What's on your bucket list?

Last week I turned 45 and inspired by a fellow entrepreneur, I wrote a list of 50 things that I want to do before I turn 50!

Do you have a bucket list?

On it are things like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and perfecting my French but top of my list was running the Iconic London Marathon and yesterday I found out that I got a spot for this year!

Which is Fab!

But SCARY

26.2 miles IN.ONE.GO!

I’m still slightly in disbelief

But i’m fully aware of the work that is ahead of me - the runs, strength work, yoga and nutrition. Because I’ve already been preparing; I ran a half marathon on January 1st and have two more booked in the Spring.

This reminds me of the work that I do with my clients to start or build their team. 

We form the strategy, the structure, the job descriptions, adverts, interview questions and tests - then we finally select the perfect team member and after the excitement of securing the candidate…

My client gets nervous, they start thinking of all the things that they need to get set up to give the person the very best chance of success - how to get them to hit the ground running.

But then they remember that we planned for this, that they’ve already started and they have a plan. That by using our proven methodologies they are sorted.

Like my client Catherine who is a super busy creative, needing more time to be creative and less doing the administrative stuff. So we used our hiring framework to find her the best Operations Assistant and we had a strategy session to help her to step into her true CEO role, so that she could set her new team member up for success. Now she’s been able to focus on creating new lines and building her brand.

If you are planning to build or grow your team, schedule a FREE 20 minute call to discuss how we can help you, using our the Team Strategy Call

Are you ready to thrive ?

Towards the end of last year, I took some time out to rest and plan for 2021 but if I’m honest I found it hard to plan with some much uncertainty, especially with at least another 2 months of homeschooling in my future.

But as I reviewed last year using the Year Compass method, I realised that I’d achieved 90% of my 2020 objectives because I had full clarity on what I wanted to achieve and a vision board above my desk to remind me.

Do you make vision boards or mind-maps?

One of the first things that I have my clients complete is a personal objective plan, you thought it’d be a business plan or people plan, didn’t you? Well, I start with you because I believe that your business should work for you, not the other way around.

Last month I started working with an amazing business owner, who wanted to build a team to support his growing business in preparation for the birth of his second child. Before our meeting, he had completed our personal objective plan template, which detailed his short, medium and long-term goals for Faith, Money, Business, Relationships, Health and Fun. If you want a copy just click here.

Once he’d completed it, it made deciding what help he needed within his team much easier, as he could balance his skills and the time that he had available, with what was needed in his business.

It meant that we were able to structure his team for growth and create new, interesting roles to attract the very best candidates.

Here are five things that you need to do, as you plan for the year ahead:

1. Be clear about what you want, we start our businesses to have freedom as well as financial reward. If you want to work 3 days a week and take the whole of August off write it down

2. Plan your business in alignment with your personal short, medium and long term goals. To get to the place where you can take the whole of August off might take a year or three, what steps can you be taking in-between?

3. Details the resources you’ll need as you progress through your plan; staff, training/skills, office space, equipment etc

4. Plan in milestones and make sure you celebrate achieving every single one!

5. Write in pencil, things will change and deadlines shift but you will get to your ultimate goal

If you need help building or structuring your team for the year ahead, Schedule a FREE Team Strategy Call with us and come away with some actionable tips.

Three things NOT to do when Interviewing

I got an excited call from my career coaching client Lola, she’d got an interview for a role that she really wanted and was so excited! We prepped questions and techniques to stay relaxed and off she went. I then received an emotional call from her after her interview, the first thing she said was “I DO NOT want to work THERE!”. Turned out that the panel threw question after questions at her, didn’t smile or show any positive body language, or even offer a glass of water! Her experience put her off that company for life!

Here are THREE things that you should NEVER as an interviewer: 

One – Don’t make it all about the candidate’s skills 

Remember that interviews are a two-way sales process, don’t just throw out “Why do you want to work for us?” and “Why are you the best person for this role?” questions. Tell the candidate about your company, why it’s a great place to work, who’ll they’ll be working with and most importantly how you see the role developing. 

Two – Don’t be a scary interviewer 

Interviews are stressful enough without adding to the situation. We’ve all been in that sweaty palm, heart racing situation (sometimes as an interviewer!). To get the best out of a candidate, you want them to be at ease. Make them feel comfortable and indulge in a little small talk to develop a rapport. You’ll get more genuine responses and better insight into what they’d be like to work with. 

