Businesspages advice

WORKIT

Balancing act

Having it all, if such a notion even
exists, is no easy endeavour, which is
why we’re on hand with advice for your
brand, your career and your next move.

Juggling just got easier.



MIU MIU “We are currently living amongst
generations of humans who may
never know what it is to feel well”

grow larger, develop black rings of exhaustion under their eyes,

and crawl home to friends and family entirely devoid of energy.

Yet, the cycle continues.

To the physical drain of stress, tiredness and demanding

deadlines, add low behavioural understanding between

colleagues, creating a minefield. We all know that positive

working relationships are a key driver of employee wellbeing

– however, niggling day-to-day agitations, misunderstanding

and assumptions are, in my experience, far more cumulatively

damaging than one-off, bigger conflicts. Organisations need to

minimise stressors from the outset by arming everyone with the

behavioural vocabulary with which to understand interpersonal

activity. Why do some excel together, while others clash? How

do people see me? How should I handle a detail-craver, a control

freak, a non-listener? Working relationships can only begin

to grow quickly and constructively when obstacles to mutual

understanding begin to be removed.

Unlike many, I don’t believe that an organisation should have

to feel like ‘family’. I simply believe that work is a place you

should leave after you have worked your contracted hours (start-

ups, emergency situations and executive roles possibly excepted)

and with your health – mental and physical – still firmly intact.

Too many businesses make the mistake of aiming continuous

personal coaching at individual managers only; however, an

employee can only solve a problem for herself if he or she a)

realises that a problem exists and b) can name it (connecting

a particular feeling to

a particular lacking

LET’S TALK ABOUT: nutrient; understanding the KEY POINTS
difference between shyness
WELLBEING
and low confidence). Real, 1Know your body. If you don’t
It is all too easy to sacrifice wellbeing to solvable problems therefore feel as fit and healthy as you
go entirely unexpressed at
Hmodern business culture, says Davina Greene. ground level, in the absence could be, take action.
ands up who has made it through the last six months of continuous education
without hearing the word ‘performance’ in a business and focus, resulting in 2 Know your mind. If you don’t
context. Almost nobody? As expected. Businesses many employees feeling feel as alert or self-aware as a
strive for strong performance, their leaders talking increasingly out-of-control.
about little else. However, a culture of business This is not a springboard healthy adult should, take action.
performance and productivity is not always a culture of individual for best performance.
health and wellbeing. 3 Know yourself. Outline a
Don’t give up on feeling general strategic vision for
Indeed, a 2015 survey by the CIPD, the organisation for HR well, sacrificing yourself to
professionals in the UK and Ireland, shows that 43 per cent of performance now rather life, know when you are off track.
HR professionals believe that mental health in the workplace is than maintaining capability
getting worse. Of the hundreds surveyed, 51 per cent believe they 4Know your colleagues.
are losing working days to mental health issues. Despite allegedly Get familiar with traits and
rigorous recruitment and promotion processes, ‘poor management’ behaviours, to understand what is
is consistently cited as a reason for workplace stress. for performance over time, really happening around you.
and favouring performance
I believe that there are actually four distinct areas that an employee at work over performance 5As an organisation, arm your
needs to be facilitated in – body, mind, self and colleagues. Miss one, at life. Is the effort taken employees with knowledge
miss the whole point. Sadly, it is often said that we are currently from you matched by and time for maintenance of day-
living amongst generations of humans who may never know what it support given? Take to-day wellbeing, and encourage
is to feel well. People are increasingly in a work-trance, giving longer responsibility and seek help individual responsibility.
hours, barely moving, minimally hydrated and eating less-than- as needed – now, not at 65!
nutritious foods. This is not news – all of us have seen colleagues
Interested in improving wellbeing across your workforce? It’s All
About Results is a collaboration between Davina Greene and fitness
and nutrition expert, Olena Polyakova that combines training on
traits, behaviours, nutrition and exercise for true wellbeing and
performance. For more information, see Purerocketfuel.com or
contact [email protected].

