Building a positive mental wellbeing culture by Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce

Building a positive mental wellbeing culture

November 2021

“

I am delighted that the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce continue to prioritise mental health and wellbeing in their work with organisations through the mental health charter, webinars, and this publication. Never has there been a greater time for organisations to focus mental health than during the Covid-19 pandemic which has had a significant impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing. Mental health has always been a subject close to my heart, and one I continue to prioritise for my constituents. We have made great strides in reducing the stigma relating to mental health and mental illness, and we must continue with this work to have a healthy, fair, productive, and prosperous region and society. Many companies have already signed up to the mental health charter which I launched in October 2020 and I would encourage more to do so to benefit from the great work that the chamber is doing in this area. Thank you to those who have generously shared their stories of good practice in this publication. Theresa May, Member of Parliament

The Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Mental Wellbeing Charter Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce continue to undertake important work to help raise awareness of the role and benefits for businesses in promoting and supporting good employee mental health in their organisations. We have put together some examples of great mental wellbeing initiatives from various organisations in the Thames Valley. These organisations have wholeheartedly made employee mental wellbeing a key component of their culture.

Introduction In October 2021, we celebrated World Mental Health Day. The theme for this year, was Mental Health in an unequal world. A statement from The World Health Organisation (WHO) – “we know that there is still significant work that needs to be done for mental health to be on a par with physical health- we are encouraged to all strive to reduce health inequality particularly for those who cannot access the help needed across the world.” The Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce has put mental health as one of their top priorities in thebusiness manifesto, and created a mental health charter to support companies to practice mental health and wellbeing strategies and innovations. The implementation of this charter has been driven by the Mental Health Charter Steering Committee, where experts in and around the Thames Valley have generously gifted their time to support the Chamber in this work. Learning from each other and sharing good practice has been invaluable to the success of the charter. Companies have generously shared their stories on how they have built and continue to deliver on a positive wellbeing culture within their organisations. There is still much work to do to break down barriers and the stigma relating to mental illness. People sharing personal stories of their mental health journey at all levels of an orgnaisation, creates a culture of open dialouge and trust for those who need to come forward to get support, do so. This can only be achieved through effective leadership and a commitment. We have seen a significant impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Necessary lockdowns, working from home, school closures, excess deaths, constant “bad news” on media channels All of these have contributed to social isolation, loneliness, anxiety, and depression as well as an increased burden on those with existing mental health problems. We have seen a record number of referrals to mental health services for children. People and organisations have had to adjust to new ways of working and being creative with how to ensure their employees feel connected and part of their organisation without physically being there. Reopening of offices has also created issues relating to social and health anxiety, and the whole world is having to live with the uncertainty of the future. People have also been resilient in this time and organisations have adapted. We have stories included in this work of organisations taking the opportunity to shift a greater focus onto mental health and wellbeing through effective communication, creative ways of keeping people connected and feeling part of a team. This series of case studies shares some of the work that individuals and organisations in the Thames Valley have done to reduce stigma relating to mental health, looked after their employee’s wellbeing, how leaders have been visible and created a culture for those who need help to come forward. There are innovative projects included in this work, as well as how one company has been able to support an organisation whose employees were having difficulty getting support, and how organisations have been creative in the uncertainty of living in a pandemic. All these case studies are shared with the hope that others will learn from the work that organisations have implemented, and people have generously shared contact details to build a community of good practice in the area. It is by being open, sharing good practice with others, that we help to reduce stigma relating to mental ill health, ensure people have access to evidence-based treatment and help us to live with uncertainty in today’s world.

Clare Lyons Collins

BAYER PLC

What difficulties did you face? The company recognised that mental ill health cases sometimes only became apparent when colleagues were seeking medical support. It was important to equip leaders to become more proactive in identifying and supporting colleagues in the business at an earlier stage and to provide an environment where talking about mental ill health was easier.

What was the solution? Developing an in-house manager workshop internally with several key objectives – helping reduce stigma, highlighting the signs and symptoms of mental ill health including behavioural, physical and psychological. Understanding the barriers to having difficult conversations, the importance of role modelling and where managers can be supported too, outlining the internal processes and support framework, the legal responsibilities of managing work-related stress and the purpose of risk assessment.

In parallel, a progressive workshop was developed for all non-management employees. Covering similar content, it highlights where to go for help, the benefits of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), what Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) looks like/feels like, and that it is “OK not to be OK”, and focus on self-help and coping strategies. What were the challenges? Find the time to train all the managers across the organisation as everyone is busy. Achieving buy-in from the CEO and HR Director, internal communication was sent out to demonstrate senior management commitment to the programme. A mandatory training activity was also implemented for all managers who has staff responsibilities in their online learning programmes. The CEO and leadership team also led from the front and were one of the first groups to attend and engage in the new programme. 2

What were the learning points? Being aware that you may see an increase in calls to employee assistance programmes or occupational health referrals. Bayer saw this as a positive, and by opening the discussions on mental health, meant that colleagues were reaching out to established support services proactively and often whilst at work rather than reaching crisis point. Evolving and adapting the previous face-to-face workshops considering Covid-19 and introducing a series of condensed refresher sessions over the past six months to also understand what has changed due to the pandemic and how the business is continuing to support its employees.

What were the results? Communication is the key. Whilst regular bulletins to employees are published, these are backed up by communication via Team/Service meetings and the live event sessions. Variety is also important; employees are individuals and giving them options or different types of the same service means appealing to the widest audience.

Next steps:

For example, several different mental health support options for employees including online, telephone, face-to face and texting services as well as employee volunteer Mental Health First

It’s important that the workshops aren’t seen as a one-off event. From the start the core messages and purpose behind the scheme was regularly embedded and updated into leadership team calls, in townhalls and one hour refresher sessions, to continue delivering the programme to new managers to the organisation.

Aiders.

Want to know more? Contact Yvonne McCann, Country Head HSE UK/I, Yvonne.mccann@bayer.com

BRAY GROUP LIMITED

What difficulties did you face? The relationship between the team and the directors was transactional, with employees waiting for all decisions to be made by the directors. Not surprisingly, this led to solutions sometimes being difficult to define without the input of the workforce. There were examples of projects which had been ongoing for several years with a lack of focus leading to spiralling costs. The relationship between the business and employees lacked emotional engagement and an environment where all voices could be heard, opinions valued, and openness encouraged.

What was the solution? Bray started on a journey to go from “good to great”. A new organisational structure was created with a clear focus on leadership, employee development, understanding the business’s purpose and increased psychological safety to ensure a positive team environment for employees, and greater results for the business.

Being Bray’s values are demonstrated in the Venn diagram below:

The “Being Bray” framework was developed, a behavioural framework which encouraged employees to ask for help when things were not okay, and to speak up and challenge the status quo without fear of negative consequences. Bray also worked towards achieving “psychological safety” for its employees. Instead of speaking about mental health as a standalone subject, the company decided to embed mental wellbeing into the culture of the organisation. Once implemented Bray started developing a culture of being open about mental health, valuing everyone’s contributions and caring for eachother’s wellbeing.

What were the challenges? There has been a steep learning curve for the whole business. Launching ‘Being Bray’ was a nervous time. However, the business needed to build trust and help engage the team in the substantial changes that were taking place across the board, and empowering them to be more actively involved. From the beginning it was important for the managing director and her senior team to be 110% on board and ready to provide input to ensure the success of “Being Bray”. What were the results? “Being Bray” is having fantastic early results. The senior members of the team fully understand the importance of their leadership role, with better people management and engagement. At least two of the long-standing projects have been resolved by listening to the non-management voices. One of these has solved a huge production bottleneck issue increasing production output to support commercial growth. Although mental health isn’t spoken about specifically at Bray, the psychological safety and ‘Being Bray’ behaviours are creating a level of trust and openness for employees. There are examples of team members talking to their managers about a range of issues or concerns, which provides the opportunity for the business to support and monitor them. The launch event for Being Bray was fantastic. Everyone involved came to the event open and was willing to learn, with the team truly embracing the new framework. The BBF has already provided opportunities to speak openly to team members about behaviours and is developing an understanding about how these can impact both positively and negatively on others. What were the learning points?

What were the learning points?

Having a close and supportive team in place was vital as well as taking time to understand people’s points of view and the business. Taking time to take stock to understand, what’s good and what’s not and most importantly to trust people.

Rolling out ‘Being Bray’ across the business. Using the framework for recruitment, employee development and to support decision making.

