The Pursuit of Happiness:
Happy Companies are Successful Companies
Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
For the vast majority of people, this is the routine. Day in. Day out.
Here at Clive, we’re very lucky. We love that no two days are ever the same. That’s because we get the chance to help others break out of their routines and indulge in a little escapism from the every day.
The Observer printed a great State of the Nation survey on Sunday, giving a fly on the wall account of the happiness of Britons when it comes to work/life balance (and a whole host of other things).
“Unsurprisingly, 47% of workers aged 18-34 agreed they have never worked longer hours than they do at the moment.”
The Observer survey asked people just that – if there were two extra hours in every day, how would you spend them? A huge 49% said they’d dedicate the time to family. Another 26% said they’d spend it by themselves.
What can we learn from this? People have little enough head space as it is, let alone an appetite for more of the same old thing.
So, if you’re going to ask for people’s precious time to listen to what you have to say, you had better work hard to make sure you offer something stimulating, engaging and a break from the norm.
How many times have you found yourself saying, ‘there are just not enough hours in the day,’ whilst daydreaming about how you’d spend a few extra hours if 24 hours magically became 26?
Happy Companies are Successful Companies
It might seem like we’re stating the obvious but a happy team is a more productive team.
It’s natural to think that success makes you happy but what if the opposite is true and it’s actually happiness that makes you more successful?
If you’re finding it hard to get your head around the concept, consider the science behind it. A team of economists at the University of Warwick recently joined forces with a German university to test the relationship between happiness and success. In the study, researchers found that a group of people treated to a funny video of a stand-up comedian, followed by free fruit and chocolate correctly completed 10-12% more maths problems than a group that were subjected to a neutral (boring!) video and no snacks.
So, in this virtual hamster wheel of modern life, where we spend longer in work than anywhere else, how can we create a culture that cultivates happiness, empowers and rewards employees?
Force-feed them comedy and chocolate? We think there’s an easier and more humane way… after all, comedy’s a bit like Marmite really, isn’t it?
Live events create a real opportunity to excite and engage your employees; to embed and instil the company culture in a relaxed and informal setting away from the office, where people feel at ease.
Aside from the real opportunity to reward employees with exciting experiences and entertainment that will leave a lasting impression, live events have the potential to help your staff build relationships with each other and the company, turning them into brand cheerleaders – people that will speak positively about the company and amplify your core messages and values out in the real world.
It’s not just good PR. There’s evidence to suggest happy staff can lead to higher profits too.
In this Forbes article, it’s claimed that companies in the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list have seen average turnover increases of 22.2%. So, how do you achieve real success and staff satisfaction too? Every decent company will have a business plan but that alone is not going to cut the mustard.
Your whole team need to know and understand the company’s goals and priorities and how they fit within the big picture.
Face to face events are the most effective way to communicate your brand or company’s plans, ensuring your messages are brought to life in a way that your people can understand and remember.
For employees, getting face time with your company’s leaders and senior management outside of the traditional work setting can be a truly transformative and highly motivating experience.
Giving your junior staff a chance to have their say and contribute ideas in an open and inclusive environment helps them grow, in confidence and as people – making them feel more important, to you and to the company.
From kick-off conferences and incentive trips to social events and recognition awards, spending time to communicate the direction of the company,
its priorities and everyone’s place in that plan, could be the difference between losing a potential manager or worse still, a contract to a competitor.
For more information on how to engage with people at live events through experiential content delivery, read our CliveFeed blog Avoiding Death by PowerPoint here.
More than a brand experience agency, we help companies communicate, motivate, engage and express their brand personality.
Brand Experience Agency | London | Dublin | NYC | Digital Events | F2F Experiences | Hybrid
+44 (0)203 960 2000
