How a lack of sight gave me insight

Ever come to the sudden realisation of something that’s been creeping up on you?

On the last Sunday of December 2018, while driving my daughters to church, I realised that I couldn’t see properly out of my left eye. Now I’d been seeing weird lights out of the corner of my eye for a week, but I put it down to overwork and figured it would pass.

But that Sunday, I looked to my left to change lanes and realised that I had no peripheral vision! As soon as I caught up with my husband, I had him take me to the hospital and the next day I had emergency surgery to repair my detached retina.

Now the interesting thing about the surgery is that they put a gas bubble in your eye to help the repair set and that completely covers your pupil so you can’t see at all! I’m four weeks post-surgery and the gas bubble is still covering about 70% of my pupil.

They say that if you lose on of your senses your other senses become stronger, I’m not sure about that but I can say that I am having to be far more intentional in the things that I do and how I do them and that has caused me to look at things differently. For example, I have lost my depth perception, which means that things aren’t where I think they are. This means I have to touch the table before I put my glass down or it may hit the floor. My phone has not made it to the table several times (thank God for screen protectors)!

Sometimes in our rush to get things done, we only look at the surface and don’t look at the depth of an issue. We get carried away with what we assume an issue is and then wonder why the solution didn’t work.

I had a client come to me for assistance with staffing issues, but as the conversation continued and I delved into the situation. I could see how inconsistencies in behaviour and not addressing issues had led to some of the issues. So rather than starting a formal disciplinary process we reviewed the team job descriptions, set clear SMART Objectives and had meetings with staff to clearly communicate to new way forward for the business. Three months later the business is going from strength to strength, as boundaries have been set and reinforced where necessary. 

Disciplining a couple of members of the team wouldn’t have fixed the underlying issues and may even have made the atmosphere in the office worse.

Are you taking the time to really look and listen to assess the depth of the issue or challenge before you move forward?

Need some strategic HR support? Contact us to discuss your needs.

Managers, the new poor relation?

Gil’s business has been going for 6 years. It’s grown steadily year on year, and Gil built a really great team to support him and bring in the additional skills that he needed to professionalise his operations.

In the last year his team grew from a nimble 30 to over 100 staff. Far from being that answer to their fulfilment issues, product quality and customer service quality declined, while staff turnover increased.

At first the decline in quality was put down to poor hires, but when the problems continued, and a couple of grievances were received from staff, it became apparent that there was a deeper issue.

The rapid growth of the business meant that high performing staff were promoted to management positions, and given responsibilities for recruitment, staff development, budgets and production, with little or no management training or previous experience.

It was assumed that those promoted would be excellent managers, but no actual training or support was given. This led to inconsistencies in way staff were managed, which led to division and resentment within teams, and certain behaviours going unchecked. For example: when Donna asked her manager to work from home 2 days a week, it was approved informally. However when Amira asked her manager for the same, it was refused with the reason that it was bad for team morale. Likewise sickness hasn’t been treated the same, with managers interpreting the policy differently.

The newly promoted managers were also struggling to get their day job done and deal with staff, so were getting burnt out and still failing to reach their numbers.

We often find that great staff are promoted because they are amazing at one thing, but as business owners we know that a management role comes with lots of plates to keep spinning.

We helped Gil’s team support their managers with a bespoke Management Development Programme to ensure that any skills gaps were addressed, all managers had a clear understanding of their responsibilities and were provided coaching and mentoring support.

Are your Managers the poor relations?

January is a great time to review the skills of you and your managers. If you need some help, get in touch to discuss how we can help you.

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.

Ready for the Party Season?

Dan wanted to do something nice for his team of twelve, they’d had a really busy and stressful year. He’d been given a £15 budget per team member, which he used to arrange a Christmas meal and paid for the drinks with his personal card.

After the meal the team moved to a nearby bar, where Dan put his credit card behind the bar and cocktails’ and tequila shots were consumed, while the team danced and enjoyed themselves with other patrons at the bar.

The next day three members of Dan’s team called in sick and HR received a complaint for inappropriate behaviour from one of the younger members of the team.

One member of his team’s party sickness trigged the sickness absence process. The investigation into the complaint resulted in a member of the team being moved to another department, which affected team morale and Dan was reprimanded by his boss for not sticking to the budget assigned and exposing the company to possible legal proceedings.

The repercussions from the night out lasted well into the New Year!

