The Scandinavian Approach to a Healthy Work Environment with Paul Tynan
This time out on The Work Well Podcast, we’re delighted to welcome Paul Tynan, Managing Director of AJ Products, a company that is leading the way in ergonomic and active workplace furniture solutions.
Paul has a strong background in Fast Moving Consumer Goods and B2B sectors, especially in the areas of management, business development, and strategic planning and execution. He graduated in Business and Politics from Trinity College Dublin and was an early pioneer in Ireland’s booming craft beer industry.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Paul about the future of the work environment and his experience as a business owner and manager.
Managing a business at the outbreak of the lockdown
When the pandemic hit, everyone had to stay at home, and offices were shut down, which had a huge impact on the way AJ Products had been working up until that point.
“It was a shock for us. And we had to adapt quickly to try and take advantage of this new emergence of remote work”, says Paul. Being almost exclusively a B2B company at the time, it is not a surprise how it affected them. Paul comments that, before Covid, 95% of their turnover was exclusively B2B and there was no plan at the beginning of March 2020 to change that.
These changes forced AJ Products to open up to the market of home offices and the hybrid work model to follow the evolution in working models..
What is an ergonomic workspace?
Paul defines Ergonomics for us as “the science, which has been around for about 50 years. It’s the process of balancing performance and wellbeing in the workplace with the use of products, systems, and environmental scenarios”.
This is an interesting approach to ergonomics because it sees it as a concept that involves not only the physical aspect but also the biomechanics, and the characteristics and design of the whole space we call the workspace.
It focuses on products — chairs, desks, etc. — yes, but it also invites us to look at office layout, the quality of the air, and the psychological effects all of this has in terms of social dynamics and wellbeing of employees.
The traditional office vs. the home office
Paul mentions that ergonomics is only about 30% of the equation. Environmental factors play a large role in people’s performance and self-perceived productivity, which leads to stress and other mental health concerns.
One-third of workers believe that they are less productive while working remotely and they miss the collaborative aspect of work. On the other hand, two-thirds of them feel like they have been more productive, so an ideal scenario seems to point towards a hybrid model, as other leaders have pointed out in previous episodes.
“I don't think we should underestimate the mental issues of working remotely, probably in your own room, over a long period of time. I think people will miss the social aspect of work as they might feel dislocated from decisions, promotions, projects, and so on”, says Paul.
The Scandinavian impact on workplace culture
The Scandinavians were the ones to first introduce the idea of an ergonomic work environment through products such as standing desks. AJ Products' parent company is a Swedish organisation which has grown to 19 countries with more than 700 employees.
Countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Norway are at the vanguard in this matter, so AJ Products has benefited from the Scandinavian approach by innovating their products and culture.
Paul’s entrepreneurial background
Brian taps into Paul’s professional background as an entrepreneur in the food sector up to his current role in AJ Products.
Paul is an expert in brand building and Fast Moving Consumer Goods. He founded the Irish Brewing Company in 1996, and, after selling it, Paul focused on business consulting until he worked with the Swedish trade council to audit AJ’s subsidiary in Ireland. After the audit, they approached Paul to see if he was interested in being part of the business and the rest is history.
A shipping brewery, the first of its kind in Ireland
Brian and Paul dig deeper into the Irish Brewing Company, the first shipping brewery in Ireland. A shipping brewery brews beer and sells it directly to bars and restaurants.
They were ahead of the curve when it came to the craft beer trend about 15 years before every town opened its own brewery. “We did some good work, but I think we were a bit ahead of our time in that respect”, Paul comments. But now, those days have passed and Paul dedicates his time to making AJ Products grow as a brand.
Personal wellbeing with Paul Tynan
“I'd have to say it's been the most stressful 15 to 18 months that I can remember. And after, you know, with COVID, we also had Brexit, which was a massive problem for a lot of businesses in Ireland because we bring in some of our products from the UK manufacturers.”
Paul comments on the issues the pandemic created for the company and the changes he has made in his lifestyle to stay physically and mentally healthy. It’s the small things, like going on walks, cycling, and taking holidays properly which make the difference when building a personal wellbeing plan.
If you’d prefer to watch our conversation, you can view it on YouTube through this link.
If you liked this episode and want to know more about Paul Tynan and AJ Products, you can visit AJ Products and follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Our Partners
This episode is brought to you in partnership with AJ Products who are leading the way in Ergonomic and Active workplace furniture solutions at ajproducts.ie
About Your Host
Brian Crooke is a wellbeing educator, speaker and adviser, empowering organisations to promote and sustain wellbeing within their workplaces.
He is the founder of The Work Well Institute and the Work Well Community and is Course Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Workplace Wellness at Tangent, Trinity College Dublin. He is the host of The Work Well Podcast.
If you’re looking to bring sustainable wellbeing to your workplace then check out The Work Well Institute’s flagship programme, Developing a Workplace Wellness Programme that Lasts.
In his spare time, Brian is bringing free resistance training to every county and community in Ireland through his parkHIIT social enterprise.
If you have any suggestions for future topics you'd like to hear on the show, email Brian directly, brian@workwellpodcast.com