A friendly, considerate and environmentally aware boss who takes an interest in their staff’s personal wellbeing is much more likely to get the best from their workers than one who gives orders from behind closed doors, say British workers.
The survey of more than 1,300 workers, carried out by energy company E.ON to launch its search for ‘Britain’s Most Energetic Boss 2007’, revealed 96% of workers would prefer an inclusive and friendly boss to an authoritative and dominant one.
E.ON found that:
- Nine out of 10 workers say they’re greeted by their boss with a cheerful ‘hello’ when they come into work
- 63% of bosses regularly show interest in their staff’s personal lives and check on their general wellbeing
- Two-thirds of workers say their boss is ‘inspiring’ and a ‘team player’
- Six out of 10 British bosses roll up their sleeves and ‘muck in’ to do unpopular tasks when it’s needed
- Eight out of 10 workers say their boss also gives them time off to look after children, deal with personal crises or handle family emergencies
- One in eight said their boss had not taken time off so they or another staff member could go away on holiday instead
And bosses who care about their staff are also much more likely to care about the environment, encouraging staff to save energy and be less wasteful. On average, caring bosses are three times as likely to arrange for waste paper to be recycled, make sure PCs and lights are switched off, and persuade workers to take public transport or car share.
‘Britain’s Most Energetic Boss’ will be the leader who brings the most positive energy, enthusiasm and commitment to making their workplace and their community a great place to be.
This year’s campaign is being backed by world famous yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur. As a successful business owner herself, Ellen MacArthur said: “Most people first heard of me when I set off on what turned out to be a record breaking solo voyage around the world.
“But what many people won’t know is that this journey was only possible with the support of my team back on dry land. I have always been fully aware that my success is due in no small part to the encouragement, passion and energy of my fantastic team.”
Peter Haigh, Director of E.ON’s B2B Business, said: “Our search for Britain’s Most Energetic Boss 2007 is open to businesses big or small, and is a fun way of showing our appreciation for all the great bosses across the country, and saying thank you for making British workplaces a positive and enjoyable place to be.”
The prize for this year’s winner will be a once-in-a-lifetime whale watching experience in Norway, while five runners-up will each receive a luxury weekend break in Britain’s first eco-spa. Each of the winners’ nominators will receive a case of champagne.
Workers wanting to nominate their boss for the 2007 title can enter at www.energeticboss.co.uk where details of all the prizes, previous winners and other details can also be found. The national winner will be announced this November.
Ends
Notes to editors:
• Research conducted by Tickbox.net on behalf of E.ON on 13 August 2007;
• The 2006 winner of the ‘Britain’s Most Energetic Boss’ title was Angie Townsend, owner of Eden Hair and Beauty salon in Haslemere, Surrey. Since starting the salon with only £3,000, Angie has learnt what it takes to be a great boss, helping one colleague to complete her training a year early by opening the salon out of hours to practice, and she paid for driving lessons for another. Angie is also proactively involved with several local charities;
• Ellen MacArthur - who is working with the B2B division of E.ON as an official supporting partner to her Offshore Challenges Sailing Team – is committed to looking at ways to make her own business, OC Group, more energy efficient;
• E.ON is keen continue to find ways of reducing the impact of its business on the environment and so has made ‘Britain’s Most Energetic Boss 2007’ 100% climate neutral. With the help of expert company Climate Care, the amount of CO2 emitted by this event has been calculated and offset by investing in environmental and alternative energy projects;
• E.ON is the leading energy retailer to UK industry and commerce through the E.ON Energy brand, and provides electricity and gas to over 500,000 small business (SME) customers in the UK as Powergen;
• E.ON is part of the E.ON group – the world’s largest investor-owned power and gas company.
For further information please contact:
Mike Cheshire or Rachel Meagher at Target PR on 01242 633 153
Victoria Blake at E.ON on 02476 181 304
Katie Green at OC Group on 01983 282797
