Happier At Work

“It’s very easy to say we’re offering flexible working but actually what are you changing within how you run your business, how you engage with your staff, how you manage your staff, how you promote your staff, all of those things have to be factored in.” – Niamh O’Brien. Welcome back to Happier at Work! This podcast is for leaders who put people first and care about engagement and belonging, performance and productivity, leadership, equity and the future of work. Today’s episode is an O’Brien double as joining your host is special guest Niamh O’Brien. Niamh is a director of BDO Talent management at BDO Ireland and holds over twenty years of experience working across recruitment, people solutions, talent management and talent acquisition. Niamh is passionate and driven about employee experience, diversity, and inclusion at work. In this episode, Niamh unpacks how people are the heart of the business and explains why people are always at the forefront of everything she does. Niamh also reveals why companies sh

"Employees are looking to work in organisations that have a clearly defined purpose, and whose purpose really aligns with what it is that they want to do themselves as well." – Aoife O'Brien. Welcome back to Happier at Work! Over the last couple of years, we have all experienced a tremendous amount of change in our lives from experiencing challenging lockdowns, movement restrictions, a lack of human connection and, of course, a complete overhaul in how we operate at work. Home dining tables and spare box rooms unexpectedly became our new working environments, transforming cosy nests into new makeshift office spaces. In today's solo episode, Aoife revisits the topic of finding your work purpose to discuss developments that have occurred since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. Aoife explores how workers are redefining their purposes, looking inward to explore their true professional needs and wants, and how they wish to spend their time. Aoife also discusses the link between employee disengagement and the g

“I think energy is such an important thing. When you walk in as a leader, if you’re coming into the workplace, keeping an eye on your energy, and what you’re actually presenting in the business is really important.” – Gillian French.Welcome back to Happier at Work! Following two traumatic and life adjusting years facing a global pandemic, major operational shifts are undergoing within organisations and workplaces across the globe. This week on the podcast, Aoife is delighted to be joined by special guest Gillian French. Gillian holds the brilliant title of Expert in Residence with Workvivo. Employee experience, HR and putting people first rather than profit is Gillian’s driver, and on this episode, Aoife and Gillian explore that and a whole lot more!Gillian is passionate about helping organisations create wonderful sustainable cultures which support workers to flourish, work to their strengths and allow them to show up every day as their true selves. In this jam-packed discussion, Aoife and Gillian explore be

"I'm not driven by money, but I'm driven by fairness, and if I feel that something is not fair, or that I don't understand why it's happening, then I think that's something that really bothers me and makes me unhappy at work." – Aoife O'Brien.Welcome back to Happier at Work! In this week's solo episode, Aoife chats finance by sparking a conversation focused on pay scales and fairness at work. How do you feel about pay right now? Is your salary always at the forefront of your mind? For many, workplace salary discussions can be an uncomfortable taboo topic to bring to the table, and it's a topic that hasn't been unravelled on this podcast before until now. In this episode, Aoife differentiates between the gender pay gap and equal pay, shares her personal experiences of reviews and pay-related discussions, explores if pay transparency is the future and highlights the importance of fairness and knowing your worth. Key points throughout the discussion include; - The hygiene factor of pay. - Gender pay gap VS equa

Welcome back to Happier at Work! Buckle yourself in for a mind-blowing listen as joining Aoife this week for a very unique discussion is special guest Katrijn van Oudheusden. Katrijn is a consultant and selfless leadership coach with over twenty years of experience in organisational development. Katrijn is passionate about creating a better workplace for all through authentic and non-dual practices. In this episode, Katrijn explains the meaning of selfless leadership and highlights the transformative effects of tackling the roots of our self-beliefs to shrink our ego and unlock our true selves. Key points covered throughout include: - An introduction to Katrijn van Oudheusden. - An insight into organisational pitfalls – ego, posturing and power. - The impact of leadership ego on employees. - Culture fit and belonging in the workplace. - What is servant leadership?- An exploration of identity formation and self-beliefs.- The key to unlearning. - The four insights of selfless leadership.- The human being connec

