This morning I visited Brighton company Propellernet (www.propellernet.co.uk), voted the UK’s best small business workplace in 2013.

 

In fact, they've won handfuls of other awards as well, and having spent a bit of time with them, it's not hard to see why.

 

Propellernet’s managing director has said: “If you create a company that encourages people to lead full lives and follow their dreams, you can land a full roster of creative, innovative talent.”

 

In other words, happy staff are creative staff, and that's good for them and good for the business too.

 

This culture is evidenced everywhere, even to the text on the back of the business card I was given, which reads:

 

"The temptation is to convince yourself that your employees' dreams are not relevant to your business. That is only true if your employees are not relevant to your business - and if that were true, why would you employ them? Most employees feel like they are being used. But if you can genuinely convince them that you have their best interests at heart, then you will reverse that belief and in the process, create a spirit of teamwork and loyalty rarely unleashed in the corporate world before now. Dreams are invisible, but powerful. You cannot see them, but they keep everything going."

 

More evidence of putting this into practice is the fact that five per cent of Propellernet’s profits go in a health and well-being fund which pays for a variety of activities decided by staff and organised by resident “fun ministers”.

 

Somewhat different to the ministers I’m used to but I like the sound of it!

 

 

 

Image: From Propelernet's website