Happier At Work: Leadership, Culture, Performance

In this 3rd episode of the Future of Work series, I speak with Dr Kelly Monahan. We talk about the impact of COVID-19 on how we work; how the impact of accelerating technology, and the shift away from maximising shareholder wealth towards purpose-driven business will separate the great companies from the rest. Leaders who show compassion and confidence during this crisis will thrive. Ask yourself, how is my business adding value? with a focus on the improvements you make for customers. If you don’t know what the purpose is, just ask! Ask yourself: “how do I make others around me better?” Dr. Kelly Monahan is an organizational behaviorist and studies the future workforce at Accenture Research. Her research has been recognized and published in both applied and academic journals, including MIT Sloan Management Review and Journal of Strategic Management. In 2018, Kelly released her first book, How behavioral economics influences management decision-making: A new paradigm (Academic Press/Elsevier Publishers). Dr. Monahan is frequently quoted in the media on talent decision-making and the future of work. She also has written over a dozen publications and is a sought-after speaker on how to apply new management and talent models in knowledge based organizations. Kelly holds a B.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology, M.S. from Roberts Wesleyan College and Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University. Guest links: https://thebigworkplacereset.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-monahan-ph-d-18879413/ My social links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien https://twitter.com/Empowerment_IE www.instagram.com/empowermentcoaching.ie

This is a special episode featuring 5 guests, plus my own perspective on the future of work, given the current global pandemic we find ourselves in with COVID-19, the coronavirus. Fiona English shares in sights on the impact of this trauma which leads to a shift in perspective and a desire for change "how things are versus how we think they should be". Acceptance and choice is key here. Bernard Jackman talks about virtual meetings, how we have adapted quickly, and will continue to use these forms of communication. However, the importance of human interaction cannot be understated. Louise Goss shares insights on the increase in flexible working, how staff have shown that flexibility works, and the long term impact of flexible working and the opportunities it brings. Simon Haigh talks about the acceleration of trends, and that people will continue to work remotely. The new concept of screen fatigue from so many zoom calls! Good employers will focus on the mental health of employees. Purpose- and mission-driven businesses will thrive. Charlotte Lockhart from 4 Day Week shares how New Zealand is leading the way in the management of the impact of COVID-19 as well as flexible working, with Jacinda Ardern haven recently advocated for a 4 day week. It's important to keep people in work, and staff can use the extra time for ups killing, building their career or supporting their community. I share my own views on what I see as the opportunities for the future of work - focus more on outcomes, offering flexibility, supporting local and small businesses. Guest links: www.fionaenglishpp.com www.thehomeworker.com www.simonhaigh.com www.4dayweek.com My social links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien https://twitter.com/Empowerment_IE www.instagram.com/empowermentcoaching.ie

This is the first episode in the “Future of Work” series. I speak with Stephen Dargan from Wake Up. Stephen and I talk about how work is going to change in the immediate future as well as further down the line. It’s time to question the way we worked – where we work from, and the time spent at work. We talk about the importance of autonomy at work, as well as meaning and purpose. Stephen Dargan wants your organisation to feel happier. Stephen has worked with managing teams for 10 years to now enabling leaders of organisations in Ireland and the UK transform the way their organisations work, for the better. Stephen believes that great leaders make others feel good about themselves and people work best when they feel good about themselves. Stephen provides the happy workplaces 4 day leadership programme over a 4 month period with organisations. Where leaders are given the tools to create a high performance happier team. Stephen also co runs the Happy Workplaces Ireland Conference now in its 4th year. An energetic conference where experts in the field of industry share how they are shaping the future of work and are making life better for everyone in the workplace. To contact Stephen regarding programmes talks or conference details info@happyworkplacesireland.com Stephen’s links: https://twitter.com/HappyWorkplaces https://twitter.com/StephenDargan www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-dargan-happywork Website.: www.wake-up.ie Happy Workplaces Ireland 2020 : www. happyworkplacesireland.com My links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien https://twitter.com/Empowerment_IE www.instagram.com/empowermentcoaching.ie

