Time for some new blood?

Whether you are building a team from scratch or adding a new team member there will be some challenges to getting everyone to work well together so that they give the very best service to your customers.

Bruce Tuckman developed the forming, storming, norming, performing model in 1965. He believed that all of the phases are necessary and inevitable for a team to grow, face up to challenges, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work, and deliver results.

I’ve seen the stages play out in lots of different environments and while the stages are most clearly seen when everyone in the team is new, I've observed the changes that have taken place with the addition of just one new individual.

I was working as a project manager implementing a new HR system for an IT company and while I was there they recruited a new HR director (the role had been vacant for some time) when she first started all of her team (seven people) went out of their way to get her up to speed with all of the projects and processes – FORMING.

In the STORMING stage, as she asked for an increased number of reports and meetings which felt like micromanaging, some team members began to get disgruntled and one member of the team resigned.

Once the HR director had a firm grasp of the situation and what changes and improvements needed to be made, there was a team meeting to establish roles and responsibilities – NORMING.

Once everyone was clear about their roles the team started PERFORMING well.

Any changes come with challenges, people are not designed to like change. Here are some tips to help you go through the process as smoothly as possible:

Forming Stage

The team has just been introduced and everyone is overly polite and pleasant.

During this stage, you should discuss:

• Member’s skills, background and interests

• Project goals

• Timeline

• Ground rules

• Individual roles

Team members need to develop relationships and understand what part each person plays, allow time for this and don’t get too hung up on deadlines.

Storming stage

Being in a team is like being in a relationship. At first, you may think someone is perfect. but then you discover that they aren’t. Once you’re aware of their flaws, you will either learn to accept the imperfections or the relationship will end quickly.

In the storming stage, personalities may clash. Team members might disagree over how to complete a task, or believe that they are better qualified to lead.

Remember that disagreements are normal. It is important to recognise conflicts and address them early on. As part of your ground rules, you should have something around respectful challenges.

Norming Stage

During the norming stage, people start to notice and appreciate their team members’ strengths. The team starts to settle into a flow. Everyone is contributing and working together as a unit.

Storming sometimes overlaps with norming. As new tasks arise, there may still be a few conflicts. Continue to address any conflicts that arise quickly and remember to reinforce and demonstrate positive behaviour.

Performing Stage

At the performing stage, team members are confident, motivated and have a clear understanding of their role within the team. they can work without supervision. Everyone is progressing to achieve the same goal.

The fourth stage is the one that all groups strive to reach but some do not make it.  Normally it is because they fail to overcome conflict and can’t work together. This is why it is so important to address issues as they arise.

Let us know what you'll be doing to get your team through the forming, storming, norming stages so that you can reach the performing stage with ease.

Are you the leader that you want to be?

Are you struggling to retain your top performers?

There is a lot of data which shows that a major reason for team members leaving an organisation is because they didn’t like or rate their boss.

“People leave managers, not companies”

Marcus Buckingham

Employees are not always honest during their exit interview because no one wants to burn bridges and some industries are extremely close knit. But you only need to look at the reviews on websites like Glassdoor to see that there are internal management and cultural issues that are not being addressed which have led to disgruntled staff voting with their feet.

As amazing as your organisational culture may be, your team will mainly have a relationship with their direct line manger and if they aren’t embodying the values of your business, they will demotivate excellent staff and cause them to leave, which will increase the hiring cost to your business.

I remember restructuring an IT department and being told by at least four individuals that if a particular person was successful in getting the manager post they would leave. Turned out that that person had been in a management position before and was moved to another position after numerous complaints were received.

However, no one had shared that information with the person, so they applied for the role. Luckily, when we interviewed I could see why they weren’t the ideal and made sure to give them feedback and put them on the leadership training programme to help them to develop the skills needed.

Now the staff in that particular organisation were able to share their issues with me because they had built a relationship with me and knew I could be trusted with their concerns, but if they didn’t have that confidence they would have just looked for another role and resigned.

Like Sophie who couldn’t understand why the staff turnover in Billy’s team was higher than all of her other managers. She would meet with all of the teams regularly and had an open-door policy for all of her staff, but when team members would leave they would give their reason for leaving as more money or a shorter commute.

It wasn’t until Billy was out sick and Sophie stepped in to support his team that she found out that he was micromanaging his team believing that it was the only way to make sure that everything got done.

When Sophie asked for the risk assessments no one knew where they were because Billy completed them, when she asked the team to print out the sales reports again no one knew how.

Each person had something that they were responsible for but no knowledge sharing had taken place, so sharing the load or covering for sickness was generally done by Billy.

No wonder why the highly intelligent staff that Sophie hired weren’t lasting long in Billy’s team, their progress was being stifled.

