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Weekly Insights

Every week, we publish on how to improve your workplace culture keeping track of the latest people trends, so you’ll know how to make your company a happier place.

Why You Should Rethink eNPS - and Focus on Happiness Instead

Why You Should Rethink eNPS - and Focus on Happiness Instead

It’s been an up and down few years to say the least. To stay competitive in challenging times, leaders need to ensure they have the right people. And, while the eNPS (employee Net Promoter Score) can help track whether teams are working well together, it is not a headline indicator of employee experience, and it should not be how companies think of wellbeing.

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How the pandemic influenced our happiness at work

How the pandemic influenced our happiness at work

Whilst the pandemic is over, the way we work has been permanently impacted. Over 50% of people in the UK now work remotely at least one day a week, with 15% being fully remote. But how did the pandemic impact our happiness at work?

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The World Happiness Report is out: what does it tell us about annual surveys?

The World Happiness Report is out: what does it tell us about annual surveys?

The results of the biggest annual happiness survey in the world were released earlier this week: the 2023 World Happiness Report (WHR). It covers over 100 countries and ranks them by how happy their citizens are. Carrying out over 100 representative samples of national populations every year is a hugely complex statistical task. And are the results really that useful? I think it’s questionable.

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In a pressured world you need to invest your time wisely

In a pressured world you need to invest your time wisely

Leading a team is never easy, but it’s especially hard when you are under constant time pressure. Delivering results is always going to seem more urgent than looking after the people side of team leadership. Yet if things go wrong and you end up with an unhappy team, then everything becomes a lot more stressful. So, investing a little time every week can save a lot of time (and stress) over coming weeks.

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How Leaders Can Help Teams Survive Burnout

How Leaders Can Help Teams Survive Burnout

Recent years have created a fertile environment for burnout and brought about shifts in working habits that organizations are still navigating. Traditional companies are working harder than ever, while the increase in hybrid or remote-first cultures presents its own challenges.

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Measuring team happiness is a SMART thing to do

Measuring team happiness is a SMART thing to do

Every business leader wants to build great teams but too many define greatness solely in terms of successful business outcomes. Now I don’t have anything against business success, but I do think that building happy, successful teams is an even smarter move.

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How to Say No at Work Without Feeling Guilty

How to Say No at Work Without Feeling Guilty

How to say no gracefully in business is a key skill to develop. Taking on too much work can have a severe psychological impact, possibly even leading to full burnout. Here we explore how to say no at the right time, in the right way, creating healthy, polite boundaries in the process.

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How does happiness lead to success?

How does happiness lead to success?

At Friday Pulse we often refer to research that shows that happier teams are more successful. It’s most certainly true but why is it? Why does being in a positive mood lead to better business outcomes?

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Low Employee Morale: Signs, Causes and Fixes

Low Employee Morale: Signs, Causes and Fixes

Addressing low employee morale and overall wellbeing is a crucial component of business performance. During periods of social upheaval, organizational change, and more generally in day-to-day operations, it is essential not to overlook the human aspects and challenges that employees face.

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The Soft Stuff Is the Hard Stuff: Team Leadership Is Hard

The Soft Stuff Is the Hard Stuff: Team Leadership Is Hard

Leading a team isn’t easy. You are under pressure from above and below. There are targets to be met and people, with different personalities and motivations, to manage. It’s a tough gig. But what makes for a successful team? How important is the team leader? Which skills matter?

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How a Weekly Team Meeting Can Generate a 5x ROI

How a Weekly Team Meeting Can Generate a 5x ROI

Returns on investment have never been more critical as recession is looming. Yet, if we were to offer you a 5X return on investment – in Year One – you would certainly not believe us. There has to be a catch, right?

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How to Scale Your Company Culture in 5 Easy Steps

How to Scale Your Company Culture in 5 Easy Steps

How to scale a company efficiently and effectively has become a whole business area, with strategies, coaches and books of all stripes. One of the biggest concerns scaling companies have is how to grow with their culture intact. Yet, this entirely possible with a team-first focus, rather than a top-down approach.

