The Business Bulletin Issue #12 - Focus On Strategy & Personal Development by Paul Green

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Focus on… Strategy and Personal Development Spotlight on Judith Hanson

PLUS The impact of a pandemic to learning You have the power, be brave and say “No”! What makes a good manager? Leadership in a chaotic, complex and changing world

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The Business Bulletin

A magazine that works for everyone Paul Green Founder & Chief Editor

Welcome to the twelfth edition of The Business Bulletin. Hopefully you will enjoy this edition which focuses on strategy and personal development. Published every four weeks, it will cycle through the following themes: ■ Finance ■ Sales & Marketing ■ Operations & Resources ■ Strategy & Personal Development It will bring together a collection of articles aimed at any small business owner who doesn’t have all the answers and is open to some thoughts and advice from some of the leading experts in their fields. So what makes this different to any other publication? I’m glad you asked! For the reader – no more advertorials. All the featured articles have been chosen for their valuable content, not because the author has paid to be published or taken out an advert to get their slot! For the contributor – you can submit articles for inclusion without having to pay for the privilege or having to advertise. If your article is deemed suitable based on its merits – that it is relevant,

All the articles featured in this magazine have been chosen because of their valuable content

good and engaging content and not promotional of your business, then it will be published. For the advertiser – if a publication is more engaging due to the content, then it is more likely your adverts with be noticed. The number of full-page and half-page ads is limited for each edition and there will be a limit on the number of advertisers from a given industry sector. This means your advertisement is more likely to stand out from the crowd and not be lost in a sea of competitors. Your feedback and thoughts on this magazine are welcome – let

Join in!

us know your experience. Contact us to contribute an article or

Thanks,

place an advert for future editions contribute@business-bulletin.co.uk

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Proof-reading: James Tarry

© Copyright 2021 The Business Bulletin. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the editor or the author of the article. Disclaimer – no responsibility can be accepted for any actions that you take as a result of the content provided in this magazine. There is no guarantee that implementing any of the advice contained in the articles will definitely ensure your business success or have a positive impact. They are presented as information based on the experience of the authors working with many different types of businesses in their field of expertise and are provided as a choice for you to consider if they will be useful for your business.

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Contents This edition focuses on strategy and personal development and brings together a wide range of topics with a selection of quality articles from leading experts in their field.

Your immune system – why you need it and what you can do to support it! Louise Mercieca

Mind your language! Duncan Price

The impact of a pandemic to learning 11 Garry Connor

You have the power, be brave and say “No”! Jacky Sherman

Do coaches need supervision? Rachel Mallows MBE

Spotlight on Judith Hanson

Taking the fear out of conflict Mhairi Richardson

Leadership in a chaotic, complex and changing world Barbara Armstrong OBE

Business benefits of employee training 19 Sue Pardy Living on the frontier Adrian Spurrell

How do I put together an exit strategy for my business? Kathy Bassett

Cover image courtesy of Jo Blackwell Photography

Are values important in business? Lindsey Marriott

What makes a good manager? Caroline Robertson

The challenge of a first-time manager 41 Jo Thurman Ask the experts

SME survey

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 5

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Your immune system – why you need it and what you can do to support it! The immune system is the second most complicated system in the body (after your brain). It consists of hundreds of different cell types and is controlled by around 8000 genes which interact in a network of ‘near-infinite’ complexity.

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There are two basic systems within the immune system; innate and adaptive; ■ Innate immunity is our first line of defence – the early responders to a problem or invasion ■ Adaptive immunity is slower, more targeted approach with weapons such as T Cells – within the adaptive side we have ‘immune memory’ (memory B cells) which recognise a pathogen and prevent you from getting certain diseases twice! Like many areas of our amazing body, nutrition and lifestyle can impact

Antioxidants

such as diet, stress, pollutants, exercise, alcohol, etc. All of which increase our

An anti-oxidant is a molecule that

free radical activity.

inhibits the oxidisation of other

I won’t get too sciencey but free

molecules. Oxidation reactions can

radical activity is known as ROS or

produce free radicals. Free radicals can start chain reactions. When the chain reaction occurs in a cell, it can cause mutations or damage to the cell. Antioxidants terminate these

reactive oxygen species. If this ROS exceeds antioxidants our cells can become damaged. Oxidative Stress = build-up of bad

chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions. The body produces its own supply of antioxidants which neutralise the harmful effects of free radicals, one of the most powerful of these is Glutathione, this is produced in

food, stress, poor sleep, chemicals, overuse of medication, alcohol. If there are too many free radicals (Reactive Oxygen Species/ROS) and not enough antioxidants to respond to them oxidative stress can occur. You may not realise you are suffering from

the body, it is made from three amino acids (glycine, glutamate and

oxidative stress but these are some of the symptoms:

on how well things work for us!

cysteine). Glutathione contains sulphur which makes it excellent at being

■ Fatigue

Eating to support our immune system

anti-inflammatory and protective to

■ Brain fog/confusion/

I think of food as nourishment and

more glutathione;

fuel, i.e. what can it do for us? When

the body. These foods help your body to make

we consider eating for immunity that

■ Broccoli

link is no different, how can food make

■ Brussels sprouts

us stronger and indeed, make us feel

■ Cabbage

better (or worse)? So, do we just need to eat an extra orange a day for vitamin C or, as the the doctor away”? Well, there’s a bit

■ Spinach

support your immune function to perform at its’ best and it will do

■ Decreased eyesight ■ Wrinkles ■ Frequent infections The more serious consequences

■ Cinnamon ■ Tomatoes

■ Joint pain ■ Headaches

■ Cauliflower

old saying goes, “An apple a day keeps more to it than that but in theory,

diminished brain function

of oxidative stress over a longer time period are: ■ Chronic fatigue syndrome

■ Peaches

■ Adrenal fatigue

its’ best to protect you from illness.

What is a free radical?

We are all familiar with Vitamin C

Now what is a free radical? The free

(Ascorbic Acid) it’s classified as an

radical is unstable and highly reactive

antioxidant, it supports the immune

because it is an unpaired electron,

■ Diabetes

function, helps wounds to heal and is

it wants to pinch an electron from a

■ Anxiety

involved in healthy skin, bones, blood

nearby cell, the problems occur if the

vessels and cartilage.

free radical pinches an electron from a

We cannot store vitamin C so a daily supply is needed and the RDA is 40mg. this is best from food sources not supplements. Vitamin C is an important

■ Leaky gut

healthy cell. An antioxidant has spare electrons it can donate to the free

■ Fibromyalgia

■ Cancer Now that all sounds a bit scary but there’s a lot you can do to protect

radical therefore stabilising it.

yourself starting with ensuring you

Free radicals are unstable and

have a plentiful supply of antioxidants,

antioxidant as it hunts out free radical

highly reactive. They are also part of

laughing and relaxing, getting some

activity rather than waiting to encounter

normal bodily functions but can be

fresh air and sleeping well. Here’s some

it. Now what is an antioxidant?

exacerbated by external influences

top food & lifestyle tips!

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Top Immune Boosting Tips 1. Introduce /top up your intake of Probiotics– these are live

7. Eat the right kind of fats – don’t be scared of fats, many

bacteria to support the health and diversity of your gut

fats are referred to as EFA’s (Essential Fatty Acids) and they

microbiome (live yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, tempeh)

are essential for a reason – include oily fish, eggs, avocado,

2. Introduce/top up your sources of Prebiotics– these feed the good bacteria that you have (apple cider vinegar,

nuts and seeds in your diet for optimal health along with immune support. 8. Cacao – not chocolate! Raw cacao contains antioxidants,

barley, flaxseeds, apples) 3. Another form of Prebiotic is resistant starch (RS) found in; bananas, peas, grains & seeds) 4. Yet another form of Prebiotic is Inulin – found in; onions, leeks and garlic, chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke,

flavonoids and polyphenols and due to the nitric oxide it is good for your cardiovascular system too! 9. Exercise – being sedentary is incredibly dangerous for our health. Moving every day is essential for overall health and immune support – light exercise every day has

asparagus & bananas

multiple health benefits but is also linked to supporting

5. Eat colourful foods – each food group has different support functions but to boost immunity opt for naturally purple/blue foods as these are high in anthocyanins which promotes the growth of good bacteria

your immune system due to a temporary increase in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria 10. Sleep – sleep is when we do our repair and recovery and poor sleep weakens our immune system. The link between

Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus which promote

sleep and health is quite complex, but it’s crucial!

the growth of good bacteria Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus 6. Eat turmeric – turmeric contains curcumin, along with being anti-inflammatory and a good anti-oxidant this also inhibits the growth of bad bacteria

Louise Mercieca Free radical - note one electron from a pair is missing!

Healthy cell with 4 pairs of electrons

The Health Kick Louise is an award-winning Nutritional Therapist, award-winning author and presenter on her own Food Channel for Early Years Nutrition. Whilst she is passionate about formative nutrition, she mainly works with adults on preventative nutrition. How can we use food instead of eventually needing medicine!? There

Antioxidant - has lots of spare electrons to donate to stop the free radical

are lots of confusing, contradictory and often, misplaced advice in the world of nutrition. Louise aims to make the message clear - food and health are intrinsically linked! 07557 343 896 louise@thehealthkick.co.uk thehealthkick.co.uk

This rather simplistic image represents the electron donation

8 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

The Business Bulletin

Mind your language! If somebody else spoke to you the way you speak to yourself – how would you feel about that person?

It’s all about suggestion.

If you wouldn’t like someone else

without even realising we are doing

speaking to you that way, why do

it. Read on to explore the power and

Suggestions are around us all the

you speak to yourself that way? The

impact of positive language and

time. Some blatant as a billboard

language we use is powerful. The way

some simple changes you can make

advertising your favourite ‘fast food’

we speak has the ability to influence

which can have a profound impact.

and some more subtle that you may

people and to produce results from ourselves and others that wouldn’t otherwise happen. Yet so often we use it to create results which are not what we would choose, normally

not even see as a suggestion. They

Positive language is about choosing words which focus on the outcome you desire rather than on

all have the power to influence us. Imagine yourself walking into a room

avoiding the undesirable. It’s not about lying to yourself and saying everything is fine when it’s not. It’s about directing your attention, and that of others, toward ideal outcomes and how to achieve them.

