This month everywhere we turn we see messages about love, relationships and showing that you care. But it’s not just Valentine’s Day when those values are important and there are a number of themes that can be hugely beneficial to keep in mind when it comes to the workplace. Here we take a different perspective and focus on those all-important aspects of organisational success - relationships & culture, the importance of good communication, how to support long-distance relationships and the power of self-love, investing in yourself and your personal and professional development.
Relationships & culture
At The Hub Events, we know that how you value your people and the way you, your leaders and your colleagues manage relationships has a critical part to play in every aspect of work – and it impacts organisational success and the bottom line.
Studies consistently show that a positive work culture and strong interpersonal relationships contribute to higher productivity, employee retention, innovation, and business success. Gallup’s "State of the Global Workplace" Report (2023) found that highly engaged teams show a 23% increase in profitability and Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends Report found that businesses that invest in workplace culture and employee engagement experience 4X higher revenue growth.
And it isn’t just profitability that improves - staff attraction and retention are directly impacted: LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends Report found that companies with strong workplace cultures have a 35% lower turnover rate and Glassdoor’s studies revealed that 77% of employees consider a company’s culture before applying for a job, showing its importance in attracting talent.
What’s more, your customers benefit too - a study by Forbes Insights found that companies that prioritise employee relationships and culture have customer satisfaction scores 30% higher than their competitors and Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends Report shows that businesses that invest in workplace culture and employee engagement experience 4X higher revenue growth.
Ultimately, focusing on relationships is not just about Valentine’s Day. Businesses that prioritise leadership and culture-building initiatives such as leadership and management training, professional development and employee well-being programs see long-term success in talent retention, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
The Importance of Communication
We all know the importance of great communication when it comes to relationships.
Feeling equipped to have those difficult conversations, understand and harness great communication skills - we feel better and perform better when we communicate better.
Research overwhelmingly shows that strong communication skills improve leadership effectiveness, boost employee engagement, enhance customer satisfaction, and directly impact business profitability. Investing in communication training is not just beneficial—it's essential for long-term business success.
A study by McKinsey & Company found that companies with effective communication practices are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their competitors and a Watson Wyatt study found that businesses that communicate effectively had a 47% higher total return to shareholders compared to those that do not. In fact, in The Cost of Poor Communications - a 400 organisation-wide survey of top-tier companies - it is estimated that large companies will lose an average of £49 million per year due to poor communication.
Again, it’s not just the financial impact. Communication and conflict management skills are critical, as a recent MIT Management Review found, showing strong internal communication reduces workplace stress and turnover rates significantly. It is also crucial to health and safety and employee mental health and wellbeing. In fact, when it comes to investing in communication skills in your organisation, it can be just as much about the problems and risks you will avoid as it is about the performance and profit you can gain.
Long distance relationships?
Communication and workplace relationships need support in order to thrive and that means your remote and hybrid working relationships might need a different perspective and a more considered approach. With the rise of remote work and hybrid teams, research shows that nurturing remote working relationships is critical for productivity, employee engagement, retention, and mental well-being.
Gallup’s "State of the Global Workplace" Report (2023) found that remote employees who feel engaged with their teams are 41% more productive than those who feel disconnected. Additionally, a study by Harvard Business Review (HBR) found that remote workers who have strong relationships with colleagues are 50% more likely to stay at their company for the long term.
At the Hub Events, we know how important employee mental health and wellbeing is to individuals and their wider teams. Google’s "Project Aristotle" study found that psychological safety is the #1 factor in high-performing teams, including remote ones. Employees need to feel safe to express ideas and concerns without fear of judgment. Deloitte’s Remote Work & Well-being Report found that companies with structured remote engagement see a 40% reduction in employee stress levels and we have worked with numerous organisations to help them manage hybrid and remote teams through our dedicated training programmes such as Leading Hybrid Teams.
Self-love & investing in yourself
Taking a full view of your organisation’s culture, communication, and employee wellbeing is key. But it doesn’t always have to be about others and this month we hear a lot about the importance of self-love too - investing in yourself, in your personal and professional development and feeling empowered, inspired and thriving.
A LinkedIn Learning Report (2022) found that employees who actively learn new skills are 39% more likely to feel fulfilled in their careers and see an increase in their earning potential. Deloitte’s "Future of Work" Report (2023) showed that 77% of professionals believe that self-directed learning and upskilling are essential to staying competitive in the job market.
Importantly, the impact of investing in personal and professional development reaches far beyond success in the workplace, with people reporting significant impact on mental health and well-being and personal impact and effectiveness.
A Yale University study found that people who develop strong personal habits around self-discipline and self-learning are more likely to achieve long-term success in both personal and professional life and a study by Stanford University found that individuals who engage in lifelong learning report a 45% increase in overall happiness and life satisfaction.
Ultimately, personal development matters and makes a real impact on our lives – from role-specific training to soft skills - investing in personal growth builds self-confidence, resilience, and long-term success.
Why people love training with the Hub Events
Last but certainly not least we’re proud to say we hear from you every week how impactful our training courses have been for you, for your teams and for your organisations. We love to hear the amazing things you say about our trainers, our courses and how they have made a real tangible difference in the workplace.
And we love to share the love – check out our latest video Why people love to recommend The Hub Events to meet our trainers and get a flavour for how our training makes an impact.
Whether it is investing in your people or yourself we have specialist courses across Leadership and Management, Finance, Personal Assistant and Admin, Mental health and wellbeing, personal impact and effectiveness, managing hybrid teams and much more. Get in touch with our team here and find out more about how we can help you learn, inspire and thrive.