‘Spontaneous workplace interactions increase if you have a pet-friendly policy’

An innovative community of leaders and HR professionals came together for the 2017 Great Place to Work conference in September. With a strong line-up of speakers providing inspirational stories, practical research, and in-depth Q&A sessions, it was a great learning opportunity for those interested in making their organisation a better place to work. Here are some valuable sound bites from the day:

Don’t immediately move on to the next target

“It is about valuing each other, celebrating success,” said Valerie Hughes-D’Aeth, HR director at the BBC. “We’re all guilty of not taking time sometimes to actually recognise great work and celebrate what’s being done.”

Learn to learn from failures

“Failure is an opportunity to learn if we make it. How can triumph work against us? Sometimes when you get it right you start to believe your own publicity. The biggest danger of getting it right is complacency,” explorer and leadership expert Manley Hopkinson warned us, drawing on his experience manning a novice crew in a round-the-world yacht race.

Is lack of sleep affecting your organisation’s culture?

Sleep expert Els van der Helm warned us that sleep deprivation impacts not just our health and performance, but also our personalities. “Studies show that sleep-deprived leaders are more abusive, and less inspiring.” Could forgone sleep be eroding trust within your company?

Four-legged friends can help to break the ice

Just like when you’re out for a walk, spontaneous workplace interactions increase if you have a pet-friendly policy, according to vet and broadcaster Peter Wedderburn, better known as Pete the Vet. “Staff members find it easier to interact with each other when there’s a dog there.”

Empower all employees to know where they fit

"Even the employee that's the most junior person understands how what they're doing impacts the end mission, and what [our CEO] is doing," said Linda Aiello (vice-president Employee Success) of the V2MOM (Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, Measures) personal statement that every Salesforce employee completes.

Determine what your organisation does differently

“We sell colour; we’re in the colour business,” said Declan Ronayne, managing director of Woodie’s, on why they found a deeper mission than home and DIY. What can your organisation uniquely define themselves as?

Know when your time is right

“When I first went to run for the Dáil, I remember being told by many a veteran ‘learn to walk before you can run, wait your turn’,” said Simon Harris, now Minister for Health, of his initial campaign at 24. “It’s not a case of waiting your turn, it’s a case of working out when is the right time for you. That window can close.”

Learn from those around you

"I was respected by those that worked with me for the fact that I acknowledged that I didn't know everything: I acknowledged that there were people around me who knew much better than I did," said JP Scally, managing director of Lidl Ireland, on his journey within the organisation. "I still surround myself with people who know much better than I do about their areas of expertise."

Support women to share their stories

Katie Molony, chief executive of Maximum Media, spoke of the trend towards increased awareness of the challenges women can face in the workplace. “I’ve been to a number of events and they’ve been so impressive in terms of women in the industry who are willing to get up there and be incredibly honest about what their journey has been like, and I don’t think that was there previously.”

Culture can’t be taken for granted

"When I was a young economist starting off in the Department of Finance in the 1990s, they really would question 'what are you doing here?'" said Robert Watt, secretary general of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. "Now we spend more time auditing our culture, finding out what people think of our organisation."

Disruptors are coming. Prepare

“Think about a world where, when you’re driving to work, you’re not actually driving. You can work on the way, you can use social media on the way. How many hours will that give back to us? But then what’s the implication for an organisation in the automotive industry?” said Tom Fleming of Volkswagen Group Ireland, of an industry soon to see rapid change.

Full conference videos can be found on the Great Place to Work YouTube channel www.youtube.com/GPTWIreland