Want to know more? Please contact: Sally Naunton, sally@bray-healthcare.com | 07771 561227

CORDELL HEALTH

What difficulties did you face? What happens when a workforce is struggling with mental health issues but won’t engage in the support their employers have to offer and experience delays when contacting the NHS? That’s a scenario faced by one our clients – which is why they turned to Cordell Health for help. Many employers are rightly focusing on the emotional health of their employees, particularly during the pandemic and with good reason. Research from YouGov as reported by Employee Benefits found that more than a third (37%) of UK employees are suffering from worse mental health now, compared to pre-Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic levels. However, despite raised awareness of mental health, many employees are still reluctant to come forward in the workplace, for fear of how that might be perceived. As a result, employers are noticing that employees aren’t fully taking advantage of their Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) available to them – many of which include talking therapies. This under usage is confirmed by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) who confirm that only just over 10% of a workforce uses their EAP. Our client already provided support through other means, but they found it was under-utilised. Employees also reported some delays in accessing therapy when they went to their GP or via other NHS referral methods. Lack of motivation, energy and concentration are common symptoms of poor mental health so making the support easily accessible was essential. How could our client ensure their employees received the emotional support they needed?

What was the solution? The solution was to bring the service in-house. Our objective was to reduce the admin burden on the employee and improve utilisation rates. Following due diligence to ensure quality clinical standards, we used therapists who were able to deliver across the spectrum of support from single session counselling to long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy. We were able to utilise existing processes, clinical records management systems and referral relationships to ensure people were able to access therapy quickly.

What were the challenges? We needed to adopt a completely flexible approach in administration and financial processes in order to suit individual needs and maintain employee confidentiality and confidence. The operations, finance and clinical teams needed to devise a process that met these challenges. We worked with our client to set parameters for the service and were able to offer self-referral where requested, anonymised invoicing and booking through referral. What were the learning points?

What were the results?

Those who are already struggling with their mental health often do not have the motivation or capacity to make numerous phone calls to obtain support, and lengthy waits can lead to worsening health.

Our client reported an increased take-up in the access of talking therapy support and feedback following the programme. Employees appreciated being able to access counselling easily and quickly and found the service beneficial and effective.

For support to be effective, particularly when required for times of depleted emotional health, it needs to be easily accessible and timely while maintaining the confidentiality that’s so essential to encourage take up.

Likewise, HR and management teams have been appreciative of being able to offer support to their employees as part of their usual process of support for ill-health. The programme was also introduced internally at Cordell Health, and we now offer this level of support on an anonymous basis to our own employees.

Want to know more? Please contact: Sue Bedford, Wellbeing & Engagement Director | wellbeing@cordellhealth.co.uk

FUGRO A PERSONAL JOURNEY AT FUGRO What difficulties did you face? Initially, I found myself in a situation where I was experiencing personal challenges outside of the workplace; keeping myself busy and focused at work soon became a coping mechanism for me. However, over time this led to feeling completely overwhelmed, and my mental health declined significantly. Without much warning, I reached what I learned would be my breaking point. One day I was at work and seemingly fine and the next day I just couldn’t do it anymore. I left the office, scheduled a GP appointment and that was the sta of over 12 months off work due to poor mental health. What was the solution? There were times during my period of absence that I couldn’t even face communicating directly with my line manager, even though we had a solid working relationship, and friendship, which exceeded 20 years. However, I always maintained close contact with HR.

The overall support and compassion that I was given was invaluable. When the time was right, and without pressure, we engaged with Occupational Health in the hope of getting advice on a positive way forward. Thankfully this was exactly what we received. Psychotherapy sessions were recommended. Fugro have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) available to all employees and this is a very beneficial resource. In my darkest moments the EAP helped bring me back from the edge, with wide ranging support, from telephone counselling sessions to online articles and resources.

What were the challenges? At this point in time, my mental health was at an all-time low and I was in a dark place. Whilst I was determined to make any and every step required to improve, the numerous physical symptoms manifesting from my poor mental health and the “two steps forward, one step back” nature of the recovery process meant positive progress was drawn-out. However, with the support and encouragement from HR, my psychotherapy sessions started, and I was empowered to use these sessions in a way that suited me best. 8

What were the results? I can honestly say that this saved me. There is no quick fix when experiencing poor mental health; it is draining in every way possible, and this should never be underestimated. Recovery is not a linear process; there are bumps along the way, some of which are small and some of which are significant. However, at every point, I knew that I had both HR and my line manager behind me, supporting me, and rooting for my recovery. The difference that this made was incredible. After time, I was able to take the step to return to work; the process of working out my phased return was done in complete collaboration with HR and my line manager. Being empowered to influence what this return to work would look like was key to my success. A safe space was created between me, HR and my line manager, where I was able to be open about how the return was going for me, and honest about the support I needed. My return to work was a steady process, and ultimately a success.