The annual Christmas party is a great way to show your appreciation got your team, however they can also pose a risk. Typical tricky scenarios include fighting, drunkenness, offensive remarks, broken promises, inappropriate sexual behaviour and similar.

A lot of these scenarios can be down to excessive consumption of alcohol lowering inhibitions and providing additional confidence.

Check out this article about how some flirting led to a libel case.

When you are planning your event, try to:

• Include an activity in the festivities

  Taking part in some fun team building activities (e.g. bowling, escape rooms, cooking lesson), to encourage conversation and removes the focus from just food and drink.

•  Remember not everyone drinks alcohol

  Ensure there is something for those who don’t drink alcohol to do and something nice to drink

•  Limit the drinks paid for by the company

  Welcome drinks, wine/beer with meal are fine. Try not to have an unlimited open bar.

• Ensure that any employees under the legal age to drink do not have access to alcohol.

• Don’t make moving onto another venue extend the corporate event.

  It’s fine for individuals to choose to move on, just don’t make it a business driven decision or cover the drinks bill

• Ensure everyone has the means to get home safely.

Let us know what fun you’ve got planned with your team this Christmas.

Are you Time Poor ?

I’ve been building my CEO skills, with a course to ensure that I know my business stuff as well as I know my HR stuff; and I’ve found that the biggest challenge that I and my fellow business owners have is time.

Time to create, deliver and do all the things that you need to make sure your business runs smoothly.

Can you relate?

It’s so easy to say I’ll do that when I get the time, but to be honest you don’t find time. You have to make time!

I worked with a Manager that was over-worked, he had the budget to hire some more people into his team, but he didn’t have the time to recruit. I’d find candidates and by the time he’d looked at their applications, and shortlisted, they’d have found other employment. He’d miss telephone interviews for client emergencies. In the end I had to block out time in his calendar and sit with him to shortlist and interview. He was able to get some highly skilled additions to his team and get his life back.

But first he needed to make the time investment!

How do you schedule your time to make sure you have time to be proactive, instead of just reacting? 

I use a weekly planner that I stick above my desk, so that I can schedule in what I’m doing and see my availability and to get my tasks done I use my version of the Pomodoro Technique (instead of 25 minute blocks, I do 90 minute blocks). 

Effectively managing time and resource isn’t exclusively an issue for small businesses owners; when I worked corporately, one of the main reasons we’d get a contractor in was because they could focus 100% on the task they were hired for without all of the distractions and it’s the reason why our clients work with us, we have the experience and knowledge to get the HR work done without added drama.

It’s time to make time for the things you want to do for your business, block out the time and turn off the distractions!

If you need to build or scale your team but are struggling to find the time to even THINK about it? Get our free guide to hiring and outsourcing for Small Business here

Are you always getting excuses?

“She always comes in with an excuse. Traffic, overslept, ran out of time, the client said …. It’s exhausting … I can’t rely on her and it’s costing me business”

It’s amazing the amount of business owners that struggle with getting some members of their team to take ownership and deliver what they need consistently.

Being able to trust your team to get on with things, while you get on with the CEO tasks that you have is vital. If you don’t have time to plan for growth, it won’t happen. And keeping track of what everybody is supposed to be working on, is time consuming and exhausting, not to mention the fact that most people don’t react well to micro management.

And then the next thing you know you are doing EVERYTHIING, despite having a team to support you. Have you experienced this? I know I have!

Its two sides of the same coin …

You need to trust your staff and your staff need to feel empowered and supported in their decision making and that happens over time, because you don’t want a renegade who just makes decisions without understanding the consequences.

So how to get your staff to take ownership, so you have freedom to focus on the things you need to do:

Lead by example

You have to demonstrate the behaviour that you want to see in your team. Let them shadow you when you deal with client issues. Let them see how you prioritise and sacrifice to get things done.

Give them the outcome not the blueprint

Let you team know the end goal and let them find their own path, you never know they might find a quicker, cheaper alternative path.

Ask for the solution to the problem / Issue

When your team come to you with an issue or problem, try asking them for solutions, rather than offering the answer.

Allow them to fail

This is a hard one, but failures teach goo lessons. Sometimes you have to let things slip and observe how an individual fixes the issue without you being there as a safety net.

The only way to stop receiving excuses, is to refuse to accept them. This means that there will be difficult conversations and there may be individuals that are unable to withstand the pressure or additional responsibility. However if you set the standard and demonstrate the behaviours you expect, you will have a responsible, motivated team; which will enable you to take your business to higher heights.