Three – Give feedback 

Even if a candidate isn’t right for you right now, they may be later on, or be able to recommend someone to you. They’ll only do that if they’ve had a great candidate experience and a big frustration for job hunters is a lack of feedback; after all how can they improve if no one tells them what needs improving!

Spend 5-10 minutes on the phone or writing an email with specific feedback, give 2/3 positives and 2/3 areas for development.

If you are planning to start or build your team get our FREE recruitment cheat sheet, giving you all the do’s and don’ts of interviewing to keep you legislatively compliant, with sample questions for you to ask.

Preparing for Life's Dramas

I spend a lot of time talking to friends and clients about time management and pre-planning; because you never know what can happen and leaving things to last minute can lead to disaster.

Don’t get me wrong sometimes a last minute quick and dirty solution can work, but it’s never the highest quality of work. It’s never the thing you’re most proud of. It’s just a way to get out of a tough situation and this week I found out how important my own preplanning is!

My plan this week was to hit the ground running. I spent a lot of December making plans for all the great things I was going to do come January 2019 and already had a calendar full of meetings and pre-work for training and talks scheduled for the first quarter of the year.

Instead, I am lying in my bed recovering from eye surgery with strict instructions to move from side to side every hour and while I am VERY bored, I’m not panicking because I have a plan.

I set my yearly, quarterly and monthly outcomes, so while I’ve had to move things around a bit, I can still move forward with my business.

To ensure that life’s little challenges don’t put the breaks on your business, here are 5 tips to help you:

1. Set clear objectives for your day, week and month - with milestones dates for each element, so that you don’t leave things to the last minute.

2. Allow extra time to complete your tasks - It’s easy to commit to a quick turnaround, but giving yourself an extra day allows for interruptions (key for me in the HR space where urgencies often pop up).

3. Don’t try to complete tasks in one sitting - planning in time to sit and review your work can be the difference between an A and a C (or a repeat customer rather than a one off).

4. Build your team, it’s important not to be a single point of failure. Work with others so that they can take the reins if you are unable too.

5. Learn from things that don’t go well. It’s always good to review how a project went and work out how it could be done better the next time. I have templates and process flows for some tasks, to help things run smoothly and ensure my knowledge isn’t all contained in my mind.

Using the tips above, I've been able to have a couple of strategy calls today and activate voice recognition on my laptop to write some content, while sticking to my recovery instructions.

For more HR and Management tips and updates sign up for our newsletter here.

How to complete a Change Management project with a smile

Yesterday my one OK two minute HR Tip was about allowing things to take time!

I always say that the thing that makes HR so interesting is the people. Everyone behaves differently and those reactions are what can make life as a manager so challenging!

Not that long ago I went all the way to Inverness to close down an office and make all the 80+ staff redundant. This wasn’t a one hit meeting, I’d been visiting the same office every month for the last 5 months. Meeting with unions and staff, dealing with queries and getting to grips with all the little details that ensured the ending would be smooth and the staff would be as happy as possible.

The interesting thing was that no matter how I prepared, every meeting came with a new challenge or issue that I needed to find a solution to. It was like playing pass the parcel; every layer revealed something new!

Whether I’ve been consulting on changes and opportunities that come about from business growth, or the need to save money and create efficiencies. Reactions aren’t always what you expect. I’ve have staff say “No” to promotions or that they’d prefer to take redundancy rather that re-interview for their role, and then cry when they receive their redundancy confirmations.

Timing is everything!

I’ve learnt to allow extra time in my plans as everything takes a little longer than you’d envisage, and no one wants to be stressing, trying to cram everything in at the last minute.

There's no time limit for how long the period of consultation should be, but the minimum is: 20 to 99 redundancies - the consultation must start at least 30 days before any dismissals take effect. 100 or more redundancies - the consultation must start at least 45 days before any dismissals take effect.

Even if you aren’t making redundancies you should still give a reasonable time for consultations and take into consideration things like holiday’s and those on maternity leave or long term sick.

Remember to allow time for:

• Preparing documentation
• Union Consultation (where appropriate)
• Group consultation meetings
  • Start
  • Update
  • End
• Applying for roles (where appropriate)
• Interview process (where appropriate)
• Outcomes
• Handovers (where appropriate)
• Notice periods (where appropriate)

Taking time to prepare and address all of the issues that came about in Inverness meant that when the final confirmations were handed out, I received hugs and best wishes rather than anger and frustration. And for me that is the ultimate sign of a job well done.

