Call us to find out more 0141 255 2909 Menu

Case Study: Payback was almost instant for Volvo/Rokbak Trucks

Case Study: Payback was almost instant for Volvo/Rokbak Trucks

Rokbak Trucks, a part of Volvo Construction Equipment, called on Headtorch to help tackle their mental health culture head on – and found that the payback was almost instant.

THE CHALLENGE

Volvo Construction Equipment is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of construction and mining equipment.

Following a heavily subscribed Suicide Awareness event and subsequent feedback, it was clear to the senior team that there was a gap in their knowledge and understanding of mental health in the workplace, and a real need from their employees for more support and training.

They began to look for an organisation with a flexible and adaptable approach to Mental Health training to ensure the needs of everyone within the business were met.

Big Truck

“The payback was almost instant, and the productivity gains are lasting.”

THE SOLUTION

Headtorch’s proven programme worked to tackle mental health across all levels of the business, focusing on three main groups:

All the programmes are designed to ensure delegates take away practical tools they can start using immediately.

“Employee engagement scores are up 8%.”

 BENEFITS

TESTIMONIAL

“Headtorch had a flexible, adaptable approach that suited our needs.

The programme was a huge success. Almost everybody in the organisation is comfortable with mental health now and it’s engrained in the Volvo culture.

Payback was almost instant, and I’m talking months here – we automatically became more productive!

Most importantly, the whole workforce is engaged in mental health. Everyone knows that it’s OK not to be OK, the whole team is there to listen and support.

When a burly welder stops our HSE Manager to have a chat about a mental health issue, this speaks volumes about how far we’ve come.”

Paul-Douglas-small-150x150

PAUL DOUGLAS

VP Volvo Construction Equipment

& MD Rokbak Trucks

The Optimist with the Killer Ideas

849211ee-2182-4050-8caa-ddb09ec0fa1c_3457x4011 book only

The man from down under has a smile almost as wide as the Sydney Bridge. When you speak, he listens very carefully to your opinion. When he talks, he communicates a constant sense of optimism.

Tim Duggan persists in bringing a touch of bright Australian sunshine to business discussions with a bunch of deceptively unorthodox business ideas, all delivered in a soft Aussie accent.

This includes ways to address the challenges many of us face as we try to convince our colleagues about the importance of improving mental health in the workplace.

For example, on our Wellbeing Hour he cheerfully explains that he “loathes brain storming” as normally when it’s conducted in a business environment, he  argues it usually leads to ‘group think’ with everyone endorsing the ideas of the HIPPO in the room. The HIPPO, in case you are wondering, is the ‘HIghest Paid Person’s Opinion.’  Tim has found a different approach that has resulted in better problem solving in his various business activities.

He believes that no matter what we do or what responsibilities we hold at work – we all have creative ideas to contribute and these are best gathered in this three step process:

  1. Ask everyone to turn the problem into questions
  2. Develop answers to these questions by yourself
  3. Share and consider all the answers together to reach the best outcomes

 

Tim argues that providing all employees with “Psychological safety,” means  “allowing people at all levels to feel safe in developing their creative side, and this is the key to developing killer ideas.”  It’s also valuable, he says, to allow team members to build on each other’s ideas and that involves genuine active listening.

“Who has come up with the best ideas?”  This was the question Tim asked in the research for his best-selling book* and from this, he has developed a method for us all to come up with our own, “KILLER”  ideas. The ingredients coupled with a great deal of listening, are:

Kind, Impactful, Loved, Lasting, Easy, Repeatable

Tim emphasises the importance of kindness in building a mentally healthy business environment where transparency is common, creativity is encouraged and great ideas blossom.

“Kindness can be viewed as wishy washy and unimportant,” he concedes. “But viewed as a strength rather than a weakness, it becomes something very different.”

If Tim’s ideas and approach to business sound to you like an understanding of the value that a servant leader can bring to business, then you’re probably correct.