If you need help developing the right behaviours in your team our Management Essentials Training course is available for online self-study or we can tailor it to your policies and procedures and deliver it in-house, contact us to discuss your needs here

Why you need a Critical Friend

When I worked corporately, we would always talk to potential clients about being their critical friend as well as their strategic partner. We wanted them to know that while we might highlight any issues within their organisation, we were there to help find a solution. It wasn’t about fault, it was about improvement.

A critical friend is defined as:

“someone who is encouraging  and supportive, but who also provides honest and often candid feedback that may be uncomfortable or difficult to hear. In short, a critical friend is someone who agrees to speak truthfully, but constructively, about weaknesses, problems, and emotionally charged issues”

Do you have anyone like that?

A lot of business owners talk about having a “Business buddy”, they can work in the same way as a critical friend, they are someone to bounce ideas off and share your business woes, it a bit of peer coaching – problem is if this person just comforts you and says that all your ideas are wonderful, ESPECIALLY if they aren’t your ideal client!

You need feedback or input that is based on facts rather than just feelings. A true critical friend should have the knowledge to help you with your business, perhaps you both work with similar client groups, e.g. A Wedding Photographer and a Florist or they work with other clients that provide the type of products or services that you do.

Having critical friendships within peer groups of your organisation is also key, we call them peer coaching groups, for example you could have all your managers as a group (no more than 8) and they can share their learning and challenges with one another, it helps individual fell supported, even if they are normally in another building with their team.

Often the nature of HR work means we end up being critical friends with our clients, because we know the secrets and the strategy. It’s a great compliment to be asked your opinion, but also a great responsibility.

Do you have a critical friend? If not I’d suggest finding one, they could make all the difference to your business and personal growth (and mental health).

Are you protecting your team from Stress and Anxiety?

When Ian walked into the café I barely recognised him. It wasn’t just that he wasn’t wearing his usual sharp suit, he seemed to have shrunk and his usual smile and twinkling eyes had disappeared.

Ian was a member of the board, he managed a team of 5 and budget of millions! He had a beautiful wife, gorgeous children, wore a signet ring, Lived in a NICE part of London – He was posh!

He belonged to a club that I aspired to (at that point in my life!), so even though I’d seen the Dr’s notes and spoken to him on the phone, I wasn’t prepared for the person who turned up in front of me.

Ian had been signed off for stress for the past 3 months, he’d exhausted his company enhanced sick pay and was receiving statutory sick pay that wouldn’t make a dent in his outgoings. So he’d met us to discuss coming back to work, but it was obvious that he wasn’t ready yet. I watched him deflate when I said we’d need a fit note from his doctor and for him to see our occupational health team before he could return.

It turned out that this wasn’t the first time that he’d experienced stress and anxiety at work, and even though he’d felt it coming on, he didn’t mention it to anyone because of the stigma attached to his condition.

We worked with Ian’s doctor and therapist and he returned to work in a phased manner when he was ready ….

But I was angry that we’d failed him as employers, he hadn’t felt comfortable to share his mental health issues and therefore get access to help before he became unable to attend work.

Also, we had a duty of care, was his manager lax in ensuring his workload and external pressures were being monitored? When was the last time he’d had a 1-2-1? 

Did you know that Stress Management is one of your responsibilities as a business owner as part of the health and safety regulations?

This experience led to a series of changes being implemented to ensure that Managers were aware of the warning signs of stress and anxiety in their team members and were having regular 1-2-1 meetings.

Remember the top four reasons for absence due to stress and anxiety in the workplace are:

• Workload: 44%

• Lack of support: 14%

• Changes at work: 8%

• Violence, threats or bullying: 13%

Do you and your managers regularly check on the mental health of your staff?

Here are some tips for dealing with cases of stress:

• Treat stressed employees in the same way as those with a physical health problem.

• Discuss the issue with the employee and demonstrate that you are concerned with their health.

• If their work is being affected, explore the option of a referral to Occupational Health.

• Ask if there is anything as a manager you can do to help/try and identify the stressors.

• Seek advice from the employee on any action that could be taken to alleviate the stress e.g. simple modifications to work for a short period, increase communication etc.

• Advise the employee about sources of help e.g. Employee Assistance Programme.

• Document agreed actions and actively follow up to ensure stress levels have been reduced.

• Review and if necessary modify the work tasks and responsibilities of employees who have had sickness absence due to stress as a result of their work.

• Be aware of the impact of stressed employees on other members of staff.

If you are concerned about stress in the workplace, contact us to discuss how we can assist you.

