Scott Tibbitts is a space entrepreneur and author that shares lessons learned from starting a company from scratch with an invention made with hardware store parts, to flying 3,000 devices in space with zero failures. Scott speaks internationally on the creation of legendary company cultures that honor, respect and reward.
We are thrilled you will speak at our Wellbeing at Work Australia Summit in November. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
Honestly, I’m similarly thrilled. As with many from Colorado, I fell in love with Australia. In my case, during a decade of working in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. I’m honored to be contributing to the sessions and for a couple of days immerse with similar-thinking leaders.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing?
All legitimate leaders look for a path to high-performance employees. Most are aware of workplace well-being as a part of that, but do not give it the priority it deserves. It is seen only as one of a dozen elements in creating an effective workplace: they check off the box by putting a ping-pong table in the common area. I believe that doing this one thing powerfully, inculcating fun and family into the DNA of a company, catalyzes other aspects of a high performance company. Create a place where this one thing is done well, and you will have a legendary, high performance workplace.
What strategies have you seen developing over the past 6 months, both internally and externally, that is moving the dial on wellbeing in the workplace?
I work closely with CEO’s and leaders around the world, so get quick feedback; “Scott, that really rocked my company” or “Scott, that didn’t work worth beans, what did we miss?” which gives me the opportunity to quicky improve and evolve. My focus lately has been shifting from intellectual: getting the context and values right, to experiential: “Don’t just Be, Do”. I’m finding that implementing crafed practices driven into the company by senior leadership can transform the wellness DNA of a company in a matter of weeks, not months or years. But only if senior leadership is all in Board. It has to be driven and led from senior leadership down, not delegated or dismissed as “something HR is doing”.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
Good lord that’s a hard one to answer briefly. One thing that stands out isLegacy. I was CEO of Starsys Research for 20 years, made hardware that helped humanity explore every planet in the solar system, worked with astronauts, made 3,000 devices that flew in space without a hitch.
But what I’m proudest of and most honoured by, are the employees that I hired, 10, 20 years ago, that will stop me on the street or in a store “Scotty, remember me? I can’t tell you the difference Starsys made in my family’s life. Thank you!” They usually go on to talk about a particularly memorable experience in the company that changed their life in some small way. Or they mention the rainyday notes from their co-workers they still read on a down day.
And more often than not, they talk about how they continue to spread the word, bringing Fun and Family into the companies they are working for, or leading.
At the end of my life, that is something I am sure to be remembering, Smiling and saying to myself “THAT was time well spent”
What are you most looking forward to about the Summit in November?
Embedding and marinating with similarly minded people that truly get it.
Tell us, what is your vision for the future workplace, in terms of engagement, health and wellbeing?
That the virtual workplace matures and blends with the at-work workplace in a way that provides us the best of both worlds. That an individual and their family are saying “I can’t believe how fortunate it is to be being working with a company like this.”
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
Might sound like it’s a bit counterintuitive, but I believe they should focus on a personal mantra of “I am not my company, I am first a father a wife, a son, a friend”
Wellbeing comes from perspective, and when, as a leader, we focus on our personal humanity at work, it rubs off on those around us. Wellbeing can be spread by simply being.
How has your organisation been leading the way?
By evangelizing and being wildly passionate about driving Fun and Family deep into the bedrock of an organization, and thereby making a difference in the world one company at a time.
Scott will be speaking in Sydney and Melbourne at the Wellbeing at Work Summit Australia which takes place both live and in-person in Sydney and Melbourne, and virtually for the wider region. Further details on the Summit can be found here.