It’s important that individuals within your business feel empowered to share how they are feeling and are confident that you will take action to rectify any issues, but to find out you need to take time to meet individually and …

1.     Ask if they think their job is meaningful

2.     Ask what could be done to improve the organisational culture

3.     Ask if they feel valued at work

4.     Ask if they have the equipment to enable them to do their job effectively

5.     Ask about their work-life balance, and what could be done to improve it

6.     Ask what they think about remote working (if it would be a viable option)

7.     Ask if they would recommend a friend join your business 

Now take these responses and use them to create a people plan for your business. If you need some help pulling this together, contact us to schedule a call

Recruit in haste, repent at leisure

Sue was in a major rush to find a replacement for her finance manager who was about to start maternity leave.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t had 5 months to prepare, it was just that time went by so fast with the business expansion that suddenly she went from not wanting to hire too early, to needing a replacement to start in four weeks.

Sue interviewed several candidates, she had a clear favourite but they could only start in 8 weeks, so she went with her second choice.

Two weeks into handover period, she discovered that her chosen candidate didn’t have as much experience as they’d said and they couldn’t use the accounts software. Sue tried to get her previous first choice back for the role but they’d already secured something else.

We work with clients who are terrified that they’ll recruit the wrong person, especially if it’s one of their first hirers or they are building a new team.

It’s not rocket science but it does take preparation, so that you can be confident in the decision that you make.

Three tips to help you recruit the right candidate:

1. Be super specific about the key skills, experience and behaviours that you need - Then make sure your interview questions and assessments are aligned to them.

2. Do more than interview, test for the skills that you need - whether it’s a presentation, case study or trial day.

3. If you are in doubt, don’t hire

Want more hiring and team management tips, get access to our FREE HR Knowledge Hub

Do you respect the journey?

Back when I was working corporately, I was assigned to a project lead working alongside this amazing powerhouse. She knew her stuff and had sacrificed EVERYTHING to break through the glass ceiling and happily supported her team (male and female) to achieve greatness.

The only problem was that she expected everyone's path and priorities to be the same as hers. Twice I remember her mentioning to me that someone with ‘great potential’ had ruined their lives by having children, as it would take away their focus from their jobs and if you asked for part-time or flexible hours, you could kiss that promotion goodbye. She simply didn’t believe that you could be committed to your career and your family.

Which of course is completely untrue and I know individuals who left that organisation and are powerhouses in their own right.

Everyone has a journey that has led them to where they are at this very moment. Becoming a parent is something has been a catalyst for a career change, starting a business or incentive for career growth.

“How you do one thing is how you do everything” – Zen Buddhism

I believe that if you are focussed in your career or business you will be just as focused on success as a parent, carer, volunteer or teacher.

Whether you are recruiting or assessing a staff member for promotion, don’t let the journey put you off giving them the opportunity.

This period of lockdown has shown us that we can work at home, with our partners and children underfoot. The working day hasn’t looked the way it used to look. However, there are positives and challenges to being home and we have smashed it!

We proactive leaders have to acknowledge that our team members are grown-ups and should be treated as such.

Believe your team when they say that they can get the job done and give them the chance to deliver, their way.

Remember to:

• Listen for the story and the why

• Remember experience is just as valued as qualification

• Look for the values and behaviours that are essential for your business

• Gather evidence that they have the skills to deliver excellence

• Have a trial period so that you can assess

• Focus on the outcome, rather than the method

Being open to the potential in others opens up your business to work with a diverse workforce and benefit from the growth potential that it brings through innovation and creative thought.

Look at your journey, I bet it wasn’t linear either, everyone has bumps in the road.

If you need help building or growing your team schedule a FREE Team Strategy Call with us.

You know it’s time, right?

“So I need to send out 20 creative kits but I haven’t made up my stock yet, I should have 100 kits ready to go, I should promote my workshop and I should be sorting out my social media, I have funding applications to complete, there is so much to do.”

There were so many ‘shoulds’ in the conversation.

One of the things that I learnt early in my career is that the ‘ To Do’ list never ends. We have to prioritise what needs doing and focus on one thing at a time. I knew that the conversation that I had with a potential client was a true sign that she needed some help, she’d reached critical mass and needed someone to delegate to so that she could focus on her clients and creative pursuits, not to mention her children and family.

The call had started because this lovely lady wanted to get an apprentice to develop and help her out, but as the ‘shoulds’ came out, we discussed all of the different options for her:

·       Intern

·       Apprentice

·       Contractor

·       Virtual Assistant

·       Employee

It’s important to decide what you want to delegate or outsource, and if it is a short or long term need. Your budget will also play a part but remember that you don’t have to commit to a full-time resource.

Interns – Are great for a short to mid-term projects. Generally, you’d have them for 3-6 months at minimum wage and sometimes you just cover expenses.

