Working to Strengths at happy
At Happy, we believe that we should all be working to our strengths, all of the time. We value each individual's unique combination of talents, as when we use our unique strengths, work becomes enjoyable and can feel effortless. Allowing everyone to do what they do best allows our people to make the highest contributions to the business.
When new people join Happy, we use simple tools to help them find out more about themselves, and allow us to understand their talents and their needs. This includes their Communications Style, their Honey and Mumford learning style and their top five strengths using the Clifton Strengths Assessment.
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Working to Strengths in Practice at Happy
In this short video, Cathy Busani (Managing Director at Happy) talks about how at Happy there is less of a focus on fixed job descriptions, and instead, the focus is on working to strengths.
Marcus Buckingham describes working to your strengths as feeling effortless and doing things that make you feel magnificent and strong. There will still be room for improvement, but focusing on these areas will give you more joy at work.
Teams carry out an exercise once a year where all tasks are mapped to particular strengths. Everyone in the team then has the chance to say if they want to give up any of their tasks, and others have a chance to say if they want to take any on. This allows the team to ensure everyone is working to their strengths - using their talents, and allowing them to find greater joy at work.
Strengths really are talked about a lot at Happy. There is something about how we discuss them in one-to-ones and in team meetings that really brings working with our strengths to the fore. It’s part of life at Happy, and the effect is interesting; I am aware of strengths of people in other teams. I might never have worked closely with them, yet I know what they are truly great at doing. This means that I understand lots of people’s particular capabilities and I know where to look if I need those strengths. It places a colleague’s capability in mind, which in turn creates real trust.Nicky Stone, Senior Facilitator
Happy's new Organisation Chart
This emphasis we place on working to strengths and valuing what makes each of us unique was reflected in the redesign of our Organisation Chart.
The new chart includes each person's photograph, alongside a list of their five key strengths, their communication styles (both when they are relaxed and under pressure), and how they learn. People are arranged in a circle around their Multiplier and Mentor (or M&M — what we call our People Managers), so it resembles a constellation rather than a hierarchy.
Explaining Happy's Organisation Chart
In this short video, Cathy talks through Happy's organisation chart, created by Lydia Theaker and Claire Lickman.
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