18th January 2024
Meet the 2024 Top Inspiring Workplaces Judges: Janet Hitchen
IW: We’re delighted to be joined by one of our judges for the Top Inspiring Workplaces 2024: Janet Hitchen. Firstly, What does an Inspiring Workplace mean to you?
An inspiring workplace is somewhere where I am beaming with pride at the work we do and the purpose of the business. It’s somewhere you can do your best work because you are working in team that oozes psychological safety and where trust is valued.
I often say I have 3 tenets for work: do impactful, interesting work; work with people I like; have fun. Workplaces who excel at all three of these make my heart sing.
What it’s not is command and control, do as I say not as I do, hierarchical, information is power. All of that belongs back in 1974.
IW: You’re a judge for the Top Inspiring Workplaces 2024. What do you hope to see in the entries?
I’m super excited to see innovative and creative solutions that allow employees to do their best work. Ideas that have fully understood what employees need to be brilliant and where bespoke solutions are being crafted and designed, co-created with their stakeholders and where the teams involved have fun.
I want to see workplaces that are full of colour, life and vibrancy and that make your heart sing.
This doesn’t have to be those with the biggest budgets or those with the most people, but those who show true passion for understanding their environment and creating purposeful, fit for purpose solutions.
IW: Following on from that, What are three areas of focus for organizations looking to improve the people experience?
We really haven’t nailed ways of working yet have we. So many RTO mandates with no why other than, because the CEO said so. Or people struggling to juggle life and work and not being allowed to work flexibly because of a lack of trust and a lack of dialogue. This saddens me as it really doesn’t need to be that hard but we have really complicated the life out of it.
Comms functions were shockingly gutted last year, IC directors and heads were laid off and Corp Comms told to suck it up and take on the mandate that they soon realised was very different from their external mandate.
IC is a vital function to connect the dots and align your people with the purpose, vision and goals of the business. When done well and when not used as a postbox but considered strategically and allowed to do the strategic analysis and thinking work, it can be transformative.
I know this is 2 but these are pretty meaty.
IW: We are a big believer that fostering psychological safety is an organisational imperative. Do you agree and if so, why?
100% yes. I read both of Amy Edmondson’s books last year. Her research is grounded in science and data which makes it hard to argue against.
I also love how she showed that teams who have psychological safety report more failures because they feel safe enough to do so and then they can learn from them as a team.
I’ve been lucky enough to be part of several teams where the PS was high. Looking back I realised once you have experienced the sense of freedom it gives you, it’s impossible to go back.
IW: 4-Day week – Yes or No?
YES 10000%
I’ve done it and the feedback from my leadership was that it made me even more productive.
Also I was so much happier, I pretty much went to the beach for long dog walks and for sunset chips and mushy peas every Friday.
IW: To say we’ve seen a lot of change in the past three years would be an understatement. We want you to get your crystal ball out and predict what will be the top priorities for people choosing an employer over the next 5 years?
The WEF delivered it’s top 10 risks for the next 2 years and 10 years. The top 3 were pretty constant: climate change, extreme weather and misinformation and disinformation.
I am not seeing any discussions in future of work forums about how extreme weather affects employees and last week I heard of some who were flooded being asked to go to the office while their home was in crisis. What plans do we have when the increasing temps make commuting difficult/impossible? Great you have an air-conned office, but how do people get to it safely?
What are the implications on people’s health, mental health? How do we stay connected with people? What will help our people thrive in their personal circumstances?
And I’m not even going to start on AI and misinformation… there are many far better placed to share about the evolution here. I follow Matt O’Neill a futurist and communicator who is brilliant at keeping up to speed with the speed of change and the implications. He was just at Davos.
IW: A few fun ones to end!
Favourite film
I’m more plays than films and I have a healthy theatre obsession that I write a review blog for. Last year’s favourite was Andrew Scott’s one man Vanya, adapted by Simon Stephens from Checkov it was one the most innovative and intimate performances I have seen. Superb and top tip, it’s on NT at Home at the moment.
Favourite album
Tapestry by Carole King is basically word perfect as is Build a Rocket Boys by Elbow.
Best song to get you motivated at work
Benny and the Jets – Elton John
Peter, Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block
Good as Hell – Lizzo
Anti Hero – Taylor Swift
Levitating – Dua Lipa
Best place you have ever visited
Uluru at sunrise on my 25th birthday was pretty special. We slept out overnight and had an early morning cuppa at the campfire. Superb. And a snake didn’t sleep on me as the ranger kept telling me would happen.
Your biggest inspiration
Mother Nature’s ability to adapt and transform. I saw the Northern lights on a trip to Iceland about 15 years ago with some friends. I felt her power and her majesty. It was unforgettable.