What were the learning points? My role at Fugro involved managing a department of +20 employees and team members had to pull together and manage additional responsibilities during my absence. The steps that Fugro take to promote positive mental wellbeing, and the impact this has on reducing stigma around the subject, contributed to the willingness of my team to step up, pull together, and welcome me back with open arms.

Want to know more? Please contact: Fugro GB Marine Limited

IPSEN

What difficulties did you face? Each employee group was impacted by the Covid-19 crisis in different ways, and subsequently supported accordingly, due to the nature of their individual role, particularly the field force teams who had the additional challenge of engaging with customers remotely.

What was the solution? During 2020, Ipsen established a “Workplace and Wellbeing Group”, which focused on how to support employees whilst working from home in terms of physical and mental wellbeing. This group had cross-site representation across the UK and Ireland and comprised of Line Managers from EHS, IT and HR. The aim of the group was to deliver tangible and meaningful solutions to support employees whilst working from home, such as providing the appropriate DSE equipment and wellbeing resources.

To support employees during Covid-19, virtual yoga sessions, meditation and reiki were offered on a weekly basis. These had always been offered as in-person free of charge sessions, however there was an opportunity to utilise technology whilst continuing to offer much needed wellbeing activities. At Ipsen employee Mental Health and Wellbeing are taken seriously and the company is committed to supporting colleagues without judgement, therefore teams of certified and trained Mental Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors are employed at each of its four sites in the UK and Ireland. 10

What were the challenges? In parallel to proactively implementing new initiatives to support employees and ultimately patients, the company was very keen to gather feedback from all its employees. It carried out a comprehensive Great Place to Work Covid-19 Care survey across all four of its UK and Ireland sites. Survey feedback was extremely insightful and helped Ipsen implement meaningful actions, such as reminding employees to raise any concerns if they felt any additional steps were needed for them to continue to work from home safely, for example: Reporting aches, pains or discomfort related to temporary display screen equipment (DSE) arrangements Recognizing any adverse effects of working in isolation, on remote IT systems Managing life and work commitments without adequate rest and recovery breaks

What were the results?

What were the learning points?

In terms of culture and Ipsen’s way of working, senior leaders and line managers truly demonstrated the company’s values when considering the impact of Covid-19 at an individual level, particularly the value “We Lead with Purpose”, which is based on the principles of how employees, patients, society and the environment, are cared for.

By creating a culture of openness and understanding, the Site Management Committee also shared personal stories in a weekly site email, on how they manage their own mental health, whether that is going for a walk each day, listening to music, or spending time with family and friends.

Want to know more? Please Contact: Joanne Briggs, Senior Director, HR Operations UK and Ireland Jo.briggs@ipsen.com

PWC

What difficulties did you face? The modern-day workplace is a dynamic, fast paced environment which places demands on employees, both junior and senior alike. The challenge for all organisations is therefore how to encourage open and honest conversations between people around their mental health, to normalise these within the workplace and show that we care about our people.

What was the solution? Within the firm’s Reading office, a series of local mechanisms were put in place: A local mental health group was setup to run events at an office level to encourage starting conversation. The most recent was a “TedCircle”, where attendees spent 15 minutes listening to the firm’s mental health lead discuss the easing of lockdown and returning to work, followed by small breakout group discussions across grades (Associate to Partner). Creating a mental health podcast (‘The Mental Health Mixtape’) produced by two Senior Associates, which tackles a different mental health topic each month. Topics to date have ranged from work anxiety to bipolar affective disorder and eating disorders. Each month has a guest from within the office who has experienced the topic being covered. Expanding the range of pastoral support offered from dedicated relationship leaders and career coaches who offer pastoral support to more junior members of the firm. One or two members of staff from each year’s intake receive basic mental health first aid training. This offers at least 3 layers of in-office support for every member of the team. Bringing ongoing attention to the firm’s mental health offerings, which include: a mental health help app which includes guidance and tips on how to have conversations with colleagues and where to go to for practical help, including in an emergency; professional advice and help are available through the firm’s healthcare and benefits providers; and the Mental Health Advocates Network which is a group of partners and directors with experience of mental health problems, who will listen in confidence and without judgement and signpost individuals to the right support.

