Happier At Work‪®‬ Aoife O'Brien

How can organizations effectively communicate their strategies to ensure that employees not only receive the information but also understand it, take action, and feel inspired to contribute towards achieving the organisation's goals?

In this enlightening podcast episode, Joanna Parsons is a multi-award-winning internal communications leader, discusses the importance of effective communication strategies in the workplace.

Academically trained as a sociologist, Joanna brings her expertise in human behaviour and research into the world of internal communications and she delves into the significance of understanding a company's business goals and objectives when developing a communication strategy and emphasizes the need to align communication efforts with broader business objectives, such as increasing market share, driving sales, and enhancing customer satisfaction.

The main points throughout this podcast include:
- Build a communication strategy aligned with business objectives.
- Effective communication goes beyond distribution; it requires understanding and action.
- Transform strategy into a compelling story for engagement and motivation.
- Autonomy, mastery, and purpose contribute to happiness at work.

"At the base level, everyone wants autonomy, mastery, and purpose in their work. When individuals have the opportunity to make their own decisions, develop their skills, and contribute towards something meaningful, it greatly enhances their job satisfaction."

Listen back:
https://happieratwork.ie/happier-at-work-74-the-values-of-business-with-irial-ofarrell/
https://happieratwork.ie/79-unlocking-true-happiness-at-work-with-aoife-obrien/

Do you have any feedback or thoughts on this discussion? If so, please connect with Aoife via the links below and let her know. Aoife would love to hear from you!

Connect with Joanna:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannaparsons/

Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O’Brien:
https://happieratwork.ie
https://www.impostersyndrome.ie/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien
Twitter - https://twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ
Inst - https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/happieratwork.ie
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm0FKS19I5qSlFFmkx1YGqA

Are you looking to reduce the amount of time you spend at work while maintaining productivity? In this episode, Aoife discusses work-time reduction strategies that enhance productivity and promote work-life balance with her guest Joe O’Connor, the director and co-founder of the Work Time Reduction, Center of Excellence, in Toronto Canada. They explore the concept of Parkinson's Law and the importance of optimizing time as a limited resource. Discover the significance of building a culture of trust and involving employees in decision-making processes. Learn about job redesign, technology automation, and reevaluating the necessity of meetings. Understand the crucial role of leaders in monitoring progress, setting clear expectations, and managing distractions. Delve into the benefits of AI and alternative billing structures. Discover how work-time reduction fosters sustainability, prevents burnout, and improves overall well-being. Join us for a transformative discussion on optimizing productivity and achieving a healthier work-life balance.

Further points throughout include:
- Parkinson's Law: Time expands to fill the work allotted.
- Success in Less Time: Counterintuitively, successful individuals focus on time as a scarce resource and streamline processes
- Positive Tension and Inefficiencies: Implementing a four-day workweek can surface existing organizational inefficiencies.
- Cultivating the Right Culture: Leadership buy-in, trust, and employee involvement are crucial for work-time reduction to succeed.
- Process Failures vs. Other Factors: Failed work-time reduction initiatives are often due to process and system failures rather than inherent flaws in the concept.
- Achieving More with Less: How to achieve the same level of output with reduced inputs, emphasizing the importance of optimizing workflows.
- The Pareto Principle: Understanding that 80% of work can be achieved 20% of the time
- Automation and Mindful Tech Use: AI and automation can provide significant efficiencies
- Agency Work and Alternative Billing: Agency-type work billed by the hour may face challenges in transitioning to project-based or quality-based billing structures.

"The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, highlights that 80% of work can be achieved in 20% of the time. Embracing discomfort and setting clear boundaries helps optimize efficiency and expectations." - Joe O’Connor

Listen back:
https://happieratwork.ie/7-andrew-barnes-from-4-day-week/
https://happieratwork.ie/34-andrew-barnes-charlotte-lockhart-from-4-day-week-5/
https://happieratwork.ie/happier-at-work-51-lasse-rheingans-on-the-5-hour-work-day/


Connect with Joe O’Connor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeoconnor990/
Website: https://worktimereduction.com/

Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O’Brien:
https://happieratwork.ie
https://www.impostersyndrome.ie/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happieratwork.ie
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm0FKS19I5qSlFFmkx1YGqA

Have you ever experienced the mismatch between what senior leaders think about employee well-being and what employees actually feel? On this latest solo episode of Happier at Work, Aoife discusses the importance of well-being at work and how to better influence senior leadership, with data to back it up.
Get ready to learn how to create a happier workplace with Aoife's valuable framework and discover what it takes to ensure your team is adequately staffed and set clear boundaries between work and home life. Plus, learn the key to providing regular feedback and recognition within the workplace. Further points throughout include:
- Well-being at work: why it matters and the implications of ill-being at work
- The role of well-being in talent recruitment and retention
- The cost of disengaged and underperforming employees
- Addressing wellness obstacles: The C-Suite mismatch of well-being in the workplace
- Are you optimising your organisational data?
- An insight into the Happier at Work framework
- Workplace authenticity: are leaders transparent about their struggles?
- How employee recognition can empower your workforce
- The importance of communicating and committing to your boundaries

"There is a mismatch between what C suite executives think employee well-being is versus how they're supporting it, or what employees are saying when it comes to their well-being. On the one hand, C suite executives think they're doing a great job of employee well-being, but employees are not saying that same thing." – Aoife O'Brien.

