EDITION 3

AT REALISING HUMAN POTENTIAL

Since the founding of fst in 1992, we’ve can honestly say that one of the most important factors in the growth of our business has been the way our people respect each other, show support and – dare we say it in the dog-eat-dog agency world – care.

But we know that not all organisations prioritise these qualities as much as we do. There are some soulless places out there where the pursuit of profit outranks, or worse, excludes the needs of people and their wellbeing.

To us, there are some strange things afoot in these businesses. People talk to each other in riddles. They stay late in the office even though they have no work to do. They are pleasant enough face-to-face, but then stab each other in the back. They practise one-upmanship as a tactic. They don’t collaborate. They downplay the ideas of others, even when they’re good. Really good.

We were recently lucky enough to have Amy, Ben and Tom join us at our Marlow studio to share ways in which we can unlock more of our potential on an individual, organisational and community level.

The following pages contain a summary of their inspiring talks, personal thoughts and positive steps we can all take to become better versions of ourselves.

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Amy King People Matter

Our mission is to empower everyone to feel their best self at work.

We see it as a moral imperative. Our working life is a significant part of our lives, yet sadly so many people are impacted by stress-related illness everyday. We were shocked when we learnt how many people are burned out, disengaged and ill from stress.

Benjamin Western Gaggle

Our goal is to make volunteering as easy as ordering an Uber as a means to erradicate inequality! We also build brilliant volunteering programs for businesses.

Tom Quayle Showing Up

I believe that people crave authenticity, honesty and meaning at work. People buy products and brands that are authentic. People want work for companies with a purpose, and who genuinely care for their staff, as well as their profits.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycharlotteking https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwestern/ www.linkedin.com/in/tquayle/

SUCKLESS:

EDITION 3 SPEAKERS

STARS OFTEN MAKETERRIBLE HIRESThe primary reason why people don’t Show Up at work is because the criteria we use formaking people decisions is too often wrong.

This is based on a brilliant piece of research by Boris Groysberg – a Harvard professor, called “Chasing Stars: The Myth of Talent and the Portability of Performance”, which discusses why the pursuit of ‘stars’ or top performers in business is, more often than not, a futile approach.

How often does it happen? That new hire looks great on paper, has been a top performer in a competing organisation, talks the talk…

But then arrives and does not live up to expectation. His book tracks the performance of New York analysts. Groysberg tracks their performance over

Stay Put

Switch With Team

Job Switch

five years and follows happens when these ‘star’ analysts jump ship. Invariably, their performance drops and then never reaches previous highs. Why is this?

When it comes to thinking about how people Show Up in organisations, the environment – the people, processes, politics and culture that surround an individual – is critical.

Rather than saying, “go and get me a top performer”, we should be saying, “go andget someone who can thrive in our culture, who will love our quirks and who displayscharacteristics that are vital to being successful here.”

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The approach we often use when hiring is mimicked in the way we promote and develop staff.

Most companies have what they call a “talent pool” – this is a group of “special” people who are deemed to be worthy of superior investment and opportunities.

There are two problems with this. First, most of the time “top talent” is selected based on current performance (we have no idea how they will perform in the future). According to this research, only 1 in 7 people on these programmes will actually reach a senior position.

This approach is born from a method the ‘top’ companies of the 80s and 90s used to aggressively attract and promote the best people. They would hold regular talent reviews where they would ‘rank and yank’, i.e. give the best people the best opportunities, cull the bottom 10-20% on a quarterly or six-monthly basis. This was an approach put forward by McKinsey in a famous book called “The War for Talent” (1997). It included research from over 100 companies but specifically picked out Enron for its innovative and ruthless approach to talent management.

Since the book’s publication, of the 27 ”great” organisations who role modelled this approach, over 50% of them have either gone out of business, or their share price has tanked. In 2001, it was revealed that Enron’s reported financial condition was sustained by institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud (committed by ‘superstars’).

The War for Talent, and this approach to focusing on the few, and not the many, is to the detriment of happiness, wellness and progress everywhere.

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TOP TALENT!

WE SHOULD BAN THE WORDS

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INTELLECT

HARD TO CHANGE

EASY TO CHANGE

VALUES

MOTIVATIONS

BEHAVIOURS

EXPERIENCE IS THE LEAST RELIABLE

PREDICTOR OF FUTURE

PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE

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Critically, people don’t leave organisations because they don’t know how to do the job. Approximately 78% of the time they leave because they don’t fit – the culture doesn’t suit them. It’s basically is not a place where they can Show Up as themselves and be at their best.

Most recruitment processes use competency-based interviewing, a candidate’s CV and a management opinion to make a hire. Most decisions on promotions are based simply on current performance. We are making the most important decisions for our businesses based on the least reliable information.

When we worked with a company called Chemistry, we ran studies on the attributes that correlated with performance in each of the organisations we worked with. On every single occasion, previous experience was the least reliable predictor.

Think about it as a “ticket to the game”. It’s often required for roles such as a doctor (you wouldn’t want someone to practice open heart surgery on you for the first time…!), but there are things about the most successful doctors and nurses that really set them apart. Their care

for patients, their willingness to work as a team, their adherence to process.

What are the attributes that make people successful in your business, and your culture?

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Rather than saying, go and get me a top performer, we should be saying, go and get someone who can thrive in our culture, who will love our quirks, who displays characteristics that are vital to being successful here.

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THE BEST BRANDS ARE BUILT FROM THE INSIDE-OUT

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The second important reason people are unable to Show Up at work is because most people and companies are lying about who they are.

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THIS IS A CRYING SHAME.

The title of this section is an old marketing quote we have always loved and recently we have worked out that what its real meaning is actually a command: “stop lying”.