This is a roundup of all of the conversations from the past 9 episodes. Use it as a reminder if you have already listened, or a taster if you have yet to listen! Bernard Jackman - the essence of true leadership is having a clear purpose, setting clear expectations around that purpose in terms of the "what" (strategy and goals) and the "how" (culture and behaviours). This is underpinned by a strong feedback culture - being open to giving and receiving feedback in a timely and constructive fashion. Fiona English - meaning and purpose - how we make sense of our lives and our work, constantly seeking to answer the question "why". In a work context, this starts with leadership, by being self-aware and living the purpose. Be human at work. Underpinned by coherence (the sense we make of something), direction (the vision or purpose), and significance (the importance we attribute). Stephen Naughton - inspire trust, clarify purpose, align systems, unleash the talent. The importance of connection, especially face to face. Providing feedback. Being a servant leader. Tim Kidd - putting people first - when you put your people first, the business grows, and on the back of that, clients' businesses grow too. It's important that there is a sense of enjoyment at work, that people can make a difference in what they do, showing gratitude, being human at work (in the sense of individualisation - treat each person as an individual rather than a collective). Leadership = clarity, concise, consistent. Trust is very important, as is autonomy (flexibility gives a sense of autonomy). Having a high level of self-awareness, and face to face connection. Asumpta Gallagher - Influence, vision, passion - looking at leadership in a different context, but the same things still apply. Ask for help, start with why. Timen Baart - Trust - Fairness, competence, identification, reciprocity, transparency. The difference and importance of trust in the organisation as well as trust in employees. Saskia Kremer - Personal Leadership - importance of proactivity vs reactivity, having a clear vision, taking time to evaluate/ reflect, celebrate and show gratitude. Jonny Cooper - Teamwork - leader-leader approach, using coaching to empower others, the sacrifice is worth it, purpose/ clarity, matching strengths, openness to feedback, self-awareness, seek to challenge your own thinking, stay consistent. Aoife Lenox - Introverts - it falls on a spectrum. Types of introverts (STAR) social, thinking, anxious, reserved. Quiet leadership. Play to your strengths. Roundup - what makes an effective leader? Clear vision & purpose, strong communication, putting people first/ putting the human back into the workplace, connection, feedback (open to giving and receiving), self-awareness, gratitude, trust/ trustworthiness, clarity & transparency, proactive, working to your strengths.

Aoife Lenox, found of Inside Strategies provides coaching and training services centred on introverts in business. She also consults with organisations to promote quiet leadership and communication strategies in preparation for the future of work. Aoife and I talk about introvert leaders. Aoife shares insights on what makes introverts and extraverts different, the importance of self-awareness, different types of introverts, quiet leadership, the introvert entrepreneur, the strengths and pitfalls of being an introvert and how to manage them. www.insidestrategies.ie The Introvert Entrepreneur Book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Introvert-Entrepreneur-Beth-Buelow-ebook/dp/B011H1J7OK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= The Introvert Entrepeneur Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-introvert-entrepreneur/id387593948?mt=2 Aoife’s links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifelenox/ https://twitter.com/AoifeLenox https://www.instagram.com/insidestrategies/ My links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien https://twitter.com/Empowerment_IE www.instagram.com/empowermentcoaching.ie

Jonny Cooper can be described as an elite performer with a strong desire to lead, influence and inspire people and teams with his actions. Jonny has a strong desire to continuously learn and develop. Currently he is completing his MSc in Organisational Behaviour and Psychology and previously completing an executive coaching diploma in the Irish Management Institute, a leadership programme from Maynooth University, and holding an undergraduate degree in Sports Science and Health from Dublin City University. Along with his academic and professional background, his practical elite sport experiences to date makes him authentic with his presence, natural in his delivery and aware of his potential to help himself and others become un rivalled. He has a particular interested in culture, team, leadership and high potentials and has visited professional teams in Ireland, the UK and Australia. A two-time GAA All Star who has represented the Dublin Senior football team for the past 9 years. Jonny has six All Ireland senior medals with Dublin, eight Leinster medals and five national league medals. While previously captaining his college team (DCU), his club team (Na Fianna) and Dublin to All Ireland u21 success (2010) and the senior side on several occasions in 2019. Jonny an I talk about teams, from alignment to the overall goal, having clarity of purpose, leader-leader teams, sacrifice, to self-awareness, curiosity, feedback and consistency. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Team-Teams-Rules-Engagement-Complex/dp/1591847486 https://learning.gaa.ie/sites/default/files/National%20Games%20Presentation_AMcNamara%26LWalsh.pdf https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooperjonny/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien https://twitter.com/jcoops https://twitter.com/Empowerment_IE www.instagram.com/empowermentcoaching.ie www.instagram.com/jonnycooper_

