Many businesses still focus solely on financial metrics to understand why they are underperforming. However, one crucial factor is often overlooked—the well-being and happiness of employees who contribute to those results.

Mark Price, former Marketing Director of Waitrose and founder of WorkL, discusses the critical role of employee happiness in driving business success. Drawing from his 32-year career at the John Lewis Partnership, Mark shares valuable insights into the direct impact of a positive work environment on productivity, employee retention, reduced absenteeism, and overall business growth. He also reflects on his experience turning around Somerfield stores by prioritising staff happiness; leading to remarkable improvements in performance.

Mark introduces a six-step framework for cultivating a happy workplace, providing actionable strategies for measuring and improving employee satisfaction, as well as the pivotal role leadership plays in fostering a thriving workplace culture. Whether you're a business owner, manager, or employee, this episode reveals why happiness at work is not just a "nice-to-have" but a key driver of long-term, sustainable success.

Mark’s tips for a happy workplace:

1. Understanding the six-step framework: Reward and recognition. information sharing, empowerment, instilling pride, well-being, and career development
2. It’s all about leadership: know where we’re going and why
3. Good leaders need to be relentlessly optimistic

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

WorkL

Happy Economics Book

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

In many workplaces, mistakes are not tolerated or easily forgotten, leading to environments where employers are feeling pressurised to be perform perfectly and potentially nervous to innovate new ideas.

Ben Clarkson, Chief Finance and Operating Officer at Parkinson’s UK, joins the podcast today to share his journey implementing the principles of the Happy Manifesto, including the idea of celebrating mistakes rather than admonishing them. Previously at Asthma and Lung UK, Ben recounts his leadership experiences there, highlighting the importance of empowering people, recruiting for attitude and fostering an inclusive culture.

Ben reveals the impact on employees when the principle of celebrating mistakes is introduced: creating a culture of openness, accountability, and trust where every mistake is seen as a learning opportunity for growth. This inspiring episode underscores the transformative power of the Happy Manifesto principles in creating positive organisational cultures and good leadership.

Ben’s tips for a happy workplace:

1. Create an inclusive culture where everyone can be their true and best selves
2. Nothing worth doing is ever easy. Be brave.
3. Empower people

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

Parkinson’s UK

Asthma and Lung UK

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn

Happy Manifesto Free EBooks

Happy Manifesto

Round Table

Creating a culture of trust and collaboration and empowering frontline staff in the pressurised environment of Adult Social Care could be a challenge but it’s possible when leaders are given a clear blueprint, and the skills needed.

Helen Taylor, Head of Services in Adult Social Care at Hounslow Council took on that challenge when she joined our Level Seven Senior Leader Apprenticeship programme and joins us today to share her transformational journey of embedding coaching practices within her teams, successfully creating a positive workplace environment that values individual strengths and encourages open communication and innovation.

She discusses the small, yet impactful changes she made, encouraging autonomy and decision-making among team members, creating psychological safety and utilising liberating structures for effective team collaboration.

Helen’s tips for a happy workplace:

1. Creating a culture of freedom, responsibility and trust
2. Give staff respect and opportunity and not punishing mistakes
3. Play to people’s strengths and social styles

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

The Coaching Habit book by Michael Bungay-Stanier

Level 7 Senior Leadership Apprenticeship Programme