Not moving forward could cost you everything

My amazing client Michelle has a great Elderly care business. She cares so much about making sure her clients are happy and well taken care of. All of her staff are carers at the heart and so their clients and their children were happy with the service. However, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated processes of the business were being neglected.

They were aware of this and knew that a CQC inspections was coming up and so started to prepare for it; getting their paperwork up to date and restructuring their organisation. However, the day to day running of the business and keeping their many many clients cared for meant that their reactive work kept trumping their proactive planning and documenting work.

This meant that when they were inspected, the findings were not favourable as they were unable to produce the documentation necessary to evidence their great work, team management and development.

This led to them getting a CQC expert in to help them get into shape and hire additional staff to get their backlog covered.

The positive is that this situation was the kick the business needed to really get into shape and professionalise for sustainability and growth. However the lesson came at a high price!  The cost of fixing what they knew was broken affected their profitability and they lost some customers due to the unfavourable CQC report.

The lesson here is clear, even if you think the change needed in your organisation may rock the boat with your team. You still need to take the action. Your business deserves the very best chance of success and that means that difficult conversations may need to take place.

Remember –

Be clear about the rationale for change – Make it clear why you can’t continue to run your business in its current state.

Get input from your team – Take suggestions from your team, they’ll often have bug bears that they’d love to see changed and they may also have the ear of your clients/customers.

Short term pain for long term gain – Most people are change adverse, but when they see the benefits.

You can never communicate too much – Clear transparent communication with your team will help to keep everyone motivated during the change process.

Set realistic timelines – Rome wasn’t built in a day. So plan accordingly, especially as you’ve got to balance your client needs with your business needs.

If you need support bringing your change plans to life, schedule a call to discuss how we can help you.

Are your Job Descriptions up to date?

I have to be honest, I’ve personally never had a job description (JD) that was up to date for more than three months at a time, but that’s because I’ve always recognised that to progress my career I needed to do more than my JD.

That being said, it is always good to keep track of how roles are changing and developing within your business.

This week I met with client of mine to discuss an upcoming restructure that has come about because of business growth. We had already established the new structure and additional roles that would be needed.

So we looked at what needed to be removed from his role to ensure that he was able to focus on the important elements, which would ensure the business continued to thrive, and then reviewed the existing JD’s for his team, so we could add some additional responsibilities.

What was interesting was that some of the tasks that the CEO was doing were already in his teams JD and that there was even one individual who did not have a job description at all! Needless to say that has been rectified and we have formulated a plan of action, for consultation and implementation.

It is really hard effectively recruit, set objectives and monitor success without having an up to date job description as a foundation document. Also when dealing with under-performing staff it is important that their job descriptions are correct, as you could be disciplining then for under-performing a task that they morphed into with no training or support.

A JD doesn’t need to be pages and pages, or a To Do list! Just ensure it covers the following:

• Job Title
• Who the role reports to, and other key stakeholders
• Where the role sits within the team, department and business
• Key areas of responsibility and the deliverable's expected
• Required education and training
• Soft skills and behaviours necessary to excel
• Location and travel requirements

And Remember NOT to include:

• Internal terminology, jargon or acronyms
• Anything that could be considered discriminatory
• Writing a Wish List

As a business owner you wear many hats, it’s important for your personal growth, as well as that of your business to ensure that you have an effective and efficient team, where responsibilities and objectives are clear and transparently communicated. Having up to date job descriptions is a big part of that.

Why you need to be flexible with your work space options

I have spent a big chunk of my career working for clients based all over the UK and Ireland. Traveling with my life on my back – Laptop, Mobile Phone, Tablet and Docs!

My office is wherever I can find Wi-Fi or have reception on my mobile – I’ve never had pictures of my family on my desk and can’t remember the last time I had a desk drawer filled with spare shoes, tights and emergency snacks! I’ve gotten used to making myself comfortable wherever I am. Which is pretty useful in my line of business and to be honest, I really love it!

Interestingly for me, it was losing that flexibility in my last corporate role that partially led to me deciding to make Eden Mayers HR Consulting a full-time business, rather than a part-time side hustle!