Bienvenido de nuevo a Happier at Work - Welcome back to Happier at Work! Aoife dedicates this week’s solo episode to her experience of kickstarting 2022 with a sense of adventure by working remotely in Spain’s largest Canary Island, Tenerife. When posting online about working from abroad, Aoife was flooded with questions from fascinated followers, and with that has decided to share her travelling tale. In this episode, Aoife unpacks her experience of travelling and working remotely, shares insights on the importance of discipline and routine, and reveals what she would do differently next time around. Main points throughout include: - Finding suitable accommodation for your needs. - What is remote working and is it for everyone? - Discipline and commitment: The keys to working remotely. - The importance of creating an effective work routine. - Remote and flexible working guidelines. - Work time management: setting goals and prioritising tasks. - The pitfalls of remote working. - Managing work pr

"As an organisation, you've got to make a decision, that your tone, your character, your commitment, comes out in all sorts of different ways, not just in the behaviours of leaders." – Bev Attfield. Joining Aoife this week is special guest Bev Attfield. Bev had the wonderful title of 'Principle of Workplace Science' at Jostle and hosted the People at Work podcast. Since the time of recording, Bev has become a Partner at Within People. Specialising in the human experience at work, Bev is a wealth of knowledge and shares many valuable tips and insights on how organisations can maintain employee satisfaction by creating an environment of psychological safety and a thriving workplace culture. Throughout the discussion, Bev reflects on how businesses have had to adapt to a startling new reality due to the Covid-19 pandemic and delves into the new realm of communicating and working remotely. Bev highlights the importance of keeping in line with organisational values and reveals the key to unlocking fulfilment at

‘’You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.’’ – John C. Maxwell. Welcome back to Happier at Work! This week’s solo episode continues as we dive into part two of ‘’The secret to creating routines to reach your goals’’ with your host Aoife O’Brien. If you missed part one of this session, fear not, as you can catch up on playback HERE. This week, Aoife discusses goal setting and habit formation and explores what are limiting beliefs and how we can overcome them. Aoife also weighs up the importance of focusing on commitment rather than waiting for moments of motivation to arrive. Essential points covered throughout this episode include: - Acknowledging and overcoming disruptive goal blockers. - How to stay in your own lane. - Why it is important to listen to your body. - Making time for self-reflection. - Overcoming imposter syndrome and tackling limiting beliefs. - How commitment is vital for goal achievement. - Th

Aoife's Master acquaintance Chris Flack joins us on the podcast. Born in the UK and currently based in Dublin, Chris carries over fifteen years of experience specialising in tech and organisational behaviour consulting and is the proud co-founder of UnPlug. The mission of UnPlug is for people to take control of their technology instead of their technology usage controlling them. "If we make some small changes in how we use technology, we can have some really positive impacts on our behaviour, our well being and our productivity." – Chris Flack. Have you ever felt strained and overwhelmed with work or feel like you have developed the bad habit of always being available 24/7!? This week's episode will resonate with so many as we explore excessive technology usage and our right to unplug and disconnect from the culture of always being on. After all, our bodies cannot fully recharge if we don't allow for vital downtime. This episode is jam-packed with fascinating statistics, insights, and practical tips that w

‘’What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.’’ – Gretchen Rubin. Have you ever set goals that quickly went out the window or became unreachable? If so, this episode on effective goal setting will be of interest to you. We are delighted to reveal this week’s solo episode with your host Aoife O’Brien is a two-part special focusing on the secret to creating routines to reach your goals. Throughout this discussion, Aoife shares her approach and valuable tips on setting goals and explores the power behind building productive daily habits to help make your goals more achievable. Let’s not forget small steps can lead to significant changes! There is no doubt about it that 2021 was a rollercoaster year for all, so if you have eased yourself gently into 2022 so far without setting any year-end development goals, fear not as you can set goals at any given time that works best for you. This short episode is full of actionable tips and tools to help you plan, adapt, and smash your yearly tar