I couldn't stop the tears falling

I remember a time when every day I would wake up and the thought of going to work would make me cry. If you know me you’ll know I’m not THAT GIRL who cries, I’d rather punch something to vent my frustrations!

Has the thought of work ever reduced you to tears or anger?

I put it down to hormones because I was pregnant when it started happening, but it wasn’t that as when I returned to work after having my baby I felt worse. I was doing really well in my job but the workload was unsustainable and I was learning on the job, so I didn’t have the support of a framework or a mentor to direct me. I worked through the night and weekends to complete work to tight deadlines.

Now if I pull an all-nighter, it’s my choice!

I began to become snappy, less friendly and forgetful – I lost my motivation. It was only my stubbornness to complete at any cost that kept me going, but ultimately it was the beginning of my decision to start Eden Mayers HR Consulting.

Was job dissatisfaction part of your decision to become a business owner?

I’m speaking to more and more businesses who have record numbers of staff signed off with work-related stress, for small businesses this has the potential to be crippling.

The Health and Safety Executives Report for 2017, states that:

• 526,000 workers are suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new or long-standing)

• 12.5 million working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety

• Stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 40% of all work-related ill health cases and 49% of all working days lost due to ill health

The breakdown of the causes of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2017 as follows:

• Workload: 44%

• Lack of support: 14%

• Changes at work: 8%

• Violence, threats or bullying: 13%

• Other: 21%

You can support your employees areas through strong policy, procedures, training, and the use of Employee Benefits and guidance services to help as and when needed. However, you also need to ensure that there is no stigma surrounding Mental Health, so that your employees are comfortable sharing.

A mentally and physically fit workforce is less likely to be absent, and be fully motivated to carry out their role to the best of their ability. Which means productive employees and happy clients for your business.

Let us help you to ensure that your HR policies and process are fit for purpose, contact us for a FREE policy review.

Why I’ll never quit

I have a confession to make, over the years of running my business, I’ve been tempted by the idea of going back into the corporate world. I loved working in HR, seeing the world and getting to grips with the nuances of various industries, being part of a wider team and knowing that I could always get help with the hard stuff. 

Do you remember those days?

Don’t get me wrong I remember why I left the corporate world too, I knew that there was more to life than helping multi-nationals make more money, while reducing staff numbers. My desire was to use my skills to help others achieve their aspirations but building and scaling their businesses and nowhere is that needed more than for small business. 

But I also know first-hand that running a business is hard work, I know lots of people talk about the laptop life style and working 4 hours a week, and while I have a laptop that certainly isn’t my reality. Until this year, I’d never taken a holiday without taking my laptop along – I remember getting up early in the morning while in Barbados to video conference with a client in crises and working frantically while my hubby took the girls out for fun in the sun! 

So, when I get approached by agencies or well-meaning friends as role pop up that I’d be ‘perfect’ for and I’ve a hard day, week or month, I do entertain the idea of going back to being an employee. Like last week when our boiler exploded and I couldn’t work properly for three days, while the repairs were happening and I got a call with a really interesting proposal, then … 

I received two calls, one was from a client who needed to get my opinion on an ongoing issue with an employee, at the end of the conversation she said “I feel so much clearer on the way forward, I just needed to bounce the idea off someone else and get another view point”

The other was from a young lady that I’ve been helping to prepare to open her business, telling me she’d just gotten the approval from the regulator that she needs to launch!

It was a timely reminder for me about the impact great bespoke HR support can make to a business, both from a reactive and proactive point of view, which is all I ever wanted to.

So, Hi, I’m Melanie, CEO of Eden Mayers HR Consulting and I’m here to stay!

You need _____ and _____ to build a team

Whenever I’ve spoken with a client about building their team and I ask when they want their new employee/consultant/temp to start the answer is normally yesterday!

And I totally get it, I should have hired a VA at least four months earlier than I actually did!

Thing is hiring the right person or company to support your business is going to take PLANNING and PAITENCE. It’s pointless getting someone in and not getting the best out of them, after all they are supposed to take some stress away from you, so that you can focus on delivering excellence to your clients.

Like my client Ade who hired a person to do his admin and finance tasks without a job description, this made it hard to monitor if his team member was working effectively and also led to Ade still doing some of the admin tasks, as the finance tasks had priority. Ade was frustrated and the employee felt like they were being set up to fail in their role.

