Richard Branson's Demand for Fun in the Workplace
Many people who look at Richard Branson feel that his unique personality and way of doing things will die with him and the company won't be able to go on.
"As much as you need a strong personality to build a business from scratch, you also must understand the art of delegation," says Branson. "I have to be good at helping people run the individual businesses, and I have to be willing to step back. The company must be set up so it can continue without me."
His way of doing it is that he believes you must have a business culture of fun. He believes for things to continue, he must have a workplace that employees are happy to be part of.
He says that one of his most important tools for making Virgin a great place to work is that he encourages a culture of praise. For him it's a lot more fun to find ways to see the best in his people than it is to find their faults. In Virgin, if you don't work out in one area, they look for other places for you to fit in. Firing is rarely an option that is exercised.
Another one of the things Branson does to make it a fun place to work is his personal way of communicating with his people that lets them know that they are being heard throughout the company. This strategy alone encourages a tremendous amount of innovation, ideas and creativity in the Virgin companies as people know they will have their ideas listened to, and so offer them up to be given the chance. A number of Virgin companies, products and services have come from this procedure along.
Last, he's willing to rub elbows with his everyday employees and relax with them after work in social situations where there are no pretensions and everybody sees just how he is. He says that business leaders shouldn't be afraid for their people to see the human or weaker side of you. It only adds respect for you, not diminish it as many leaders think.
As you see, fun isn't simply hilarity, but rather doing things that make people a part of the business whole. When people are praised, asked to present any idea, hung out with by their business leaders ... it creates a business culture that is very difficult to compete with. Branson has proven it.
Other Richard Branson Resources:
Richard Branson's Virgin Success
Thoroughly postmodern billionaire
Richard Branson's latest adventure will take Virgin into space
Richard Branson - Life - Philanthropy - Money
Richard Branson, Business Personality
Richard Branson conquered the world. Now he wants to fly you to space.
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