all members. Gofal started the launch to all team members at their recent Staff Wellbeing Day, when everyone was able to participate in an organisation wide Thinking Environment workshop. All staff were also invited to a company wide staff wellbeing day, including wellbeing activities, a presentation of the organisational strategies and an introduction to the Thinking Environment.

Global Aerospace's current community initiatives include employee volunteering, foodbank donations, a work experience programme, support to local charities through charitable donations and business mentoring. The recently launched Business Mentoring Scheme provides support to students in a local school who do not have a role model in work or may have difficulty relating to the world of work. Global Aerospace's local borough, Tower Hamlets, is only a stone's throw away from the financial heart of London that houses the richest concentration of economic business in the world. TH is the UK's most deprived borough, with 39% of people living in poverty and 55% of pupils qualifying for free school meals. There are high levels of unemployment and crime, plus low educational attainment in children. A team of eight volunteers will mentor children over a school year, with the aim of nurturing talent and encouraging the young people. These activities benefit not just society but Global Aerospace too, as they provide an opportunity to learn and good practice to be shared and built on.

Earlier this year Global ran a series of lunchtime guided City walks, held on a monthly basis. Walks were led by qualified City of London Guides and incurred no cost for attendees. As well as providing an opportunity to explore the unusual and hidden features that the City of London has to offer, the walks provided healthy moderate exercise, an opportunity for members of the PMI scheme to earn additional points from increased daily activity and the chance to socialise with colleagues. The lunchtime beginner group, offered by the store emphasises on participation and not pace. Feedback was received from one employee that from being a non-runner, after 7 weeks' attendance, they successfully completed a 5km run in 30 minutes. The Company funds massage therapy appointments which are delivered in-house, twice a year and are available to all employees. The massage therapist uses a combination of massage and acupressure techniques to the back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands and scalp while the employee sits in a specially designed chair. Each massage lasts for 20 minutes and takes place during the working day. Benefits include easing tense and knotted muscles, improves mobility and flexibility, relieves anxiety and stress, induces relaxation and wellbeing and increases mental alertness and clarity. On a day-to day basis, they provide employees with the use of a large kitchen with break-out seating area to encourage individuals to take time away from their desks to eat lunch and integrate with their colleagues. For those requiring a more tranquil area, a First Aid room is available for private reflection.

As stated elsewhere, Frame live their values, believing this to be more genuine and real than merely stating them. Not all employees are aware of instances where they have been honest, at a cost to the business, but many are, and most managers could point to an instance of this. They talk about the ambition and progress at staff meetings, particularly the annual review. And individual departments have their own review meetings where the overall direction and the way Frame work, and relate to each other are discussed. The company routinely demonstrate the ‘employee first' mentality in the way they manage, encourage, develop, promote and reward the people. And where they are forced to choose between a client's and an employee's interests, Frame always choose their people. They have resigned clients on this basis and for this reason – the most notable being a six-figure income client. Working hard, and doing your best is in the DNA of the company. And this is top-down. Frame take their work extremely seriously without taking themselves too seriously. And they never criticise failure, only lack of proper application and effort.

In January this year, Frame's over fifty staff were spread over 2 separate neighbouring properties. They had grown quickly and were in danger of losing the collective spirit that was the source of their success. The company decided that they should move office, not because they were running out of space but because their working environment was beginning to compromise their culture. The search was on for new offices that would facilitate more open, collaborative ways of working, stimulate the senses, uplift everyone and signal the company ambition. In August, they moved into a 13,000 square foot office in the Creative Quarter of Glasgow on the river Clyde. They are sandwiched between the BBC and STV in the orbit of countless radio and TV production houses and other businesses in the creative industries. The £100k+ office refit was undertaken to deliver a physical environment that would improve team interaction and communication. They have provided a café area with full kitchen facilities and seating for around 30 staff. Numerous break-out areas have been designed to enable informal or impromptu meetings. They have a free bar and ping-pong area, a screening room with bleachers to seat up to 25 people, and numerous project areas with wall to wall magnetic whiteboards. They gave the staff a budget to stock a creative library with reference books, and the arrangement of desks has been designed to enable communication and collaboration – in particular, the creative department, where desks are arranged in one huge row seating 24.

At Firstco they have a diverse social committee, made up of a self-elected cross section of employees. The aim of this committee is to organise and arrange a variety of events throughout the year, that all staff are able to attend (either free of charge, or heavily subsidised). They have a budget of £6K available to them each year, with the annual company picnic being one of the most popular and well attended events. Other events include theatre trips, tickets for sporting events, wine tasting, music sessions and barbecues. With a lot of their employees relocating to London for the job, they have found that having a strong social ethos has been pivotal for helping them settle in, make new friends within the workplace and develop ongoing working relationships.