Expectations influence results. Duncan Price Mind Affinity The mind is an amazing thing and as humans we can be really creative in finding new ways to use it to hold ourselves back. Though Mind Affinity, Duncan helps people to empower themselves by accepting and understanding their own mind better and using that very same power to achieve more and feel better. Duncan has spent over fifteen years working with people to turn their challenges into the very thing that moves them forward without the need to fight constantly against themselves to get there.

There have been many studies showing that when people believe themselves to be ‘lucky’ they are more likely to spot opportunities that those considering themselves ‘unlucky’ miss. As Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.” It’s easy to talk about belief and share a positive quote, but the key to creating a shift in those beliefs lies within the language we use.

Specialising in confidence, anxiety and sleep, Duncan isn’t here to help you, he’s here to empower you to help yourself. 07840829758 duncan@mindaffinity.co.uk mindaffinity.co.uk

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 9

The Business Bulletin

full of people you know. Someone

to not kick off their boots and they

3. Never say never

turns to you and says “Hi, you look

go ahead and do just that. If we talk

great!” I reckon you’d respond quite

about how cozy their feet must feel

Similar to always, ‘never’ feels very

positively, maybe even just imagining

in those boots, they are far more

that made you smile a little? Image the

likely to keep those boots on. This is

same situation but someone asks “Are

all easy for me to say, as someone

you okay? You look tired.” Instantly, you

who has studied human behaviour

4. Try not to try

are likely to feel more tired. It’s almost

and psychology with over 15 years

When you talk about things you did in

as if you do a mental scan of your body

of practice in empowering people

the past you say you did them, when

looking for signs that you are tired

through the use of language but

you talk about things that didn’t work

(but ignoring the signs that you are

I want to make it easy for you to

out you may say you tried them. Why

awake as irrelevant to the statement).

improve without the years of training

put the expectation of failure into

You likely end up feeling worse and

and experience.

your future? We all have a friend that

probably more tired. In both of those examples above, the person speaking to you influenced using ‘suggestions’ with their choice of words (even if they didn’t mean to). Of course, someone you know has more impact than a billboard and the closer they are to you, the more impact they have. Your parents growing up, for example, probably had a greater impact with their words and actions as did anyone you gave ‘authority’ to. But there is one person whose opinions have more impact on you than anyone else: YOU. When your language and the way that you speak to yourself spurs you on and encourages action you’re more likely to achieve far more than if you are pulling yourself down, beating yourself up and telling yourself you’ll never make it. Because your own voice is internal,

right? Follow Yoda’s advice on this one.

1. Don’t say don’t

to improve your language but

This is probably the simplest and most powerful change you can make to your language. Every time you say ‘don’t’ you are focusing on the very thing that you don’t want rather than the outcome you desire. For example, stop saying “Don’t Forget” and replace it with “Remember to…” It’s amazing the difference this small change can have. “Don’t run” becomes “Slow down” and “Don’t think about that pink elephant…” (you just thought of one, right?) Becomes “focus on this red hammer” instead (made you forget about the elephant again… until you read this sentence). There are other ‘don’t words’ too, like “stop” for example. Anything that leads to you focusing on the thing you DON’T want can be instantly improved by changing it to

having ten other people following

the thing you DO want.

you around repeating those words back to you. Would you be able to

2. Always avoid always

complete a task to your best ability

Always is an absolute. The implication

The thing is, we often use

tendency to project this into the future.

Here are my top tips to improving your language:

words that other people use. It’s like

talking you down and berating you?

talking about the past, our mind has a

will “try and make it” but not turn up,

it has far more power than the

with a group of people around you

permanent and so, even if we are

being that if you have ‘always’ struggled with this or ‘always’ been bad at that, you always will be. This is only true if

language patterns that hold us back

you choose it to be. You could decide

without even realise that we are

to turn that around and continue to

doing it. Like when we tell a toddler

get better at those things instead.

10 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

These are guidelines not rules. Use them to highlight opportunities remember…no-one ever beat themselves up into being nicer to themselves. If you notice you said “don’t forget” instead of focusing on remembering. Pause, smile and repeat the sentence in a positive way instead. Celebrating that you’ve noticed the opportunity to improve is far better than telling yourself off for the mistake. Mistakes are how you learn and each time you correct your language you are making it easier to notice and correct it in the future too.

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The impact of a pandemic to learning The arrival of COVID-19 on our shores has meant that many businesses and organisations were turned upside down. There was the first ‘lockdown’ when no one seemed to know what was happening and the understandable concerns about what was going to happen.

We also remember acts of selfishness

people offering to shop and collect

of many face-to-face interactions such

such as empty supermarket shelves

medication for their vulnerable

as meetings and training.

where people were ‘panic buying’

neighbours. It did seem that there

and you could not get some basic

was a greater community spirit

essentials like flour, eggs, pasta and

generating despite the worry.

even toilet rolls.

The Coronavirus crisis had

From our own experience this led to many clients cancelling training which was already planned and training proposals for new clients

led to many employers being

being put on hold indefinitely. We

overshadowed by the great acts

understandably concerned about the

strongly believed that whilst the

of kindness we also witnessed, like

welfare of their staff and the cessation

response to the pandemic did

However, this must not be

The Business Bulletin

require a measured approach by

feel fresher. They haven’t had to fight

business to keeping employees safe,

through traffic to get to work and can

businesses still need to function. We

train in the comfort of their own home.

became strong advocates that the time spent away from each other in the workplace should be used wisely and there had to be a recognition that as social animals we still needed to have social interactions and that staff development is still crucially important. Although face-to-face training in a room was not allowed, recommended or viable, there are of course still ways that people could access learning. At the same time also remaining in contact with their colleagues as they worked from home or were on furlough. This was proved correct, in that many training providers decided to move to virtual delivery with great success.

More importantly, where people are continuing to work from home, they feel a greater sense of belonging and part of their organisation. So in that sense what learners have lost in camaraderie in a classroom setting

Garry is an internationally recognised

of connectivity.

trainer and public speaker. He’s been

It has been quoted that due to the Coronavirus pandemic a huge global experiment has been forced on teaching and learning. It will also take time until we really know the true impact of this experiment. Businesses are also having to question where they devote their resources to help them recover and prosper and this is where online and virtual learning can help as it is often cheaper than classroom-

So, how effective is virtual and online learning compared to classroombased?

So, what about the downsides?

Recent research from IBM found

ensuring that online and virtual

that students learnt five times more

learning is effective is internet

material from doing online learning

connectivity coupled with hardware

than traditional face-to-face courses.

and software capability. In some

including; because they have full control over their own learning and they could in some instances learn at their own pace where the material was all delivered online. Online learning also tends to be shorter, so people can gain much more immediate rewards for their time commitment. It should also be viewed as a greener option as learners are not jumping in their cars and driving to the learning venue.

Diversiti UK

they have gained from a greater sense

based learning.

They assert many reasons for this,

Garry Connor

helping businesses to recognise their potential and grow their businesses for over 25 years, enabling them to recognise good equality practice. This in turn ensures they can uncover the potential within their employees. He specialises in creating and delivering tailor-made learning and development programmes to improve workforce efficiency, creativity, productivity and workplace inclusiveness. He has the unique ability to demystify equality law and explain it in a way that is accessible to everyone. 0777 9855724 garryconnor@diversiti.uk

One of the greatest challenges to

respects this can unfortunately create a two-tier system where the larger companies are more able to afford the very latest technology than SMEs. Whilst software for conference calls and meetings has improved dramatically in the last year it can still have its issues such as handling large class sizes. Interaction with the learners is key for a teacher or trainer and being able to gauge whether they are interested and engaged on the subject is crucial. Virtual learning can impede this as learners may have their cameras off, thus it is difficult to

People will often say that they

judge non-verbal communication or

feel more comfortable now, learning

they may be reluctant to speak again

via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or doing

making it more difficult for the trainer

their learning entirely online as they

to measure learning.

12 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

diversiti.uk

So, what does this mean for the future of learning? There is a definite shift in how businesses see learning in the future and having seen how it can work many are choosing to carry on with online and virtual delivery. That is not to say that classroombased learning won’t happen in the future. But the trend is definitely moving in the other direction. I am convinced that virtual learning is here to stay and will become more and more popular as time goes on.

The Business Bulletin

Taking the fear out of conflict

Do you fear conflict? Most of us do in some way, shape or form but through my work with teams I have seen the real power that healthy conflict can have and I am on a mission to help take some of the sting out of conflict by changing people’s perception of it. In this article I hope to take away

“To effectively communicate, we must realize

some of the negativity around conflict

that we are all different in the way we perceive

just another part of life and you can

the world and use this understanding as a

and help you to understand it is handle it.

guide to our communication with others.”

Conflict is inevitable!

– Tony Robbins

We all have different opinions, tastes, experiences and circumstances, and

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 13

The Business Bulletin

these all affect how we see the world

He starts with Certainty – the need

about the world around us, ourselves

and therefore the decisions and

to know that you can avoid pain and

and our capabilities. For some the

choices we make.

enjoy pleasure – anything that puts this

need to learn more and grow is very

at risk will cause you fear. We all like to

strong and will always be a driver for

know that we can avoid pain and have

them. Again removing the ability or

some control over that element of our

perceived ability to continue to grow

life. If you are working or living in an

and learn can cause conflict for people

environment that does not give you

who have this as a core need.

How often have you met someone and thought “wow you see the world exactly the same way I do”? Rarely! So, if we are always at odds with one another, why is it that we struggle with conflict so much? Simply put it is fear, a fear of losing what we have or of not being good enough, of losing face or being laughed at. There are many things we fear. Many of you may be familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which detailed the things we need to have to feel fulfilled as humans. Tony Robbins has created a list of 6 basic human needs which arguably drills down a little closer on those needs. Each of the 6 will have different significance for different people but all are present in all of us.

that certainty or challenges it, you will react and usually you will react badly. If your actions or the environment threaten people’s certainty you will get into conflict. Interestingly secondly, we have Uncertainty and Variety – we as

improve their wellbeing. Her focus is a combination of coaching, mentoring and facilitation and she can tailor the program to the needs of your business. She enjoys working with newly formed teams, established team or teams who

working with a higher purpose or for a company with a strong community or

reality, we all need to feel that things

ethical purpose is very important.

are changing or moving forward. We

guide to the things we all need to feel

explore the world and find out more,

good and happy about life and how

that is why and how we have evolved,

easy it is to upset any of these needs.

it’s part of what makes us human.

