Tuesday 30 March 2010

The 25th Hour

The 25th Hour is a brilliant nationwide campaign which aims to use the motivational power of the 2012 Olympic Games in London to inspire a surge in volunteers to help communities around the UK.

The idea is to tap into existing enthusiasm around 2012, to inspire people to find a little extra time in their day to give to their local communities. A recent DCMS survey found that a massive 48% of young people would volunteer their time for a 'London 2012 inspired activity'. You have to be suspicious that they're all imagining themselves hosting the green room for the Opening Ceremony - but even so, the will is there.

Wisely, The 25th Hour pairs emotional incentives with tangible rewards for outstanding contributions of time. The star prize being a give away of 2,012 pairs of tickets (not all to one person you understand) for the dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony. A genuine once in a lifetime opportunity and arguably even more exciting than the opening itself...

I think this is a really lovely idea and immediately engaging in it's accessibility. The concept that just one hour could make a difference is immediately appealing to anyone with the tiniest desire to 'give something back'.

It also makes me wonder, are there lessons here for employers hoping to engage their employees enough to deserve their 'discretionary effort'? Their 9th Hour. I think so:

- An emotional call to action. There's a reason to do more.

- Inspiringly manageable. An overwhelming task can cause apathy.

- Tangible rewards. Appreciation will be shown for a genuinely amazing contribution.

Therein (I hope) lies the key to success for The 25th Hour and the unexpected legacy of London 2012. Visit http://the25thhour.org/ to give your 25th Hour.

Thursday 25 March 2010

Engaging for Success

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has commissioned a report on the importance of employee engagement in helping Britain out deep, dark recession.

This accessible and well-written report provides compelling evidence that employee engagement is the key factor for companies to consider when it comes to productivity, performance and innovation. As the country feels it's way towards economic recovery, the Secretary of State claims that there has "never been a more important time to think about employee engagement in Britain".

It' a long old document but it has some amazing case studies, and for those of you after facts and figures - fill your boots. Have a read of Engaging for Success: Enhancing Performance Through Employee Engagement.

Friday 12 March 2010

Innovation Beehive interview with Kursty Groves

Michael O Keefe over at Innovation Beehive has just done an interview with Kursty Groves, author of, 'I Wish I Worked There'. There are some great insights, but it's this one that really catches my eye is this:

“The first thing is that management have to use the creative space. If they role model behaviour, then others in the organisation will follow. Also, it has to be firmly on brand – the bouncy balls will only work at Google- they don’t fit the culture of a bank. You can’t just copy what is in one creative company and expect it to work the same in another”


This for me, is the key for anyone trying to build a strong culture. However a brand is being expressed, it's values need to be inherent in the end result. Looking at inspirational work places is a great exercise, as long it's used as the springboard to a unique solution.

Read the whole interview here.

virgin_1.jpg