At Firstco they have a diverse social committee, made up of a self-elected cross section of employees. The aim of this committee is to organise and arrange a variety of events throughout the year, that all staff are able to attend (either free of charge, or heavily subsidised). They have a budget of £6K available to them each year, with the annual company picnic being one of the most popular and well attended events. Other events include theatre trips, tickets for sporting events, wine tasting, music sessions and barbecues. With a lot of their employees relocating to London for the job, they have found that having a strong social ethos has been pivotal for helping them settle in, make new friends within the workplace and develop ongoing working relationships.

Ethicall give 25% of their post-tax profit to charity, resulting in more than £1.25m being donated to various charities in the last 10 years. They are committed to supporting worthy causes in the local community where employees live and work. One such charity is One 25, a charity which works to get Bristol street sex workers off the streets and rebuild their lives. Ethicall have also funded the 50K cost of an ambulance to transport children from the local maternity hospital to the operating suite of the children's hospital. Staff are encouraged to get involved with charities and Ethicall will donate £250 to any staff fundraising. The company have also done “paint and fix” activities as part of vision days for local charities.

Ethicall have awards on a regular basis, a fundraiser of the quarter and a fundraiser of the year scheme. The fundraiser of the year has been running since Ethicall was established. The winning fundraiser of the year, who is selected by the Board of Directors, is able to volunteer for up to two weeks on any project they have chosen. Past winners have volunteered to build a school in Nepal, work teaching English in a school in Peru and volunteer on a wildlife reserve in Kenya. This year's winner is volunteering with ActionAid on an overseas development project in Cambodia. The fundraiser of the year initiative is the ultimate incentive for the company's top fundraisers and something that always seems to inspire new fundraisers when they first start.

eSynergy are currently working with a local charity called St Lukes, which gives under privileged children in inner London the ability to play sports. Consultants run the lunchtime sporting activities once a week and they also run the school's football team for both boys and girls. Furthermore eSynergy sponsor the end of season football tournament, which is attended by a number of local schools in the area. Through the same charity the company also provide CV writing advice and expertise, as well as providing several work experience opportunities for those involved.

eSynergy are currently working with a local charity called St Lukes, which gives under privileged children in inner London the ability to play sports. Consultants run the lunchtime sporting activities once a week and they also run the school's football team for both boys and girls. Furthermore eSynergy sponsor the end of season football tournament, which is attended by a number of local schools in the area. Through the same charity the company also provide CV writing advice and expertise, as well as providing several work experience opportunities for those involved.

'#iMentor', Estee Lauder's reverse mentoring programme in the UK, is just one example of the company's commitment to offering the largest part of its workforce the best environment in which to grow, develop and engage with the organisation. The iMentor programme, welcoming anyone from interns to Managers, is designed to help employees embrace and epitomise inclusion and diversity. The programme was piloted in the UK and the first opportunity was for the millennials to work with the Executive Leadership Team, providing consumer insights and establishing a long term mentoring relationship to the benefit of both parties. Participants even have an opportunity to connect with iMentors from around the globe through a private community on DreamSpace called iShare. This programme is sponsored by Fabrizio Freda, President and CEO and also Phebe Farrow Port, Chief of Staff to the President and CEO.

Estee Lauder's High-Touch Leadership Competencies are at the heart of their organisation's DNA. They provide a map of the behaviours and qualities the company believe enable their employees to lead themselves, their teams and ultimately the company itself. Estee Lauder's Senior Management Team demonstrate these behaviours and operate a leading from every chair model, which means every employee has the opportunity to voice their ideas and shape the future of the organisation. The organisation has a strong ethos of sharing and integrating at all levels. An example of how the company's Leader integrates with his colleagues is through regular Coffee Mornings, where by employees have a chance to ask questions, interact and learn more about the business from the Leader himself. He also chairs a TownHall every year which is broadcast across the whole UK and Ireland organisation by video, with the opportunity for live Q&A's at the end. He attends every brand conference and even records a personal video message when he is unable to attend.

Over the past year Epiphany have doubled their training expenditure to offer employees a variety of development interventions. These include 360 feedback and workshops on time management, presentation skills and leadership. Some more innovative examples include yoga, sophology (mindfulness/meditation) and stress-busting workshops. Staff have access to an array of online resources including Google Partners Courses, Bing Accreditation, Lynda.com, Umbraco TV, Microsoft Gold Partnership and Microsoft Training. Approximately 100 people have attended one or more workshops in the past year. Many employees have also benefited from attendance at conferences and internal knowledge-sharing, including their monthly 'Brainfood' session and Expert Network groups. Epiphany have continued to invest heavily in leadership development. Over the past 12 months 32 people have undergone an intensive ten-module programme supported by 360-degree feedback, development resources, and bi-annual catch-ups to assist with personal development action planning. Psychometric assessments have been introduced to support employee development. All employees completed a Motivational Styles Questionnaire and they identified motivating and demotivating factors at individual, team and organisational level. Outcomes are being used by individuals to help with personal development and career planning. Psychometric assessments have also been used for development of the sales team. Employees completed personality and motivation questionnaires and their results were mapped onto the various stages of the sales cycle to highlight areas of potential strength and development. Employees were provided with 1:1 feedback and tips to aid their development. The overall results formed the basis for a team sales development session.

