This week saw national coverage and promotion of London’s first “Happy Café” (the 2nd in the UK) called The Canvas……yes you heard right “A HAPPY CAFÉ”. The Canvas, created and launched by Ruth Rogers aims to make people feel better about themselves; improve well-being, promote positive thinking, encourage relaxation and increase self-confidence – could this be the new way to chill out? Do we think that an idea like this has a place in the work environment?

Is this another opportunity to blame modern technology for the increase in ‘unnatural’ communication via social media, text, telephone, email…..what has happened to the art of actual face-to-face communication?

Certainly at B2P we’ve seen some changes in the recruitment arena with candidate scores regularly falling short in relation to verbal skills (written and oral) during assessment centres.

We’ve all heard of the stereotype teenager – with parents likening their ‘communication style’ to Neanderthal grunts – but has it always been like that or have things really changed?

The Office of National Statistics recently released the following information:-

  • Feeling lonely or insecure can increase the chances of premature death by 30%
  • 35% of over 55’s said they were lonely and an amazing 60% of 18-34 saying they felt lonely.

Back in September 2014 we shared a case study that demonstrates how technical enhancements in the work place can affect employees and make us feel isolated – here’s a recap summary:-

“A long serving employee started to display unfamiliar behaviours, missed meetings, not keeping in touch with colleagues / their Line Manager, arriving late for work – or not at all and the quality of their work was substantially dropping.  B2P received a call from the concerned Line Manager seeking advice on how to manage the situation and wanting to instigate disciplinary proceedings. Following detailed discussions it became apparent that the employee’s behaviour didn’t seem ‘intentional’, there were many mitigating factors contributing to the changes in behaviour such as; change of job role, the introduction of new technology which left the employee feeling isolated in their daily work and from their colleagues, mixed with external personal contributory factors (also based on feeling lonely, isolated and detached) had led the individual to seek solace in alcohol.” 

  • Do you know how your employees really feel?  
  • Do you know how your work colleagues really feel?

 Why not try and find out – how about….

  •  When you ask a colleague in the corridor at work “Hi how you doing” or “did you have a good weekend?” Do you hang around and wait for the answer?   

  •  Encourage communal events in the office – celebrate birthdays, special occasions.

  • Encourage face-to-face discussions rather than sending an email – this not only helps with relationship building but is good for general well-being by getting people up, walking and away from their desks for a while.

  • Hold free form meetings where people can express and explore their ideas in different ways eg.. in teams, case studies, drawing etc..

  • Sponsor a local sports team, encourage employees to join in and watch the event – or better still taking part! 

  •  Invest in corporate well-being events and activities – introduce lunch-time activities e.g. gym membership or office visits by physiotherapists.  

Finally…Ruth Rogers was asked why she thought Londoners were in need of a happy café in the first place “I think people are focusing on the wrong things. People are focusing on money, power and possessions to be happy but actually, happiness is about how we connect with one another. It’s about finding the joy in small things, communication, relationships and doing things for others.”  Source: The Huffingfton Post UK (04/03/2015).  For more information about The Canvas visit: https://thecanvascafe.org/