With business leaders facing a host of challenges, the team from Yellowyoyo were keen to find out from guests at The Lunch, the latest in a series of informal get-togethers, how they kept their teams motivated to be creative and innovative alongside everything else that they’re currently facing.
The Milton Keynes-based strategic business and brand transformation company, organises regular events at which invited guests discuss the topics of the day. Introducing the most recent forum, held at The Swan in Salford, Milton Keynes, Yellowyoyo’s Strategy and Legacy Director Bryan Wright said:
“It’s hard enough to run a business, even without all the outside pressures. I’m interested to know how you all keep your teams creative and innovative, what you’ve faced in your own careers that gave you the strength to do what you do today, and what you think has to happen to help business leaders bring about the changes that are needed.”
As well as Yellowyoyo’s Managing Director Al Salehian and Creative Director Amanda Wright, the group comprised: Simon Nichols, CEO of Thrive Mental Health and Neurodiversity; Lal Tawney from Whitecap Consulting; Sharon Rai, Business Development Manager at Coutts; Sanjeet Chandi from Treat Street; Melanie Beck, former CEO of MyMiltonKeynes BID; Monica Ferguson, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of The Stables; and Frazer Arnott, Sales Director at All Things Business.
During the three-hour lunch many subjects were discussed. Here’s a snapshot of some of the conversations:
Having overseen this year’s IF: Milton Keynes International Festival, Monica Ferguson said:
“A lot of those I work with, particularly for something like the festival, are volunteers and I think that means they’re all quite motivated, because they’re doing something they choose to be involved with.
“I do think, though, that for everyone, having new projects and new challenges helps staff and volunteers. When you’re constantly having to find new and innovative ways to do things; and when you have people involved in all different aspects coming together to deliver a project, it definitely helps keep motivation and energy levels up.”
Sanjeet Chandi, founder of dessert restaurant Treat Street in Milton Keynes, added:
“My business employs a younger demographic, a lot of whom are under 18 and we understand that they’re not likely to be in their future career.
“With them, it’s more about helping them on the journey of self-discovery. Seeing them go from a 15-year-old who’s a little uncertain to a confident 18-year-old is very rewarding.
“Also, regarding the creativity side, they represent our target market, so it would be wrong not to give them some responsibility for menu development and marketing – they’re always on social media and they come forward with the best ideas about how we use that, the results they get are far better than anything I was achieving.”
Sharon Rai, who spent two years as Diversity and Inclusion Partner at NatWest before joining Coutts in April this year, spoke about how psychological safety – ensuring people feel they are appreciated and heard – empowers them to come forward with ideas, she said:
“What’s difficult is to create an environment where there is no fear of failure – which is contradictory to the general financial world approach that failure is not an option,”
“To ask people to start thinking creatively you have to take them out of the operational environment, through schemes that encourage them to be creative and which give them a sense of belonging. If you feel like you belong, and you have a sense of purpose, then you will be braver.”
Al Salehian explained that at Yellowyoyo the leaders take responsibility for setting the culture, with each project being headed up by one of the directors. They’ll hand-pick the team, mixing and matching depending on skills and strengths, and increasing interaction between individuals.
Melanie Beck highlighted the challenges of innovating and being creative when your clients are more than 400 different businesses, all with different needs and expectations in terms of what MyMiltonKeynes BID ought to deliver. She said:
“It’s not possible to please everyone all the time, and when you know that there will always be someone who doesn’t like what you do it can be soul destroying. Milton Keynes is relatively small and when you are meeting the same people all the time it can be quite difficult to keep things different and innovative. We had to work hard to balance creativity with providing our services, with the risk factor of knowing we needed to be voted in, or out, every five years.”
In terms of how businesses can prepare for the future, adopt new technology and techniques that the next generation will be familiar with, and at the same time maintain the focus on the individual and their wellbeing and success at work, Simon Nichols believes there needs to be cross-generational processes that take into account the fact that young people are generally more in touch with their feelings than their predecessors, he said:
“In order to create a culture of psychological safety, we need to give employees freedom to take the path they need to take,”
“The absorption of new talent is only going to be successful if they have the freedom to be themselves, and if organisations open up and embrace those individuals and show them they can be whatever they want to be.”
Lal Tawney added:
“Working cross-generationally is what is exciting for me, I think that’s what’s going to help us move forward together. Things that were accepted years ago, are no longer acceptable. We’re all on a journey towards greater understanding and inclusivity, and it’s a journey that we all need to take together. We need to work together and learn from one another.”
Amanda Wright questioned how leaders can encourage team members to step outside their comfort zone, whilst ensuring they still feel supported and heard if there are challenges. Frazer Arnott said:
“I think there are a lot of businesses that, when they are recruiting, are scared they will take on the wrong person because they are too focused on how it will benefit the business, rather than thinking about what someone can achieve with the right assurance and guidance.
“And we need to show that there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. That shows vulnerability and we’re taught not to be vulnerable. But maybe as the older generation exits the workplace or learns to be more open, that will help drive change.”
Find out more about Yellowyoyo at yellowyoyo.co.uk