Over the past year Epiphany have doubled their training expenditure to offer employees a variety of development interventions. These include 360 feedback and workshops on time management, presentation skills and leadership. Some more innovative examples include yoga, sophology (mindfulness/meditation) and stress-busting workshops. Staff have access to an array of online resources including Google Partners Courses, Bing Accreditation, Lynda.com, Umbraco TV, Microsoft Gold Partnership and Microsoft Training. Approximately 100 people have attended one or more workshops in the past year. Many employees have also benefited from attendance at conferences and internal knowledge-sharing, including their monthly 'Brainfood' session and Expert Network groups. Epiphany have continued to invest heavily in leadership development. Over the past 12 months 32 people have undergone an intensive ten-module programme supported by 360-degree feedback, development resources, and bi-annual catch-ups to assist with personal development action planning. Psychometric assessments have been introduced to support employee development. All employees completed a Motivational Styles Questionnaire and they identified motivating and demotivating factors at individual, team and organisational level. Outcomes are being used by individuals to help with personal development and career planning. Psychometric assessments have also been used for development of the sales team. Employees completed personality and motivation questionnaires and their results were mapped onto the various stages of the sales cycle to highlight areas of potential strength and development. Employees were provided with 1:1 feedback and tips to aid their development. The overall results formed the basis for a team sales development session.

For an individual who has moved up internally within the business one to one mentoring is organised to support them with the challenges they are faced with. These challenges are related to colleagues and stakeholder's perception of them being more ‘junior' within the business. Internal work experience is also made available throughout the organisation, enabling colleagues to shadow individuals in other departments and businesses, as well as encouraging personal and professional growth.

The England and Wales Cricket Board's mission, vision and values are communicated through Cricket Unleashed. Initially this was launched to key stakeholders in cricket at the AGM. It was launched to all employees at the employee's event in 2015. This was special because it brought all employees and teams under one roof for the first time. It marked a change in the way the organisation wanted to do things going forward – collaboratively and as a team. It included an address from the CEO Tom Harrison and the Director of Cricket Andrew Strauss. The values were also communicated at the annual Christmas Event. It was launched by two of ECB's values ambassadors, who had helped the People team throughout the process and provided excellent assistance and advice throughout. Furthermore the Board designed some visually inspiring logos to bring the statements to life. They now use these across their paperwork and within their processes to reinforce the messages.

eg offers a unique flexible benefit scheme. This allows colleagues to flex their benefits package to suit them. The comprehensive standard package includes 5% matched contribution in a leading pension's scheme, 25 days' holiday, Comprehensive Private Healthcare, Income protection policy and PHI cover. The individual can opt out of certain benefits and use the money equivalent to increase an alternative benefit. For example, opting out of the income protection policy and PHI cover in order to increase the employer's pension contribution and purchase additional holidays. The flexible benefits package is coupled with eg's “Let's get Healthy” scheme to provide colleagues with a fantastic basic package. The “Let's Get Healthy” scheme encourages individuals to improve their health and well-being. Whilst being closely linked to the Private Healthcare benefit, the scheme also encourages people to take part in company arranged or subsidised social activities in or out of the office. This includes activities such as running, walking, healthy cooking and eg's very own choir.

As part of eg's ongoing fundraising activities for the company charity, the Doornkop Needy Children's Centre in Soweto, South Africa, they now have their annual Great eg Bake Off. The Bake Off commenced Monday 19th September with a total of 8 bakers participating in this year's event. Each contestant will be baking something of their choice to be judged by the eg community based on Presentation, Creativity and Flavour on a scale of 1 – 10. Each contestant is to bake something of their own choice and of course, all submissions must be home cooked! A donation of £1 will be given for a sample of each of the baked goods and all proceeds will go towards the DNCC fund to help reach their target of £5,000 for a new play area and a further classroom. Ian Sparks, eg's Software Tester, started a gruelling 960 mile cycling challenge on 3rd August from Land's End to John O'Groats in just 10 days! Ian's mission is to raise £2,000 towards the £5,000 target to raise funds for the company charity. eg solutions are proud to announce their sponsorship of Aston Juniors FC, a newly formed local junior football team based in Staffordshire. The partnership has been formed to help further accelerate the team's rapid development, by ensuring the young squad has access to the best possible equipment, facilities and coaching. Aston Juniors FC is an under-10s team formed in May by a group of local parents, who saw an opportunity to create a more organised team than the ones their children had previously played in.