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an exhibition. But that’s part of it, because

if I am not seeing the work, it’s very difficult

for us to make decisions, policies and

strategies about theatre, visual art or music.
6 My job is a vocation for me… I have
always worked in the arts and for me
it’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle. I’m very
lucky because I’m in a job, and most of my

friends work in the arts so my social life and

professional life are so intertwined that I don’t

see it as being a drain on my personal life.
7 It’s hard to separate work and
personal life… If I am away on
holidays I check my emails every day
and that’s not good practice in the long

term. That’s not particular to me, that’s a

contemporary problem and I think that’s an

issue for people, that they don’t know how

and when to switch off.
8A boss tells, a leader discusses… That
was a piece of advice I was given and
the sentiment behind it always stayed
with me. When you get to a certain level

as a manager, in order to get the best out

What I’ve of your team – because you’re only as
good as your team – you have to lead by
example. In terms of my management style.
I wouldn’t be autocratic. There are times

when you have to make tough decisions and

be a leader, but it’s all about ensuring that

you bring out the best in others rather than

telling them what it is they should be doing.
9 We can never be complacent when
Orlaith McBride is director of the Arts Council of Ireland. With it comes to women in business…
over 15 years’ experience in her field, she shares some snippets of You are seeing woman populating
wisdom that she has learned throughout her career. positions and only by woman populating

1Varied work keeps things 3I work well with people… And I enjoy these positions can you see things changing.
interesting… My primary getting the best out of people. When I Women bring something completely
role is helping and funding worked with young people, sometimes different to the table – a different way of
organisations and artists to make very difficult young people, you just need to thinking, a different lens through which
work, and then to advocate for the find the right lever to pull. I hate anybody to look at things – and there are brilliant
importance of the arts in our lives. If giving out about young people because when women in business, so it’s not to say there
you go to an art gallery and there’s you tap into something in them, they are will be any diminution of the quality of
an exhibition on the walls, that extraordinary. And they can really transform who is around the table, but that they will
didn’t happen by chance. A piece of be bringing something more to it. It is so
theatre or a concert you go to, any 4a piece of theatre. important that women continue to advocate
kind of live performance, there’s a I have learned to make really for their rightful position in various different
process behind it and our role is to difficult, painful decisions... From decision-making forums in this country.
support that process and then bring 2008, we had such a drop in
it to audiences. funding from the Government, that it Orlaith can’t live without…
really affected people’s lives. We have
2Supporting what has been had organisations close, people lose their Ilove Culturefox.ie because it has every
created here in Ireland is jobs, artists having to give up being artists arts organisation and everything that’s
vital… People are sometimes because the funding has so collapsed that happening in the arts and culture on
more inclined to support something we haven’t been able to support them, and that website. I find that great because
that’s coming in rather than what is that’s been the very difficult part of the job. I can decide I
indigenous. We are not known for want to go to
our banking system, we are known 5 I love that every day is different… At something in
because of how important arts and least four evenings a week, I’m going Galway tomorrow
culture is to our country. to an event or to a concert, a play or in theatre and it will
spit out what’s on.

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CREATIVE FREEDOM

Setting up a business might be a high risk move but

the payoff can be manifold. Zoe Carney, founder

and CEO of The Velveteen Rabbit, a dealership

specialising in antiques and homewares says, “Having

experienced both sides of the business – running

WORK IT! my own design label before the recession and being
head of personal shopping for a leading company – I
have to say that nothing beats the excitement and

At Irish Tatler our MO for office dressing is summed up in this creative freedom of running one’s own company.
acronym, WWCW – What Would Caroline Wear? Because if It’s the biggest gamble to leave a steady job with a
designer and street-style darling Caroline Issa is championing it, monthly cheque coming in, but if you truly believe in
then it’s red hot. You don’t have to be an extra in Bugsy Malone to the product, service or idea that you have, then the
rock a three-piece suit but err on the side of classic – no fringing most rewarding experience you will ever have is to
see those ideas come to fruition and to be your own

or leather waistcoats unless it also happens to be the office fancy boss.” thevelveteenrabbit.ie

THE Notebookdressparty. Working
your way
through
October.

WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT... PERCEPTIONS

When Isis Anchalee featured in in traditionally male occupations
an ad promoting OneLogin, the like technology. “This industry’s
engineering company she works culture fosters an unconscious
for, it incurred many negative lack of sensitivity towards those
comments referring to the fact that who do not fit a certain mould,”
her attractive appearance wasn’t a Anchalee wrote and invited
realistic depiction of an engineer. her cohorts to engage with the
Not only has she experienced the hashtag #Ilooklikeanengineer on
wrath of internet trolls, Anchalee Twitter, aiming to break down
says that she’s had men throw the misconceptions surrounding
dollar bills at her in professional her industry. Do you feel limited
meetings. Anchalee’s experiences or misjudged at work because of
sparked a global debate about gender expectations? Tweet us
the need to widen the parameters your experiences @irishtatler using
of how we speak about women the hashtag #WorkIt.

This feature is brought to you in association with…

SMART
THINKING

Physiotherapist, CEO and founder

of Salaso Health Solutions (Salaso.

com), Aoife Ní Mhuirí shares advice

for other business owners.

1You need perseverance, and exercise videos, and our SPOTLIGHTON… PENSIONS
dedication and commitment. core philosophy is very much “The pension provided by the state
can only guarantee €12,000 yearly”
Keep knocking on that door. If rooted in the belief that exercise
Did you know that women’s pensions are generally one third
you don’t get the answer first and physical activity is of huge lower than men’s? This is according to a European Commission
report, supported by research (Pensions and Older Women)
2time, knock again and again. value in supporting health and conducted by Dr Áine Ní Léime, co-principal investigator at the
Teamwork is of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway. The pension
utmost importance. The 4wellbeing for all. provided by the state can only guarantee approximately
dynamic within a business is Try to put yourself in the €12,000 yearly and that’s assuming a full record of paying social
other person’s shoes and to insurance over one’s lifetime. Dr Ní Léime commented, “There
very similar to a sports team look at the issue from all angles is a clear need for a coherent approach across the policy areas
of employment, taxation and social welfare, as well as pensions
that works together to achieve and from different viewpoints. to ensure that women have an adequate income in later life.”
The National Women’s Council of Ireland has been lobbying for
a common goal. The team Find common ground. Trust this measure since 2007 and its report, What Women Want: A
Model of Pensions that Guarantees Independence is an essential
needs to have open and honest 5your gut feeling. read for all women considering a pension plan. For more
communication, confidence in Seeing the positive impact information see Nwci.ie and Pensionsauthority.ie.
the skills of those around them that our software platform
and trust in the abilities of the has on rehabilitation services OUR CAREER INSPIRATION
other members to deliver well. and on people using those
At Salaso, we try to listen, take services by bringing the power JENNY TAAFFE
a partnership approach and and value of exercise and
physical activity to everyone – Founder and CEO of iZest Marketing
3seek a win-win outcome. from premiership footballers
Exercise can help in many to cancer survivors to those After six years with Pigsback – becoming managing
situations including stress director at just 28 – Jenny Taaffe established iZest, a
and we try to practice what we following surgery – it shows digital marketing company specialising in the travel
and retail sectors. iZest has seen huge growth in
preach as much as possible. that a company from the its first three years and increased turnover by 85 per cent in 2014.
Most recently, Taaffe was nominated as one of the ‘Power 100’ top
Salaso is a provider of an southwest of Ireland can be a Retail Marketing Executives by Checkout magazine. Did we mention,
she’s the digital brains behind Brianodriscoll.com and Pippa.ie?
exercise prescription platform leader in its field. izestmarketing.com @jen_izest

THE APP: FUZE

Nowadays, businesses are becoming more and more
connected and if you have contacts dotted in various
locations around the world, Fuze is the perfect online video
conferencing app for keeping up with the international contingent. With
face-to-face multi-party HD video conferencing and LiveMinutes, you
and your team can share experiences and ideas in real time. Serious
kudos to the tech though: Fuze works in tandem with Microsoft Outlook,
Lync, and Google Calendar seamlessly for collaborative content sharing
with a difference. Available for Windows, OSX, IOS and Android.