Resources:

Deloitte research findings: Employee Wellness in the Corporate Workplace
https://www2.deloitte.com/xe/en/insights/topics/leadership/employee-wellness-in-the-corporate-workplace.html

Listen back: From Burnout to Bliss with Lesley Cooper
https://happieratwork.ie/147-from-burnout-to-bliss-building-a-culture-of-well-being-with-lesley-cooper/

THE LISTENERS SAY:
Do you have any feedback or thoughts on this discussion? If so, please connect with Aoife via the links below and let her know. Aoife would love to hear from you!

Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O'Brien:
https://www.happieratwork.ie
https://www.impostersyndrome.ie
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien
https://www.twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ
https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie
https://www.facebook.com/groups/happieratworkpodcast

As managers, it's our job to create an environment that fosters a sense of belonging, motivation, and development among our team. But with the ever-changing workplace, how can we ensure we always have productive, meaningful conversations with our employees?
Anna Rasmussen, CEO and founder of OpenBlend, shares her expertise in creating a positive work environment by having structured conversations around well-being, motivation, development, feedback, and performance. Anna emphasises the importance of a sense of belonging at work, where employees feel aligned with company culture, part of a team, and valued as individuals. Anna also provides practical advice on how managers can create clarity and transparency for their employees to understand their contribution to the bigger picture, providing feedback on their performance to foster growth and development. Further key points throughout include:
- An introduction to Anna Rasmussen and the OpenBlend framework
- The importance of structured performance management conversations and employee-led agendas
- Belonging at work and supporting well-being in the workplace
- Why creating safe environments for open and honest conversation matters
- Workplace clarifications: managing and communicating expectations
- What factors can motivate employees in an organisation?
- What being Happier at Work means to Anna

"69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating with their employees, which is terrifying. And only 14% of employees feel comfortable talking to their manager about stresses that they're feeling. So you can see the problem regarding well-being: managers don't feel comfortable talking, and individuals don't feel comfortable talking to their managers. But yet 85% of managers say that the well-being of their employees is their responsibility." – Anna Rasmussen

THE LISTENERS SAY:
Do you have any feedback or thoughts on this discussion? If so, please connect with Aoife via the links below and let her know. Aoife would love to hear from you!

Connect with Anna Rasmussen:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasmussenanna/
https://www.openblend.com/

Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O'Brien:
https://www.happieratwork.ie
https://www.impostersyndrome.ie
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien
https://www.twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ
https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie
https://www.facebook.com/groups/happieratworkpodcast

Are businesses investing enough in their people? Happiness and well-being at work aren't a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires a systemic approach that puts people first and gives them the power to choose! Joining Aoife to explore how companies can create a happier workplace is Ally Fekaiki, the CEO of Juno, a global platform offering a complete well-being solution for employees.

Ally delves into the importance of investing in employee well-being as a crucial focus for businesses worldwide. Ally also discusses the future of remote work and the importance of need satisfaction in creating a supportive and empowering work environment. So if you want to foster a positive workplace culture, this episode is a must-listen! Further key points throughout include:
- An introduction to Ally Fekaiki
- The system of well-being
- The importance of putting yourself and your needs first
- The role of need satisfaction in the workplace
- Is delayed gratification impacting your work?
- The challenge of becoming comfortable being uncomfortable
- How systems and policies can help you strike an idyllic work-life balance
- The pursuit of pleasure: find your sparks of joy every day
- How to drive support and empowerment in the workplace
"People have a very innate need to be autonomous and to feel like they have free will. So, when you have this kind of two squares, no hole whatsoever, this bashing against each other of individuality, you're not really going to get anywhere." – Ally Fekaiki

THE LISTENERS SAY:
Do you have any feedback or thoughts on this discussion? If so, please connect with Aoife via the links below and let her know. Aoife would love to hear from you!

Resources:
Book: The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene
https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Human-Nature-Robert-Greene/dp/0525428143

Episode playback: Unlocking True Happiness at Work with Aoife O'Brien
https://happieratwork.ie/79-unlocking-true-happiness-at-work-with-aoife-obrien/

Connect with Ally Fekaiki:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyfekaiki/
https://www.withjuno.com/

Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O'Brien:
https://www.happieratwork.ie
https://www.impostersyndrome.ie
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien
https://www.twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ
https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie
https://www.facebook.com/groups/happieratworkpodcast

Is workplace toxicity holding you back? If so, prepare to learn how to thrive in the workplace by recognising and avoiding toxic work environments. Joining Aoife this week is special guest Siobhan Kelly, founder of Mosaic Consultancy and host of the Glass House Podcast. Siobhan shares her career journey and offers invaluable insights on navigating toxic work environments, the negative impact of societal busyness, and the crucial importance of taking responsibility for one's own role in shaping workplace culture. Further key points throughout include:
- An introduction to Siobhan Kelly
- Blurred lines: Can overworking be a coping mechanism?
- Unravelling from a work-based identity and overcoming traumatic experiences in the workplace
- The impact of the busyness badge of honour and operating in fear
- How the COVID-19 pandemic has redistributed power in the workplace
- The importance of switching off from work
- Employee development: the importance of career mapping
- The warning signs of bad management
- What being Happier at Work means to Siobhan

THE LISTENERS SAY:
Do you have any feedback or thoughts on this discussion? If so, please connect with Aoife via the links below and let her know. Aoife would love to hear from you!

Resources:
The Glass House Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-glasshouse-podcast/id1532756741

Dorie Clark TED Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/dorie_clark_the_real_reason_you_feel_so_busy_and_what_to_do_about_it?language=en

Connect with Siobhan Kelly:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/siobhankellyrecruits/
https://www.mosaicconsultancy.ie/

Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O'Brien:
https://www.happieratwork.ie
https://www.impostersyndrome.ie
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien
https://www.twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ
https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie
https://www.facebook.com/groups/happieratworkpodcast