Apprentices – Are studying while gaining work experience. Apprenticeships last between 12- 24 months. Generally, apprentices either work 4 days per week and go to college one day a week or they may study in 1-week blocks every 5/6 weeks. The work that you give them to do, should be aligned to their course. There is assistance from the government for apprentices if your annual pay bill is less than £3 million. You can offer your apprentice permanent role at the end of their traineeship.

Contractor – They come with the skills that you need to hit the ground running, great for delivering a project but will have a higher day or hourly rate.

Virtual Assistant – Great for getting your admin/accounts/social media/etc sorted. Generally, pay based on an hourly or project basis. A safe pair of hands for mid-long term

Employee – This should be a long term addition to your team, but if you are a business that relies on funding then a fixed-term contract that is aligned to the funding would be advisable. You are responsible for training, pension contributions, etc but you have someone to grow with your business.

If you are ready to build or grow your team and what to discuss your options, schedule a FREE Team strategy Call

Team Building Remotely

Traditionally, team building activities have included a morning or day of business updates, planning and sharing knowledge followed by a fun physical team activity like an escape room, bowling or walking over the roof at the O2, followed by drinks, dinner and more drinks.

Lockdown and remote working has changed all that, but as things are beginning to relax its time to re-engage your team. We’ve been trying to survive, but now its time to move forward and hit those targets for the rest of the year!

Most of us are still keeping working from home at least a few days week, plus social distancing and commuting headaches mean that we can’t have everyone in the office at the same time. Or find a meeting room that can accommodate the team whilst social distancing. So how about a remote team-building experience?

Just like all of the virtual networking events, birthday parties, weddings and quiz nights that we’ve been a part of during lockdown. It takes a little planning and coordination but we can get our team together for some fun. Here are some ideas:

1.       Virtual scavenger hunt – Have your team roaming their home to see who can find random items first

2.       Two truths and a lie -Get to know your team better and see who can guess the lie

3.       Masterchef – Send a box of ingredients to each team member, with a recipe card and see who can create a culinary masterpiece

4.       Open Mic Night – Give every member of your team an opportunity to share their party piece (song, dance, poetry, juggling…

5.       Cocktail/Mocktail Masterclass – Provide a box of mixology amazingness to each team member and do a virtual cocktail making class.

Let me know what your favourite idea is? Or if you have done anything special with your team. Be sure to send us some pics of your virtual team building fun.

*Don’t forget that you can to use virtual breakout rooms to divide your teams for tasks!

What is your team setup?

One of the things that I love about project work is that roles and responsibilities shift with each project. On one I can be the Project Manager, responsible for the full delivery, on another a workstream lead, just responsible for the HR elements or just contribute to one element of the HR solution.

For each of those roles, my level of authority and autonomy will be different. My working relationships may change.

Within your organisation, it may not be as fluid but everyone must be clear about the role that they play and how that relates to others in the team. If you can shift roles around or allow team members to lead on discrete projects it will give you insight on their strengths and weaknesses and may highlight a potential superstar in the making.

One of our clients regularly shifts the team leaders for their customer services department around. Each team leader has a team of 10 staff to manage and develop; every staff member is an individual so for a team leader they have 100 personalities and challenges to experience and learn from, the team leaders who adjust and connect with their team quickly are more successful at hitting their targets and progressing to the next level.

It is important to assess the natural styles of your team and give them the opportunity to work on areas of development in a safe space. One of the ways that I find most successful is completing a personality test as a team. There are several to chose from including 16 Personalities (MBTI), Strength Finders, 5 voices and the colour works.

Personally, for Leaders and Managers, I think that 16 Personalities (MBTI) and 5 voices work well but for team cohesion, I like the colour works.

There are four colours red, yellow, green and blue. When you complete your test as a team you will get your two most dominant colours. Knowing your colours and those of your team will give you an insight into the way they think and work, and give you a common language to use.

The first time that I completed the test, I discovered that I was the only blue in a team of yellows. Blues are very detail orientated and like to have all the facts, my other HR colleagues were more spontaneous and engaging. Once we knew that, I knew that I had to be more direct in my questioning to get a detailed response and my team knew that if they wanted my opinion they had to tell me all the facts. It gave us a common language if someone told me I was being too blue – I could give an opinion without thinking that my reputation depended on it.

Try building a common language with your team, so that you can work together to your full potential.

If you need some help with your team dynamic schedule a FREE 20-minute Team Strategy Call, where we will share some actionable tips

What exactly is going on?

Do you find it a challenge to get a straight answer from your team?

Ever had a client ask you what’s happening or tell you about a problem that you were not aware of?

Are you trying not to micromanage your team, but you aren’t getting the updates that you need?

Back when I was working corporately, I was often away from my office working on tender, and I struggled to stay updated with what was happening with my team back in head office. Beyond our regularly scheduled catch-ups, I’d need to call or corner someone in the break room to get caught up. I found it really stressful as I was often only in the office for client meetings and would pitch up with a report to present but not have the background to deal with any issues or concerns.

