(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...By Sid Madge, Meee
Fortnum & Mason has a simple goal: to make joy. Delivering extraordinary food, exceptional service, and unforgettable experiences takes passion, amazing ideas, and talented people. But, when the global pandemic hit, the organization was forced to make rapid changes.
Many of its employees had to open or close stores with very little notice, others had to take on different responsibilities to support a changing business model, and office-based employees had to adapt to working from home. Facing all this change, how could they continue to perform at their best? How could the organization’s values, culture, and sense of joy be kept alive at a time of immense uncertainty?
Image credit Tim-Gouw on Wunderstock (license)
Being the Best You
Alexandra Buxton, Fortnum’s Culture and Talent Director explained that they wanted all their staff to be their best, and above all to be their true selves. By embracing each other’s differences and sharing common values, extraordinary things can be achieved.
They decided to bring in the Meee team. Meee is founded on the idea that everyone is unique and, by using our values and natural strengths, combined with support from others, we can thrive in all aspects of our lives. Sometimes all we need to achieve this is a shift in perspective, a nudge to reset our thoughts and mindset.
So, working closely together Meee tailored a virtual version of the ‘Be The Best You’ program that enables each employee to understand their unique qualities and how these can help them perform at their best more of the time. Online modules, including Meee Values and Balanced exercises, helped each team member identify their unique talents. Additional content was also created to help employees understand how they can bring Fortnum’s values to life.
Along with these exercises, a series of small group virtual workshops allowed the team to share insights and ideas, while also creating an all-important sense of connection. A number of employees were also trained to be program facilitators and roll out the program across the retail organization.
Engaging, Energizing, and Enabling
With a powerful digital platform underpinning the program, which gave valuable insights into progress both before and after the virtual workshops, employees could see how they had developed. They also had access to supporting resources, articles, and videos. Meanwhile, Fortnum’s Culture and Talent team could use the aggregated and anonymized data to understand how colleagues were performing and quickly identify where more support was needed.
Making an Impact
At a time of huge anxiety, the program had a tremendously positive impact. Participants have gained new insights about themselves, built stronger connections with colleagues and the organization, and left the workshops feeling more energized and positive.
After completing the program:
- 93% felt that they can achieve more together with their colleagues
- 91% felt closer to Fortnum’s purpose and values
- 90% felt they had a better understanding of how to help and develop others
- 88% felt they had a better understanding of how to deliver a wonderful customer experience
More Joy
Fortnum’s is now planning to incorporate the values work in other areas like recruitment, onboarding, recognition, learning, and development. And that all adds up to more purpose, positivity, and ultimately more joy.
The management team wanted their people, at all levels, to feel the company was investing in and supporting them as best as possible at a very challenging time.
Sid Madge is the founder of Meee (My Education Employment Enterprise) which draws on the best creativity and thinking from the worlds of branding, psychology, neuroscience, education, and sociology, to help people achieve extraordinary lives.
To date, Meee has transformed the lives of over 20,000 people, from leaders of PLC’s and SME’s to parents, teachers, students, carers, the unemployed and prison inmates.
Sid Madge is also author of the Meee in Minute series of books which each offer 60 ways to change your life, work-, or family-life in 60 seconds.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
Related Posts
By Sid Madge, MeeeThe Christmas holidays will be very different this year. For many of us, Covid restrictions will still be in place. And given the to...
By Sid Madge, author of ‘Meee in a Work Minute’ There is little doubt that change is upon us in 2020. But before we all rush to get back to a pre-Covi...
By Sid Madge. MeeeDuring the pandemic Zoom and its like have been (and will continue to be) incredibly useful business tools, but beyond the basic com...
By Sid Madge, MeeeThere are obvious drawbacks to virtual cake, but if your team works remotely, it really is worth gathering everyone together for a Z...