Podcasts Business Onward Nation Episode 963: Turning to joy to navigate hard times, with Richard Sheridan

Episode 963: Turning to joy to navigate hard times, with Richard Sheridan

Published: Aug. 14, 2020, 8 a.m.

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Menlo Innovations CEO Rich Sheridan became disillusioned in the middle of his career in the chaotic technology industry. He had an all-consuming thought: things can be better. Much better. He had to find a way. Why couldn\\u2019t a workplace be filled with camaraderie, human energy, creativity, and productivity?

Ultimately, Rich co-founded Menlo Innovations in 2001 to end human suffering in the workplace. His unique approach to custom software creation is so surprisingly different, that 3,000 people a year travel from around the world just to see how they do it.

His passion for creating joyful work environments led to his bestselling and widely celebrated book,\\xa0Joy, Inc. \\u2013 How We Built a Workplace People Love. His highly anticipated second book,\\xa0Chief Joy Officer, came out December 4, 2018 and will continue to prove that a positive and engaging leadership style is actually good for business.

What you will learn from this episode:

  • Richard shares the story of Menlo Innovations and its focus on ending human suffering in the workplace by spreading joy
  • What the 5000+ visitors to Menlo Innovations have seen that sets the company\\u2019s culture in a league of its own
  • How the global pandemic has impacted Menlo Innovations, and how their powerful culture helped them make the transition to being a 100% virtual office
  • How the team adapted to using remote work tools like Zoom and were able to maintain their unique culture even remotely
  • How the team developed a sequence to navigate the crisis: survive, adapt, sustain, emerge stronger, and thrive again
  • How the outbreak of the pandemic took Richard by surprise and was difficult to adapt to, and why it\\u2019s natural to struggle through difficulties
  • Why Richard wrote\\xa0Chief Joy Officer, the follow up to\\xa0Joy, Inc., and what important topics he covers in the new book
  • Why the intentionally joyful culture at Menlo is helping the organization maintain optimism through these difficult times, and why joy isn\\u2019t the same as happiness
  • Why Richard feels the two strongest aspects of the culture at Menlo are that the team actually believes in it and that they want it to survive
  • How Richard equates leading a business with flying an airplane, with forces of lift vs. weight and thrust vs. drag applying to businesses too

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