It was my fault I didn’t set out my expectations correctly, I agreed objectives with my team and didn’t tell them that I needed regular check-ins or ask for the narrative behind the reports.

Trusting your team to deliver and keep you updated with what's happening, shouldn’t be a challenge but it can be hard to find the balance between giving your team the freedom to deliver and micromanaging.

You want your team to be problem solvers, not problem multipliers and work within their zone of genius, but if you don’t ask for what you need from your team, the problem with their performance might not be them, it might be you.

Working with teams based in different locations, working a variety of shifts and on multiple projects would be difficult to juggle for anyone, Here are 5 things you can implement to help you stay on top of what's happening:

Daily/weekly team briefings – A half an hour meeting at the start or the end of the day to discuss priorities and any challenges will give you comfort that your team are on the right track, or if they are not will allow you to redirect their attention.

Weekly online updates – Create a template that is updated weekly in your file share (google docs, dropbox, etc). I like the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) method as an easy way to check progress on objectives – find out more here.

Be specific about what you need – Schedule a regular call for when that report drops, so that you can discuss it in-depth or be clear about when your team needs to give you a heads up that a client has a problem, even though they are on top of it.

Shadow and delegate – Provide opportunities for your team to shadow your interactions and present the reports so that they can see the purpose of their objective and get a deeper understanding of your client's expectations.

Add a buffer – Don’t leave things to the last minute, give yourself some time to review and reflect.

Let us know which tip/s you’ll be implementing with your team and if you need some strategic advice about motivating and managing your team, schedule a FREE 20-minute Team Strategy Call.

Cultural differences

Do you know the difference between postponing and preponing?

The first time I heard the term prepone it was during my induction for a new role. I was working for a multinational company and they took you through cultural diversity training so that you would understand the nuances of working with teams based all over the world. Most teams were a 50/50 mix of local hires and internationally seconded staff who would spend a few years in different countries building their skills.

I needed to understand why some male colleagues wouldn’t shake my hand or that the pub wasn't a good location for a chat or why I kept being invited to dinner at colleagues homes rather than to a restaurant for dinner.

It was a whole cultural awakening.

We live in a multicultural world and with the increase in remote working our employees and team members could be based ANYWHERE in the world. Do you take cultural nuances into consideration when you are hiring and managing your team?

For example in many countries publicly disagreeing with your boss can be regarded as disrespectful, while in other cultures giving your honest opinion when asked is a prerequisite for progressing your career.

I sat on an interview panel for a client and they asked candidates to give examples of how they have convinced their manager or stakeholder to change their mind. Some candidates had great examples but one candidate said she supported her manager to achieve their aims and kept them compliant by giving advice and highlighting the risks. 

My client wanted a different type of response and didn’t want to take the candidate further, even though they had loved all of her other responses. I managed to convince them to get her back in for a second chat and it turned out that her boss regarded it as disrespectful to be told what to do and so she used different tactics to ensure compliance. She was hired and is still there 2 years later.

Do you ask why your candidates or team members respond differently to your expectations? It might not be a lack of knowledge or braveness, a person’s culture can have an affect on how they communicate in the workplace.

Remember:

• There can be multiple right answers

• Get the why behind the answer

• Don’t judge a candidate based on one response

• Gather the opinion of others 

If you need help ensuring your recruitment process isn’t losing you quality candidates, schedule a call with us here.

Taking the holistic approach to change

ABC Corporation changed their annual leave policy to state that you couldn’t take more than 10 consecutive days holiday, they made the change with the best of intentions, they wanted staff to take breaks more often, rather than just taking 3 or 4 weeks of leave so that they would be less likely to get ill or get overwhelmed from working in a fast-paced industry. 

However, there was an outcry from all of their staff with families from countries that required a long haul flight to visit.

Denise has elderly parents who live in Jamaica, she visits them every January to take care of them, ensure any repairs that are needed for the family home are completed.

Ahmed’s wife and children still live in India as they have family support there, he goes back twice a year and his wife brings the children to London for the summer holidays. Countless others have family in America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia that they visit, but also staff who took their children back to the land of their (or their parents) birth, so that they could spend time with family, learn about their culture and experience a different way of life.

The leadership team that decided for the policy change were all British, a family visit for them was car ride or short-haul flight. They hadn't even asked their staff reps for input, as they saw it as an operational matter.

After staff, some of whom had already booked their flights and had extended leave approved, explained why they preferred to take extended leave the policy was revoked, but the change led to a drop in morale as staff felt like they weren’t being treated like they were capable of choosing when and how to use their annual leave.

To avoid a misstep with your team, it is important to do the following:

Consult with staff, regarding any change that will affect them, whether or not you think it will be well received, you don't know everyone's personal circumstances.

Pilot new schemes to see how they work in reality, there may be positive or negative impacts that you do not realise until you try.

Review your policies annually to see if they are fit for purpose and remain competitive, as your business grows you’ll need to check that your policies are fit for purpose.

You need to ensure that your policies and processes do not disadvantage any members of your team, including those with protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity).

If you need help making sure your policies are up to date and relevant for you and your team, schedule a call

Are You Ready To Listen?

This week has been interesting and painful in equal measure, there have been so many clients, colleagues and friends of all races wanting to know what to do next to truly make a positive change in the way that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals are treated in the workplace and society.

Now if you’ve never seen my photo you might not be aware of the fact that I am a Black woman and so I do have a vested interest in this matter.

I thought long and hard, and I believe that understanding the biases (unconscious or not) begins with listening to the experiences of the BAME community WITHOUT comment, to truly understand all of the different ways that prejudices have been made that have affected us individually and collectively.

Understanding a persons ‘Lived Experience’ and validating it is essential. Historically when BAME individuals express how they feel in situations they have been told that they are being sensitive and so have buried those feelings to continue to function. It is those raw feelings that are being released at the moment, as finally, the world is seeing how BAME people are treated by those who should be protecting them.

I can remember my very first experience of racism at primary school, when I was told “to go back to where I came from” I was totally confused. I couldn’t understand why this snarling white boy was telling me to go back to my house across the street! Do you know I remember that boys name and face to this day? He was probably just repeating something he’d heard his parents say to someone but for me, it was the realisation that I could be hated for the colour of my skin.

I have so many other stories and I’m not going to share them here, but I would say if you want to stop racism and prejudice, first talk to your BAME staff, colleagues and friends. Listen to their experiences, educate yourself and then work together to put the measures in place to bring about equality of opportunity, prosperity and progression.

Three things to do as an employer today:

• Ask your BAME employees about their experiences and really listen

• Arrange unconscious bias training for you and your team

• Gather the data – What is the demographic mix within your organisation, at operational, strategic and executive level

You have to know what you need to address before you can address it. If you need help creating an inclusive people plan, schedule a call with us.

Does diversity in the workplace matter?

Do you keep track of the diversity within your organisation?

When I first started working in HR for organisations that worked with local and central government we were often asked about the demographic of our workforce and if it matched theirs. We would say ‘We don’t capture that information, we just hire the brightest and best wherever they come from”.

And in a way it was true, but we recruited from a small pool. Most of the graduate hires and experienced consultants all had a similar background; red brick university degree in classics, History or Maths. We never actively built relationships with any London Universities, so the only way we would hire anyone from a different background would be if they actively searched for the openings, which was rare as it was a small boutique consultancy.

The lack of diversity in the business meant that there was a lack of knowledge of what our client's customers experienced. It’s hard to understand the challenges that citizens have communicating with their local council if you only contact yours to pay your council tax, get a parking permit or get your bulk waste collected.

Diversity is the key to innovation and business growth, if everyone in your organisation has been taught to think in the same way there will be no challenge.

It’s time to think differently about the way you recruit, here are my three top tips:

Invest in unconscious bias training for your team

We all have biases, it is important to build awareness of what they are and then address them.

Review your job advertising

Its time to review the imagery and words that you use to advertise your roles, showing images of a diverse workforce and using words that speak to your ideal candidate's skills and experience rather than educational background (unless it's absolutely necessary).

Diversify your recruitment panel

It’s important to have a panel that is diverse and can understand the nuances that come from a variety of backgrounds.

If you need any assistance reviewing your recruitment process so that you can diversify your workforce, schedule a call here

I cried every morning for a week

Have you ever just been frustrated with the situation that you find yourself in?

I couldn’t even put my finger on exactly what was making me wake up crying and desperate to get back under the duvet.

Technically I was in a good place; I was leading an HR Department of 67, implementing a new system and creating efficiencies, bidding to win more work for the team and pregnant with my first child.

I should have been happy but I had spread myself too thin, all the deadlines were looming and I didn’t know where to start.

I kept saying YES when I should have said NO or LATER.

Have you ever been there? You start a project and think I should not be doing this. This is definitely not the best use of my time.

I wasn’t delegating properly because I’d made a fundamental mistake. I believed that if it was my responsibility, I had to do the work – even if it killed me!

I knew that I had to start training others and allowing them to grow, stretch and use their talents to the fullest. I was doing too much of everything and not enough of the important things.

Have you ever been there?

I stopped saying yes to everything and started to take the time to assess what I should be doing and what things could be delegated to others.

I was helped by reading a book called The Best Yes by Lisa TerKeurst, which talks about the 4 questions that you should ask before you say Yes to something:

1. Do I have the capacity physically? Do you have the time? Can you fit it into your workload?

2. Do I have the capacity financially? Is there a cost?, Would it cost you if you didn’t complete it? Can you afford to delegate the task?