We each value these needs with

Removing or not providing these

differing levels of priority which is why

stimuli will cause conflict.

the phrase “treat others how you want

07970 002129 mhairi.richardson@tomrom.co.uk tomrom.co.uk

People want different things and what is good for you may not be acceptable for them. Conflict comes when one, some or all of these needs are threatened or

causes a great deal of conflict, often

the perception is that they are under

because it is not immediately obvious

threat. Once we start to understand

as we will mask or hide this need.

that, we can start to deconstruct the

Fourth we have Connection and Love – the need to feel a strong bond or closeness to someone or something. While this is more likely to cause conflict in your personal life than at work it is still very much worth attachments to elements of their job,

high performing teams.

to be treated” doesn’t work for me.

is important to us. This is an area that

Mhairi is also a coach with a strong SME level of emotional intelligence and a

Hopefully you now have a clear

are a curious species that wants to

considering. People can form strong

strong desire to develop talent and grow

with Maslow’s Self-actualisation and

people are resistant to change but in

just feel they should be achieving more. background, a focus on the detail, a high

our communities. This aligns well

and to explore the unknown. Many

many of us do not want to admit this

on building trust within the team and

the world a better place and serve

can be. For some, the need to be

this is key to who we are however

teams to help them achieve more and

is their core need. We want to make

need to experience a level of change

important or needed. Like it or not

Mhairi specialises in coaching

all have this within us but for some it

the need to be the absolute best we

– the need to feel unique, special,

Mhairi Richardson

need to give or serve the world. We

humans need to be stimulated, we

Up next, we have Significance

Tomrom Team Coaching

Finally, we have Contribution – the

conflict and find ways to reassure people or make them feel more at ease. Sometimes it is hard to take the heat out of conflict situations but if you keep your cool, I guarantee they will calm down. Start by listening and asking simple questions. Do not react to what is being said,

workplace and colleagues that will

simply take it in and hear what is

cause pain if removed or broken.

being said.

Next up is Growth – this represents

Most conflict escalates because

our desire to increase our capacity,

what we hear triggers fear or

capability or understanding. As with

resentment in ourselves and so we

uncertainty and variety as a species we

become defensive or feel antagonised.

need to be stimulated and are curious

Stay calm and listen, your time will

14 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

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come but for now all focus should be on letting them have their say.

■ Significance – Do they feel unheard, or that someone is getting better treatment than

Don’t make an ASS out of U and ME! Do not assume you know how or what they feel but listen to what they are saying and the words they use to describe the issue. This is not the time for you to pander to your own ego. Now try and see if you can work out which of the needs are being threatened or put at risk. ■ Certainty – Do they feel anxious about their future or safety? ■ Uncertainty and variety – Are

them? ■ Love and connection – Do they feel neglected and uncared for or about? ■ Growth – Do they feel under challenged or bored? ■ Contribution – Do they disagree with the values put forward, is there an issue of ethics for them? While these are just a few examples it will help you to feel that you are listening and understanding a little

they being asked to work alone

better. This in turn will help them to

or on a repetitive task?

open up about the issue that caused

the conflict and take a big step towards a resolution. So that’s it, conflict is inevitable but if you remain calm and listen you are halfway to a resolution. Don’t be afraid, it’s just another conversation and the less preconceived ideas you have and the more you listen the better the outcome will most likely be.

The Business Bulletin

Leadership in a chaotic, complex and changing world Today’s business leaders are facing an unprecedented level and pace of change, with many of the challenges encountered being quite different in their systemic nature from those in the past.

Most businesses are struggling with

the biggest mistake that leaders

transformation, increasing global

make is to waste time trying to stop,

competition and changing customer

avoid or slow change down, only to

expectations. This is why there is now a

end up being crushed by it.

dawning realisation amongst forwardthinking leaders that traditional

Barbara Armstrong OBE P three business development Barbara is a successful business consultant and leadership coach, with a proven track record in helping entrepreneurs and leaders achieve more. Over the past 30 years, she has gained invaluable experience as a CEO and managing director. During that time, she faced all the challenges that come with starting and growing a business. Barbara has learned how to overcome these

methods and models of leadership are inadequate for the disruptive business environment we now face. Which means that a new way of leading is needed for this new context. Yet, while businesses need leaders to be skilled at leading change, the reality is that most have no training or experience of what it takes to lead change confidently and successfully.

SMEs and larger organisations meet

Six vital elements for successful change

those challenges themselves.

We all know that change is a

hurdles to build a strong, sustainable business. She uses this expertise to help

0116 279 6707 barbara@pthreebusiness.com pthreebusiness.com

However, despite this knowledge,

potential disruptors, including digital

For almost three decades I have helped business owners and senior leaders to successfully lead change by skilfully solving problems and making consistently great decisions when facing rapid, disruptive, unpredictable change. Based on this experience I have identified six vital areas of focus for confidently leading a business, department or team through change. Below is a brief explanation of each of the six areas and what you, as a change leader, need to do at each stage:

phenomenon that has and will

Analyse

always exist. And every change gives

No business ever achieved peak

rise to events that can either be

performance without facing and

problems or opportunities.

overcoming problems. The struggle

16 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

The Business Bulletin

for success IS a struggle with

Aim

Assign

problems. And as I said earlier,

Once you have your comprehensive

Another mistake that many leaders

list of your business-specific problems,

make is to take a “one size fits all”

you may want to take immediate

approach to problem solving. They

action to solve these problems, but

either try to do it all by themselves or

this is precisely where most change

completely delegate responsibility.

efforts fail!

Here are two tried and tested options

problems are caused by change and change is inevitable. But there are problems… and then there are problems! Some problems threaten your very survival, while others can bring amazing opportunities. So, the secret of success is in

Because something is missing from the equation – an understanding of

that have been proven to work over and over again.

understanding which categories your

Business Lifecycle Stages and how

problems fall into and knowing the

this directly affects the capacity of the

and needs immediate attention

right approach for solving them.

business to solve the problems you

and action. You must assign the

have identified.

responsibility for solving this to one

Analyse is about stepping back

Firstly, if the problem is urgent

from the day-to-day reacting and fire

Aim is all about aiming to be at

person. But… this does not have to be

fighting, so that you can gain absolute

your peak which is the lifecycle stage

you – just because you are the leader.

clarity about which problems to

called PRIME.

This can be anyone in the business

tackle, in what order and how. The

that has the capacity and capability to

You can find out how near or

effectively solve the problem.

best way to do this is to bring together

far away you are from PRIME by

people from different levels of the

understanding whether the problems

Secondly, if the problem is not

business to identify all of the problems

you face are normal or abnormal

urgent and there is time for creative

you are facing. This way, you will have

problems that impede your success.

thinking and exploring options, then

a comprehensive, business-specific list

Understanding this means you focus

you must assign the problem to a

of the issue you need to address and

your energies and efforts in the right

team. A team that is brought together

that will help to bring focus and clarity

place so that you are actions deliver

from different levels and areas of

to your change strategy.

the biggest results.

the business AND they must have

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 17

The Business Bulletin

Adapt And the sixth area of focus is Adapt.

But there are problems… and then there are problems! Some problems threaten your very survival, while others can bring amazing opportunities.

In reality this is the bridge back to Analyse, the first area of focus in successful change leadership, because change is never a never-ending cycle. As I said earlier, no business ever succeeded without continually and consistently addressing the problems caused by change. As change creates more change and more problems, your role as a leader is to stay ahead of and anticipate change. You do this by repeating the Analyse stage of the change process. The good news is that once you have mastered these elements, you will always have the tools you need to meet any new challenges that arise and, even better, you

authority to make decisions about the

Arrange

best way to solve the problem.

The penultimate area of focus is

This approach means that, as a

Arrange. It is important not to rush into

leader, you are not under constant

changing the organisational structure

pressure of being the person to

too early in your change journey,

solve every problem and it is a great

resulting in people feeling insecure

opportunity for others in the business

and frustrated, leading to a negative

to apply their knowledge, skills and

culture, conflict and poor performance.

expertise effectively.

This is not the way to make best use of people’s skills and talents.

Align

It may sound paradoxical, but

The fourth area to focus on is Align.

structure should be one of the last

Treating change as a one-off project

things you tackle when faced with

that has no connection to the business

change for two reasons:

strategy or day-to-day operations is a recipe for disaster because change impacts every area of your business and it is impossible to make or implement the right decisions if your strategies are not aligned. Alignment is achieved by bringing together strategic, operational and change leadership roles to make and implement decisions. This way you are operating in a holistic, big picture way and it frees up time, energy and resources to focus on grasping the new opportunities

Firstly, you cannot decide on structure before you know what problems you need to solve. Secondly, to develop and sustain peak performance during change, you need to create a flexible and innovative environment for people to flourish in i.e. having a positive organisational culture. In the words of Peter Drucker: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast, operational excellence for lunch and everything else for dinner.”

that also come with change.

18 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

will progressively find that you will become quicker and more effective at applying this knowledge, which means that you will free up time, energy and resources in your team and the business to focus on development, growth and innovation. Not only will this give you a competitive advantage, but it will also give you the tools you need to confidently and consistently succeed when leading change, particularly in a complex, chaotic and changing world.

Business benefits of employee training Many small business owners don’t prioritise training, and it’s easy to see why…

■ Training involves costs in terms

the benefits to the business actually

one way or another is both the main

of time and money which place

are can be quite convincing when

impetus for training, and hopefully the

a strain on a small organisation.

considering whether investing in

most significant benefit. But what does

developing your employees is a good

improved performance actually mean,

business decision.

and how does it benefit your business?

“What if we train our employees and they leave? What if we don’t and they stay?“

and knowledge required to carry out

■ Employees miss time at work and either have to be replaced or don’t get their work done. ■ You might be paying employees for hours you can’t bill out to a client which you otherwise perhaps might be doing. There are ways to reduce the costs

which means increased productivity, fewer mistakes and improved quality. All of which have an impact on competitive advantage.