This 7th episode in the Leadership Series features Saskia Kremer. We speak personal leadership and what you need to do in order to manage yourself. We cover things like being proactive rather than reactive, reflecting on your day “if you don’t run the day, the day runs you” but in a non-judgemental way, chunking your vision down to smaller pieces, and celebrating the wins. Saskia helps successful, time challenged high level management, directors and business owners, who can’t find the bandwidth to pursue more profitable projects and increase their performance, without the overwhelm. Saskia, once a Missionary, worked alongside Mother Teresa herself, which brought her around the globe, helping people discover their meaning in life in sometimes heart-breaking circumstances. She left the missions following her own experience of burnout to pursue her lifelong dream of having her own business. In 2016 she moved from Holland to Ireland and specialized in working with business owners, consultants and managers showing them how to create a bigger vision for their business and life, create clarity on more profitable projects and create higher performing teams. She has worked with countless clients in Europe and continues to build her reach. Her story was featured in National Newspapers and with Irish broadcasters including RTE one with Ryan Tubridy. You will find her speaking and inspiring people at events globally. www.saskia.ie https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien www.empowermentcoaching.ie

This 6th episode in the Leadership Series features Timen Baart from TrustXP. We speak about all things trust in the workplace, with a specific focus on employee trust and what as leaders we can do to drive trust. We answer questions like: What is trust? Why is it important? What drives trust? Timen shares his insights on this elusive topic, and delves into the key drivers: fairness; competence; identification; reciprocity; transparency. It all starts with leadership!Timen Baart is the author of Win With Trust. Timen presents why an empathetic approach to trust is the key to success in business. He explains that employee trust requires leaders to view employees not as liabilities, nor assets, but as individuals who are the hero in their own story. Trust starts as an elusive concept, but Timen presents a framework to identify trust issues and provides a way to systematically improve trust. It arms managers and leaders with the awareness and skills to increase trust, and to make the business case for trust. As the CEO of TrustXP, he works with companies and consultants to measure and enhance employee trust.www.trustxp.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien www.empowermentcoaching.ie

This episode features Asumpta Gallagher, the owner and founder of Best Practice. She launched her business in early 2018 to provide supports to GP’s, their Practices and their Staff. The services that Best Practice provide, enables GPs to spend more time being the Doctors they want to be. Best Practice helps to standardise processes, implement systems as well as providing tailored training to staff inhouse, remotely and through external workshops. A well managed Practice empowers and motivates the entire Practice Team, and results in a better work life balance for everyone as well as improved Patient Care. A full list of services can be found on www.bestpractice.ie Asumpta and I discuss what makes a good leader, the difference between managing and leading, ambition, success, asking for help and starting with why.www.bestpractice.ie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rZLZwwq6rA https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien www.empowermentcoaching.ie

This episode features Tim Kidd, the Europanel Managing Director for Kantar’s Worldpanel division, with responsibility for the UK, France, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Greece plus the US. Kantar Worldpanel is centred on the creation of data and insight to help clients understand people better (specifically what they buy and consume) and to inspire growth. Tim has been in the business for 27 years and is retiring at the end of March, which will be a sad and happy day in equal measure. He believes strongly that if we get the people part of business “right”, then clients will get more value from their relationship with us and this in turn will lead to us having a stronger business ourselves. And by “right” he means that everyone in the team knows where we’re going, what their part in that is, is able to grow personally, is valued and respected and has fun along the way too. Many companies talk about people, but he hopes his legacy will be a to have a led a team where the people focus is authentic.Tim and I discuss what makes a good leader, what it means to put people first, and what practical steps you can take to make it a reality!TIM.KIDD@kantar.comhttps://www.kantarworldpanel.com/ie/Careerswww.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien