Happy Workplace
How walnut.coach helped Barclays — one of the world's most trusted financial institutions — build a culture of passion, collaboration, and genuine workplace happiness through an immersive 3-month gamified coaching journey.
- 6Unique Games
- 6Coaching Sessions
- 3Months
- ICFCredentialed coaches
An Engaged Bank That Needed to Reignite Its Spark
Barclays came to us with a challenge that high-performance organisations often face: teams were capable and professional, but the day-to-day experience of work had lost its energy, joy, and sense of shared purpose.
Low Workplace Passion
Despite high competence levels, employees felt disconnected from the deeper purpose of their work. The daily grind had overtaken any sense of meaning or excitement.
Collaboration Was Transactional
Teams worked alongside each other but not truly with each other. Genuine collaboration, trust, and cross-team bonding were rare.
Wellbeing Was an Afterthought
Employee happiness wasn't being actively cultivated. There was no structured way to build a culture where people truly thrived.
Remote Engagement Gap
Sustaining meaningful connection and team energy in an online format required a different, more inventive approach.
Happy Workplace at Barclays — 3-Month Journey
A structured 3-month program of 6 coaching sessions, each anchored by immersive games that unlocked collaboration, rebuilt team bonds, and reignited the passion that makes work meaningful.
- Month 1Passion & Vision
- Month 2Trust & Collaboration
- Month 3Sustaining Happiness
- Fun breakout introductions and cohort discussions on passion
- "My Ideal Workplace" introspection exercise
- Game: Fishy Equilibrium (Collaboration Over Competition)
- Learning: Value of collaboration, how trust is built through persistence
- Insight: Greatest results come from working for the group
What made this work
We didn't just run a workshop and disappear. Barclays needed a program that would build lasting culture shift — and that's exactly what we delivered.
- 1
Online-First, Connection-Always
Every session was designed to work beautifully in an online format — using breakout rooms, live tools, and immersive games to create genuine human connection across screens.
- 2
Games as the Gateway
Each coaching session was anchored by a game experience that drew out the learning naturally, making insights feel discovered rather than delivered.
- 3
3-Month Arc, Not a One-Off
By spreading the program across 3 months with 6 sessions, teams had time to apply, reflect, and truly build new habits rather than just attend a workshop.
“What surprised us most was how a virtual experience could feel so real. By Month 3, our teams weren't just colleagues — they were people who genuinely looked out for each other.”
What changed after the programme
Across all cohorts at Barclays, the 3-month journey delivered tangible shifts in how teams showed up, collaborated, and experienced their work.
A Culture of Genuine Collaboration
Teams moved from transactional teamwork to genuine collaboration. People actively sought each other out, shared perspectives more openly, and worked with more energy and care.
Renewed Passion for Work
Employees reconnected with what makes their work meaningful. The passion discussions and introspection exercises gave people permission to care about joy at work — and to pursue it.
Stronger Team Bonds
Across all cohorts, participants reported feeling more connected to their teammates. The shared game experiences became stories and memories that built lasting bonds.
Sustainable Happiness Practices
The 3-month format meant teams walked away with habits, not just insights. Participants left with personal and team commitments they continued to practice long after the program ended.
From first call to follow-through
Every Walnut engagement follows the same five steps, run by ICF-credentialed coaches.
- 1
Discovery
Understanding the organisation's culture, challenges and people
- 2
Custom design
Tailoring content, examples and exercises to the team
- 3
Delivery
An interactive, gamified session with real-time engagement
- 4
Commitment
Each participant leaves with one action to try straight away
- 5
Follow-through
Ongoing coaching for deeper individual growth
What HR sees in the app
Ready to build a thriving team?
Your programme starts with a conversation. Book a 30-minute call, or try the 7-minute game first.