3. Do I have the capacity spiritually? Is this something that goes against your core values? Will it cause an inner conflict?

4. Do I have the capacity emotionally? Can your mental health bear the load of another task?

Now when I get asked to do something, I almost always say I need to check my schedule and will get back to you, unless its an easy Yes or No. It gives me time to check myself and reign in my inner people-pleasing tendencies.

In these times where we are more accessible than ever with all the remote working technology, it can feel harder to say I don’t have time or I have other plans. We have to own our No.

If this new normal has you feeling stretched and stressed, take a step back and assess your To-Do list using the questions above and let me know what you are going to delegate or ditch going forward.

I'm just checking

Ever asked “How's everything going?” to be told “Fine”, when really what you wanted was an update on a project or task that you had assigned to a member of your team? 

You want to check how they are doing but you don’t want to appear to be micromanaging them, it’s a delicate balance; you need to give your team the freedom to complete their objectives but you want to know that they are on task (and that they really understand the task).

When I first started managing a team, I’d be working ALL THE HOURS fixing errors my team had made rather than getting them to fix their mistakes, ever thought “I can do it quicker myself?”, but I soon learnt that I wasn't doing my team or myself any favours - and I certainly needed more sleep!

So I set clear SMART  objectives, created process documents, retrained my team on the processes and used two effective ways to the reassurance that my team would deliver on time (and on a budget).

If you are having the same challenges try::

1. Schedule a regular catch up meeting, this needs to be 30/45 minutes where you check on the following:

   1. How the individual is doing

   2. If their workload is ok

   3. If there is any support or training they need

   4. How they are progressing with their objectives

1. Use the OKR document (I discussed in my previous blog) as a working record of progress, store each individual ORK document on your file share and ask each team member to update their progress every week/month dependent on the project, you will be able to see how they are progressing with the results linked to their objectives so that if they aren't on track you have time to make any necessary changes.

It’s time to empower your team so that you can have the freedom that business ownership should bring, while you grow and scale your business.

Get our Management Fundamental Course to build the confidence and HR knowledge you need to be a proactive leader and take your business to the next level or to have a chat about how we can help you schedule a call here .

Have you got time ?

I was speaking with a client who has been having a problem with a member of their team and as we were discussing the challenges; it was a matter of how they say things, rather than what they said, I asked if that had been communicated to the individual, the manager said no, but it was in their objectives, as it is for all managers.

So I asked what happened when you discussed these objectives as you set them, I was told we were really busy at the time, so I put them on the system but we never had a conversation - “they know they are there though” 

How do your objective setting conversations go with your team? Have you ever formally set objectives?

A wise woman once said “just because you’ve sent me an email doesn’t mean I've read it or actioned it if you want me to do something come and talk to me”

Setting amazing. Motivating, empowering objectives means absolutely nothing if you haven't taken the time to discuss them individually with the members of your team. This is the reason why so many employees believe that annual objectives are not worth the paper they are written on and that any bonus or progression linked to them is worthless.

Have you ever been in that position? You think you have ticked all of the boxes and then some new skill or behaviour is added to the mix?

It’s more important than ever to make sure that you are clearly communicating your objective with your team, individually. Make the time to schedule a meeting (video call) to discuss the objectives, rather than just setting them and saying “come back to me if you have any questions”.

Here are some tips to ensure that your conversation goes well:

• Set a time and date to meet, this isn't an ad hoc conversation. Give the meeting the respect it deserves

• Ensure there are no interruptions, don't be checking your emails or answering your phone (unless there is a specific urgent call that you are waiting for, in that case, make the individual aware)

• Have a Face to Face conversation (virtually at the moment), this isn’t a phone call type of conversation

• Share an agenda (e.g, Business update, Organisational objectives, Discuss previous objectives, Discuss career path, Discuss developmental needs, Discuss new/revised objectives, Confirm next steps)

• Take time to check how the individual is doing outside of work things, that they don't have any external stressors that could be contributing to poor performance

• Have the individual take the notes and send them to you, that way you can check that they fully understand their new objectives.

Get that meeting scheduled, prepare beforehand, share your business vision and get your team to join you on your journey - an effective team needs to be pulling in the same direction.

Need help communicating effectively with your team, schedule a call to discuss how we can help you here

Got a pen?

I like to say that you are only responsible for one review - your own!

Reviewing the performance of your staff and setting new objectives can feel like a big job, but I’ve got a solution that means that you’ll never be bogged down with the paperwork again and you can be sure that each member of your team has a full understanding of the outcome expected of them, win/win right?

So here's how …

Last week we looked at how you set your business objectives with the four areas (Financial, People, Internal Process and Learning & Growth) which you can read here. From those, you should set your objectives as CEO and share both documents with your team, and ask them to create their objectives and share with you ahead of your objective meeting.

I know what you are thinking, how do I lay the objectives out so that my team understands?

The format that I find most useful and recommend to my clients is the OKR method. OKR stands for Objective and Key Results. You break each objective into the main steps you need to take to complete it successfully, for example:

Objective:- Move to a 5000 Sq Ft Office by September 2020

Key results: 

• Decide on location by April 30

• Engage Estate Agent by May 5

• Select new space by July 14

• Arrange decoration and furniture by Aug 1

• Book movers by August 1

Breaking the key results down like this enables you to keep a track of progress and put things back if they are getting off track, also this process enables you to see if you are being realistic with your timings and see where any dependencies may be. It’s like having a project plan for each objective.

Don’t worry about the system you use to log your objectives, a spreadsheet or word document is fine, it's really the conversation that is important - the documentation is there to ensure that everyone is clear of what is expected and what support is required.

We will talk about the conversation next week.

Need to get your objective setting on point, grab our Online Management Fundamentals Course, where we have a whole module on objective setting with OKR templates to help you. Check it out here.

Work Life just got complex and I’m so glad

One of the most frustrating things I found with corporate life was the assumption that you couldn't look after your children and be an effective employee simultaneously - although it didn't stop my colleagues calling me when I wasn't supposed to be working as I was looking after my daughters! 

It felt like a big double standard ...

When my mother was having her first round of chemotherapy I was allowed to work from the hospital to take her for her appointments and for treatments, taking calls in hallways and losing connection as the thick walls and tonnes of equipment made reception terrible, but working with a sick child sleeping on the sofa next to me was a no no!

So to have the government insisting (non key-worker) employees work from home, with their bundles of joy home from school, is a big leap for a lot of employers.

I can’t tell you the amount of business owners, who have businesses that can actually thrive in the current circumstances that are worried about how they will get their full 7 or 8 hours of work out of their employees while they are working from home.

I hear all of the talk about team dynamic and collaborative working but let me let you in on a little secret, 90% of staff give you MORE value when they are working from home. They tend to work a longer day as they aren't commuting, lunch is prepped and eaten while they work and they’ve got no colleagues distracting them.

Having children around brings an added dimension, but good parents know how to occupy their children and will plan their day accordingly - this morning my key worker hubby worked from home (he’s on an office rota) starting before 8am, so the girls and I did PE with Joe wicks and while they had their bath I made calls and set out their literacy work. When they completed their literacy, they created some art masterpieces and then after a snack, they played in their bedroom until lunch. And so the day continued until my hubby finished his work and set up the Nintendo Switch for some Mario fun, while I wrote this.

This is life for a lot of freelancers pre pandemic and so we are more experienced with the juggle, but i want to let business owners know that you can trust your staff to act like adults and manage their work and parenting responsibilities, if they can’t manage their lives you would have seen it already (you can still use your capability policy if they aren't delivering).

To manage your team remotely, there are some tips and tools that you can use to help you feel confident that your team are on top of their outcomes:

• Set clear objectives with detailed outcomes

• Have morning team meetings by video call

• Have 1-2-1’s with your team as usual

• Work from Google docs or your shared drive, so you can check progress

• Use a project management tool to assign work, e.g. Asana, Monday,Trello

• Gather feedback from your clients

Want help to manage your team remotely? Join us live on Facebook at 9pm tonight

Why Flexible Working is Vital for Small Business

With the events of the past few weeks leading more businesses to think creatively about how and where their staff work from, this week’s blog is very timely ...

When I speak with Entrepreneurs about the reasons for striking out on their own, apart from passion for their area of expertise, almost all of them stated increased flexibility. Whether to spend the entire summer away, attend all of their favourite football team’s away matches or be able to collect their children from school. However, when their staff start requesting to work flexibly, they find it difficult to accommodate them.

Small businesses are by their nature lean, so finding yourself missing a vital member of staff one day a week or for additional hours every day, can present an issue with your ability to deliver a quality service to your customers. However, if you can find a mutually agreeable solution, you get to retain passionate, motivated and dedicated staff. After all, it’s only natural that they would be as dedicated to things of importance outside of work, as they are inside of work.

Legally speaking, when you receive a formal request for flexible working, you have to give it serious consideration and should you be unable to accommodate the request, explain your reasoning for declining a request in writing.

Below are some things to consider when you receive a request:

·       Does the role have to be performed from the office?

·       Does the role have to be performed during your regular office hours?

·       Is there potential to review the role and create efficiencies?

·       Could you make the role a job share?

·       Is there a potential compromise?

·       You can have trial period

·       You should have a regular review period, not an open-ended agreement

·       Make sure everything is documented

Also, remember having the reputation of being a flexible employer will help you to recruit highly qualified staff who are unable to work full time or standard hours. This will increase your resource pool and ability to flex your workforce according to your business demands.

It really can be a win/win.

Catch the replay of our livestream about managing your staff remotely on Boss It Live TV to get some tips

Why would anyone want to work here?

When advertising a role you have to remember that recruitment is a two-way street, it’s not just about you finding a candidate with the skills, knowledge and experience that you need, you also need to make the role compelling so that your ideal candidate will read it and want to apply (or that someone who knows them will read the role and let them know that they’ve found the perfect role for them!).

So, while using your network and building your brand is vital in attracting great candidates, you need to capture the interest and imagination of these candidates, so that they can see themselves in the role and want to apply for it.

You also need to be clear about what you are looking for and the type of commitment that you need, so that you repel those whose skills and behaviours are not a match for your business.

In the career coaching part of our business, we always get our job seekers to list the deal breakers for their new (or first) role. Alongside remuneration, the distance of commute and flexible working, the list almost always includes organisational culture, autonomy, opportunities to build skills and develop their career as well as job security.

When you write your advert it is important that you tick as many of these elements as possible, this is what is going to get a candidate interested and researching your business before they apply. So what to cover:

Company Overview/Culture -

You need to share some information about the business and the clients that you serve. Try to let the culture of your business come through.

E.g. We are disruptors in the HR sector, established in 2014 by our founders to bring creative solutions to the challenges of starting and building an effective team by starting from the top. We work alongside CEO’s to ensure that quality leadership and management runs through their business and talent is valued and rewarded (as well as keeping legislatively compliant). Our clients love working with us because we work hard to understand their individual needs and create bespoke solutions that don’t leave them wrapped up in red tape.

Role Overview -

It’s important to have an overview of the role, what the main areas of responsibility are, why the role has been created and what they’ll get out of the role.

E.g. Are you as comfortable sitting in  boardroom as on a beanbag in preschool? Interested in getting to the depths of how a business works and then challenging the status quo to achieve great instead of good?

We are looking for an experienced HR Business Partner to work alongside our clients providing strategic and operational support tailored to their needs. You may be at the end of a phone, replying to emails, visiting their business premises or supporting them on a team offsite. 

Key Qualifications / Experience -

To get the right candidates applying for your role you need to be very clear about the skills that you are looking for and the behaviours that are needed to be successful in the role.

E.g. We are looking for a naturally curious HR Professional, with experience of supporting senior management teams with recruiting, talent management and employee relations, as well as strategic planning. CIPD (or equivalent) qualified. A clear and effective communicator, with experience of influencing others to see things their way.

You’ll need to be flexible in your approach and willing to work outside your core hours at times. In return, you’ll be numerated competitively, supported in your career aspirations and get to work alongside an amazingly fun and friendly team. If this sounds like the kind of role that you’d love to get your teeth into, apply here.

How do your job adverts compare to the example above?

I’ll be talking about capturing the interest of your ideal candidates live on our Facebook business page at 9 pm GMT on Thursday, to watch live or catch the replay like our page here and turn on the notifications.

If you need some support to revise your talent attraction strategy and documentation Schedule a call to discuss how we can help you.

Next week we will be looking at using the building blocks above to create an amazing Job Description and Person Specification.

Is your business attractive?

“I can’t find candidates that meet my expectations!” “I haven’t got time to train them on everything!”

Sound like you?

The struggle is real but I have the solution …

Great employees need to be attracted to your business, just like your ideal clients. I know you have a strategy to bring clients into your business but you also need to have a candidate attraction strategy, even if you aren’t actively hiring, you can always build a database of potential candidates (with their permission of course!).

Well-known organisations can use their reputation as industry leaders or innovators to attract candidates but how does a small business attract the best candidates? Here are some tips to help you.

Make sure that your business is visible – Don’t just think about your website and social media presence but being mentioned and interviewed in the industry and local press, guest blogging and getting interviewed on podcasts and sharing your expertise at local colleges and universities will boost your visibility with potential candidates. 

Share some behind the scenes secrets – Let candidates see what a fun, interesting and varied career they would have the opportunity to build if they join your business.

Provide opportunities for work experience and internships – This is a win/win you get some support as you grow your business and the chance to check out the student's skills.

Create/enhance the careers section on your website – Include case studies from staff and remember to allow potential employees to show an interest in joining your business even if you don’t have a suitable role open.

Utilise your network - The best candidates generally come through referrals, reach out to your network when you are recruiting and try offering a referral bonus to your existing staff to encourage them to share your vacancies with their network.

I’ll be sharing some in-depth tips on attracting and retaining amazing staff live on our Facebook business page at 9 pm GMT on Thursday, to watch live or catch the replay like our page here and turn on the notifications.

Next week I will be showing you how to write an advert that will attract your ideal candidate and repel the time wasters. Can wait? Schedule a call to discuss how we can help you grow an excellent team.