If you need help with your change management, get in touch and we’ll give you all the support you need

What is your perspective?

When I’m away from home, I find the best way to get to know the area is to go for a nice long run, it gives me a totally different perspective from being in the car. I can focus 100% on my environment and can take in all the little things I wouldn’t have seen from the car.

We are away this week for half term and even though I’ve run in this location before, this morning I decided to turn left instead of right and I saw the area from a whole different perspective, and it was beautiful and enlightening!

When we drove in on Monday, we saw a castle on a hill, that disappeared as we approached our destination. The castle seemed so far away! Today I found was only 2 miles away!

The thing is this is often the way with your business. You spend so much time making sure you’re delivering excellently that you don’t see the other perspectives.

It’s always a good idea to see your business from all angles and to experience what your team experiences, so that you think about your business strategy from their point of view.

When I’m working with my clients on people strategy, I always ask about the details on delivery and how changes will affect the way the business delivers their product and/or service.

Often the senior team are too removed from the process to be able to answer and often this is the reason why plans fail. You can’t have an effective business plan without taking input from the people who will deliver it!

Your team often have great ideas for efficiency and input for innovation. Engaging with your team as you plan, helps you to improve on your plans and makes the joint effort of achieving your business goals alongside your team, SO MUCH EASIER!

Are you stepping back, stepping in and changing your perspective?

Do you know when to quit?

I’ve been fighting a cold this week, trying not to let it take hold!

I’m a runner and my first concern when I feel unwell is always will it stop me from running. The general rule is that if the cold is limited to your neck and above (and you don’t have a fever) you can exercise, but if goes down to your chest, you should rest!

This go/no go reminded me of a lot of the projects that I work on with my clients, often with there are defined progress meetings that while reviewing the progress that have been made, also reassesses the viability of a project and whether the parameters have changed. Sometimes this means that projects are paused temporarily or shelved completely.

This is how we work with our advertising; we test different adverts, assess their success and then decide whether to continue, pause or stop.

Establishing these 'go/no go' meetings, prevents us from wasting valuable resources that could be better utilised elsewhere.

Do you know when to quit? Are you assessing the progress that your business is making and directing your resources in the right direction? Are you skilling yourself and your team to be able to be the most effective?

Take some time out to assess your companies progress in 2017 and see what needs to change and stop in 2018!

From Running to People Management

You don’t have to speak with me for long to know that I LOVE to run. It’s my favourite way to start my day, my ‘Me’ time, a place to reset, take in Gods handiwork and prepare for my day.

While I was running this morning mentally responding to a client’s employee issue (it’s where I do some of my best work!), I thought about how there are three key similarities between Running and People Management:

1.       Preparation

The night before I run, I get all my of my things ready for my run; clothes, trainers, playlist, charge my phone, watch and headphones. It is easy to be distracted from my run if I’m racing around trying to get my things together.

The same applies to People Management, you need to know; Who are you managing? What motivates them? What you want to communicate? How are you going to take them on your journey?

2.       Have Objectives

I always know how far I’m planning to run, which route I’m going to take, what pace I want to achieve and what time I need to be home, so I’m on schedule the rest of my day.

You should set focused measurable objectives, not just “Bring in more clients” but “Increase our client base by 10% in the next 60 days” and review and measure them regularly, not just on the objective due date.

3.       Be Adaptable

The weather can be one of the most challenging elements to runners. Some mornings, I need to grab my waterproofs and change my route from the trail to the road, other mornings I need my sunglasses, sunscreen and hat.

Do not be blinkered, there may be ideas that your staff have that you haven’t thought of or risks that need be addressed and mitigated. Always keep an open mind.

Need assistance managing your team or training your managers? We are launching our Management Fundamentals workshop as a self study course on the 1 November 2017,  join our waiting list here to get an exclusive bonus offer from us prior to formal launch. You can find out more about the Management Fundamentals self study course here.

Distracted from Action?

I keep receiving emails about business planning, the most interesting that I read, stated “Don’t let your life get in the way of your business” and it made me think, I’ve spent years in the corporate world facilitating and talking about work/life balance, why can I not balance it all? That’s one of the reasons why we started Eden Mayers!