What would happen if we were honest about our organisations? Truthful about our problems and imperfections? Wouldn’t that be refreshing? If we want to create organisations where people can be themselves, then we must start to be honest about who we really are.

THESE ARE THE TOP 4 MOST POPULAR COMPANY VALUES:

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Integrity (hilarious given 68% of people don’t trust their leaders)

Teamwork (unbelievable given this is one of the single greatest issues companies struggle to solve)

Innovation (striving to be, perhaps)

Respect (some investment banks have gone there…)

If you look across the S&P 500, or the FTSE 100 you see these meaningless, soulless words.

These have been created in a boardroom by consultants who know nothing about human beings, with leaders who have little care for values in the first place.

WE ALL WANT TO GO TO WORK AND FEEL

OUR OWN TERMS

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FULFILLED & BE SUCCESSFUL

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WHATTHE F*#K?

This is when we have high energy.

This is our utopia. This is what we ideally want more of. Right?

We make humble plans and strive to reach utopia. We work hard. We do all the right things to make it happen. But despite our best efforts, often it feels more like...

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THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU HAVE

FELT THIS WAY. WHEN YOU HAVE

FELT AT YOUR BEST.

WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE FASTEST VELOCITY OF

INNOVATION EVER KNOWN TO HUMAN KIND.

YET HUMAN PRODUCTIVITY IS DECLINING.

BUT IT ISN’T SURPRISING “ Innovation

Productivity

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JOBS USED TO BE PREDICTABLE WITH DISCRETE TASKS. PEOPLE WERE A RESOURCE TO BE DIRECTED BY MANAGEMENT.

The traditional basic transaction between an employee and an organisation was to go to work and perform in exchange for money. Our organisational infrastructures are built on this traditional power and control model.

THIS MODEL IS OUTDATED.

Work is more complex today. Jobs are constantly changing. Organisations need people to be more autonomous, agile and intelligent in how they work.

And our expectations of work have changed. Work is not just about earning money anymore. We want to be our best and reach the ‘utopia.’ We have greater needs.

If we are to be more successful & fulfilled,

something has to change. We need to achieve more...

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PERSONAL POWER

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BUILDING PERSONAL POWER MEANS:

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Realising Potential: Putting your talents into action

Accessing Opportunities: Learning and working on the things you want to

Building Wealth: Gaining financial, productive and emotional/intrinsic value from your endeavours

Sustaining energy: feeling energized and strong

Growing Relationships: Communicating & collaborating with others

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In recent years we have started obsessing over these top two factors: Realising Potential & Accessing Opportunities.

The Employee

• Creating perfect CV

• Bagging dream jobs

• A pay rise or promotion

• Personal Development

The Organisation

• The war for talent

• Closing the skills shortage gap

• Training and development

• Reward and recognition

• Diversity and the pay gap

The hidden opportunity: Sustain energy.

Energy to:

• Do great work

• Go above and beyond

• Sustain peak productivity

• Commit

• Overcome difficulty and change

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Realising Potential: Putting your talents into action

Accessing Opportunities: Learning and working on the things you want to

Building Wealth: Gaining financial, productive and emotional/intrinsic value from your endeavours

Sustain energy: feeling energized and strong

Growing Relationships: Communicating & collaborating with others

ENERGY:THAT GIVES OUR SENSE OF HUMAN

PURPOSE & STRENGTH

A DEEP MOTIVATIONAL FORCE

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ENERGY

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Insight One

Your perceived level of energy influences your overall motivation effort and productivity at work

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Energy is contagious. Your energy influences the energy of others and vice versa

INSIGHT THREE

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Energy can be understood in 6 profound ways

Belief Purpose - I have a strong sense of purpose at work Hope - I feel unstoppable Optimism - Overall, I feel optimistic about my work

Confidence Self-worth - I am satisfied with myself at work Self-Confidence - I am highly capable Authenticity - I can be myself at work

Belonging Inclusion - I feel like an equal at work Connection - I feel like I belong at my workplace Trust - I can be open about how I feel at work

Freedom Fearlessness - I feel fearless Autonomy - I feel trusted to do my job Control - I feel in control

Engagement Vigour - I am bursting with enthusiasm at work Dedication - I feel inspired by the work I do Absorption - I get carried away when I am working

Aliveness Alertness - I feel mentally ‘on-it’ Presence - I am mindful of my actions Spark - I am full of ideas

My energy The power of ‘I’

Our energy The power of ‘We’

Question Where would you rate your teams energy?

Question How does this compare to your energy and what does this mean to you?

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ENERGY CAN BE MEASURED ON TWO LEVELS

INSIGHT FOUR

Freedom

I can | We can

Engagement

I care | We care

Aliveness

I’m here | We’re here

Integrity

I am | We are

Belief

I see | We see

Belonging

I connect | We connect

EVERYONE CAN TAKE CONTROL AND IS

RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR LEVEL OF ENERGY

OUR PERSONAL AWARENESS, ACTIONS AND DECISIONS ARE KEY IN MANAGING AND IMPROVING ENERGY.

What actions could you take to improve your energy?

INSIGHT FIVE

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CREATE THE RIGHT CONDITIONS FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL ENERGISED AT WORK.

GREAT LEADERS ARE AWARE OF THEIR IMPACT AND AIM TO HARNESS THE ENERGY OF OTHERS.

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LEADERS AND MANAGERS TO:

INSIGHT SIX

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Work impacts how we feel both positively and negatively. Given we spend a third of our waking lives working, it is safe to say that a job is not usually ‘just a job’.

When we experience high energy at work, we are more likely to flourish and feel fulfilled.

Reaching our potential at work means not only finding a job that we are capable to execute on but to find the right environment and conditions that energise you.

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