Welcome to the latest instalment of ‘Nourishing Waters’ our monthly newsletter.

With so much employee disengagement, ill health, and disruptive external influences on the workplace we’ve never felt more committed to and convinced that the long term sustainable solutions to these dilemmas lie in unlocking the power of purpose and belonging in company cultures and everything achieving that entails.

Nourishing Waters is just one of Emei’s offerings where individuals can come and reconnect with their hidden or diminished potential and also be a place where leaders can find provocations and enquiries into what can inspire themselves and deeply connect and unlock the potential in those around them.

We have a guest columnist every month either offering their own deep insights and experiences around personal and organisational change, or a heart-felt individual story of change and purposeful practice leading to latent and hidden potential being released.

And we aim to deliver this content in a range of mediums from video and visuals to the written word in order to cater for different preferences. We hope you enjoy and drink deeply of these waters and we welcome anyone that is willing to share their own experiences and reflections.

If you would welcome a conversation about how you or your organisation could benefit from Emei’s deep knowledge and experience in this field then feel free to get in touch.

—
The Emei Team

Replenishing

A collection of the developmental insights and provocations that we have found particularly motivating this month.

• Joining Trevor Merriden on the latest episode of ‘The Merri-Cast’ podcast is our very own insightful and energic Andrew Armes. In this episode, Andrew discusses his life-changing experience, inner needs vs purpose, and applying entrepreneurial principles with larger organisations. He also shares the importance of knowing why you do what you do, asking for help, and embracing your true identity.

  Available to listen to on these platforms:

  Apple Podcasts - Listen here
  Spotify - Listen here
  BuzzSprout - Listen here

• A thought-provoking article from the brilliant Psychologist and Author, Kirk J. Schneider on understanding our relationship to existence; not only to our parents, culture, cognition, or physiology.

• An extremely powerful piece from Harvard Business Review on why you should care about engagement, how we’ve been getting it wrong and how the most-engaged employees work together in ways companies don’t even realise.

Company Spotlight

In each issue, we'll either invite a guest to write a column on something related to personal well-being and inspiring leadership, or spotlight amazing companies that we've noticed doing great work around their employee experience and organisational culture.

In this issue, we celebrate the achievements of Hobbycraft.

#1 Best Big Company to Work For in the UK

It’s been a while so it’s time for a spotlight on a company really thinking about its culture and being recognised for understanding that overall company performance is only ever enhanced in the long run by creating kind, caring and connected workplaces.

This time it’s Hobbycraft. Congratulations to the team there for being recognised as the Best Big Company to work for in the UK. Having helped Roche to the top of this particular accolade I know that this is not an award that can be gamed or bought. It’s a totally anonymous, all employee, highly comprehensive feedback survey, that looks at just how great (or not) it is to work at a company and all the complexity of elements that go into creating a healthy, happy, and high performing workplace.

Founded in 1995, it is now the nation's largest arts and crafts retailer, with over 100 stores 2000+ employees, and a strong online presence.

The organisation is committed to becoming more sustainable while focusing on colleague wellbeing, its store communities, and doing what is right with integrity and transparency. 

What is particularly inspiring is Hobbycraft’s unique “Artisan” programme that was born from a dedication to colleague development and now nurtures talent from within the business. The programme gives employees the skills they need to grow, fulfilling their own passions and businesses. From our experience and understanding the key tenets to connected and high performing cultures, personal development and growth focused on both the employee’s aspirations along with the organisation’s purpose and values is critical.

Just a few key notable statistics from their Best Companies results:

88% of employees agreed that their team is fun to work with. Employees can attend monthly wellbeing craft seminars where they are encouraged to create connection and build relationships while learning a new skill. The Head Office also ran a Summer Fete where all teams built their own games for others to take part in, while food and drink was provided throughout.

77% of employees agreed that they were happy with the balance between their work and home life. All new starters receive well-being training upon arrival, and there are weekly wellbeing updates in internal newsletters, they also have access to and are encouraged to complete eLearning created by mental health charity Mind. All employees also get their birthday’s off as an additional entitlement, and extra holiday can be obtained for achievements across the year.

And a simple and powerful quote from their CEO Dominic Jordan, “Our aim is to make Hobbycraft the best place to work and shop in the UK.”

Great job so far and keep up the good work!

Soul on Deck

Our blog, Soul on Deck, is a personal reflection of our own dreams and aspirations at Emei. We know our art is our life and our lives are our art and our invitation to you is to connect and explore the unknown unfolding in front of you through this art. We wholeheartedly encourage you to embrace and yield to the unknown seas and landscapes we traverse together to help your soul to shine and to inspire and light up others.

We are on the journey with you.

At The Helm

We all learn in different ways, and at different speeds. Our YouTube Channel, At The Helm delves deeper into our purpose, values, and beliefs to help navigate contemplative thought and develop purposeful practices that support our ability to enlighten ourselves and others in our day-to-day. Providing inspiration to grip the wheel and stay the course and nurture your inner courage.

Thank you for reading

Our wish is for individuals and leaders like you to take nourishment in our words, practices, and provocations to help support you in accessing your hidden resourcefulness and helping change the workplace.

Change is rarely a straight line or straightforward journey and we hope we can help unlock that powerful source of trust and belief for you in a different future where your brilliance is realised.