1.Improved performance

most business owners do have

Improving employee performance in

good thing, thinking about what

their role to the best of their ability

your bottom line and gives you a

of training, but actually, although a general sense that training is a

It means giving your team the skills

It means enabling employees to take on additional responsibilities, making the team more flexible and efficient, able to cover for each other.

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 19

Spotllight on…

The Business Bulletin

In turn, it means that internal promotion in the event of an employee leaving or new roles coming up is far more likely to happen, and to be successful when it does, saving you the recruitment costs and lost productivity that usually comes with external appointments. It means addressing weaknesses in the team and in individual employees quickly and effectively, bringing the performance of the team to a higher level overall. Addressing weaknesses with effective training reduces the likelihood of a need for going through procedures for managing poor performance, which can drain management time and have a negative impact on the team. It makes life easier for your managers, reducing the amount of time they need to spend supervising, correcting mistakes and dealing with poor performance, enabling them to spend more time concentrating on activities which will take your business to the next level.

2. Employee engagement

reduce the likelihood of expensive

Employees who are being developed

claims in this area, while good

feel valued and motivated and become engaged in their job and invested in their employer. This means improved rates of retention, which keeps valuable knowledge and skills in

management training will reduce the risk of constructive dismissal claims from staff who are being poorly managed. So now I’ve convinced you of the

your business, and saves enormously

business benefits of developing your

on time and money involved in

employees and looking forward to

recruitment and training new staff.

improved performance, engagement

Engaged employees go the extra mile, putting in extra hours at busy times, and being more willing to be

and an enhanced business reputation, you need a training strategy. A training strategy may sound

flexible when necessary, both of which

rather grand in a small business but

can be a lifesaver in a small business.

developing one will ensure that the training you invest in is as effective

3. PR benefits

as it can be. A strategy will ensure

Having a reputation as a business

valuable resources are directed in

which invests in its employees, and places value on high quality training pays dividends. It improves your attractiveness as a potential employer and increases the pool of high quality candidates available to you when recruiting. It also enhances your reputation among customers and potential customers. They may not only feel reassured as to quality of product or service they will receive, but may also prefer dealing with an

exactly the right place and in the right way, and that the training you invest in has the most significant impact on your organisation’s performance that it could possibly have, so it’s worth spending some time on.

You can develop a simple training strategy for your business by asking yourself just three questions:

organisation who values its employees for ethical reasons.

1. What training do you need? You need to analyse what training

Sue Pardy Face2FaceHR Sue is a highly competent and knowledgeable HR consultant with over 20 years’ experience gained in both public and private sectors across a

4. Reduced legal vulnerability

needs your business has. This

Disputes or legal action can have a

information could come from a

severe impact on a small business and good quality training can help avoid these. Your business may need to comply with industry regulations in terms of quality, production methods

wide range of industries including retail,

or health and safety, and ensuring all

insurance, financial services, professional

relevant staff are fully trained in these

services, education and charities. She now works with SMEs across all industries providing practical and affordable HR support. Her ethos is to ensure that all support is tailored to each business as one size does definitely not fit all. 07936 663314 sue.pardy@face2facehr.com face2facehr.com

is essential. Regardless of specific industry requirements, good quality health and safety training can reduce the likelihood of expensive legal claims in terms of possible personal injury

variety of sources, including manager/ employee feedback, performance reviews, customer surveys or similar. You need to identify where you have skills gaps and which employees would benefit from additional knowledge in certain areas. You may be considering changes in operating procedures, new equipment or developing the business in a new direction, all of which will mean you have training needs.

claims by staff or even customers. Training in awareness of diversity/

2. How will you deliver it?

equality, bullying and harassment

Training could be delivered internally

and similar workplace issues will

or externally, and could be through a

20 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

The Business Bulletin

variety of methods, including formal

Think about how you are going

training courses, coaching/mentoring,

to find out how well the training

online resources or job shadowing.

worked both in terms of immediate

How you deliver your various training needs will depend on a number of factors including resources available, planning the delivery effectively will ensure the most appropriate and effective method is used.

effectiveness on the knowledge/skill levels of staff and in terms of longerterm impact on performance, and put in place a strategy to analyse and monitor both of these.

this information in order that you can amend the strategy as needed. Similarly, if a training intervention has been particularly successful, and had a significantly higher impact than you may have anticipated, you need to know this so that you can expand on it and use it elsewhere.

It sounds obvious, but once you’ve written your training strategy, it’s time

3. How will you make sure it’s

to actually put it into practice. Get

working?

it going, even if it’s not completely

Learning which isn’t transferred into

perfect, and then set a date to review

the workplace effectively is a waste of time and money, so you need to

it, amend it and update it. New training needs may arise

ensure your training strategy includes

and these need to be taken into

this. When planning how to deliver

account and addressed. If aspects

the needs you have, consider how

of your training strategy haven’t

well the various types of learning will

worked as well as you would have

transfer into real jobs in a real team.

liked, it’s crucial to ensure you have

Is Your Business Ready? We live in changing times New business practices Ever changing technologies New and changing markets

Is your business ready to face these and other challenges? At QRB we offer a range of training and coaching services for you and your teams to adapt and adopt to your changing environment We help your people plan, monitor and adapt changes to your business to help you achieve better, smarter and more structured ways of working

PRINCE2 PRINCE2 Agile AgilePM

Change Management ITIL4 Service Management

Put your teams through a real working simulation so they can practice their new skills in safe environments and embed their new knowledge and learning. All our consultants are experienced practitioners in their field. Bringing real life examples to embellish the core material and facilitate the learning of the group.

The Business Bulletin

Living on the frontier I’ve been running small businesses now for over 20 years – both my own and other people’s. And two things have struck me in that time…

One is that if you’ve never run a small business, then please don’t try and tell people who do, how to do it.

don’t know what to do for the best! When it goes well you can sleep at

thrilling, energising and rewarding. The other thing is, it’s easy to

night, buy extra gifts for your children,

think a lot of the leadership and

whatever. And when it goes wrong,

management and business books

you’re really not sure who is in control.

you lose everything. There is no

aren’t for you. They’re for big

One minute you’re so busy you don’t

redundancy pay, sometimes no sick

businesses. And often they are. But

know what to do first and the next

pay either depending on how small

we are a small business and we’ve

everything has gone so quiet you

your business is. Despite that, it’s

just had our first book published and

I say it’s akin to riding a tiger –

22 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

The Business Bulletin

we think it applies to us and to other small businesses so we’d like to share some thoughts from it. It’s called the Seven Steps to Frontier Leadership and it talks about how all of us as leaders, both in our businesses and in our communities, need to try and think very differently given the levels of change that are happening in the world; and are going to happen for

What’s the one thing you think will never change about your business?

some time to come.

So based on our steps here are some thoughts for you: Context

customers. It’s not going to help if you

believe in them and let them show

go around like the proverbial lord of

you how great they are. If you’re not

the manor. Business doesn’t work that

all about customer service – put

way anymore – your customers may

the power and money and the best

be able to go directly to your suppliers;

people wherever your why is.

your colleagues could start their own

Your business can be and will be

businesses (yes, even if they are family)

affected by things that happen on

and you may struggle without your

the other side of town, the other side

suppliers. We have to collaborate as

of the county, the other side of the

much as we compete.

So there you have it – some tips from our seven steps. Yes, we know it’s simple, but don’t underestimate how hard it is to do all that.

country, or the other side of the world. Try and take the time to keep an

Where am I going?

eye on the wider trends in the world

Think about why you are running

and identify the things that may well impact on your business.

your business as much as where you want to get to. The ‘why’ is the lifeblood of your business, it’s what

I believe

will sustain and nurture it when

What’s the one thing you think will

times get hard and will enable it to

never change about your business? Now ask yourself what would happen

flourish when it’s doing well and stop you getting greedy.

The Red Thread Partnership

if it did. Really challenge your thinking. Too many of us assume that tomorrow

What’s it like?

is going to be the same as yesterday

What’s it like working in your

and don’t give it a second thought. Try giving it one.

Adrian Spurrell Adrian has a strong belief that people have the capacity to change and excel

business? Is it a nice place to work, do you and your colleagues come in

but frequently their existing beliefs and habits get in the way. His focuses on attitudinal and behavourial change by

happy and go home happier? Well

getting people to explore their current

What I do

they should. You’re at work for a lot

context, their belief and the behaviours

What are all the little ways you help

of your life, so why not make it an

your business succeed and all the little ways you hold your business back? We

enjoyable experience – even if it is really hard work?

leadership development workshops,

is a good starting place – how do you

Put your money where your why is!

really make decisions? And is that a

If you want to delight your customers,

My role

on a one-to-one basis leaders; top team coaching and development; facilitating

find thinking about decision making

good way to do it?

those beliefs drive. His experience is extensive and broad including: working

developing the management skills of line managers and broadly based culture change projects for public and private

give the power to the people who

organisations, with people at all grades

look after your customers and get

and from diverse countries.

the best people. Let them give

OK so it’s your business. But

customers rebates, if it’s necessary to

it wouldn’t work without your

sooth ruffled feathers. They shouldn’t

colleagues, your suppliers and your

need to have to ask you; trust them,

07530 663543 adrian@the-redthread.co.uk the-redthread.co.uk

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 23

The Business Bulletin

How do I put together an exit strategy for my business? Most business owners are passionate about their businesses and love being involved in growing and developing their companies. At some point though you will need/want to exit your business, so you will need an exit strategy. What’s one of those?

An exit strategy is a plan that you put in place with the ultimate goal of removing yourself from the business, after all you are going to have to ‘retire’ at some point aren’t you? So, how do you put a plan together? The best place to start is with your end goal and then work backwards.

Step one – start with your exit date? Look ahead 5, 10 or 20 years in the future, or maybe less if you have left it a bit late. Having an exit date will help you to start to think about what you want to do with the business and what you will need to have in place to allow that to happen.