"People say their ideal leader wouldn't have any vulnerabilities, but actually in reality, and the research shows that when a leader is vulnerable, everybody else feels more comfortable with being vulnerable themselves, and therefore being more authentic, and essentially happier at work." - Seònaid Ó Murchadha. Welcome back to Happier at Work. Joining Aoife this week on the podcast is the inspirational Seònaid Ó Murchadha. Seònaid's passion lies within helping organisations embrace disability by advising businesses on the journey of diversity. Over the last two decades, Seònaid has worked endlessly advocating and highlighting employment rights for disabled people and can often be seen doing so through various media outlets nationwide. Today's show focuses on why disability inclusion in the workplace is important. Throughout the episode, Seònaid shares her personal story, discusses the reality of disability disclosures and non-disclosures, and reveals vital steps for creating open and inclusive environments

extended break, this week’s episode is a short solo session where Aoife looks back and reflects on 2021. Aoife shares her personal experience managing COVID-19 throughout a busy December and highlights why our health should always be a top priority. During the session, Aoife gives an insight into the importance of time-off and reveals what lessons she will be carrying forward into this new year ahead. Main points covered throughout include: - Why we should prioritise our health and well-being. - The importance of allowing your body to rest. - Embracing holidays and time off from work. - How to analyse and manage your task list. - Becoming comfortable with accepting help and delegating. - Setting goals for 2022. THE LISTENER’S SAY: Have a topic in mind that you would love for Aoife to explore on future podcasts? If so, please connect with Aoife via the links below and let her know. Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O’Brien: https://www.happieratwork.ie https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien

"I've coached over 200 CEOs and C-suite leaders, and one of the first things I would always say is don't ever give yourself the luxury of a bad day like that's a luxury. You have to show up every day. Everyone's looking." – Bonnie Hagemann. We are delighted to welcome leadership expert and CEO of EDA, Bonnie Hagemann, onto the podcast this week to discuss the benefits of embracing change in the workplace and why it is vital to show up as your best self at work. Bonnie is a wealth of knowledge regarding leadership, strategy, and workplace culture development. Throughout the conversation, Bonnie kindly shares valuable books and tools specialising in people development and the art of tackling crucial discussions. Bonnie also reveals fascinating insights from her 2021 Executive Development trend report. Essential points covered throughout the session include: - An introduction to Bonnie Hagemann. - Fast-paced business operations. - What is Visionary leadership? - Preparing for tough business challenges. -

Have you ever delivered or received feedback in the workplace? For many of us, the thought of having these difficult conversations can instantly fill us with feelings of awkwardness, worry, and fear. In this week’s episode, host Aoife O’Brien breaks down feedback barriers, exploring why delivering effective and constructive feedback at work is so vital and why we should view feedback as a gift and an opportunity for growth. “The intention of the person delivering the feedback is to actually help you, and so you should treat feedback as a gift that someone is giving you this feedback in order to help you develop in your career, in order to develop in the role that you’re in, in order to help you to work more effectively’’. – Aoife O’Brien. Throughout the session, Aoife will share the importance of declaring the intention of feedback and will conclude the show with her top do’s and don’ts of providing effective feedback. Key points during the show include: - The importance of feedback. - How feedback welc

Welcome back to Happier at Work! This week’s episode features a podcast debut appearance from an HR business leader who specialises in implementing transformational systems and initiatives within an organisation to create a high-performing and happier working environment. ‘’When things go really, really bad, the value systems keep everything together and keep the happiness, and we lift each other up. That’s what you want to do in real life. That’s what you want to do in a company. That’s what you want to do as a human being.’’ – Stefan Tonnon. In conversation with Aoife is Stefan Tonnon, the vice president of HR for EMEA at Insight. With over 25 years of experience, Stefan will share insights throughout the discussion on the importance of HR, creating a happier working environment, and living and growing within a values-based culture. Main points covered throughout include:  Introduction to Stefan Tonnon.  Why company values are important?  Aligning the core values of hunger, heart, and harmony. 

