Top Takeaways Tuesday: Employee Happiness and Workplace Culture
Dr Nia D Thomas FRSA
On a mission to raise awareness of awareness. Author of The Self-Awareness Superhighway. Director of Thoughts & Ideas, KSKO. Host of The KSKO Podcast. Director, A Better Start Southend. Trustee, Blogger
The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast, Ep. 81
Hello KSKOers
Welcome to The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast! In today's episode I’m joined by Aoife O’Brien, who is the visionary founder of Happier at Work. Renowned for her expertise in data-driven problem solving, Aoife is dedicated to enhancing productivity and employee engagement. She collaborates with HR and business leaders to create thriving work environments, with a keen professional interest in addressing imposter syndrome. As the host of the acclaimed Happier at Work podcast, Aoife shares her insights on building positive workplaces.
Here are 5 top takeaways from the episode and 5 actions you can take to grow your self-aware leadership skills….
1. Getting Real about Self-Awareness
Self-awareness: it's not just about knowing yourself but also understanding how you come across to other people (i.e. ‘recognition of your impact’). This insight can really boost your work life and help tackle that nagging sense of imposter syndrome. Becoming self-aware means not just thinking about what you do but actually making changes based on those insights (i.e. ‘regulating your behaviour’).
2. Striking the Strengths Balance
We talk about the need to balance your strengths with competence to avoid them turning into weaknesses. If you overplaying your strengths, you could be missing out on other opportunities for growth. It's about mixing your superpowers with your role's needs and working alongside teammates who complement your skills. Remember, having a supportive and safe work environment is a must.
3. Values: Personal vs Organisational
We explore the importance of aligning your personal values with your company's values. Aoife shares different experiences when she both felt that alignment and absolutely didn’t - and the impact the negative, latter had. When what you believe in matches up with your workplace’s stance, it helps you build up trust with others and create a supportive culture. Balancing autonomy, relatedness, and competence is key to keeping frustrations at bay.
4. Making Data Work for You
Aoife is a self-proclaimed data nerd. Our discussion reveals how underutilised people-related data is in organisations. It can significantly inform workforce happiness and job satisfaction. Real-time pulse checks can pinpoint what really matters in creating a sense of employee happiness. While technology advances offer real-time analysis, many