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Happiness – The Perk that Never Gets Old

Happiness – The Perk that Never Gets Old

Companies often look to perks as a way of increasing staff engagement, but effective, long-lasting change comes from cultivating a work environment that satisfies people’s core psychological needs.

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International Day of Happiness 2022: Make Happiness a Weekly Habit for your Team

International Day of Happiness 2022: Make Happiness a Weekly Habit for your Team

It feels odd to focus on happiness while the last remnants of a pandemic still linger on and there is war in Ukraine. However this weekend it is International Day of Happiness, which was founded by the UN during more peaceful times.  The idea was to focus on the importance of happiness as a universal goal. And while tensions and anxieties are at an all-time high, there are certain things we can control in our own sphere of influence.

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The Science of Happiness: Why Impact and Authenticity Are Key to Inspiring Your People

The Science of Happiness: Why Impact and Authenticity Are Key to Inspiring Your People

In our series of articles on The Science of Happiness, we’re exploring our Five Ways to Happiness at Work framework with co-creators Nic Marks and Dr. Jody Aked.

Inspire is the fifth of The Five Ways and is key to staying motivated in our careers. Within this interview, Nic and Jody discuss how leaders can inspire their people and help them find meaning in their work.

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Beat the January Blues and Thrive in 2022

Beat the January Blues and Thrive in 2022

As we enter year three of the pandemic, today is Blue Monday — the supposed most depressing day of the year that ties holiday blues with winter and job dissatisfaction. And, it’s clear that people are struggling amid the continued uncertainty. So, what can we do to beat Blue Monday this year and ensure 2022 is about thriving, not just surviving?

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Here’s to a happier 2022

Here’s to a happier 2022

It’s the end of another year living with the pandemic and with the omicron variant surging, we continue to face further ambiguity. Traditionally, many companies throw some kind of Christmas party before the holidays commence. However, once again, this year office parties will look different with many companies opting to cancel or hold smaller, online get-togethers.

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The Science of Happiness: How Challenge Makes a Successful Employee Experience

The Science of Happiness: How Challenge Makes a Successful Employee Experience

In our series of articles on the Science of Happiness, we’re exploring The Five Ways to Happiness at Work with co-creators Nic Marks and Dr. Jody Aked.

Challenge is the fourth of The Five Ways and is a key component of an enriching and happy work experience. In this interview, Nic and Jody discuss how leaders can both challenge and support their people.

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The Science of Happiness: How Trust is the Key to Empowerment

The Science of Happiness: How Trust is the Key to Empowerment

In our series of articles on the Science of Happiness, we’re exploring The Five Ways to Happiness at Work with co-creators Nic Marks and Dr. Jody Aked.

Empower is the third of The Five Ways and is critical to enabling your colleagues to do their best work. Nic and Jody show us how leaders can start trusting their people more.

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The Science of Happiness: Fairness and Acting Humanely

The Science of Happiness: Fairness and Acting Humanely

In our new series on The Science of Happiness, we’re exploring The Five Ways to Happiness at Work with creators Nic Marks and Dr. Jody Aked.

Be Fair is the second of The Five Ways and sets the foundation for a successful wellbeing plan. Nic and Jody tell us why.

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7 Employee Engagement KPIs to Measure Employee Satisfaction

7 Employee Engagement KPIs to Measure Employee Satisfaction

The future of employee engagement KPIs lies in prioritizing happiness and well-being in the workplace. Traditional measures of engagement are being replaced by a more holistic approach that focuses on creating a positive and fulfilling work experience for employees.

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Wellbeing – the ultimate (pandemic) shock absorber

Wellbeing – the ultimate (pandemic) shock absorber

The 9th World Happiness Report acts as an excellent benchmark for our wellbeing data. And, Friday Pulse clients have fared significantly better than their peers during the pandemic. Here’s a detailed look at how this happened.