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“Look after your the payments industry so he’s brought a
people and your wealth of knowledge and experience to the
position and we’re all learning so much
customers and from him and from his leadership style.
success will Working for a company that has multiple
follow” sites across the world means working
across time zones. That can be quite
What I’ve demanding for me personally in terms of
time, but it’s also a huge opportunity as it
Louise Phelan is the Vice President of Global Operations for gives you exposure to how other cultures,
PayPal (EMEA). She shares her personal guide to career success. countries and economies work.

1No two days are the same, that’s the that. I go for a run or to the gym, every 7 We need to see more women in
beauty of my work. The only common morning at 6.30am – that’s time for me leadership positions in industries
denominator is that every day starts and it’s precious. I believe that it’s up to right across the board. Having more
early. At work I spend as much time as each of us to balance our own work and women in leadership roles means having
possible with my people – involving them life commitments. It’s about weighing diversity of thought at your top table and
in decisions, asking for their input and up personal decisions and trade-offs and that is critical for business. Nowadays
feedback and offering my advice to help no one can do that but the individual customers, clients and employees are
them develop as people-leaders. We don’t affected. I think that companies need to diverse in their gender, their sexual
just give people a job, we give them a do more to empower their employees orientation, their race and ethnicity.
career. A top priority for me is making to strike the balance that fits for them. Shouldn’t the people making decisions
sure that everyone in my organisation has PayPal is a very family-oriented company about how to meet their needs reflect that?
the opportunity to be really effective and and we really go out of our way to help To me that makes business sense. I believe
engaged in their work, grow their skills our teammates to balance their work and that if we succeed in encouraging more
and develop their career. personal or family lives. women into leadership positions, we will
change the face of the corporate world,
2I love what I do. PayPal is 4I like to exercise. It’s great for your because, with every woman that makes
revolutionising the world of health and keeps your mind sharp. it to the top of her game, we get that bit
payments and it’s really exciting I also love spending time with my closer to changing the status quo.
being part of a movement that empowers family (I’m one of 17) and friends and I
people and is reinventing money. It’s a am glued to the Rugby World Cup. 8We need to be careful not to
fast-paced environment and an ever- pressurise people into thinking
changing industry, and that means getting 5 Look after your people... and your that success can only be achieved
to work at the cutting edge. I am very customers and success will follow. I when they make it to the boardroom or
lucky to have the opportunity to work live by that mantra. to the top table. Success looks different to
with so many talented people who are different people and we all need to respect
just as passionate about our vision. I learn 6 Everyone you work with teaches that. To me, it’s about working in a job I
you something. I have a leadership enjoy and that challenges me. It’s about
3from them every day. team that bring new ideas, being in a position where I have the ability
Balancing work and personal perspectives and viewpoints to the table to influence the direction of a company and
commitments is all about time- and I find that inspiring. I love working change day-to-day life for my customers;
management and prioritisation. I with Dan Schulman, PayPal’s President but most importantly it’s about being in a
make time for myself, it’s important to do and CEO. Dan has a background in role that allows me empower other people,
particularly women, to develop their career.
Helping other people succeed is the best
kind of success there is.