Flexible working as a way of saving space, creating efficiencies and reducing overheads are being implemented in the majority of companies at the moment. The issue in many organisations is that they haven’t been flexible in the past and so some staff don’t want to work from home and some managers don’t have the skills to manage a workforce they can’t physically see.

On the other hand when I speak with small business owners, often the cost of office space needed to add to their team, can put them off of expanding and I have to remind them that they don’t have to have office space to have staff and they can also consider outsourcing work, too!

Did you know you can have employees who work from their own homes?

You have an obligation to ensure that they have the correct equipment, including a proper chair and workstation. You have to be clear about their objectives and how you monitor success, but with the right framework in place, it is possible and cheaper than expanding your office space.

If you need some help to grow and scale your business, without the cost or commitment of an additional work-space; here are some things to think about:

Does the role require expert knowledge or qualifications?

The cost of employing a full time Accountant, HR Manager, Legal Counsel etc; can be very high. It may well be better to look to outsource these types of skills until you are of the size that can bear the costs of the overheads (including training and development).

Is this a long term or short term need?

Work that is short term, may be able to be packaged as a project and outsourced or advertised as a fixed term contract. If it is a long term need then looking for an individual to employ or a contractor may be a better option.

Is it a full time or part time role?

Often we believe that all roles need to be full time and permanent. There are a lot of highly qualified individuals that wish to use their skills but cannot commit to a full time role. If you can be flexible to open yourself up to a wider skills pool, who may well be open to working from their own homes.

Can the work be carried outside traditional working hours?

Work that isn’t time bound can generally be delivered from anywhere in the world. This opens you up to work with night workers or skilled individual in other countries.

If you need some assistance getting the right policies and procedures in place for a home based worker, book a risk free call and let’s discuss how we can help you to grow your business

Why you need diversity in your business

I really want this job but, what if they don’t like me?

What if don’t fit in the culture?

Should I wear a tie to the interview?

Amazingly qualified and experienced friends and clients often come to me, concerned about whether the role that they really wanted on paper is the one for them; and mainly the concern is around cultural fit.

My response is always “Be yourself. Don’t make yourself uncomfortable. It’s easy to see if someone’s faking and you want them to like and appreciate the real you, otherwise you’ll get the role and be unhappy and so will they”.

Cultural fit is definitely important, but cultural fit is very different to continually recruiting a particular type of candidate.

Cultural fit is about an individual’s alignment to the mission, vision and values of your organisation. If transparency is important then a candidate that would hide hard facts from the client won’t be a good fit,

Having a diverse workforce is about having individuals from different backgrounds, places of education and industries to add flavor, innovation and insight to your organisation. Our experiences shape the person we become and gives us experience and resilience. That is invaluable for any organisation.

I remember when I decided I’d never wear a suit again! I was fed up feeling buttoned up and hated wearing them, so I opted for other smart options and I really don’t think anyone noticed the change. But when I interviewed for my next role, I worried that I wouldn’t be viewed as professional. Until I turned up and my pop of colour and style differentiated me from the sea of black and grey suited wonderfulness. I still needed to know my HR stuff but they also got a bit of my personality too.

Try to leave your preconceptions at the door when you are recruiting and when you are deciding who to promote or who to delegate to. Focus on the skills, the potential, the values and drive that will build your business. Remember we all change over time, so what used to be a challenge, could now be a strength.

Diversity is the key to building your business. People who come from the same background may have the same outlooks, you need to embrace diversity in your team to be able to engage with your ideal clients and to keep ahead of the competition. Getting new blood into your business and listening to the opinions of you existing staff will bring innovation, as well as bandwidth.

Remember that you need to focus on:

-       The Skills you NEED

-       The Experience you NEED

-       The Potential for GROWTH

-       The Values of YOUR Business

If you are planning to add to your team make sure you get our free recruitment cheat sheet.

This FREE document provides you with all the information you need to ensure your interview is carried out in a manner which is both professional and legislatively correct.

Reunion Reminders - Why organisational culture is vital to your success

Last week I attended a reunion for the company where I had my first full time HR Role. It was where I learnt the importance of building relationships, finding out all the details before making assumptions and that you can’t do everything!

It’s also the organisation where I felt the most supported to build my skill set and included in the business, not just a cog in a wheel but a vital part of the business family.

As we mingled in the private room of a central London pub, WHILE the England V Belgium match was happening. I was amazed to see most of the graduates that I’d been instrumental in hiring and find out where they were 11-12 years down the road. There were marriages and babies of course, but also such a variety of roles and industries – I felt really proud that our graduate programme had produced a set of successful and NICE people, who are making a tangible difference in the world.

Everyone I spoke with regarding the organisation – who unfortunately was acquired by a larger consultancy and so no longer exists – said that they loved the culture and that they tried to take the values with them. What better accolade could you want!

As small business owners we don’t focus so much on the culture internally but the brand externally, especially as initially we don’t have a team, but if we consider the environment we wish to cultivate before we begin adding to our teams, it will influence the way to recruit, who we recruit and how we communicate.

This week in our, Free Facebook Group, our 1 minute HR Tips have been about how to motivate your team. Some of the elements discussed would be amazing perks to talk about with potential candidates, if you are starting or building your team.

Things to consider when creating or improving your organisational culture include:

• Clear & Honest Communication – Is your communication clear? Are you sharing with honesty? No ambiguity.
• Being Proactive – Are you looking ahead and taking your team on the journey with you?
• Recognition – Are you recognising greatness within your organisation? Does your top employee know it?
• Is there a bonus scheme in place? If so are the prerequisites and calculations clear?
• Have you assessed your team dynamic? Do you know the type of team members you have?
• Is EVERYONE in your organisation on the same page?
• Do you want to give back to the community as an organisation?
• Do you want to make time for some fun and festivities?

These are some of the things to consider, as you build your organisational culture.

Use these questions to assess your culture and If it is not where you wish it to be. Start to initiate change with just one item on this list and see the improvement it will make to your productivity and morale.

Can you train well on the job?

When I studied for my Masters in HR, I loved the fact that they related the theory to the practical work that you would need to do as a HR professional. At the time of my studies, I was working for a small management consultancy, so I was involved in everything and could apply my learning almost instantaneously. Apart from one area, union negotiation!

My company was not unionised, there were not any union members in the organisation, so while I got the theory of negotiation and how long it could take, I really couldn’t see it as being a reality for me, as unionised organisations were big and largely nationalised when I was studying. So I filed it away and left the knowledge in a DEEP recess in my mind!

Fast forward 3 years and I found myself working for one of the largest international consultancies and negotiating redundancies for IT staff in the manufacturing sector with THREE angry union representatives.

Now it wasn’t the fact that they were angry that I struggled with (their jobs were on the line, so they had every right to be angry). It was the fact that I didn’t know how to respond, how to defuse their anger and find a solution that everyone could sign up to.

Luckily for me I wasn’t alone, my much more experienced colleague was there, and as he spoke I took note of his tone and the words he used to defuse the situation. When one particular individuals behaviour became unacceptable, he adjourned the meeting and spoke ‘unofficially’ with a few key individuals. It took two more meetings but in the end an agreement was made.

The next time there was a union related issue, I led and my colleague supported and gave me feedback. That training has stayed with me for my entire career. I’ve built relations with union representatives and am able to smooth difficult paths, without tempers becoming frayed.

I am definitely a person who learns by doing, the technical term is kinaesthetic. I can read all the books in the world, but I need to roll my sleeves and get in there for it to stick.

I think this is true for a lot of people and from a business owners point of view, on the job training has many positives:

• It’s not too costly
• You can quickly assess if the training is working
• It helps to keep staff motivated
• It can free you up to do other things

You still need to have a plan of action for on the job training and documentation to support it, e.g. process maps (although you can get your trainee to do that to check they really get the process).

Good ways to train on the job include:

• Shadowing
• Attending Meetings
• Listening in on calls
• Drafting communication
• Minute Taking
• Providing Holiday Cover

If you think on the job training would be great for you team, but are unsure where to start, contact us and we’ll be in touch to discuss how we can assist you.

Do you have the time to Coach?

Studies show that whenever you take your children away on holiday or spend significant time focus on them, they will have a developmental leap; either physically or mentally.

Every time my husband and I take our girls away, we see a leap. In February we took them to Butlin’s (UK family orientated holiday park).

We went on walks, to the pantomime, saw live shows, met the Telly Tubbies, ate ice cream and generally had fun. At the end of the five days; my three year old had progressed with her physical ability, running, jumping and climbing, while my five years old's verbal dexterity and understanding evolved. It was really great to see, but as a mum I also thought “soon they won’t need me anymore!”

Now I know my girls need to progress and develop, and if they were not I’d be a different kind of concerned, but there is a part of me who loves being needed – MOST of the time!

Teaching new skills and giving the opportunity to test them out, takes time and patience. Which is why I think my girls develop when we aren’t in a rush and have time to answer lots of “Why” questions and eat waaaaay past dinner time because the girls want to peel the potatoes! They learn by doing, asking questions (there are no silly questions) and making mistakes.

Coaching your team is a lot like that. You need to ask questions, rather than give answers. Be accepting of the fact that someone else isn’t going to carry out a task as quickly or in the same manner that you would.

For a long time I would do all my employee statistics myself, I would spend at least three days a month deep in the spreadsheets manipulating the data and ensuring I understood why the differences occurred and what things we needed to address. Then, I my additional responsibilities meant that something had to give. I handed my precious statistics work over and when I received the report and asked penetrating questions, I wasn’t able to get the answers I needed. The temptation was to take it back and do it myself, but instead I took the time to explain what my senior team needed to know and we reviewed the calculations and made some changes together. The next month I had better figures and a faith that my spreadsheets were in great hands!

Coaching is definitely more time consuming than telling, but it can be really freeing for you.

Some good coaching questions to ask are:

What would you do?

Why?

So what?

How does that make you feel?

What’s the worst thing that could happen?

If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do?

The next time a team member asks you for an answer (unless its time bound or something only you would know) try asking a coaching question and see what happens. It will take time, because it is a change to our natural inclination to help others.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes in the comments section below.

Establishing business and individual needs

When I decided that it was time to move my business from my side hustle to my full time gig, the first thing I did, was to up-skill. I invested in my development and achieved Chartered status for the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). It was a way to ensure that I had the paperwork to support my skills, I knew that I could do it, but I wanted to be able to prove it.

The other thing I did was sign up with a business start-up service and attended all of their courses to make sure I learnt the basics of running a business. All of this played into my business plan, helping me to do my research and set the business goals.

Now, we all know that our business plan is a live document, we have to constantly review and update it to keep up with the needs of our clients and stay ahead of the competition. This means learning new skills, developing our offerings and making strategic partnerships, so that you can scale and grow your business.

It’s important to know where you want your businesses to be in the next year to three years, so that you can put a plan in place to be prepared for the increased clients and the changing landscape.

To do this effectively, you need to know what skills you currently have within your organisation, the skills you would need to execute your plan for world domination and then see where any skills gaps would be. You can then look at adding to the skill-sets of your team and yourself to make sure that you are ready.

You may also consider recruiting new staff to help give you capacity. For example, I plan to recruit an apprentice in the autumn, I’m excited about mentoring and developing an individual to become an effective HR Professional, but I’m also excited about building the capacity within my team, so that I can take on more clients and take a break, knowing my business baby is in safe hands.

Developing staff has always been a challenge for small business owners. We are typically small and lean and so can often need to develop staff while keeping them doing what they do best. Then there can also be a fear that staff that have been developed may take their new shiny skills and go and work for someone else.

However, studies show that staff who feel appreciated and invested into, stay with an employer longer.

“employees who are ‘engaged and thriving’ at 59% less likely to look for a job with a different organisation in the next 12 months”

Gallop Research

So what are you doing to develop your team? To keep them 'engaged and thriving'? It doesn’t have to be a traditional classroom based course, take them out of your office for days at a time or cost a fortune.

When I first started studying HR we used ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’ to discuss motivations for individuals, if you’ve never seen it before, check out the image below. The theory is that there is a set of basic, psychological and self-fulfilment needs, for each individual and that you need to start with the basics as a foundation and then add the other elements.