What were the challenges? The firm received an overwhelmingly positive response. The key gating hurdle for any organisation is creating an environment where some of the team are prepared to be vulnerable in front of others in order to trigger the start of a conversation. Therefore, it was important to make sure that people understood that talking about mental health was key to this. What were the results? Initially, more people came forward to discuss what they were struggling with as they felt more comfortable to have that conversation. This was seen as a real positive, as it demonstrated that given the platform, people were prepared to take up that challenge.

What were the learning points? Getting representatives from all levels of seniority in the office was critical to people feeling comfortable to start the conversation. Although senior representation is important to demonstrate that it’s okay to be dealing with mental health issues at work, junior representation is equally important so that new joiners can relate to the people discussing the topics.

Our next steps The next step is to bring some fresh thought leadership into our team by rotating the chair of the mental health committee to keep this key focus at the top of the office’s agenda. Want to know more? Please contact: Andrew Thurman-Pickett, Senior manager and Group Leader, Reading Audit andrew.d.pickett@pwc.com

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead What difficulties did you face? Like most organisations the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead had a set of values, which had been in place for some time. When initially developed they seemed right, however, over time it was seen that they hadn’t truly been integrated into the business and employees were not engaged with them. During 2019, it became apparent that while RBWM had a range of welleing policies and services in place, more could be done to raise awareness of mental health and support the workforce. Ongoing budget challenges and increasing demand for services, the pressures facing the local authority continued to increase, resulting in identifying ways of improving the wellbeing of employees at work.

What was the solution? In 2019 the Council embarked on an exercise to consult its workforce about what a new set of values should look like, all employees were invited to attend a session facilitated by a senior manager and in mid-2020 the new values, based entirely on the feedback from employees, were launched. They are: • Invest in Strong foundations • Empower to improve • One team and vision • Respect and Openness In addition, in 2019 a Wellbeing Action plan was developed, which identified all the existing wellbeing support policies and services in place and set out a range of new initiatives, such as: • • • •

Creating a wellbeing page on the intranet Holding a wellbeing day (November 2019) Making Mental Health Awareness training for staff and managers mandatory Adding wellbeing as a discussion item at monthly one-to-one meetings between the employee and their manager • Introducing a monthly Wellbeing Bulletin • Training employee volunteers as Mental Health First Aiders

What were the challenges?

What were the results?

The timing of the new developments coincided with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and most teams worked at home. Communication and how this was relayed was key.

In relation to performance management, the first opportunity to assess how staff are responding to the new values will take place at the end of the year 2021/22. In 2020 RBWM ran a staff engagement survey, with a 68% response rate and 81% of respondents saying that they felt that the Council supported their wellbeing at work.

The Chief Executive and members of the Corporate Leadership team held regular live event broadcasts open to the whole workforce and spoke openly about employee wellbeing, recognising the pressures on those working at home full-time and in many cases also home schooling, as well as those still coming into the office and employees were told ‘It’s ok, not to be ok’ whilst being signposted to the support/services available. What were the learning points? Communication is the key. Whilst regular bulletins to employees are published, these are backed up by ommunication via Team/Service meetings and the live event sessions.

Next steps: Further work is to be done to integrate values across the Council and the wellbeing plan with some new initiatives have been updated.

Variety is also important; employees are individuals and giving them options or different types of the same service means appealing to the widest audience.

Demonstrating to employees that the Council is serious about supporting their wellbeing and in particular mental health, is ongoing and continues to be updated and adapted regularly to meet needs.

For example, several different mental health support options for employees including online, telephone, face-to face and texting services as well as employee volunteer Mental Health First Aiders.

Want to know more? Please contact: Karin Zussman-Ward, Lead HR Policy and Reward Advisor, 01628 796211, karin.zussman-ward@rbwm.gov.uk

TRAVELPORT

What difficulties did you face? Travelport wanted to support all of its employees throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in a virtual world. The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) had not been rolled out globally when the pandemic began. The company had a variety of wellbeing initiatives in place prior to Covid 19 such as in-house events where wellbeing experts would come in to present on different topics. These were mostly organised by local sites and personalised to suit local environments on topics chosen by employees. They also raised awareness of mental health through awareness days and encouraged employees to spot the signs and refer on to EAP if needed, to either themselves or their colleagues. What was the solution? Travelport created a virtual global wellbeing awareness campaign, with the following two messages. Look after number one Stay Connected Communities were created within the internal social platforms allowing employees to share their journey and experiences throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The ‘Stay Connected’ channel became the main space for employees to share their experiences and advice. Wellness polls, hints and tips, advice and informative pictures, were posted to engage with staff in the virtual world. A series of campaigns were run throughout the year with specific themes based around global mental wellness calendars, such as Suicide Prevention Day and Mental Health Week, reaching out to employees who often shared their personal stories and how they overcame the challenges they faced. Consistent communication was paramount. The tone of internal communications was changed to sound less formal and more personable. The senior leadership team (SLT) were present on all town hall meetings, and the CEO sent out regular updates, reiterating messages to staff on how valued they were, stressing the importance of getting through this difficult time together and that nobody was alone. The super driver was ‘Put People First’. Travelport offered enhanced support to managers, to encourage open conversations with their teams that were more personable and fostered a culture where people felt more comfortable coming forward should they need support. 16