It seems clear from the latest mental health news that many companies would benefit from a better working environment.  Last week the UK press reported that a recent government study revealed that 20 per cent of the population have some mental health issues whether it’s stress, anxiety, depression or other serious clinical conditions.

So, if you’re feeling a little bit down about the seemingly intractable problems at work on a wet and windy Monday morning, you could do worse than listen to the Wellbeing Hour featuring a broadly smiling self-confessed optimist and hunter for killer ideas called Tim Duggan.

*Killer Thinking: How to turn Good Ideas into brilliant ones,  is a critically acclaimed book by Tim Duggan.  He is the Winner of Best Entrepreneurship Book at the 2021 Australian Business Book Awards for his first book, Cult Status: How to build a Business People adore. Tim has co-founded several digital media ventures and is Chairman of the Digital Publishers Alliance an organisation with over 200 members.

 

 

Oriane Screen Shot Small

 

A big thank you to Oriane Georgeac PhD from Yale School of Management for joining us on the Wellbeing Hour last week and sharing her insights on Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace.

Some highlights are –

Diversity & inclusion, sustainability, and wellbeing – these are non-negotiable, sacred values. Justifying your commitment to them based on potential performance benefits may backfire.

Outsourcing the responsibility of wellbeing to your employees by asking them to find solutions to their stress is a dangerous trap that organisations can fall into – it prevents a greater understanding of what structurally undermines their employees’ wellbeing. 

Do the deep work of really figuring out which existing work structures and processes are causing the stress in the first place in your organization.

You can listen to the podcast HERE

Fascinating, insightful, factual

Join us for the next Wellbeing Hour
26th January 2023 at 12 noon GMT on Zoom
Jackie Vaz
Financial Wellbeing Specialist
“Financial Wellbeing – the Elephant in the Room?”

Register HERE

World Mental Health Day Event

HT ENEIBuilding a Mentally Healthy Culture

Headtorch and the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (ENEI) are running a free event for World Mental Health Day.

We’ll explore:

There will be the opportunity to learn best practice, share opinions and network.  It will be interactive, fun and inspiring.

Don’t miss this free event – you’ll even meet real people!

10th October 2022, 1.30 to 4.30pm

Prosecution College – First Floor, Legal House, 101 Gorbals St, Glasgow G5 9DW, UK

Register HERE

 

 

Peter Kelly Podcast

Peter Kelly 2“If there’s ever a moment when health & wellbeing can make a difference, it’s now.”

“The pandemic was the biggest unprepared change for the last 100 years.”

“Two tectonic plates colliding – the pandemic and the recession.”

… and here’s practical tips to deal with this.
Highlights from September’s Wellbeing Hour with Peter Kelly – former Head of Psychology of The Health & Safety Executive.

Historical, provocative, a lesson in perspective – with solutions!

Listern to the Wellbeing Hour podcast HERE

Podcast – Professor Denis Fishbacher-Smith

Denis FS #3“Find your inner gorilla – not aggressive but protective” – helps sustain confidence during the tough times

“Fall down seven times, get up eight” – when that’s hard, know we’re not alone, look for support, talk to someone you trust

“Even monkeys fall from trees” – we all make mistakes

 

Some highlights from Professor Denis Fischbacher-Smith on August’s Wellbeing Hour.
 

Deep, philosophical & thought provoking – every organisation needs a Denis!

 

Listen to the podcast HERE

Wellbeing Hour Podcast Miles Kean

Miles Runningcrop 3“Getting help – the best investment I’ve ever made.”

“Worried?  94% of what you worry about doesn’t happen … and here’s a strategy for the other 6%.”

On Work:  “Work at 75-80%, always leave something in the tank.”

Describing mental health: “Refreshing!”

Some of the highlights from the Wellbeing Hour with Miles Kean of Coutts & Co.

Download the podcast here

Wellbeing Hour – Miles Kean

“I wish I’d talked earlier.”  Miles Running Crop

Miles Kean got to the point where he wasn’t sleeping and could no longer function properly before he was forced to address his mental health issues.