It’s a good argument for why a good salary and benefits package isn’t enough to retain your staff, but also why fulfilling work is the key.

For the rest of the month I’ll be looking at how we can build our teams, increasing their capability, motivation and happiness.

Let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below and we will try to address them this month.           

Getting Dismissal Right

One of the things that would often frustrate me when I was working corporately was the office politics. It added extra complexity to tasks and meant that things were often not straight forward.

I’ve found myself between a rock and a hard place on many occasions! I used to report into a CEO of a client’s company, but I also reported into the HR Director of the parent company. Their directives often clashed and I was never sure who would win each battle!

One of the things they often clashed about was the dismissal process and how many chances were given before an employee was exited from the business. The issues wasn’t the number of times but that we were being consistent and ensuring that all individuals were treated equally and having a robust process that could be defend at Employment Tribunal if necessary.

Dismissal is a very serious sanction. It is a decision that should always be well thought out, which can be difficult if someone has done something potentially damaging to your business baby.

There are two different types of dismissal:

Dismissal

This is used when an individual has gone through the disciplinary process several times for the same types of infractions; and so has gone through written warnings to a final written warning and then onto dismissal. You should have complete documentation for the process and the individual would be dismissed subject to their normal notice period (which you can pay out or have them work).

Summary Dismissal

If dismissal for a Gross Misconduct incident, e.g. Stealing, Fighting, Sharing confidential information, it would commence immediately and no notice pay would need to be paid.

If you are considering dismissal for a one off incident, I would suggest suspending the individual while you investigate the incident and ensuring that you are fully aware of the whole situation before you come to a decision. If the situation isn’t clear cut, I always suggest taking professional HR advice.

If you need help with your people management basics, our management fundamentals online course is for you, click here to check it out.

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?

Are you wandering why Stella is sick again?

Most people will avoid confrontation if it is at all possible. I’ve lost count of the amount of clients who tell me that the moment that they start dealing with a staff issue, that person goes off sick.

It’s an amazing phenomenon, it’s as though they think that by going off sick you will forget all about that pressing issue that needed addressing. The problem is that sometimes you do, it’s easily done, you have so much other stuff going on running your business and keeping your clients happy, that the passing of time can often mean that your priorities change and the issue gets put on the back burner.

But this is a cycle that can be dangerous to the success of your business and can lead to discontentment in your team. So how can you avoid getting into the cycle in the first place?

You need to nip performance issues in the bud! And here’s how:

1. If there is an issue discuss it as it happens (or when you discover it), in private. Unless the issue is so bad that it is automatically a disciplinary issue. Having an informal conversation in ‘real time’ rather than waiting for your next 1-2-1 is best.
2. Make it a positive conversation, discuss how to avoid repetition. Demonstrate what good looks like and offer support and training if necessary.
3.  Agree SMART (SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC,TIME-BOUND) Outcomes,
4. Get the individual to confirm everything you have agreed in writing – a simple email will do.
5. ACTUALLY stick to the review timeline (at least weekly).
6. If the quality of work does not improve, use the evidence that you’ve gathered from this informal process to start your formal capability process

REMEMBER - If someone does go off sick after a capability conversation, press pause on the process, but once they return MAKE SURE you restart and if this happens again, ask for a doctor’s note. You may have to pay for it, if they are off less than 5 working days, but it will be worth it.

As always, should you need some assistance please contact us here.

Are you loving on your Biggest Asset?

I don’t believe that any entrepreneur would deny that their team is their businesses biggest asset.

Even if you have an amazing product, without your team how would the world know about it?

There always comes a time in the growth of your business, where you come to the realisation that you need those with expertise that exceeds your own to boost the growth of your business. As it will enable you to focus on the areas that you are highly skilled in; but once you’ve found those amazingly skilled individuals, how do you keep them motivated and loyal?

We know that competitive remuneration is a must - after all, we’ve all got bills to pay! - no one who knows their worth is going to take a job paying less than the industry standard, but what else?

I want to look at starting well, by mastering the on-boarding process …

Throughout the recruitment process, we focus on creating an amazing candidate experience. It’s a two way selling process; we want the best person for our organisation and they want, well ... they want, what they want!