What were the challenges? There were no great challenges experienced. The pandemic, while a difficult provided an opportunity to build a positive culture within the organisation. No initiatives were forced on staff and the key priority was to provide the necessary tools and support if needed and encourage employees to be part of the journey by sharing their opinions and views. What were the results? People became more empowered, honest, and open about their mental health. A safer environment for all – was created that it is “ok not to be ok”. The sharing of personal stories was very powerful having an impact on many people who then in turn, shared their own stories from our offices around the globe.

What were the learning points? Travelport got to hear more honest feedback from its staff, which allowed them to develop better ways of communicating and provide better support. Initiatives were more people driven and focused on living with the uncertainty of life. It was important to look at new ways to prioritise wellbeing, not just through a pandemic, but also offering continuing support in this area. For example – refreshing the intranet with an improved portal with important information regarding wellness.

Our next steps We are looking at new ways to prioritise wellbeing, not just through a pandemic, and continuing our support in this area. For example – refreshing our intranet with an improved portal with important Want to know more? Please contact: Vina Boss, Vina.Boss@travelport.com

VENTURE HARBOUR What was the problem? Venture Harbour, like many companies, has been through many changes and challenges. What incited us to enact change in the company was less some kind of seismic failure inside the company, but rather a combination of: The urgency of serious challenges thrown up by the global climate The need to be a small but mighty powerhous The will to be a progressive thinking company Our challenge was how might we create a culture of learning, diversity, sustainable growth, and an employee experience that is designed to empower individual team members to take ownership to help the whole team achieve its collective goals? If we want to “Be Better”; how do we do that across the spectrum of our work, our output, our culture, our learning and for ourselves, and we want to do that with a remote-first approach?

What was the solution? We set out to create a culture of “Be Better” that encourages: Learning that benefits the levelling up or rounding out of our expertise Proactive thinking about diversity and inclusion Building for sustainable growth Clear, measurable, and consistent goal-driven teamwork An understanding that environment, mental and physical health, workload and how we interact with our colleagues all matter

Some examples of how we do this are: Setting, communicating, and staying accountable for clear collective goals - We use Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) because they provide the clearest way to structure and prioritise all work across the company, keep everyone aligned and create a consistent process for accountability. We treat Key Results as a long-term public to-do list, with weekly team lead check-ins to ensure that committed OKRs are met, not swept under the rug. Focus on mental health awareness and wellbeing - We have run a series of sessions across the spectrum of wellness and mental health awareness, including everything from group sessions on breathing and meditations, to private sessions to help individuals best pinpoint what their specific barrier to success might be. 18

Collective action - We run weekly sessions to analyse issues in the way of our success and empower team members to come up with a solution, and implement this can be anything from operational, cultural or technical issues. Personal learning budgets to use at discretion - Every employee has the use of their own budget to use in whatever way best benefits their learning. Additionally, everyone also has an unlimited budget for books or audiobooks that might help with learning. Always optimising - Things change, and we need to as well. If we try something and it’s not meeting its goals and expectations, we abandon it or we optimise it. Behind that is a continuous stream of employee feedback; we ask, we listen, and we try to change it as soon as possible.

What were the challenges? Participation can be a challenge, especially for remote teams; it can be hard to gauge over video calls how involved people are. Therefore, the feedback loop is crucial, and it’s equally as important to implement change, especially around meetings.

What were the results? The result is a balance between individual and collective progression, creating teamwork not competition between individuals, with empowered individuals who are able to spot problems and take their own action. It takes work to implement; it is a constant process to assess and optimise — but it’s worth it! Want to know more? Please contact: Anna, VP of Product, anna@ventureharbour.com

Published: November 2021 Tel: +44 (0)1753 870500 www.thamesvalleychamber.co.uk Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group | 150 Edinburgh Avenue | Slough | Berkshire | SL1 4SS