I have trawled through online articles featuring best employers and companies with high engagement scores (I’m curious as to what others do of course) and I can’t help but notice the negative comments some attract along the lines of “it’s easy for you” from people all over the world. The truth is any organisation no matter the number of people or the size of the budget can be a great place to work if they accept that what they need…
Tag Archives: Employee Engagement
Thoughts from a RedBalloon veteran
On Friday it was time to farewell an original RedBallooner – Sarah was with us in the very early days – and has seen the business grow from 9 people to its present 50. She has caught the entrepreneurial bug and started her own show a named ‘Lady Bug’ as a fully fledged interior designer. As I listened to Sarah’s farewell words, I felt so very very fortunate, knowing that every person at RedBalloon is what makes our culture. We…
Balancing Balance..
Nigel Marsh has a simple story to tell – which vividly illustrates – “if it’s meant to be it’s up to me”. We are the architects of our own future – responsible for our own happiness. One question that keeps bothering me during these discussions about paid parental leave… is this the right question we should be asking as a community. Raising children is not an 18 week journey – it is 18 years (my mother would say that it…
Curious about Strengths
Some years ago I had my Gallup Strengths done (see previous post) since then everyone who joins RedBalloon has also completed the review… it is fun and insightful and really helps us as a leadership team to understand how to best get our people in ‘flow’. It is not a recruitment tool.. because no strength is better than another – it just gives us an added way to support our people in their development. This is not the only strengths…
A big end of financial year blunder
Many businesses are busily planning for the new financial year. We are no different. We have our heads down, reviewing our performance, gathering data and imagining what next year will be like. And the team of course is who we are counting on to deliver the plan. (Business is a people sport after all.) As an employer of choice our people plan is a critical part to the success of RedBalloon. I urge business leaders to make sure that they…
Icing on mud pie 2
I cannot stand waste. And this week the debate about how the government is spending $38million on selling (advertising) a tax package has really made me mad! What a waste! (Not for the agency, or media who are the recipient of the funds) But as a marketer I know you cannot spend yourself into having a great brand image. Building a brand takes so much more than advertising. No amount of icing can hide the mud in mud pie. I…
Frustrating… 4 taxes on 4 square metres
I’ve never been one to make political comment. As a business owner and citizen – I just get on with working hard to grow a business, raise my children and contribute to the community. I was asked to participate on The Nation for Sky News on 30 April – just prior to the release of the response by the government to the Henry Review, and also this weeks budget. (see below some of my comments) I have often invited Julia…
Why?
We often giggle at RedBalloon that all of us (including me) are generation ‘why’ – rather than ‘y’. When I started this business (what seems like a lifetime ago) – I too wanted to work in an environment that I loved to come to every day. I wanted to dedicate my talents to something that I believed in. Something that would make the world a better place. Discovering and understanding the RedBalloon purpose has driven me and inspired the team,…
Breakthrough companies are fixated with Growth.
I’m just back from a holiday break with the family. It was great to rest and rejuvenate… to take in a few experiences too. Jet Ski Ocean Adventure (I’d never been on a jet ski before – the kids loved it) Also had fantastic fun at the Surfing Lesson On Noosa Beach Oops I digress, holidays will do that to you. In addition to lots of family time I also read… some really great books. I finished Switch – by…
Twist in the RedBalloon tale.
We know at RedBalloon that recruitment is very much a dating game. It is a two way street – it is just as much about potential RedBallooners getting to know us as us getting to know them. RedBalloon might have been named in the top 10 Best places to work by BRW but we know that our work place will only suit some people. We are recruiting many roles – and we publish them on the Amazing Careers page on…
Imagine running a business based on fun - that's what I decided to try when I left a very serious corporate career in marketing to set up RedBalloon...
