Thriving Workplaces

It is no surprise that when your people thrive, so too does your business. The common theme underpinning thriving businesses is the clear alignment between vision, values and purpose. In successful companies, people know exactly what they stand for, they know their purpose, and the driving force behind why they’re doing what they do.

I have always advocated for creating a company with a shared purpose. When I look at RedBalloon, Redii.com and Wrapped, I am aware that I can’t grow and scale my businesses without the discretionary effort of each and every person I employ. That why I invest in my people. Recently we took a company trip to Port Douglas (pictured) which included some vision and team building and loads of fun. We believe in stepping into the shoes of our customers at RedBalloon, so we made sure to spend a day on the Great Barrier Reef.

To get you thinking about your purpose and whether that translates into a thriving workplace… I’ve pulled together an A to Z of a thriving workplace to help you on your way.

The A to Z of a thriving workplace

AUTHENTICITY – Be authentic when giving praise people know when you’re faking it.
BEHAVIOURS – Rewarding for best behaviours encourages others to repeat them.
COMMUNICATE – The best cultures have a program of communication – consistent, thoughtful and informative (and sometimes fun).
DELIVERABLES – Make KPI’s achievable and aligned to your organisation’s purpose.
EXPERIENCES – Shared experiences as a team, or as a thank you gift gets people talking about you and your brand as an employer.
FUN – A little bit of fun during the working day delivers you higher productivity.
GROW – In order for your business to grow you must invest in your people, education and learning.
HAPPINESS – When people are themselves at work, and are safe, know what they are there to do, and feel proud of where they work…  then they are likely to be more creative and take more initiative.
INCLUSIVITY – One for all and all for one, an inclusive workplace with diversity and different viewpoints helps represent your customer base better.
JOY – Celebrate milestones and bring gratitude into the workplace.
KNOWLEDGE – Seek feedback around your employee framework. Do, analyse, do – and then do more of it… insights and knowledge are power.
LITTLE – Notice the little things that your people do with on the spot recognition.
MANAGERS – Managers nurture individuals for the good of the business – they are coaches, mostly, and challenge people to be the best version of themselves.
NIMBLE – Every dollar counts so keep investing ideas and energy into your culture to keep it alive.
OBJECTIVES – A clear set of objectives will help you to define your culture. What does success look like a year from now… do you use a scorecard?
PURPOSE – Cultivate a shared sense of greater purpose around your business goals to drive effort.
QUICK – the quicker you are to recognise behaviours, values or accomplishments the greater impact it will have on your culture.
RECOGNISE – Recognise people frequently and consistently – peer to peer is powerful, reporting ensures that everyone is with you on the journey.
STRUCTURE – Create a timeline and rhythm to your thrive program. Share the structure and make sure you stick with it.
THEMES – Whether you use them monthly, quarterly or annually, what is the one critical success factor for your business this year? Create a theme around it.
UNDERSTAND – Deepen relationships by understanding who your people are and what they love. Learn to ask great questions.
VARIETY – No culture is set and forget it needs to be nurtured… keep things fresh.
WISHLIST – Encourage your people to create a wish list of what a great culture looks like to them.
X-TREME – Get people pushing their boundaries celebrate amazing results.
YARN – A thriving business has a folklore that will get your people telling ‘yarns’ about your company.
ZOOM – Keep an eye on the detail, look at key metrics like absenteeism, retention and engagement scores to help you check in with everyone to see if they want to be a part of your thriving culture.

A thriving workplace is ultimately created by leaders who provide the business and its people with consistent love and attention.

In short, it might be worthwhile considering two things:

Vitality – is the positive feeling of having energy available, feelings of aliveness.
Growth – is the sense that one is acquiring and can apply knowledge and skills.

When you deliver both to your employees you will also have a thriving customer base…

This article first appeared on Redii.com.