So once you’ve negotiated these waters, made an offer and had it accepted ... ask yourself “What’s Next?"

Often there is a gap of a month or more between getting that offer accepted and an individual starting with your organisation. So how do you keep them feeling warm and fuzzy, as well as helping them to settle in, once they do start?

Here are a few pointers:

Give them a Buddy

One of the best experiences of on-boarding that I had was being given a ‘Work Buddy’ before I’d started. I received weekly emails in the lead up to my joining date, was invited to payday Friday drinks before I was actually on payroll! Had someone to ask silly questions like where is the nearest sandwich place and is there a good place to get a lunchtime pedicure or how does my new boss like to be communicated with.

Day 1 Brilliance

Make sure their first day runs smoothly. I worked for one organisation, where on my first day the receptionist was waiting for me, my desk was prepared with my laptop, phone, note pad and other items and when I checked my emails, I had my induction meetings scheduled for the next few weeks (it included a trip to an international office). Everything was so smooth, I was able to hit the ground running and had access to all that I needed.

Induction Plan

So touching on Inductions, nothing is more frustrating than starting a role and having to find your way around an unfamiliar landscape unassisted. I remember starting a senior role with an organisation, and I didn’t even receive my laptop until three days in. I had deliverable's, but no way to deliver them! It was very frustrating and I felt like they were unprepared for me and had left me to fend for myself, with no support. Don’t worry I soon changed the starter process!

Having a detailed plan to introduce a new employee to key stakeholders, systems and processes cuts down on the time it takes to get a person up to speed, and allows you to get value from your new employee sooner.

Warmest Welcome

A welcome lunch on the first day/week is always good. Getting to know someone socially is always useful and it helps to build team rapport. I worked at one organisation where every month they had a welcome afternoon tea; you were tasked with speaking to at least three people you hadn’t spoken with before, it was a really good way to get to know people in different departments.

Implementing an on-boarding process is a great way to engage with staff before they even start and show them how valued they are as an addition to your team.

Is your team engaged?

My friends used to call me a party planner! I was always arranging staff events and refreshments were always part of the deal!

You see, in a former life, I used to spend a lot of time trying to find the magic formula for retaining great staff. Improved communication and employee engagement has always been in the top 5 list of staff initiatives for our clients, regardless of size or industry.

The major question that employers ask is how to engage with staff at the most efficient price point. Often the biggest expense is the staff Christmas (and/or summer) party; but not everyone likes to party or to drink, so what other things can you do?

Most recently a client of mine held sessions with staff and asked what interested them most, the variety on the list was astounding:

• Business briefings
• Employee/team of the month
• Volunteering opportunities 
• Mentoring
• Lunch time learning sessions
• Parties
• Pay day Friday drinks
• Charity events (coffee mornings, Christmas jumper day, etc)
• Charity activities (running, 3 peaks, etc)

The interesting thing was diggings down into how staff like their hard work to be recognised otherwise all your efforts go completely over their heads and they feel unappreciated even though you are putting in all that hard work.

I’ll be taking about employee engagement activities in the next few weeks and how to monitor their effectiveness.

But first things first, what motivates you and your team? How do you like to be appreciated (on top of your renumeration)? 

The 80/20 Rule

When I started in my first full time HR role, my manager told me that she used to work for a large retailer and learnt to never plan for more than 20% of her day, as emergencies always cropped up!

She told me this as I was an enthusiastic, diligent and hardworking newbie, fresh to the game and so was often first to arrive and last to leave, always trying to tick off everything on my ‘to do’ list! She pulled me aside and told me I wasn’t going to win any prizes working in that way and that advice has served me well.

It was my first lesson on the necessary division of proactive and reactive HR work (even more so when supporting multiple clients). I’ve learnt that if my 20% of proactive work is well planned, it helps make the 80% of reactive drama so much easier to deal with. So if the process and data, is set up in the proactive time, as well as the training of managers in the right behaviours, then when the crazy 80% hits, it’s not too hellish because the system is already there to follow.

This is the reason why at Eden Mayers HR we are so passionate about education, working with our retained clients not just to fix the outstanding issues, but to prevent the unforeseen ones.