However, once we sat down and looked at the tasks and skills needed, we were able to draw up a Job Description and agree objectives, so that there was clarity, which meant that Ade got the freedom he needed from the admin tasks and his employee, knew when to hand over finance issues to the accountant.

Ade thought his needed our services to help him to manage poor performance, instead he learnt how to manage his team by being outcome focussed.

It is so vital that you take time to PLAN what you need at the beginning of any hiring process NOT just new roles, even when you are replacing a team member, as priorities change.

Next week, I will be sharing the scoop on the 5 things EVERY Small Business Owner needs to know about hiring staff, each day I’ll be LIVE on our Facebook page, sharing a tip each day. By the end of the week you’ll know how to:

Decide what tasks to delegate and what tasks to keep, so that you can focus on the things that bring you joy and revenue.

Work out the best model for building your team, so that you get the help that you need, in the most cost effective way possible.

Select the best candidate for your role(s), so that you can base your decisions on facts and evidence.

Know your legal obligations, so that you can be confident that you are compliant with Employment legislation.

Train, review and motivate, so that you get the help that you need and can confidently address any issues.

Connect with us on Facebook and turn on notifications, so that you’ll be notified when I go LIVE each day.

I’m NEVER Managing staff again

I meet a lot of people and I can guarantee that someone will always tell me about a terrible experience they had with managing a team, which is why they’ll never do it again. Then they’ll tell me about their aspirations for their business or their career and I’ll just know that they’ll need to manage people in one shape or another to reach their target.

Do you have one of those nightmare stories?

Don’t get me wrong, I totally get it. There was a time when I literally cried every morning at the thought of going into work, I couldn’t even put the frustration that I felt into words, because I couldn’t trust that things would be completed in the way I needed them to and so I was working all the hours and doing EVERYTHING myself!

But I found a way through because, I wasn’t about to let anyone ruin my opportunity to achieve greatness and that’s what I do for my clients, help them to realise their aspirations.

Like Sandy who previously hired a deputy manager who had misappropriated funds; and so while she had grown her business and hired other staff, she could not bear to delegate any of the people management or financial elements of her business and so was stuck doing accounts and chasing invoices, when she should have been creating value for her clients and opening up new opportunities.

Sandy wasn’t loving her business, because she never got to do the fun stuff anymore and was working long hours and weekends. We worked on a programme to train and empower her managers, and delegated all of the people management activities to the managers (as it should be!); hired administrative staff and recruited a deputy. This meant that Sandy had more time to focus on growing and scaling her business, her customers were happier because they no longer had one stressed individual as their point of contact. Also, a new automated system for invoicing and chasing was implemented. This has meant that Sandy has been able to build her team

All this was possible because Sandy got the right systems, policies and processes in place for her business, so that she could ensure she wouldn’t be burnt again and that any employees issues could be nipped in bud.

If fear is the thing that’s holding you back from starting or building your team, you can start building your confidence, with our FREE comprehensive hiring guide and join our FREE Facebook group, for business owners who have staff or are planning to hire staff, where you can ask questions and seek advice – Let’s make your dream a reality.

Being the referee has perks

I’m a live and let live type of person. I like to think we are all mature enough to behave correctly. The only people I correct about behaviour are my children and those of close friends and family.

I know I’m HR, but I don’t want to police anyone, y’know? I set professional expectations and expect them to be followed.

So, when I realised that Zoe and Stuart stopped going to lunch together and didn’t actually speak with each other, I thought it would just blow over. They were friends way before I joined the organisation.

Then I received grievances from each of them about the other – on the SAME day! So I had no choice but to intervene. It seemed their friendship started suffering when, Zoe was promoted and became Stuart’s supervisor. 

Does this sound familiar to you?

I figured the best thing to do was get them in a room for a mediation session. I explained the rules around listening and respect, and opened the floor. It turned out that Stuart thought being managed by a mate meant that Zoe would cover for him the way she had when they were colleagues, while Zoe thought that Stuart should require less support than the other team members to hit targets, as she believed he was just as competent as her.

As I sat around the table with them clarifying the meaning behind the “always” and “nevers”, and finding the middle ground of their assumptions and expectations of one another, I felt like a Premier League referee.

Once we agreed and established professional boundaries, they were able to rebuild their friendship and work well together. So well that when Stuart got promoted to supervisor, he had Zoe to thank for raising his “A” game. And I got an honourable mention too.

See, refereeing has its perks!

