happy blogs

Book Review: No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention

For me the best business books include stories and No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer is packed with them. By the end you will understand all about the remarkable Netflix culture. And you will be challenged. Reed Hastings, founder of Netflix, has teamed up with Erin Meyer, a Professor at INSEAD business school and author of The Culture Map. She interviewed 200 Netflix staff and so produces an interesting balance to the normal totally gung-ho approach of a book like this.

How to Approach Conversations That Matter, Without the Worry

Have you ever found yourself wishing that you could have a candid conversation with a friend or colleague but fearing that, if you did so, it might end that relationship? Welcome to the world of conversations that matter. Paul explains how best to approach these conversations in this blog.

How to Expand Your Thinking With Mindmaps

When Happy's Paul Gapper was thirty-eight, he decided he wanted to leave his job as a probation officer and become a freelance trainer. At the time, the BBC had published a series of books by Tony Buzan on Mindmapping, speed reading and memory techniques. Paul was intrigued by the idea that you could start from a central idea and, on a single sheet of paper, expand your thinking around it. In this blog, Paul talks about how Mindmaps have helped with the development of his career, as well as how to develop your own effective Mindmaps.

Tips for Dealing with Difficult People

As a facilitator, I spend a lot of time trying not to describe people as difficult. I try to put a positive spin on it: it's the behaviour, not the person; people are trying to do the best they can with what they have and who they are. But sometimes, I know that, when it happens to me, my response is that the person I find difficult is just difficult. In this blog, Paul explains the cycle of conflict and gives some advice for dealing with 'difficult' people, both at home and at work.

Getting Homeworking Right: Staying Fit Mentally, Emotionally and Physically

Many people are working from home during this pandemic. For many, shifting to this alternative pattern of work can be an easy step, but for others it can prove daunting. In this blog, Joseph offers a few observations to help you stay fit mentally, emotionally and physically while working from home.

Five Good News Stories From the Past 12 Months

It's been a tough 12 months. In 2019, the UK has had a lot of change — Brexit, a change of Prime Minister and then a general election. In winter, the UK suffered from severe flooding, and now, in spring, we are currently on lockdown due to Coronavirus (COVID-19). However, there is hope in this dark time. In this blog, Billy looks at five good news stories from the past 12 months that you may have missed.

How to Maintain Resilience in a Time of Crisis

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will affect all of us for months to come and combating it requires cooperation on a mass scale. If you're feeling overwhelmed, don’t be hard on yourself. We’re experiencing something genuinely unprecedented. But we can take certain actions to avoid a mental health deterioration equivalent to the current biological and economic woes. In this blog, Billy outlines four ways that you can maintain your resilience during this stressful period.

A Remote Working Guide: How to Stay Focused and Maintain Work-Life Balance

The stigma around working from home has gradually dwindled in recent years. Office workers desire flexible working options and bosses are seeing the benefits of delivering them. However, the Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) still may be the first time that you and your team have had to work from home. Here is our guide to maintain your work/life balance and stay focused while working remotely.

How Mind Maps Can Help You to be Brave and Think More Creatively

You may have already come across Mind Maps in your day-to-day life or while at work. They are a great way to encourage creative thinking while brainstorming, as well as improving memory retention. In this blog, Paul talks about how he personally has used Mind Maps to help him to develop his career, as well as how you can develop your Mind Maps to be more effective.

How Many of These Mistakes Do You Make in Your Online Meetings?

Love them or loathe them, we go to more meetings than ever, especially as more work is done in collaborative cross business teams. There are some simple steps we can all take to improve these group conversations dramatically and create leaps forward in clarity and progress. Meetings are surprisingly complex human interactions so making them more purposeful, more honest and easier to follow can have a seriously helpful effect. Try these five simple ideas to start with.