Trabajar y ser Feliz es posible | David Tomas | TEDxBarcelonaSalon

Summary

David Tomás describes how Cyberclick, the advertising and technology company he co-founded, developed a workplace model designed to make work more satisfying and sustainable. After a period when he dreaded going to work, he spent roughly 10 years researching and testing changes, learning from other companies and refining the approach through mistakes.

Cyberclick was named Spain’s best workplace for companies with up to 50 employees in 2014 and 2015. Tomás says the company’s model is captured in a book as 11 keys, though his talk focuses on three essentials:

• Pause and decide what happiness at work means. Make time to identify what helps people feel good, and ask employees directly how they are doing.
• Help people do what they do best. Identify employees’ strengths and preferences, then shape work so people can use them.
• Build trust. Give colleagues a say in hiring, encourage candid communication, and let teams rely on one another.

Practices and Playbook

• Daily mood check: At 5 p.m., employees report how they felt arriving at and leaving work using a traffic-light scale: red, amber, green, and later “super green.” The goal is to prompt conversations, not simply collect scores.
• Weekly review: At the Monday meeting, the team reviews mood results, discusses red and amber responses as well as positive ones, and considers what can be changed.
• Track work fit: Employees also rate how much they liked their work on a 1–4 scale and whether the task matched their strengths.
• Team-led task allocation: Rather than having a manager assign every task, teams decide how to divide the work, aiming to use people’s strengths and work efficiently.
• Peer involvement in hiring: Candidates are asked about values, relationships, and aspirations—not just résumé qualifications. Future coworkers help choose whom they will work with.
• Open communication and mutual support: Teams are encouraged to express their opinions and share personal circumstances, and to cover one another’s responsibilities when needed.

Examples and Business Outcomes

• Dropping a stressful project: One major project brought in about €500,000 in annual revenue, but repeatedly caused stress, longer hours, and losses. After discussing its impact as a team, Cyberclick chose to stop the project.
  • The company did not meet its projected revenue the following year, but profits doubled.
  • After two years, it exceeded its revenue expectations, and profits had grown 47%.
  • Tomás presents this as an example of weighing revenue against a project’s broader effect on the company and its employees.
• Supporting an employee’s career transition: Ana, a strong technical team member and designer, realized she wanted to become an illustrator. Cyberclick had no suitable role, so the company agreed on a transition period while she prepared for a change. Tomás says the company viewed her ability to speak openly and find a path forward as a success, even though she ultimately planned to leave.
• Covering for a colleague: When Berta’s mother was hospitalized for a month, her team took over her responsibilities without requiring proof or formal leave procedures. Tomás attributes this to the team’s familiarity and mutual trust.

Actionable Recommendation

Set aside one hour to write down what makes you happy at work and ask what makes your colleagues and team happy. Tomás recommends starting with these questions and using the answers to guide practical changes.

Presenter and Source

David Tomás, co-founder of Cyberclick and author of The Happiest Company in the World; TEDxBarcelonaSalon.