Creating a happy and productive workplace starts with a focus on culture. A coaching culture can help build trust and encourage open communication.

Sarah Pugh is the CEO of Whizz-Kidz, the UK's leading charity for young wheelchair users. She shares her insights on leading a hospice to an Outstanding rating in just one year. She did this by making culture a fundamental part of the change process. She reveals how this experience has informed her work at Whizz-Kidz and the steps she’s taken there to put culture at the heart of everything.

Sarah’s tips for a happy workplace

• Lead with kindness, and remember that kindness is a strength, not a sign of weakness.
• Treat people like adults and they will act like adults. Look for the potential in people and allow them the opportunity to shine.
• We learn so more from our mistakes than we do our successes, so eliminate blame and encourage people to learn from mistakes.

Links

• Connect with Sarah via LinkedIn
• Whizz-Kidz
• Happy’s Level 7 Senior Leadership Apprenticeship Programme – the “Happy MBA”
• Introduction to Liberating Structures
• The magic of leadership is empathy, with Tom Peters – Episode 1 of the Happy Manifest Podcast