Step two – decide what you want to do with your business? ■ Is a Management Buy Out (MBO) right for your business? If this is your exit plan then you need to think about the steps you’ll have to have in place in order to make it work. The starting point is to make sure you have a strong senior leadership team in place. Doing this will allow your team to gain valuable experience before they take over, and you’ll be on hand should they need advice. With the day to day tasks covered,

24 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

you’ll also be able to finalise your exit strategy in detail. ■ Do your children wish to take over? Whilst this might be your preferred solution, my advice is not to let your heart rule your head. If they’re already working in the business and have a good

The Business Bulletin

working relationship with the

where you want to be. Taking on a

to provide them with an overview of

team then this may be simple. If

general manager will require there to

how you expect to repay them.

however they’re not involved, how

be money in the business to pay their

will you introduce them? After all

wages. If you’ve decided to sell the

for the business to continue to

business then you’ll need to ensure

run successfully after you leave,

you have something of value you can

you need them to be able to

sell. This may be your client base and

build a good working relationship

income/profit, perhaps intellectual

with the existing staff.

property, maybe it’s machinery or a

■ Employ a general manager and keep the company. If you want to use your business as a possible pension pot this could be a good option. Taking on a general manager to do the day to day running of the company provides you with a safe pair of hands who can take the helm, and relieve you of the day to day running of the business. You might wish to take on the role of Chairman or Non-Executive Director, providing guidance when required for which you might be paid a dividend. ■ Sell and walk away. This may be the best option if you don’t

manufacturing process.

Step four – prepare your finances You need to put together an accurate account of both your personal and professional finances. This will do 2 things, enable you to consider what you need to exit the business and provide you with the lifestyle you deserve and what potential value there is in your business. Thinking about this at the start of your planning process will help you to take the actions you need take to increase or add value to the business.

you to have built up value in

If your plan is for there to be a

sell it. You can choose to use an intermediary to help you to get the best price. You may need to make changes to your business in order to get the best price.

need to inform your employees. This is likely to be emotional on both sides and something that needs to be prepare for any potential questions they might have.

Step eight - let your customers know Again this is something that needs to be done in a thought-through and considered manner. If you’re stepping down then it’s important to ensure that you introduce your clients and customers to your replacement and reassure them that the business is set to continue in the same way as before. If you are going to be closing your business then

business onto. It will still require the business so that you can

Once you’ve finalised your plans you’ll

handled sensitively. It is vital that you

Step five – develop your leadership team

have a anyone you can hand the

Step seven – tell your employees

management buyout or to put a

thank them for their support over the years and if possible refer them on to other businesses or services who might be able to help them in the same way that you have.

general manager in place to take over you’re going to need to ensure you have the right people in the right places to ensure a smooth hand over. It’s never too early to start planning who you want in key roles. A strong

Step three – how healthy is your business?

leadership team is vital, you also need

Before you start making your plans, it’s

added benefit of enabling you to free

important to get an objective overview of how fit for purpose your business is. This will look at the four key areas of

to start delegating elements of your role to them, this will also have the up time to finalise your exit strategy.

systems. You need to have this so that you can achieve the most value for

The next step is for you to speak to your

your business. This process will also help you

ActionCoach Kathy’s passion is working with owners of successful small to medium sized companies. She can help you to

Step six – speak to investors

your business time, team, money and

Kathy Bassett

bridge the gap between where you are now and where you really want to be, whether it be to grow your business long

stakeholders and investors. You need to inform them of your wish to leave the

to see which areas will need to be

business and outline the plan you have

worked on in order to get you to

in order to achieve this. You’ll also need

term, or to implement an exit strategy. 07952 112432 kathybassett@actioncoach.com actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/kathy-bassett

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 25

The Business Bulletin

You have the power, be brave and say “No”! The inspiration for this article came from my dog and her refusal to take no for an answer when eyeing up some sausages on the table. I remembered my dog trainer reminding me of the need to be the boss and be clear and assertive to get the message across that no meant no.

Now I’m not suggesting that you talk to other people like you talk to the dog but the underlying principle of being clear and assertive could save you a lot of time and trouble. I did a quick list off the top of my head of some of the times as a boss you need to say no. I’ve added some of the consequences that a simple clear no could have avoided. I expect you could add a few more examples quite easily. ■ Cold callers. They just keep

What’s your next excuse going

to make a decision they are

to be? “The cat died”

conceding that you have

■ Requests to sponsor. Everyone has their favourite charity who all run events and it’s “only a tenner”. How deep are your pockets? ■ Staff requests. From leaving early to coming in late. Lastminute days off or holiday. Who picks up their workload? Is it you or do you pile it onto

you on their list to phone again.

someone else’s desk who then

Or worse you end up agreeing

makes a request of their own?

to see them knowing you’re not going to buy which leads to the next item ■ Sales meeting. You’re not

■ Partners or managers. Agreeing a purchase over budget or a last-minute good idea they had which meant

going to buy but agree to a

they didn’t need to say no

follow-up call which you then

themselves to the cold caller.

have to field or more usually get someone to say “you’re in a meeting” which leads to a further call down the line. This can go on for months. ■ Invitations. To events you don’t want to attend. Now you’re saddled with making an excuse at the last moment. “a client had an emergency” . Never mind, you’re on their list so will get invited next time.

■ Informal recruitment. My Mum/son/friend can do that for you, even though they have no experience in that area. If any of this rings true then maybe it’s time to be clearer and more assertive. Here are some stages to work through to help you using examples drawn from the list. 1. Be in the right mind set. If this person is asking you

26 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

the right to say “no” as well as saying “yes”. You have the power, so use it wisely. 2. Prepare in advance. Many of these decisions you can pre-empt with a little forethought and some simple policies. For example if you have policies around flexible working, how to book holidays, compassionate leave, etc. How is cover arranged? Does your receptionist have instructions on how to handle cold callers? Have you a process for requests over and

The Business Bulletin

above the agreed budget?

that you’ll most likely never meet.

need for some specialist help that I

Have a company Charity of

“Leave it with me and I’ll look at it later

couldn’t give so I agreed with him to

the Year initiative.

in the year if we can afford it.”

meet a colleague of mine who could

3. Have a decision making process, even if it is in

So only add in hope if you really mean it. “I cannot justify that expense

help and we set up a date for a threeway meeting. My colleague and I duly turned up at the appointed time

your head. Take the time

at this time so my answer to your

to reflect, gather more

request is No. I would be happy to

information, and consult with

look at this again next year so factor it

others? What might seem

into your budget for next year."

sorry but Mr. F was off sick.

Be assertive.

park apologising to my colleague

Once you’ve made the decision,

peeping at us out of the side door. I

the other person. They want to know you’re taking the matter seriously. 4. Feel good about the decision even if it was hard to make and will disappoint others. Are you comfortable with your decision? What are the benefits and potential costs to you? Is it your decision or is there a little voice in the back of your head saying “this is what you should do”? So you know you want to say no

receptionist who said she was really Then whilst standing in the car

a small issue to you might be incredibly valuable to

and were met by a rather flustered

for a wasted journey I noticed Mr. F

be comfortable with it and put it across firmly. The way you do this will matter. Avoid apologising with softsoap openings like “I’m really sorry but…” or “I’d really like to but…” These phrases make people consciously or unconsciously see you as weak on this decision. They may then try to coerce

didn’t embarrass him by going back in and needless to say I didn’t make a sale either. If you find yourself doing anything close to this then please seek some coaching help around assertiveness.

you into changing your mind. Ever made a response like that to a cold caller and they immediately try to turn the conversation around countering whatever you’ve said.

and you know it’s the best decision. Now what will make a difference to the other person is the way you put it across.

Share your reason and stress your policy if in place. So that they feel that they have been

Keep it clear and unambiguous. If you avoid the direct no the chances are you will leave your requester with hope and expectations

heard. No need to go into a lot of justification. More along the lines of “I’ve heard what you’ve said but we have a commitment to another charity and no plans to change that”. To finish with, I’d just like to stress the importance of having the right mindset so you feel confident in

Jacky Sherman The Consultants’ Consultant In 2003 Jacky left as the CEO of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and set up her own coaching company. Realising she knew little about marketing she found the support and help she needed from two main sources. First she undertook formal training with Asentiv, and the other source was the willingness of other business owners she met networking, to share their knowledge

saying no. What you want to be left

and contacts with someone who was not

with at the end is the other person

a natural networker. Now semi-retired

respecting your decision. I’ll leave you with a short anecdote drawn from my own experience of cold calling which left the MD making a very poor decision through failing to say no to me in the first place.

she pays forward that generosity by mentoring others who have come out of employment as experts in their field but find that running a business at times is uncomfortable territory. She finds a way of helping the most unnatural entrepreneur build a business in a way that is natural to them.

Early in my consultancy career I bought sales appointments and as a result went to see the MD of a smallish company. He identified a

07970 638 857 jackysherman@jackysherman.com jackysherman.com

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 27

The Business Bulletin

Do coaches need supervision? Coaches are there to help you as a business leader to clarify your goals and encourage and challenge you to achieve those goals. So why would a coach need supervision? Surely if they are coaching you they have the knowledge and experience without needing someone else to provide supervision for them?

28 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

The Business Bulletin

A few issues ago, I discussed the

our own professional development

as professionals to the highest

differences between coaches, mentors

and ensure that we are expanding

standards but there is nothing

and advisors. So let’s begin with what

our thinking. It should be constructive,

quite like the constructive

coaching supervision is. The Association

supportive and, as appropriate,

sounding board of a good

for Coaching identifies supervision as “A

challenging. It encourages self-

supervisor!

collaborative solution-focused, results-

reflection and putting the work

orientated and systematic process

into ensuring that our coaching is

in which the coach facilitates the

productive for our clients.

enhancement of work performance, life experience, self-directed learning and personal growth of the coachee.”

encouragement, celebration and

supervision? I’ve found that the benefits can be numerous and often quite personalized, depending on our

coach to uncover blind spots, discover

personal and work circumstances, but

patterns of behaviour and ways of

here are some very good reasons to

being and doing which impacts on

consider it:

means clients are ultimately benefiting from the deep reflective work required in good supervision. In other words, it is about making sure that the coach is on the right track with the coachee and is guiding, supporting and challenging appropriately. Sometimes when we are working with a client we can get stuck in the detail and the current issues which can result in the bigger picture, and other potential systemic issues being left behind which could cause future problems. Alongside my coaching practice, I am also a qualified career development professional with a team supporting adults and school/college students. In March this year I worked with a colleague to produce a paper “CDI Guidance on the Benefits and Delivery of Supervision in the Career Development Sector” for the Career Development Institute. The experience of considering the importance of supervision to career development professionals was instructive for my work as a Coach and a reminder of the importance of supervision in my personal coaching practice. For many of us, whether we are

holding ourselves to high standards, coaches need

So why should we look for

Coaching supervision helps the

the success of a coach’s work. And this

■ Coach wellbeing. Alongside

appreciation too! A supervisor will have your emotional wellbeing and good health in mind. If you are a coach reading this, you will understand just how important this is.