Obviously, life happens and your business still needs to function and be profitable.  I have to say that I write this while my 4 year old is curled up asleep on the sofa, having been sick the past few days, so the article probably hit a nerve! I think I’ve got a pretty good balance, I work when my children are in school/childcare during the day and then if needed again when they are asleep.

I do find that some days I achieve a lot more than others, so here are some strategies that I have implemented to ensure my days are as productive as possible:

Have an Organised Work Space

I work both from home and my office space. I used to find that when I worked from home, I ended up working more on the house than the business, as I cannot walk past mess and the same applies to my office. Now I make sure that before I leave the office or before bed, my working space is organised and my to-do list for the next day is completed, that way I don’t get distracted with tidying or doing things that aren’t a priority.

90 Minute Madness

I work in 90 minute blocks, where I shut down my email, turn my phone to airplane mode and focus on a task or theme for 90 minutes. I find that I am able to achieve a lot in a small space of time and it prevents my mind from wandering off task.

Schedule Email and Social Media Interactions

It’s really easy to spend your day reacting to situations, especially in HR! I find that checking and responding to my emails and social media at 9am, 1pm and 5pm, helps me to avoid being distracted.

Take a Break

It is difficult to focus 100% effectively for long lengths of time. Take 5 minutes for some fresh air and to rest your eyes. Take time to eat lunch away from your laptop and phone.

Celebrate Small Successes

It’s hard to keep focused if you feel you aren’t achieving much. Remember to celebrate the small things and give yourself a pat on the back.

It takes a while to make changes become routine, but stick at it and you’ll see the benefits before you know it!

Creating an Effective Talent Management Strategy – Part 1

In my last blog I explained why having a Talent Management Strategy was important and the value that it can bring to your business.

The CIPD definition of Talent is:

"Talent consists of those individuals who can make a difference to organisational performance either through their immediate contribution or, in the longer-term, by demonstrating the highest levels of potential".

The first task is identifying your talent, by doing the following:

• Identify what skills and expertise your organisation currently needs – Do you have the right skills to keep your clients happy, or enough people with those skills for smooth delivery?
• Identify what skills and knowledge are needed to achieve your medium to long terms business plans – Are you planning to expand? Or Diversify? Is there new technology on the horizon?
• Identify those individuals currently making a signification contribution to your organisation (especially those who have a unique skill, what I call a single point of failure) – don’t just look at your senior team, look throughout your organisation
• Identify those with Potential to make a significant contribution to your organisation in the future – Who is displaying the values and ethos of your business, Who has shown their ability and desire to be great?

Depending on the size of your organisation, these tasks may take a while.

Stick to reviewing staff identified based on their current skills and knowledge, and their ability to develop into the skilled individuals that you will need for the future, not your gut.

The Vlog on this subject, can be found here.

Next week, we’ll look at part two of creating your Talent Management Plan.

Let us know how you get along and if you have any questions the comments section below

What is Talent Management and Why is it Important?

At one of the Corporate Consultancies that I used to work for, there was a period of staff reduction, following 5 years of rapid growth. Restructures with the insecurity of job losses are always stressful, and so we spent a long time working out the strategy for change. How to communicate with staff and what support to give to those who would be displaced. We ran the programme well, and at the end of the process, achieved our goal and reached our savings target.

However, in the 6 months following the restructure we received resignations from a large number of highly valued, well performing staff. When we attempted to retain these individuals, the feedback we received was that they didn’t feel secure in their role and that they didn’t feel valued or invested in. They certainly hadn’t realised that they were considered part of the top 10% of the Company.

This company DID NOT have a Talent Management Strategy! They didn’t invest in ensuring that their top performers were happy and motivated.

So, What is Talent Management?

The CIPD describes Talent Management as ‘the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement, retention and deployment of those individuals who are of particular value to an organisation, either in view of their ‘high potential’ for the future or because they are fulfilling business/operation-critical roles’

3 key reasons why Talent Management is key:

• Staff turnover will be reduced
• Client delivery will be improved
• Your organisation becomes a ‘employer of choice’

The Vlog on this subject, can be found here. Let us know how you motivate and retain your top talent in the comments section below.

Next week, we will cover how to start creating your Talent Management Strategy.