Brett Shuttleworth has done it all: he\u2019s kept company with some of the most glamorous people in the world as a model for the likes of Ralph Lauren, Versace and Calvin Klein, as an actor in Hollywood blockbusters, a provincial sportsman and a successful businessman. However, he\u2019s found his niche in motivational speaking and making people\u2019s souls smile. I recently spoke with him to find out how companies can keep their employees\u2019 souls smiling.
\nAs I usually do before any interview, I did a bit of research into Brett\u2019s background to find out what really makes this man tick.<\/p>\n
And while I was researching, I came across a You Tube video on his website called: \u201cWhat makes your soul smile?\u201d In it, Brett and his colleague Bert Corsius travel around India, with no money, to see how far they can travel based on people\u2019s goodwill.<\/p>\n
The sceptic in me thought this video was too good to be true but when I spoke to Brett, and asked him about the video, he said that they actually managed to travel around the country with no money based on the goodwill of the people they met along the way. In other words, how they made other people\u2019s souls smile.<\/p>\n
What does \u201cmake your soul smile\u201d mean?<\/p>\n
When I posed this question to Brett, he told me that before he came up with this concept, he had gone on a journey of self-discovery, searching for what really made him happy. What he came to realise is that it\u2019s not your external trappings \u2013 what you surround yourself with \u2013 that will make you happy; it\u2019s what is on the inside that makes the difference. If your \u201csoul is smiling\u201d, you will be happy.<\/p>\n
This is a great concept from a personal growth point of view, I thought, but I wanted to delve into how making one\u2019s soul smile can benefit your organisation.<\/p>\n
How do you make your employees\u2019 souls smile?<\/p>\n
At an ACMP networking event, which took place in Johannesburg in February 2013, Richard Hawkey, the author of Life Less Lived, presented a set of shocking statistics that served as a huge wake-up call:<\/p>\n
\u2022 More than 50% of employees are demotivated,
\n\u2022 An average of 54% does not get enough sleep,
\n\u2022 Thirty-eight per cent is simply exhausted and will avoid taking on extra or new tasks,
\n\u2022 A further 38% suffers from low immunity and severe allergies, and
\n\u2022 Twenty-three per cent experiences isolation and goes into withdrawal.<\/p>\n
The question that naturally follows is this: if more than 50% of employees are physiologically and physically dysfunctional, how can you expect them to function at work? And, more importantly, how can you help them so that they are able to perform at their best? I decided to ask Brett this question.<\/p>\n
I sketched a scenario and asked how he would handle it:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you went back to being the CEO of a company, how would you make your employees\u2019 souls smile and in turn motivate them to do their jobs at 110% of their ability?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brett gave me the following answer: \u201cYou first need to create a single, unified purpose that your company stands for, via your company vision and mission. Once you\u2019ve united all your employees under one common banner, you need to lead from love and human emotion, not discipline. You need to concentrate on your employees and listen to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSteve Jobs said that the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven\u2019t found it yet, keep looking. Don\u2019t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you\u2019ll know when you find it,\u201d he ended off.<\/p>\n
Wise words Brett \u2013 something that we can all learn from.<\/p>\n
More Info link:<\/strong>: http:\/\/www.hrpulse.co.za<\/a> Author: Lia Marus<\/strong> from HR Pulse<\/a>. Originally distributed by MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n
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