■ Understanding ourselves.

Coaching supervision can help

Reflective practice and

bridge the gap between theory and

seeking to understand the

practice. My supervisor is someone who

wider themes of our personal

is quite literally searching for meaning

coaching approach can be transformational in terms of our ability to meet the needs of our clients. Supervision is not about

from what I am bringing to the sessions. I find that invaluable and liberating and would recommend it.

being coached by someone – it is a robust process that looks more deeply at our assumptions and helps to bring a fresh approach to our work. ■ Exploration of challenges and ethical issues. A good supervisor will be able to reframe, reflect back and bring perspective to a situation you

Rachel Mallows MBE The Mallows Company

are facing. These insights or

Rachel Mallows MBE is a

options can be helpful for us to know how to move forward and develop strategies for facing potential blocks or blind spots in our thinking in the future.

Northamptonshire businesswoman with over 30 years’ experience in delivering training, coaching, mentoring and business support. The Mallows Company provides careers guidance to adults and in schools; training, mentoring,

■ Accountability. In my

project management and consultancy

experience we know and

to SMEs and larger businesses of all sectors. Rachel was awarded the

understand as coaches when

MBE for her services to Business and

we could have asked better

Entrepreneurship in the Queen’s 90th

questions, not followed through with something or not challenged when we should

Birthday Honours List in 2016 and was made a Deputy Lieutenant for Northamptonshire in the same year.

running businesses that deliver

have done. Supervision gives

coaching or working on our own in this

a framework for keeping us

capacity, access to an experienced or

on track: we are accountable

qualified supervisor can really support

to our clients and to ourselves

01933 664437 rachel@themallowscompany.com themallowscompany.com

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 29

The Business Bulletin

Spotllight on…

Spotlight on Judith Hanson

Judith is a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist

How did you end up where you are

(DipCHyp, HPD, MNCH), Mindfulness

being arena?

today, running a business in the well-

Teacher and NLP Master Practitioner and

I had a long and towards the end, very

Coach. Her business is Therapies for the

painful career in a large corporate.

Mind. She works with her clients supporting

Fortunately I managed to be made redundant, which helped financially

them as they let go of anxiety, fear, phobias,

with starting up a business and my first business was a training business.

habits or other issues. In this article we

I had been a project manager and

learn about Judith’s business journey,

That was a very successful business

went into training project managers.

her thoughts on her industry, as well as

and was pretty lucrative. It did,

picking up some insights along the way.

country and, at times around Europe,

however, involve travelling around the or into the Republic of Ireland.

30 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

The Business Bulletin

my corporate career. On the advice of a colleague and a friend, I went off to learn NLP; eventually taking it right the way through to master practitioner. I was so amazed by the things that happened while I was doing my training - I saw every technique demonstrated and then experienced it as a practitioner and as a client. Some amazing work was done and I thought I want to get out there. At one point, I was going to cure the whole world!

We are social beings and we need to mix and hug and do all of those lovely things and people are craving that

Whilst trying to sort myself out, I learnt self-hypnosis in a weekend

Your industry is unregulated – what

because I do get clients coming to see

that to my bag of tools. I trained as

are your thoughts on that?

me who have not been served well.

a clinical hypnotherapist and as a

That’s one of my hobbyhorses so don’t

They’ve wasted their time and their

cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist.

get me going! I think the industry

I also trained as a coach as part of

should be regulated. I worry that it is

my NLP training. I am fascinated by

not; particularly with hypnotherapy. I

how the mind works (and the effect

met somebody who said “could I come

that it has on the body) and have to

and practice on you - I have done a

resist spending too much time (and

weekend course in hypnotherapy.”!

money!) learning new things. But I

My training continued probably over

am continually looking for training

a period of eight years. The NLP alone

that interests me and will add to my

was three separate programmes;

portfolio of techniques.

with five four day weekends per

course and thought I’d like to add

The amazing changes that I

money. In a few cases they have been damaged. Working with somebody who wasn’t experienced and qualified is a real worry. What type of things should people be looking for to give them some sort of degree of confidence that the person they’re potentially engaging knows what they’re doing? Look for qualifications and then look

programme and lots of work in

saw people make during my initial

between. For my hypnotherapy, I had

training got me into a new business

to do a diploma and have that marked

and I still love what I do.

and approved. I am really worried,

those qualifications up. If you get to talk to the person, ask them about their training. It worries me that people come to me having found me online but they haven’t looked me up or checked me out. So do some research - talk to several therapists because it’s not just important that they’re

I had a long and towards the end, very painful career in a large corporate

qualified, but that they’re right for you, and what they do is right for you. Don’t just pick somebody online at three o’clock in the morning when you’re feeling really bad and just go with it! What’s your “why”? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What drives you? For me it’s about the evidence. If I take an example client: somebody who could not even speak to me on the phone or drive herself to

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 31

Spotllight on…

While I was doing that, I realised how damaged I’d been by the end of

The Business Bulletin

her first appointment because of later, she was able to do all of those things, and more -she was able to go out and socialise and was able to drive wherever she wanted to. In her testimonial, she said, “You’ve given me my life back.” Now, If that doesn’t get you out of bed in the morning, nothing’s going to! It’s just a wonderful thing to be able to do. Mental health issues are on the rise

I think the industry should be regulated. I worry that it is not; particularly with hypnotherapy.

What should people do if they are struggling in life? Recently I worked with a 12-year-old

If you are struggling, the hardest step

What makes you different from your

and did some recording for a five-

of all is to admit that you are and that

from your competitors?

year-old. Both were suffering hugely

you need some help. If I’m struggling

from the effects of lockdown - being

I will turn to somebody else and I

Primarily my qualifications and my

at home and not being able to go out

obviously know lots of people in the

and play with their friends. COVID

trade. I will have a coaching session or

means we are facing a real threat,

even a therapy session. And I’ve got all

so there is good reason for being a

the tools and techniques! It’s not a sign

little bit anxious and therefore being

of weakness to ask for help. It is, in fact,

cautious. On top of that, there are the

a sign of strength that you’ve admitted

economic effect of redundancies, loss

you need some help. Once you’ve

of jobs, lack of money, etc. There are

made that hard decision, take action,

also the social impacts. We are social

but as I say, take it cautiously. Do your

beings and we need to mix and hug

research, do your due diligence. Look for

and do all of those lovely things that

the person that’s right for you and the

people have missed for a long time.

therapy that’s right for you.

years of experience - I’m up to nine now and I’ve worked with lots of people. Also the fact that I specialise - rather than trying to be all things to all people - so I decided to specialise on anxiety, fears and phobias. The two critical success factors with therapy are that the client has a belief that the therapy they’re having will help them. I can start with a tiny seed of belief and build it, but there has to be some belief there. Secondly that they are comfortable working with their therapist. What makes me stand out from the rest of the crowd is that for some people, I

Spotllight on…

her extreme anxiety. Five sessions

am the absolutely the right person. I’m not right for everybody and that’s okay. There are enough people out there that I am right for. So to repeat (because it’s really important), talk to several possible therapists. When I started my hypnotherapy business, I did a bit of market research and I rang several random people offering similar services. I got some very interesting responses and I learned a lot about how not to do it! One guy, after I’d only spoken one sentence, told me exactly what was wrong. Look out for that. Be wary of someone who thinks they can cure you with no or very little information.

32 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

Spotllight on…

The Business Bulletin

The big advantage of networking

At one point, I was going to cure the whole world!

is we’ve all been there. We all remember what it’s like, it’s not the sort of thing you forget. I have often been to networking meetings, met somebody new and offered to chat to them over the phone separately to help them; because I had a lot of

What has been your biggest

What is your top tip for business

challenge since starting your

owners?

business?

That top tip would be find help. For

The difficulty I had when I segwayed

most of us, we start as a one-man

into the new business from the old

band, and we have to do everything.

Photos courtesy of Jo Blackwell

business was that I had never had

Not only what we do, but we have to

Photography

to market myself. I left the corporate

do the financial side, the marketing

world with contacts and all the leads

side, the legal side - you can’t be an

came through referral for the training

expert in everything. What I found

business. What got my new business

with networking is that people are

off the ground was networking. I got

exceedingly generous with help.

work through people I met or referrals

When you start out, you haven’t got

from them. You do have to be patient

a lot of money. You can’t necessarily

– it took about six months before work

employ an accountant or whatever.

started to filter through. In the work I

However, people will help you or will

do, it is very personal. People have to

have low cost ways of making life

get to know and trust you.

easier for you. Don’t be afraid to ask.

help in the beginning. I know that there’s help there if I need it now. So ask for help.

Watch the interview This is an extract of a video interview – to watch the full session, visit: https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kOeS5iyhV_Y

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 33

The Business Bulletin

Are values important in business? “Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same but you leave them all over everything you do.” – Elvis Presley

Lindsey Marriott Specific Learning & Coaching Lindsey is a passionate trainer and learning consultant, driven by a firm belief that harnessing the input of clients, customers and employees and bringing those together, is the most super valuable business resource. She loves to work with organisations that move people (train/plane/airport/coach), logistics, call centres, engineering – in fact, if you rely on a remote workforce to deliver your service proposition, Lindsey understands you. Her passion comes from wanting to help your people shift from ‘process-led’ to ‘service-led’ thinking. She believes clients already have great people, services and products – and its often small adjustments or adaptations, rather than massive changes that help to realise your targets. 07778 787352 lindsey@specificlc.com specificlc.com

34 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

The Business Bulletin

What are values? Values are the things that are most important to us, they are our permissions, and they help us monitor or gauge how we feel about we’ve done. You may recognise values as the things we spend our time and energy on. We tend to focus on the things that are important to us

Why are strong and visible values important in business? other people or yourself managing teams or individuals

not important to us. Values come from

■ Aligning when talent

surroundings, environments, and live

be prepared to ask, “What else?” – there is no limit

Ask the team member…

■ Vision and direction when

and don’t focus on the things that are

do) change depending on our current

with between 5-10 values – so

■ To understand motivations of

■ Foundations of coaching

a variety of sources, and they can (and

■ Typically, people will come up

■ What do you want from your job/career/future role (your

retention and recruitment ■ Shared when team building

“two minds”.

■ Levellers when managing

about your job/career (your focused aspect)?

managing, focusing on

situations – we can sometimes be in

■ What’s important to you

focused aspect)? ■ What do you look for from your work/life balance?

conflict

Where do values initiate from: ■ Are they driven from things that directly impact our day to day – friends & family, culture & geography, religion, childhood & schooling, economics & politics, social and other media? ■ Are they made apparent by significant life events for you or

■ Life changing decision makers ■ Considerations when influencing others or selling

■ Capture and read through the team members list of values

Leaders who want to support or help team members to identify their personal career plan or growth opportunities, can use a valuesfocused conversation to create shared understanding, planning and clarity. Here are some ideas:

influenced by the values of others? The reality is that values are embedded for different reasons, in different ways and at different times for different people. However, there are two key aspects around our values – these are:

Beliefs and attitudes Beliefs are the convictions that we wholeheartedly trust as being true. These are the things that can either empower OR disempower us. They determine what we believe we can, could, can’t/shouldn’t do. Attitudes are formed as part of a collection

so far, remembering to repeat in their words ■ ASK: If you had all of this, in your career/job, would you want it all – or is anything missing that you would like to

others? ■ How much can we be

Check if anything is missing?…

add? (Amend accordingly)

Before You start… Rank…ask them to rank the values as A/B/C

■ Be clear on the context before you start. i.e. career progression, growth

1. A – absolutely, this is most

opportunities – make sure you both keep to that context

important

■ Remember, they don’t have

2. B – important but not essential

to explain or justify – just tell

3. C – nice to have but it won’t be

you what their values are

an issue if I don’t

■ Capture the team members values in their own words (and resist temptation to

Confirm…

make suggestions!)

SAY:

■ Actively and intentionally

■ So, if I could offer you a career/

listen – keep rapport and

role/job with the A and B

build trust

Values, and possibly the C

■ Pauses and silences are fine

of beliefs around a certain subject,

– this takes a lot of thinking

situation, or topic.

about

Values, would you want it? ■ If the answer is not a definite yes, ask if there is any other

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 35

The Business Bulletin

value(s) they would like to

it could be a great first step towards

employee-led development plan,

add to the list or anything you

retaining the people who really ‘fit’

utilising people’s existing strengths,

would like to re-order?

your business.

desires, and potential to build your

■ Repeat until you receive a definite yes

What’s next? This type of career development

The process is also a great way to help leaders consider what is most important in retaining great talent, and a first step to a creative succession

Personal development planning and actions/training follows, as well as

business. This naturally increases

identifying what you need to do, and

engagement, rapport, and trust.

what they need to do to move just

your business doesn’t fit with their

are not promising anything, you are supporting your team’s progress.

team potential.

the team member rather than the

Sometimes, the person may decide

right time. And don’t forget – you

plan, using different ways to unlock

conversation is heavily focused on

to leave their role if the future with

business – right people right place

one or two paces toward their desired next step. This method of career development

values, or you cannot help them move

conversation turns the traditional

towards a 3- or 5-year career plan.

talent planning process on its head,

This is not always a bad result- in fact

and moves toward a values-driven,

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The Business Bulletin

What makes a good manager? We probably all remember that one person, who looking back was a great manager. If we wrote down a list of the behaviours and attributes that stood out for us, it would probably be quite random and might not even make much sense. However, it’s more than likely that one of the things you noted was something to do with them being a good listener.

Epictetus’s quote “We have two

we are going to say. This means

ears and one mouth so that we can

that we miss what other people are

listen twice as much as we speak,” is

saying and this can be detrimental to

something worth remembering. If you

management and business success.

are one of those managers who want

As a manager, it’s essential that

to jump in first and give advice or tell

Caroline Robertson Employment Law Support Caroline has a wealth of experience supporting business clients with practical hands-on legal and HR advice, having worked in two private practice solicitor firms. HR Directors and Managing Directors retain Caroline, not only for her expert knowledge of the legal minefield, but also for her willingness to engage with a wide range of businesses in a practical way to resolve difficult situations. Straight-talking and direct by nature, she won’t leave you confused. She offers clear point by point practical advice to help your business move forward. 07947 567661 enquiries@employmentlawsupport.co.uk employmentlawsupport.co.uk

people what to do, you need to stop and think. Because by talking you are preventing yourself from listening.

Creating a positive working environment According to research, being a good listener is a sign of emotional maturity and sound communication skills, which are key for being an effective manager. You might think that listening comes easily and

you ask more questions, pause to give people space to share more of their thoughts, acquire information, seek to fully understand what other people are saying and then reflect on what you have heard before you finally respond. Because if you have good listening skills, it’s easier to build respect, create strong, meaningful and lasting relationships with your staff, boost engagement and build a more positive working environment.

naturally, because let’s face it most

Hearing is not listening

of us have been listening all our lives.

Don’t mistake hearing for listening.

However surprisingly, many people

Listening means that not only are you

rarely actively and attentively listen

gathering the facts, but you are also

to others. Instead, we get distracted,

trying to understand the emotions

preoccupied and can become

and unspoken feelings attached to

focused on the importance of what

what you’re discussing. And words only

38 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

The Business Bulletin

account for 7% of the overall message

understanding the situation fully. They

to serious issues, combined with a

that we hear. The remainder of the

are so keen to be involved that they

lack of trust and respect in workplace

message is 38% for the tone of voice

look for a solution usually before the

relationships. So, what can managers

and 55% for body language. So, as you

other person has finished talking, or

do to improve their listening skills, and

can see, communication and listening

interrupt with their own thoughts and

in turn their managerial skills? Here

in particular isn’t as easy and natural as

are generally unwilling to see things

are a few top tips:

it might seem at first glance.

from another perspective other than

So, what is it about listening that makes it such an important skill for a manager to have? Essentially to lead a team, you need to be able to motivate them. To do this effectively you need to understand them, what makes them tick, what they enjoy, what they don’t enjoy and of course be willing and to hear and act on fresh insight and suggestions. Listening is also an act of empathy – as a manager you need this as well as other soft skills to be able to

their own. If this sounds familiar, then that is when serious business problems can occur. When a manager is too focused on themselves and their ideas, they only hear part of what they are being told. And because we think quicker than we talk, they are often distracted by other things and can interpret what other people through

1. “Listen with the intent to understand, not the intent to reply.” (Stephen Covey). Even though you might have a lot to say, sometimes it’s best not to respond. In silence, without distractions, people feel respected and appreciated. 2. Shut up – Show people that

the lens of our own experiences,

what they are saying is important

knowledge and background.

by letting them finish speaking. Don’t interrupt or start thinking

Top tips to improve your listening skills

3. Remove preconceptions – See

If this is the case, a manager might

the world through their eyes

have a scenario in their head, which

not your own. Don’t try to

We’ve all come across those eager

bears no resemblance to what the

jump to conclusions or make

beaver managers who offer help before

other person is saying. This can lead

assumption. Try to comprehend

interact with colleagues, solve problems, and manage your work effectively.

The right perspective

about your own responses.

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 39

The Business Bulletin

their emotions and avoid any

feel comfortable and confident

as well as your own knowledge. Not

obvious non-verbal signals that

about the circumstances and/

only does listening maintain harmony

show them you have already

or their ideas. It will also indicate

and motivation, but it can also push

formed an opinion.

you are in listening mode, rather

the business forwards, thanks to

than rushing in to provide the

the addition of different opinions,

answer, give the solution, or take

as well as new and often innovative

on the challenge.

ideas. Plus, it can help with employee

4. Observe – Demonstrate you are really listening by displaying positive body language, eye contact, nodding, smiling etc.

7. Respond rationally –

Remember to observe their

Communicate your response,

body language too, this will help

honestly, respectfully and with

you to understand them better.

the appropriate tone. Treat

5. Summarise the situation – Repeat what they have told you to ensure what you heard is correct. It will show them that you have listened and have accurately interpreted the situation. 6. Bigger picture – Ask open questions, this will help them

them how you would want to be treated. It’s important to remember

wellbeing, productivity, staff retention and customer satisfaction. Finally, good listening skills can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Rather than finding out you were not on the same page days or weeks later, you can clarify everything in the moment. But like learning any

that being curious is good. Your

skill, it won’t happen overnight, it takes

experiences of life will be very

time and practice to master a more

different to other people’s. It’s only by

inclusive approach.

listening to your staff/teams, and truly understanding what they are saying, that you can expand your perspective,

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The Business Bulletin

The challenge of a first-time manager So you have got your first managerial job – congratulations! Now the hard work really starts.

You are going to have to up your

learning from your own experience,

your career. How did they make you

game and learn new skills and fast,

from a mentor and asking for

feel and how did that impact your

because whilst being good at your

the right internal or external

engagement with the role and your

job led to your promotion, it does

management training.

performance? What behaviours did you respect and admire and what

not automatically equip you to be a manager of people and to handle the many new responsibilities that come with increased seniority. You can learn on the job of course, but you can also plan for success by

So what sort of manager do you want to be?

rankled and why?

Take some time to think back to all

comfortably with you and cherry-

the managers you have had over

pick the best behaviours from your

Observe the style of high achievers within the organisation that sit

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 41

The Business Bulletin

Find a mentor in the company or

best managers and set that as your

There has to be an immediate

template for the manager you wish

change in behaviour as the rules

outside. They don’t need to be in your

to become.

are different. Whilst you don’t want

sector; just someone who has been

to shut down friendships you need

around the block a bit and has made

to set new boundaries now you

their mistakes and can share some

are responsible for performance

insight; someone you can trust to tell

management. Call an early team

it how it is.

