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On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Andrew Barnes about Perpetual Guardian’s 4 Day Week, changing the way people work, improving the wellbeing and productivity of businesses, and the fourth industrial revolution. We also speak about global financial crisis, customer service, empowered workforces and the more important benefits of the 4 Day Week.
Andrew Barnes – 4 Day Week
Andrew Barnes is an incredible leader who is an innovator, entrepreneur, philanthropist and absolute human resource disrupter. He is the catalyst behind the 4 day week, saved the historic 1904 built classic racing yacht Ariki, and proud host of the 3 day weekend.
Andrew completed a MA in Law and archaeology at the University of Cambridge, attended the Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK).
His financial services career commenced in the UK before holding senior executive roles at Macquarie Bank, Citi, Tower, County NatWest and was Chairman at Australasian Wealth Investments.
Our special guest then became a director of Bestinvest, acquired and purchased Perpetual Trust, founded Complectus and made the game-changing move of creating Perpetual Guardian. He is currently the Chairman of Regional; Facilities Auckland, Paysauce and Perpetual Trust.
Andrew talks about:
- Thinking carefully about what our industry is going to look like in years to come.
- A simultaneous arrest of eleven ships spread across the globe,
- Why an arts background allowed him to look at it from a different shape and pattern.
- The cultural adjustment to Australia after the 1987 stock market crash.
- Two core lessons in finance that create repeated financial crisis.
- Why the military is still one of the best leadership schools.
- How his time at Citi was the point where his leadership evolved.
- People are only productive two and a half hours a day.
- Productivity and profitability improving after the eight week trial of the 4 Day Week.
- Lots of scepticism not only at the Board level but also at the leadership level of the company.
- The 100-80-100 rule.
- How the Perpetual Guardian staff were empowered to design the 4 Day Week
- Ensuring that customer service standards did not drop.
- New Zealand society’s response to the 4 Day Week.
- People want to work for an innovative business that’s trying different things.
- The stress and mental health epidemic sweeping the workforce across the world.
- We are setting up a couple of foundations whose purpose is to fund research.
- Creating a network of consultants around the world to deliver the 4 Day Week.
- Why the hell the work practices are the right way, had asked the question why?
- My peak point of creativity is usually after a point of high stress
Active CEO Performance Tip
Leaders Develop Leaders – Leaders don’t just lead people, they develop leaders. Learning how to recognize and most importantly develop potential and emerging leaders is important for the growth and succession of a company, organization group or team. Being able to identify behaviors, attitudes and habits are more important than job-related skills when it comes to leadership. Facilitating growth, supporting leadership behaviours and providing challenges to enhance your people’s skills should be your number one priority and people buy people not products.
Tweets
“I didn’t think the 4 day week was high risk, but if you are sitting where somebody else is it necessary doesn’t come across the same way.” Andrew Barnes talks about analysing the risk of the 4 Day Week, on the active CEO Podcast.
“I didn’t inform the board. I merely announced the 4 day week on national television.” Andrew Barnes launching the 4 Day Week at Perpetual Guardian, on the active CEO Podcast.
“What we got was a more enthusiastic workforce, workforce that was refreshed, a workforce that was more empowered.” Employee outcomes of the 4 Day Week with Andrew Barnes on the active CEO Podcast.
Resources Mentioned in this show:
Andrew Barnes Wikipedia
Andrew Barnes TEDx Auckland
4 Day Week www.4dayweek.com
4 Day Week LinkedIn
4 Day Week Facebook
4 Day Week Twitter
Perpetual Guardian www.perpetualguardian.co.nz
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn