Employee engagement, and how to approach it
Engagement can’t be viewed in isolation – it must be part of an organisation’s culture. Leadership style, inclusivity, valuing diversity and strengths-focused performance management are essential elements which must be strategically addressed to maximise engagement. Technology has a place, but engagement can’t be pinpointed to a paper exercise or a digital survey. Ensuring there is […]
It’s time to overhaul performance processes
Traditional performance management processes aren’t fit for purpose. Yearly and half yearly appraisals of performance against business objectives that are fixed once a year are redundant – what business realistically stays the same all year round? Even without mergers and acquisitions, there are too many variables for a business growth plan to remain valid for […]
Make your contractors part of your team
The gig economy is notoriously skewed towards the employer at the expense of the employee, shifting business risk onto those who can least afford it. But if it’s simply not viable to take on an employee or team full-time, that doesn’t mean the individual has to have a raw deal. There are many reasons why […]
For shady operators, there’s nowhere left to hide
Twenty years ago, organisations’ communication with the public and potential employees was a one-way stream. They would send out corporate announcements and press releases by post or fax and expect them to be accepted at face value. And, unless a particularly persistent investigative journalist was about to expose criminal wrongdoings, they were accepted thus. When […]
Agreeing to disagree: the art of healthy conflict
Disagreements are a part of life, but they don’t need to be confrontational. Learning how to engage in healthy conflict allows you to look at the pros and cons of a situation with an open mind, and results in better solutions. I had a conversation yesterday with someone who has a challenging relationship with his […]
Keeping up with the consumers
Consumer behaviour has changed in recent years, and it’s important to keep up with expectations. People are moving away from the high street in favour of online shopping for products and services, and this is a trend which is likely to increase. Consumers are spending an increasing amount of time browsing lots of different websites […]
Succession planning and planning for success
Succession planning always has and always will be an essential element of any organisation which wishes to remain viable. We will always need HR directors, finance experts, sales and marketing managers and those who excel in client relationships. Rather than constantly looking for new ways to re-invent the wheel, what we need to address is […]
Agility: the essential skill for leadership
The question I am asked most by aspiring leaders is which skill is the most important to develop. The answer, without a doubt, is agility. We are in an age where a multi-generational workforce has vastly different backgrounds, and at a time when people are working and living longer than ever before. People in their […]
Organisational development
Change management is important, but change readiness is essential. Awareness, agility, reaction, and mechanism are all essential elements of change planning, and every member of the organisation should be prepared, willing and able to comply. Our own observations are supported by global research that organisations are no longer country-focused and are instead linking over much […]
The future of work
Globalisation has seen a rise in the number of organisations that are no longer country-focused and are instead linking over much wider spaces. Where before organisational structures and working hours were limited to the country they operated in, now virtual teams are spread across the world. Larger organisations are gobbling up smaller ones for their […]
Influence from within
Social media celebrities come from all walks of life, and everyone from stay-at-home parents to glamorous grandparents can earn a decent buck from promoted posts. But influencing isn’t just the preserve of the Insta-famous: leaders should appoint advocates within their own organisations to help spread their vision. Strong relationships with internal influencers come with many […]
Engaging employees with strong leadership
The most important element of engagement within a workforce is choice. And the only way to provide choice without affecting productivity is with strong leadership. People don’t leave organisations, they leave bad leaders. Even the most flexible company, with systems and processes designed to allow teams to work when they want and where they want, […]
How to handle the World Cup in the workplace
Few people would argue that football is the sport that provokes the most passion and reverence amongst its fans. Supporters travel not just up and down the country to cheer on their teams in even the most minor of matches, but across continents to watch their idols perform their wizardry live on the pitch. When it […]