If you’ve been noticing a change in the vibe amongst your team – here are some tips for an effective mediation session:

Leave your assumptions at the door – It’s easy to jump to conclusions when you’ve heard two versions of a story, don’t let your experience with either party lead to you to drawing conclusions.

Remain unbiased – you are an objective facilitator, you cannot take sides or show any bias. Treat both individuals equally.

Set the stage – Establish the rules for the how the session will go.

Don’t be afraid to pause – if it feels like the conversation is getting too heated or the rules are not being adhered to, you can adjourn for a break or reschedule for another day.

Make sure everyone has their say – It’s is important that both parties get to clear the air and get all of their frustrations out on the table.

Listen to understand – You do not need to solve the issue, you are supposed to facilitate a conversation NOT dictate the outcome.

Clarify points to make sure both parties are hearing the same thing – Often people jump to conclusions and hear what they are expecting to hear, rather than listening, it is your job to ensure that both parties, hear and understand each other’s issues.

Agree a set of boundaries to prevent issues reoccurring – The ideal outcome is to eliminate the behaviour that caused the issue between both parties, by implementing clear professional boundaries and expectations.

Review regularly – One mediation meeting may not be enough. You need to ensure that the issues do not reoccur, keep a check with both parties, to ensure the boundaries are being adhered to.

If you need a referee to help you with some mediation, contact us and we will schedule a call to discuss how we can help.

How learning to crochet prepared me for management

I have never been a very creative person, I can follow instructions but making something out of nothing has never been my forte. I’m more the active type.

I hate to sit around, I am pretty much constantly on the move and even when I’m sitting my mind is racing. It’s why I love having my own business, there is always something to do, especially in HR!

So, when I got frustrated with not being able to be so physical when I was pregnant. My mum thought it would be a good idea to teach me how to crochet!

I had to really focus on the task in hand, I couldn’t watch TV and get the stiches right the way my mum could. However, I found that having some STILL time meant that I progressed pretty quickly and soon made some scarfs and a blanket.

I loved the progress that I made. Don’t you love seeing the fruits of your labour?

I started to use those focussing skills at work and during family time. It meant that I stopped ending people’s sentences, assuming what they wanted and seeing them as a distraction. 

Have you been there? Say it’s not just me!

I learnt that when someone says “Do you have a minute”, the most productive thing to do is to close everything and really focus on the individual, not just on their words but on the non-verbal cues too. This meant that I got to know my team better and was better able to motivate and lead them.

I know as business owners, we are great at listening to our clients. But when was the last time you sat down with your team and focused on what they were telling you, not what you wanted to tell them or mentally preparing for your next meeting?

Next time you are interrupted by Sue, try:

• Not making assumptions
• Closing your laptop
• Switching your phone to airplane
• Making eye contact
• Listening
• Taking notes (if necessary)
• Asking pertinent questions
• Taking time to response/investigate
• Following up

It’s vital that staff feel that they are listened to and that their opinions or issues are taken into consideration – even if you disagree, go back to them with a considered response.

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.

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

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.

Why doing is nothing is not an option

There is currently a story in the process about a police office in the US who was captured on video at the scene of a verbal assault doing NOTHING – he didn’t say anything, didn’t attempt to intervene, he just stood at a distance, even though the person being assaulted asked the officer for help. The latest news this morning says that he has resigned.

Now obviously a police officer not serving and protecting is an issue, but any employee or contractor who isn’t delivering as expected is an issue too!

When it comes to staff issues often no action is taken because … well because it’s not the priority.

“If you truly prioritise something, you will make time for it.”

Clients often come to us with issues that started weeks or months before and were not addressed as there were other more pressing priorities. However the problem with not addressing staff issues is that they very rarely disappear. They escalate instead and take more time and resources to resolve.

HR Policies contain timelines for a reason, it is to ensure that issues are dealt with in a timely manner. If too long has past since an incident occurred, you can’t take action or use it as evidence.

Jane came to me regarding an employee who was turning up to work late on a regular basis. She wanted to terminate their employment as this had been going on for months.  I asked to see the notes from meetings and any disciplinary outcomes that had been given and was told that there was nothing officially documented and any conversations had been informal. I couldn’t help Jane to fire the employee. Instead we had to start the disciplinary process to inform and address the lateness issue. In the end after being given a written warning, the employee turned around their performance and is now working well.

To ensure that you don’t end up in the same position as Jane remember to:

-       Address issues as they occur

-       Gather all the evidence while it is fresh

-       Document everything

-       Follow the process as detailed in your policies

If you need any support with your HR issues, click here to contact us.