Louise can’t live without…

My iPhone – it keeps me connected to my emails,

to my friends, to the news. I couldn’t be without

it. The PayPal app is my most used app. I’m a big

believer in being your own customer, or eating

your own dog food as I like to say, so I pay for as

much as possible through

PayPal. It’s the faster, safer

way to make purchases

online and more and more

high street stores, coffee

shops, bars and restaurants

are offering online payment

through apps powered by

PayPal. I love showing that off

to friends so they can see how

fast and simple it is to pay for

things on your phone when

you’re out.

MICHAEL KORS “Achievements imply success and
growth, which in turn imply security,
which so many people actively seek”

moment of realisation and relief can also be a milestone worth

noting and, above all, pausing to enjoy.

Most milestones are relative, and need to remain so – take

care not to measure yourself against someone else who stands in

a totally different starting position. A milestone for one person

could be running a marathon; for another person, it might be

making it up the stairs without stopping. It’s all relative.

Why should we, as individuals, care about acknowledgement

of milestones? Because it brings confidence and pride, which can

result in a burst of energy that gives even greater momentum

for the next stage. It breeds self-awareness, which leads to

an enhanced ability to understand and promote oneself.

Significantly, it can serve as a pressure-release valve, providing

relief for mental stress (“It’s done, it’s over, it’s officially off my

list”). A nice bonus is that noticing which achievements provide

the greatest ‘kick’ may tell you something about where your

heart really lies, and where your future choices should.

Why should businesses celebrate milestones? We know that

organisations nowadays dedicate significant time to matters of

engagement, internal branding and communication in order to

create company pride and high-performance environments. On

the basis that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’,

imagine how much additional performance could be created by

instigating the above-mentioned ‘burst of energy’ simultaneously

across tens, hundreds or thousands of people upon the

LET’S TALK ABOUT: finalisation of a project, the launch of a product or the winning

MILESTONES of an award – or, of course, the feat of reaching 125 years of

Taking stock of your success is just as publication of your magazine. Achievements imply success and

Wimportant as striving for it, says Davina Greene. growth, which in turn imply security, which so many people
hen was the last time you stopped to
consider the progress you’ve made? So often actively seek. In truth, in this highly competitive world, mere
we focus on the as-yet-unaccomplished,
forgetting to remember good things already survival can be worth celebrating.
achieved; things that create the foundation
for everything yet to come. Are milestones always something that require public
Hard work and focus can be detrimental to our ability to stop
and smell the roses. That said, even where we make the time, celebration? Not necessarily. Some milestones are for sharing,
we Irish are still very much getting used to the idea of talking
comfortably about our achievements, whether aloud or just in our some are not. If trying to make someone understand why you
own heads. We still have that tendency to think of it as ‘blowing
one’s own trumpet’, responding to any praise with, “Oh, it was see something as a milestone is going to ruin that milestone for
nothing, really. No big deal at all.”
you, keep it to yourself. Know your
To give some perspective, it is important to remember that a
milestone may not necessarily have started out as a specific written audience for each topic – KEY POINTS
goal. You plan a large project and each stage completed constitutes don’t let an eye-roll or a
a significant milestone – that’s understood. Alternatively, you may confused stare diminish your
hear your child give an exceptionally mature response to a problem
situation one day and think, “Wow, that neatly sews together pride. Not all milestones 1Put aside time to reflect – if
everything I’ve ever tried to teach her. She’ll be just fine.” Such a require a party; a moment of you don’t pause to notice, you
self-praise or a quick note in may not notice at all.

a reflective journal may be

all that is required. 2 View milestones in terms of
We all have, as per that your growth, not in terms
of comparison or in competition
certain political slogan, with others.
‘A lot done. More to do.’
Just don’t lose sight of that 3 Enjoy the fact that every
first bit and, perhaps most milestone moment creates a
essentially, allow yourself ‘better you’, or a better business.
to take that all-important
breather before you reboot.

Is becoming a manager your next milestone? If yes, check out
Davina Greene’s new training program, the Practical Management
Learning Board at Purerocketfuel.com.

This feature is brought to you in association with…