As we end the year there are lots of HR related loose ends that need addressing so that you can move into 2018 in the best possible shape, lets us help you with your getting your 80% sorted, use our HR SOS service – to give you the answer to your HR problem or question, before it becomes a stickier problem in the new year, You can find more details here.

Why Mentors Matter

There has been a lot of press about bringing the US model of having mentors to help with career development in the news lately, I found that interesting, because I can remember organising mentoring programmes in 2005. However, in speaking with some of my colleagues who work in HR, I found that while some Graduates and Interns are often matched with mentors, those with some work experience are not.

My years of experience working alongside senior managers, employees and entrepreneurs, I’ve found one thing to be true ‘No man (or woman) is an island’. Everyone needs support and a listening ear at some point. In order to have a successful business or build a successful team within your business you need to mentor and be mentored.

As an entrepreneur it’s important to have a mentor, sometime more than one! Entrepreneur’s are often driving their business forward, focussed 100% on the tasks in hand.  Focus is a good thing but sometimes this can mean that you focus on the things that you are good at to the detriment of other things that you should be doing or reviewing.

You need someone you respect who can cast a critical eye, keep you accountable and teach you the lessons that they have learnt so that you don’t have to learn the hard way! Mentors can also open doors, introduce to you to their network and potential clients.

A great mentor will help you set your targets and keep you accountable, remind you to invest in yourself, and tell you the truth when others might not.

Within your organisation having a mentoring programme that is outside the traditional line management structure, gives your employees an opportunity to have a relationship that is focussed on developing their career, rather than their immediate objectives and gives them a safe space to explore their aspirations. Employees who are mentored tend to progress quicker, be more motivated and more loyal to the organisation.

Being a mentor is also enriching, you don’t realised how much you know until you start imparting your knowledge to others. So invest some time and reap the benefits of a more motivated, driven workforce and a more balanced you!

Why you should treat your employees like customers

I spend a lot of time deciphering issues between managers and staff, and also colleagues through mediation. Sometimes it’s a breakdown in communication, sometimes its lack of understands and sometimes it’s one person thinking that the other is a mind reader!

We are often surprised at someone’s behaviour or response to things, but to those who know them best, it is virtually impossible that the individual would have reacted in any other way.

While we invest a lot of time in the recruitment process, finding out about the persons experience, management style and even psychometric testing; what do we do after they are employed to understand the way they work and what motivates them, beyond checking they have achieved their targets?

If we treated our staff in the same way that we treat our customers, making sure that we understand as much as we can about them, it makes even the difficult conversations easier as you can adapt your style to your audience and prepare better for the reactions you might receive.

Here are a few tips to help you:

Build relationships

It goes without saying that in order for someone to open up to you they need to have a relationship with you. You have to create a safe environment so that if a staff member has an issues inside or out of work, they fell comfortable talking with you. You can start by really listening to them when you ask what they did at the weekend or how their family are, remembering their favourite band or the ages of their children can go a long way.

Know what makes their faces shine

I once had a HR Assistant who loved working with entry level staff, she really enjoyed getting graduates their first job and supporting them as they navigated their way in the corporate word. Working with them truly made her day. Knowing this made it easy to motivate her and I knew that I never had to worry about my graduate programmes once she was involved. Understanding what makes your staffs face shine is the key to retaining your key employees.

Don’t make promises that you cannot keep

The saying “under promise, over deliver” springs to mind! Be clear about the conditions for promotions, pay rises, working from home, etc. A lot of hurt feelings and resentment can be avoid if we are clear in our communications, with a customer you document what they receive from you in return for a fee. You start in the same way with your employees but do you continue that in your 1-2-1’s and performance review meetings?

Show your appreciation

When you have a great customer, you offer them exclusive deals and keep in touch to ensure that you are front of mind when that need your services. Your staff are the key to your customer’s satisfaction, make sure that they feel that appreciation, it doesn’t have to be a financial reward but something well thought out.

Need help engaging with your staff, our management fundamentals course is a great place to start, find out more here.

Growing Pains are SO Painful!