This experience, and his healing journey, lead him to co-found a wellbeing initiative within the Natwest Banking Group.

This has been rolled out to all employees and led Miles and his co-founder accepting the Wellbeing Award for Leadership and Culture on behalf of Coutts at the 2018 Employee Wellbeing Awards.

Their work has positively impacted thousands of people.

Miles is an Executive Director of Coutts & Co, join us for the Wellbeing Hour and hear his fascinating story.

Don’t miss it – 21 July 12 Noon – 1pm.

Register Here

The Wellbeing Hour

Share with your colleagues and come along!

Wellbeing Hour – Naziyah Mahmood

“Acceptance & Innovation: Thriving not Surviving”  Naziyah_Mahmood-724x1024

Naziyah Mahmood – Earth Intelligence Sales Engineer, Spire Global
Chair Person for the Scottish Government Equality &
Wellbeing Manufacturing Working Group
16 June @ 12 Noon
via Zoom & Free

” ‘It’s better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.’

This old proverb has resonated with me throughout my life, and my journey of self-discipline, self-confidence and self-belief was pivotal in helping me to navigate my way through a world that can be very cruel to those who don’t fit within social norms.

As a person who ticks a lot of societal ‘taboo’ boxes, I historically found myself constantly fighting to be accepted into a society that I’m already a part of, and so it became even more important to learn to keep my mind healthy, safe and focussed too.

My name is Naziyah Mahmood, I am an Aerospace Engineer, an Astrophysicist, a Martial Arts Master, an Equalities Expert and more.”

Join us for the Wellbeing Hour and hear Naziyah’s fascinating thoughts on acceptance, innovation, thriving and more.

Register Here

Wellbeing Hour with Paul Sheerin

Paul Sheerin

“Engineering a Healthy Working Life”

Paul Sheerin is CEO of Scottish Engineering.  He has previously held senior and international roles with companies such as Polaroid and B&W Diamond Power.

Working at the top levels of international companies led to the inevitable pressures and long hours associated with these roles.

Join us and hear Paul’s story, what his catalyst to strive to a healthy working life, and his insights into maintaining this while holding a senior role.

This is going to be fascinating, don’t miss the Wellbeing Hour – 20 May 12 Noon – 1pm.

Register Free Here

Latest News

Case Study: Payback was almost instant for Volvo/Rokbak Trucks
Rokbak Trucks, a part of Volvo Construction Equipment, called on Headtorch to help tackle their mental health culture head on – and found that the payback was almost instant. THE CHALLENGE Volvo Construction Equipment is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of construction and mining equipment. Following a heavily subscribed Suicide Awareness event and subsequent […]

Read More

Latest News

The Optimist with the Killer Ideas
The man from down under has a smile almost as wide as the Sydney Bridge. When you speak, he listens very carefully to your opinion. When he talks, he communicates a constant sense of optimism. Tim Duggan persists in bringing a touch of bright Australian sunshine to business discussions with a bunch of deceptively unorthodox […]

Read More

Latest News


  A big thank you to Oriane Georgeac PhD from Yale School of Management for joining us on the Wellbeing Hour last week and sharing her insights on Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace. Some highlights are – Diversity & inclusion, sustainability, and wellbeing – these are non-negotiable, sacred values. Justifying your commitment to them […]

Read More

Latest News

World Mental Health Day Event
Building a Mentally Healthy Culture Headtorch and the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (ENEI) are running a free event for World Mental Health Day. We’ll explore: what happens when mental health & wellbeing are made strategic priorities the business case for taking action the workplace mental health journey how to build a mentally healthy […]

Read More

Latest News

Peter Kelly Podcast
“If there’s ever a moment when health & wellbeing can make a difference, it’s now.” “The pandemic was the biggest unprepared change for the last 100 years.” “Two tectonic plates colliding – the pandemic and the recession.” … and here’s practical tips to deal with this. Highlights from September’s Wellbeing Hour with Peter Kelly – […]

Read More

Problem retrieving data from Twitter

Receive the latest newsletter

Keep up to date with our latest news...