The Calming, Remedial Influence of Mindfulness

Mindfulness, put simply, is an exercise in attention. It’s a practice that revolves around calming the mind through meditation.

Companies that prioritise the happiness and well-being of their employees are generally considered more progressive, are viewed more favourably by the general public and seem to be recognised as morally superior, but do happy workplaces actually perform better financially?

Work Less Hours, And Get More Done!

On the one hand we learned last week that Goldman Sachs view of work/life balance was to tell their interns to leave the office at midnight and take Saturdays off, limiting the working week to a mere 102 hours. A very different approach is being taken by Gothenberg City Council, in Sweden. In a new experiment, they have asked half their care staff to work 6 hour days instead of 8 hours to see if they get as much done. There are examples out there that suggest less time can be more productive:

How People and Purpose are Your Route to Profit

Nikki Gatenby is the owner and managing director of Propellernet, which was named one of the top 10 Best Places to Work in the UK for six years running. Digital marketing has always been their focus, but over the last decade they've gone from an unremarkable and locally-based company to a super-engaged, global player. Speaking at the 2018 Happy Workplaces Conference, Nikki explains how the decision to start putting people before profit has not only brought about greater workplace happiness, but also boosted profits.

Creating More Inclusive Workplaces: Men & Women Working Together

Dr. Jill Armstrong and Jason Ghaboos are working together to create a more gender inclusive workplace. Speaking at the 2018 Happy Workplaces Conference, Jill and Jason (who're from the Murray Edwards College at Cambridge) explore some of our deep seated assumptions about men and women and how we apply those filters to our workplaces.

Vivek Menon at Danfoss: Building a Teal Bubble in a Large Company

I am often asked whether you can build happy trust-based workplaces within a larger more hierarchical organisation. So I was very interested to hear about the eSteering team at Danfoss, a 120 person unit within a 40,000 strong company. Vivek Menon, a Senior Director at the Danish company Danfoss, explained at the Teal Around the World Conference how they created a culture of trust and freedom. Vivek will be speaking at the 2022 Happy Workplaces Conference.

How to be a Great Chair for Your Next Online Meeting

When people attend the Chairing Remote Meetings workshop, they often come looking for insight into the best online tools: Jamboard, Miro, Sli.do, Mentimeter, etc. We discuss them, and then we talk about the most important tool that a remote chair can use: the tennis racket.

Building Self-Confidence is a one-day course looking at working with thoughts, feelings and behaviour to create a greater sense of self-confidence. We also look at how self-confidence is already a part of our lives and what we could do to increase it.

The idea of the four-day week is that you will get 100% of your salary for 80% of your time, as long as you are 100% as productive. Of those taking part in the UK’s four-day week pilot, 95% say they are getting as much done as before and expect to continue after the pilot. This one-day programme, online or in the classroom, will help you understand the key elements required to make the four day week work.

Everything DiSC® is an assessment-based learning experience that deepens self-awareness, inspires appreciation of others, and fosters effective collaboration in the workplace. Backed by over 40 years of research and Happy's own experience of creating culture change, you can expect customisable solutions that meet your organisation's unique training needs. Start your organisation on the path from personalised insight to cultural change today.

We are offering a unique blended transformational one year programme that is all about uncovering, celebrating, and nurturing your power as a female leader. This programme is about unleashing your brilliance, as well as identifying and enabling greatness in others. It will also create, and connect you to, a network of inspirational women.

The Value of Vulnerability at Work

Would you invite 20 of your team round to your house for lunch? That is exactly what Simon Lawson, Chairman of Lawsons, has been doing regularly for the last six years. In this short video, Simon explains how the Values Lunches started, and how they have been contributed to creating a happy workplace.

The Happy Manifesto: A 'Pisstaker’s Charter'?

In this short video, Brendan O’Keefe of Epic CIC explains about some of the difficulties he had at Epic CIC when first implementing The Happy Manifesto principles of a culture based on autonomy, trust and freedom.

Being Assertive and Building Trust: Keys to Workplace Satisfaction

Your experience at work will be enhanced – in terms of performance, personal satisfaction and long term behavioural benefits – by building trust and becoming more assertive. Find out more in this blog by Billy Burgess.