‘’If you're asking employees, what it is that they want, it's really, really important that you need to listen to what they actually say.’’ – Aoife O’Brien. Welcome back to Happier at Work! In this week’s solo episode, Aoife will focus on the hot topic: the future of remote and hybrid work. In light of the global pandemic, many people continue to work from home or are now hybrid working. In this episode, Aoife shares insights into how businesses are operating today, highlights the importance of companies not following the crowd when creating strategies, and explains why companies should be listening internally to analyse what will work best for them. ‘’I think really bringing people on that journey with you, bringing people into it, getting their feedback, and really listening to what they have to say, is the crucial part of making this remote and hybrid future of work a reality and making it really work well for you!’’ – Aoife O’Brien. As we all universally continue to navigate and adapt to remote work o

‘’We are not machines; we actually need to re-energize ourselves. And if we invest in doing that, it comes back into work in a better way. Then you can apply the time that you have, to direct that energy towards the work that matters.’’ – Niamh Brady. Welcome back to Happier at Work! Joining Aoife this week is productivity coach, creator of the ‘A Better Workday’ programme and author Niamh Brady. Listeners are in for a treat as this week’s episode will resonate with so many as we focus on productivity and creating a better workday. Niamh’s mantra is ‘everyone deserves a better workday’ and we couldn’t agree more! Throughout this captivating discussion, Niamh will explore the importance of managing our time, energy and attention and will also offer productivity methods to help us conquer the balance between work and wellbeing. Key points covered throughout include:  Introduction to Niamh Brady.  What is productivity?  The key to managing time effectively.  How to analyse and protect your energy.

‘’The only people who get upset when you start setting boundaries are the ones who benefited from you not having them.’’ Welcome back to Happier at Work! Aoife recently conducted poll research on LinkedIn to gather feedback on what listeners would be interested in hearing in these future solo episodes. The results overwhelmingly steered towards the hot topic of hybrid work, along with setting boundaries at work. In this episode, Aoife will be diving into boundaries – what are they, and what impact weak boundaries have. Establishing and communicating healthy boundaries at work is vital from the get-go. Boundaries help set clear expectations and protect individuals from work overwhelm, stress, and burnout, which can quickly lead to job dissatisfaction. During this discussion, Aoife will share personal insights with listeners on setting clear boundaries from an individual and a managerial perspective. Further key points covered include:  What are boundaries?  The importance of boundaries and the impact t

‘’Your work is important, it is, but you are more important than your work!’’ – Nicole Mixdorf. Welcome back to Happier at Work! Joining Aoife this week is special guest Nicole Mixdorf – chief wellness officer at Balanced by Nature, who was recently crowned the most influential woman in Corporate Wellness Services throughout the US. Workplace stress is a topic many listeners will relate to, and today’s show will focus on why your wellbeing and mental health matter. In this episode, Nicole will share her transformational journey of climbing the corporate ladder for over a decade, experiencing intense feelings of burnout whilst juggling major stressors that ultimately led to debilitating health effects. After taking time to heal her mind and body, Nicole launched Balanced by Nature, a corporate health and wellness firm that offers award-winning programs that support employees physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. ‘’There's a reason our company is called Balanced by Nature. When we have all these stress

Welcome back! Did you know that the Happier at Work podcast is now two years in the running!? To mark this second solo episode, host Aoife O’Brien will exclusively focus on the podcast’s identity, discussing the true meaning of happiness at work. Throughout the episode, Aoife will share her first-hand experience of dealing with dissatisfaction at work and how it became the driving force behind her business today. Aoife will explore the significance of cultivating a positive work environment and will share fascinating insights from her dissertation research centred around values, needs and strengths. Key points covered throughout the episode include:  Staff turnovers: the costly impact on your business.  How happiness can boost your business.  Effects of a toxic work environment.  Aoife’s journey to unlocking true happiness at work.  What is Person-Environment Fit?  Aligning recruitment with company values.  Assessing and understanding strengths.  An insight into the three universal psych