When I was a teenager I dislocated my knee, not doing anything particularly adventurous! I had a growing complication; my bones and the ligaments supporting them, were not growing at the same rate! I managed to dislocate my knee three times in four years. Every time was painful, I had my leg in plaster from my thigh to my ankle for 6 weeks and then had to have physiotherapy to rebuild the muscles that had wasted away. I hated being on crutches and unable to be as active as I wanted to, but the things I remember most is the first time I was able to be active again.

There are all sorts of changes going on an Eden Mayers HQ – We are changing office location, working with more and more amazing entrepreneurs and our career development offerings (because not everyone wants to run their own business) is really scaling!

It has meant making decisions about where to focus our energies and deprioritising some things I really want to do, to focus fully on other things I really want to do!

Change is hard, but I’ve learnt through years of supporting others through change, that there are a few things you need to help it go smoothly:

Detail the Rationale – Be clear about why the change is necessary.

Detail the steps – Have a clear plan, with steps for part of your change project.

Celebrate each milestone – Don’t wait until the end to celebrate, each achievement is worth celebrating and having some fun will energise you for the next step.

Take a break – Change can be all consuming, it’s good to do some tasks that are unrelated to it. Also, taking time to step away, can give you more perspective.

Try these tips and growing pain won’t be such a pain.

Learning to Love Resignation

My clients are often hugely proud of their high retention rates and low turnover. They see it as a badge of honor and take it personally when one of their work 'family' resigns.

I always find it interesting as my clients entrepreneurs who all had successful careers where they honed their skills before they started their own enterprises, and it took a considerable amount of bravery for them to leave a secure job and branch out on their own.

It got me thinking about the way that organisations deal with resignations from effective productive employees and how a resignation from an awesome member of your team can be seen as a positive thing:

Development Opportunities –

Increasingly organisations have flatter structures and so less of a career path for employees, so a resignation means you can provide employees with an opportunity to develop within the organisation, rather than outside of it.

Innovation –

A resignation is an opportunity for you to review that person’s role, amend job descriptions and add additional skills that you may need in a changing marketplace.

Fresh Blood –

New employees come with new ideas and viewpoints, which is always useful in keeping your business fresh and relevant.

Identifying Single Points of Failure –

If an employee’s resignation means a vital task within your organisation will not get done, and no one else has the skills, knowledge or qualifications to carry them out, you have a problem and that needs to be addressed.

New Business Opportunities –

An ex-employee could become or bring you your next significant customer. Remember people buy people, often people use their network when they are looking for services or products.

Alumni Hiring –

Employees do return, sometimes as contractors rather than employees, but you do get someone who knows your business, has great skills and can hit the ground running on a project or piece of work.

If you’d like some support with talent management and succession planning for your organisation, get in touch here.

The Art of saying ‘No’

I believe that most people have a default “Yes” switch (although we all know someone who’s default is “No”). We are by nature people please'rs.

We like to help out or make someone happy. I’m a mum, I like to see my children with smiles on their faces, however for their sake and my sanity “No” at times is the correct answer. When you are working with and for others, saying “No” can feel like breaking an unspoken rule.

Below are a few tips to help you …

• Ask questions – Get the full picture of what you are being asked to do.
• Don’t answer right away – It’s easy to feel pressured to respond (some cries for help require immediate action), but if you can, take some time to assess the situation and formulate your response.
• Respect your time and talent – Remember you need time to deliver to a high quality, have a proper plan for your delivery (Hint: not sleeping to deliver on time isn’t the answer).
• Offer an alternative –  It may be a different time or person, it could also be directing them to a website or organisation where information can be accessed.
• Own it your decision – Be polite in your response, but don’t get into a circular conversation about why you can’t help. A simple “sorry, I can’t help right now, but if you can wait until next week, I can spend some time with you and help then”.

Your “No” can also be a more finite one, “No, I don’t want that job” or “I don’t think we’d work well together” or “No I don’t agree”, but follow the tips above and be clear and your “No” will be respected.

Do you or your team need to work on your management skills? Doors open on our Management Fundamentals Self Study course on November 1st. Find out more about the course and join the waiting list here before it closes tomorrow and get access to an exclusive offer.

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.