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International Day of Happiness – why workplace happiness is good for everyone

International Day of Happiness – why workplace happiness is good for everyone

It may feel odd to celebrate International Day of Happiness amid COVID-19. Still, in many respects, the ongoing pandemic has made happiness at work evermore important – particularly as the boundaries between work and home have become increasingly blurred over recent months due to lockdowns and the associated shift to remote work.

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The Workplace Trends that Matter in 2021

The Workplace Trends that Matter in 2021

Our hopes and expectations for 2021 are admittedly low — it just needs to be better than 2020. But even with the slow rollout of vaccines, there is little to believe that the first part of the year will be any different (though our cousins in the US may feel the new start with a new President). Even so, some trends have stood out to us for the year ahead.

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The Bluest of Blue Mondays

The Bluest of Blue Mondays

As managers continue to play an essential role in determining how well their organizations navigate the ongoing pandemic, we provide some practical, positive advice for beating the Blue Monday ‘blues’ this year.

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Remembering Tony Hsieh (1973-2020)

Remembering Tony Hsieh (1973-2020)

Tony Hsieh was a pioneer in employee happiness and wellbeing, and firmly believed they were essential to business success. As an early friend and supporter of Friday Pulse, our Founder & CEO, Nic Marks offers his own personal tribute to Tony.

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What is Work Life Balance and How to Improve it

What is Work Life Balance and How to Improve it

It’s increasingly difficult for workers in all sectors to find the right balance in work/life. Remote or hybrid working is normal for many, and yet it comes with a cost. Friday Pulse’s latest data shows that work life balance has deteriorated across the board and isn’t bouncing back. Here we look at the importance of work life balance and give tips to improve it.

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Organization Size and How it Impacts Employee Happiness

Organization Size and How it Impacts Employee Happiness

The size of an organization is often overlooked when it comes to building (or rebuilding) happy teams. While the principles of employee happiness and engagement apply whether you have 10 or 10,000 employees, the specific dynamics and challenges can vary significantly based on organizational size. Our research has found that larger organizations have less happy people.

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How's Work?                         The OK is Not OK Edition

How's Work? The OK is Not OK Edition

Where once the average response to “How have you felt at work this week?” was happy, the new normal is now “Ok”. The costs of a workforce becoming just “Ok” about work can be high but connecting with your team in better ways may be a feasible solution.

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Mental Health Awareness Week: The Five Ways are the Friday Way

Mental Health Awareness Week: The Five Ways are the Friday Way

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. Mental health is a critical part of our business. Our purpose at Friday Pulse is to improve wellbeing in the workplace. It’s our reason for being – now more than ever, as we all navigate our way through the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The week also provides an opportunity for us to reflect on The Five Ways to Wellbeing — how we designed them and their legacy. A precursor to The Five Ways to Happiness at Work, their development would eventually come to shape Friday Pulse, the direction we take and, ultimately, who we are as a business.

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How Focusing on Employee Wellbeing Can Reap a 5x ROI

How Focusing on Employee Wellbeing Can Reap a 5x ROI

A 5x return on investment in year one is, you may think, both elusive and improbable. Yet, it’s entirely possible when you proactively look after employee wellbeing and team morale.

Putting numbers on what is intangible is, by nature, an estimation compared to other financial drivers within a business. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. At Friday Pulse, we’ve done just that – estimated the return on investment in wellbeing. And when potential returns are so significant, it shows that the investment is worthwhile.

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How We Calculate the Resilience Calculator?

How We Calculate the Resilience Calculator?

Estimating the monetary impact of a rise or fall in employee experience and morale is necessarily an estimation process. We use the best, most reliable available information from both external and our own proprietary research.

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What Valentine's Day Can Teach Us About Building Great Teams

What Valentine's Day Can Teach Us About Building Great Teams

It’s Valentine’s Day. The day we celebrate that most supreme of human emotions – love. It’s also the day when rampant commercialization of romantic love steps into overdrive. Regardless of your feelings towards this holiday, it’s a perfect time to talk about (positive) emotions.

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