Dr Nigel Paine: Why a Positive Culture is the Key Ingredient of Success

Every successful organisation proudly boasts of how great their culture is and how that has enabled them to succeed. But creating a happy workplace can’t be forced, and getting rid of a bad culture can be a very challenging undertaking.

In this video from the 2024 Happy Workplaces Conference, Dr Nigel Paine explains the hallmarks of a happy workplace and how you can emulate this in your organisation.

“If you can't admit you don't know something, if you're scared to ever admit something went wrong, therefore you deflect it onto someone else, you shift the blame. If you're not even willing to offer help when there's someone struggling, because that detracts from my performance.

“If you don't want to be associated with weakness, then we're in really big trouble in [an] organisation. So, all of those things I'm talking about, the opposite of those, asking for help, admitting mistakes, solving problems cooperatively, they're the essence of getting learning moving around an organisation.”

Honest, positive and cooperative workplaces succeed by not putting in people in boxes or leaving anyone behind. Any organisation where staff aren’t afraid to make mistakes or ask for help have positive workplace cultures and organisations that succeed.