Feel Good Managers are an integral part of the team and as the name suggests, their objective is to create a great team atmosphere, not only taking care of the employees’ well-being, but they are also trained conflict solvers.
While this role is already well known in the U.S., mostly as Chief Happiness Officer or Chief-Culture Officer, comparatively few companies in Europe are aware of this kind of position and how it can be a great means for a successful Employer Branding.
What are the tasks of a Feel Good Manager?
In the day-to-day business, Feel Good Managers take on various roles. The specific tasks are not set in stone though, but depend on the respective company’s needs. Most of the time, they mediate in conflict situations, act as interface between employees and management and they organise team and company events.
Identify employees’ needs
Feel Good Managers have a radar for the employees’ needs and create an employee-friendly work environment. They listen to concerns and problems of the team members and are open for suggestions for improvement regarding corporate culture. In the end, their long-term goal is to create a stress- and disturbance-free working atmosphere and to that end, improve the workflow.
Mediate conflicts
In the event of a conflict or crisis, Feel Good Managers mediate between the disputing parties in order to counteract an escalation and bring about a constructive solution. Companies, who work with a Feel Good Manager, promote an open and transparent communication and prevent conflicts from becoming entrenched.
Organise team events
Team events and shared experiences can strengthen the cohesion of a group. They help colleagues get to know each other better and spend quality time together. Feel Good Managers organise team and company events to promote contact between employees in a relaxed atmosphere, for example sports groups, company parties or a joint excursion. The exchange between employees can also be promoted architecturally, for example through an open and contact-promoting room design, such as lounge corners or employee cafés.
Learning and development
Besides conflict solving and organising team events, the tasks of a Feel Good Manager might overlap with the HR department, for instance when it comes to staff development: in some companies, they create opportunities for employees to develop their potential and pursue their interests and promote their self-fulfilment.
As part of the overall wellbeing, Feel Good Managers promote corporate health benefits, for example opportunities for healthy eating such as healthy food in the canteen, providing fresh fruit or cooperate with a nutritionist and/or organising corporate sports activities.
As interface between employees and management, Feel Good Managers promote a constructive feedback culture, along with a positive error culture: mistakes are merely considered as learning opportunity and room for improvement in the future. Dealing with mistakes this way can help reducing performance pressure, as fear of mistakes can have a paralysing effect and might curb employees’ proactive behaviour.
Where can you learn Feel Good Management?
Currently, there are only few opportunities for a formal training, but the Chambers of Industry and Commerce offer certified seminars and there are a few academies that offer courses.
Why should companies invest in Feel Good Management?
Feel Good Management is much more than the colourful fruit basket on the meeting table. Companies need to provide sufficient resources for this task, as it can be a full-time position, depending on the size of the company.
Ideally, feel-good measures complement each other in a meaningful way. For instance, through internal surveys, Feel Good Managers determine which topics are currently of particular importance to employees (for example, childcare or caring for relatives), and develop general or individual support offers accordingly.
A good Feel Good Management takes resources, but is worth the effort when it comes to successful Employer Branding. More and more highly qualified candidates not only take the salary into account when it comes to deciding for a new employer, but also how employees are treated in a company and how well the work-life balance is supported.
Moreover, in the long run, companies can save a lot of money and especially recruiting costs. Happy employees are less often sick, less likely to quit their job and on the other hand, they are more likely to identify with the company and often happy to support the recruiting process by recommending friends and family for open positions. By participating in Employer Branding competitions, companies can also increase their publicity and push their image by being presented as employee-friendly company, for instance competing for the Great Place to Work Award.
What we do
TCP Solutions is part of the People 2.0 group of companies who is the leading provider of contingent workforce engagement solutions within the U.S. and globally.
TCP operates in Europe and has offices in London, Berlin and Antwerp. We offer the full range of staffing and payroll services including temporary employment, permanent placement and freelance/contracting to agencies, employers and contractors in the flexible workplace market. TCP’s mission is to provide the global market with a high quality, expert service with a human touch – a service provided to its clients on the foundations of honesty, quality and integrity.
If you would like to find out more about what we do, please contact call a member of our sales team on +44 (0)208 5800 800, or send us a message via our contact page. We would be delighted to speak to you regarding the possibilities.
