Blogs | Leadership

To be happy at work, be a florist not a banker
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
If you want to be happy at work, don’t go and work in the financial services industry. That is the message from the Career Happiness Index 2012, conducted by City and Guilds.
£50 Billion for the Banks, or £1,000 for Every Adult in the UK?
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 10 min read
This week the Bank of England decided to pump an extra £50 billion of electronic money into the UK economy, bringing the total of quantitative easing to a huge £375 billion. Scanning the responses to this I retweeted this suggestion from @andyo: “Rather than pumping £50B into the banks, the BoE could give each household £2K. Surely that would have more effect?”
Red Tape and Regulation is Not the Problem
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
I have run Happy Ltd now for 22 years and employ around 30 people. Three years ago we employed 35 but, as staff have left, we have turned to using freelancers instead of recruiting a permanent replacement. However this has nothing to do with how easy it is to dismiss permanent staff. We are turning to freelancers because, in the current market, we cannot be sure of the level of demand. I have often been at events where fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners complain about red tape and employment law. Last time I asked the examples they gave were “the minimum wage”, “maternity pay” and even “holiday entitlement”. These are not unfair burdens. These are the basic requirements of running a decent business. I am delighted that we have regulations like this because it means decent businesses cannot be undercut by those prepared to do anything to make a buck.
How to Change a Demotivated Work Culture
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
People don’t resist change, they resist being changed. See how Marion Janner’s approach to change in the workplace was too good to resist.
Are you Developing your People or Managing Them?
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
At TrainingZone Live this morning, Michele Owens of the Olympic Delivery Authority gave an interesting example of how people reacted to different approaches.
A Radical Idea: Try Listening to Your Customers
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
I was very struck today by an article in a local London paper, the Islington Tribune, on the special customer service award given to a local corner shop.
Business is About Relationships: Make People Feel Good Today
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
Think about the people you work with - those who work with you and your customers and your suppliers. Where could you make more of a real personal connection that would make life better for you and them?
Focus on Making Your Staff Happy
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
People work best when they’re happy at work. That principle is the core of everything we do at Happy (a training business in London, UK). Think about whether you agree with it. If you do, and I find over 95% of people do, then what should be the key focus of management? By simple logic, it should clearly be creating an environment where people are happy and feel good about themselves.
Our Most Radical Belief on Management
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
I often say that our most radical belief at Happy is this: you should decide who should manage people based on how good they are at managing people.
Let People Choose Their Managers
In: BlogsBy: Henry StewartRead length: 5 min read
Imagine one of your most valued members of staff comes to you and says, 'I love my job. I love the people I work with. I am even happy with what I am being paid. But I can't stand my manager.'