Creating a comfortable working environment will be essential to get the best from your team. When we speak with our clients about what is not working for them in their current career situation and what they would like to change it is so often more about the values and behaviours of the management team than the job content. Having integrity, being fair, communicating clearly, being available, and acknowledging peoples efforts are typically high on the list of behaviours we hear that people want from their manager. So, here are some actions you can take: ■ plan for regular team and one to one meetings ■ make it clear that you are always available for informal catch ups ■ always say thank you and praise effort and good work ■ never take the credit for someone else’s work

meeting and share that this might be a little strange for all of you initially and then set out your expectations on how to want to work together.

First time manager at a new business When you join a new business in a managerial role not only might you have a steep learning curve on new products, and processes, you also have a whole people and political landscape to understand

Becoming a successful manager will take time and it’s an ongoing process. Get it right and you will have a committed, loyal, high performing team and your career will go from strength to strength. Get it wrong and you could see your career stutter and your reputation diminish as unsurprisingly research shows people work hardest for the managers they respect rather than those they dislike or fear and they leave poor managers rather than companies.

and navigate with a new team, new peers and managers. Commit to spending the first few weeks meeting as many people as possible; listening and asking questions and gathering information. Hold your thunder on making radical changes; invest in building trust, respect & strong relationships. Be absolutely clear on what is expected of you by your seniors. Ask for feedback on your management style as part of

Jo Thurman

in terms of performance,

your regular review with your own

Personal Career Management

attendance and what you

manager as well as from your team.

■ be clear about you expect

will do to help them achieve that. don’t have favourites, treat everyone equally and if someone needs or deserves special treatment explain why.

Jo is a career and outplacement

Bonding with your team won’t

coach with an absolute passion for

happen overnight. Whilst you will

helping people reach their potential, to

need to treat everyone equally you also need to get to know their strengths and weaknesses, their personalities and workstyles, and

Being promoted over your peers

their communication preferences so

Perhaps the most challenging rise

lives out of work and be genuine

to manager is being promoted out

about your interest. You might look

of your team to manage your peers.

to have an early team meeting in a

Whilst your strong performance in

neutral offsite – it doesn’t need to

your previous role may be evident

be costly perhaps volunteering your

to both your leaders and your

time to a local project could get

colleagues, your promotion to lead

everyone out of their comfort zone

the team can create resentment.

and forge relationships.

you can get the best from each of them. Learn something about their

42 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

have confidence in their employability and to know how to find and secure work that they love. For more than 25 years, she has supported and guided individuals to make good career decisions and achieve career success; from those starting out as new graduates through to board level appointments. She has partnered with startups to multinationals across all major industries and job functions in both the UK and Europe to identify great talent and great cultural fits. 07950 108689 jothurman@personalcareermanagement.com personalcareermanagement.com

The Business Bulletin

Ask the experts Do you have a burning question that you would like the answer to? Or maybe you’re looking for some advice to help your business? In each edition some questions will be shared and answered by some of The Business Bulletin experts.

How do I go about choosing a business coach? A. Here are a few steps from my point of view: Step1. Self Assessment — Understand your why Why do you need a business coach right now? Are you willing to get coached in the first place? This will help you to understand your need gap well and you would be in best position to take the next steps to choose a right business coach for yourself & your business. Step 2. Speak with your coach — Try to connect Connect with the coach. Best would be connecting with your

A business coach is a long-term

or offline so you can dig deep into

coach one to one and share your

investment and therefore a right

your game and derive a unique

current situation. It is advised to be

business coach must click with you

solutions for your case.

transparent with your coach and never

first, you must feel connected, high

try to hide things, be yourself and

and empower with them.

Step 5. A strategic thinker —

genuine.

Engagement with the core team Step 4. Ask for personal coaching —

Get a business coach who not only

Step 3. Chemistry & mindset connect

121 format only (online/offline)

— Long term investment

Understand every business owner

open to connect with the core team.

Personalities don’t always click. You

is a unique personality, they behave

Core team is an important single link

may discover that an otherwise

uniquely, they speak uniquely, their

to get your business to the next level.

perfect business coach is difficult to

business issues are also very unique

It is essential that your core team also

work with, or doesn’t fully understand

- there is no one fit size solution for

feels the same high, empowerment

your perspective. Your coach should

anything especially in business. It is

and hunger to get grow big and faster.

be someone who earns your trust

advised that once you identify your

Once your core team is set with the

and confidence, not intimidates

coach ask them for your personal

right mindset you rest assured that

you into following his or her advice.

time, your personal space be it online

your business is now ready to thrive;

coaches the business owner but also

Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development | 43

The Business Bulletin

each one putting their 100% means a lot to the business.

Contributing experts

Step 6. Trust your guts — Trust your instincts Trust your instincts. Yes, you can seek social reviews (Google ratings), read up on testimonials and do your research, but ultimately, go with your gut feeling. Paul Simpson TaxAssist Accountants

Q. How do I better manage my time? There are not enough hours in a day – how do I cope? A. “I haven’t got time”. “There are not enough hours in the day”. “I don’t have time for that”. As a business owner I suspect that these words may have passed your lips today. Part of being successful is ensuring that you are managing yourself to use your time efficiently and effectively, a skill that takes time to acquire. Here are my nine top tips for managing your time: Does it need doing? – Look at your list and decide whether the task actually needs doing. If it does then are you the best person to do it, or could you delegate to someone else. If it doesn’t need doing then in the bin it goes. Delegate – By using your team effectively you will collectively achieve more. Everyone has their strengths and as a leader it’s important to recognise what everyones are and allocate tasks accordingly. Prioritise your to-do list – Now you have the list that is down to you, spend some time each day planning

Paul Simpson

Kathy Bassett

TaxAssist

Action Coach

you don’t forget which are dependent on others. Everything goes in your

working effectively and efficiently.

calendar, not just appointments.

Other people’s monkeys – now you

Review – Check your calendar at the

sure others deal with their own.

end of each day making any required changes. Block out time during your day for breaks. Do not take on extra tasks without first putting them in your calendar and moving something else.

never want to hang onto these, make Time management takes time and it is something that you are going to have to work at. Eventually good practices will become good habits. Kathy Bassett, Action Coach

Deadlines – There is nothing like a looming deadline to focus the mind. Whether these are daily, weekly or monthly, you are likely to have recurrent tasks that need doing. Colour code as ‘Do not move’. Similarly, when you have a project on the go look at breaking it down into sections with deadlines so that you work methodically through your work load. Start planning from the end and

Got a question?

work backwards. Eat that frog – Procrastination is the enemy of time management. Put the task in your calendar and do it, do not put it off. Emails – I mention these as a task because we tend to get lots and they can take over our lives. Give them a slot in your calendar and stick to it.

ahead and prioritising the key tasks

Just say no – One of the skills of

that need to be done (put in calendar

being a manager or the owner of a

with estimated timelines). Work out

business is learning when to say no.

urgent and non-urgent, making sure

You’re not being rude you’re simply

44 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

If you have a question – then email us and these experts will set about answering it for you. It can be on any business topic you like, be it finance, sales, marketing, operations, resources, strategy or personal development. If you would like a more immediate response, then raise your question on the “Ask The Experts” forum.

Securing your business

C4 Secure

With , administrators can set which authentication methods will be offered to users based on the sensitivity of the application. For example, administrators may decide that SMS authentication is suitable for low assurance applications, but not for those that require a medium or high level of identity assurance. Also, with RSA SecurID Access, users have the flexibility to choose from the allowed authenticators at runtime, which makes a convenient experience for users.

Usernames and passwords are not enough. Thousands of employees require on-demand, 24/7 access to your VPN. Revoking that access is not an option and neither is making the authentication process for complex. A recent Data Breach Investigations Report found that

If your employees rely on usernames and passwords alone, you’re at risk for a VPN security breach. Are you sure your users are who they say they are? Can simple authentication and vigorious security co-exist? Found out in the RSA eBook:

is a powerful, feature-rich platform that delivers substantial productivity gains and cost savings. However, organisations rushing to adopt Office 365 risk creating holes in their wider security architecture. See where you could be exposed and what to do to get protected, if you’ve migrated to, or are considering migrating to Office 365, contact to learn about: ● ● ●

The Business Bulletin

SME Survey Is having a business plan important?

I remember an insolvency practitioner once telling me that 7 out of 10 of

The responses were as follows:

to put a bit more meat on the bones and create something a little more

the clients he dealt with didn’t have a

■ I don't need one x 4

business plan. I guess you could argue

■ Nothing - I'm working on it x 3

the plan into the separate “pillars”

■ Time to write one x 3

to establish the overall intent and

that statistic alone would suggest that having a plan in place is important? In this survey (47 respondents), 87.2% thought it was important to have a business plan (which is good news). However 1 in 10 felt that it wasn’t important. Unfortunately the survey didn’t ask a supplemental

■ Knowing how to write one x 2

the only way forward in any business,

Whilst I am sure there are have survived without a business plan,

for a future survey?

I think the consensus is that having

something in place; still leaving

Whatever option you take, and

■ Can't afford to outsource it x 1

successful businesses out there that

this instance, 68.1% said they had

direction for a business. often what is missing in most plans,

wasn’t important – may be a question

“Do you have a business plan?” In

of business; looking at each in turn

■ It's not important x 1

question as to why those people felt it

The next question was actually

comprehensive that breaks down

a written plan for your business can

is to take action in line with what you want to achieve. Business plan in place or not – good luck with the success of your business.

only enhance rather than hinder your business. A business plan does not have to

around a third that didn’t. Fortunately,

be complex, in its simplest form it

a supplemental question was asked in

can be a list of goals that you what to

this case as to what got in the way of

achieve over the next 12 months for

putting a plan together.

example. Some businesses may prefer

Get involved To take part in the next survey – How important is social media to your business? – visit here: https://forms.gle/ JSBaqqjgoJJNDhC3A. The results will be shared in the next edition of this magazine.

Do you think having a business plan is important?

46 | Issue 12 – Strategy and Personal Development

Do you have a business plan?

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The Business Bulletin Issue #12 - Focus On Strategy & Personal Development

Articles inside

Spotlight on Judith Hanson

SME survey

Ask the experts

What makes a good manager?

Do coaches need supervision?

Are values important in business?

The challenge of a first-time manager

You have the power, be brave and say “No”!

Taking the fear out of conflict

Business benefits of employee training

Living on the frontier

Mind your language

The impact of a pandemic to learning

How do I put together an exit strategy for my business?

Leadership in a chaotic, complex and changing world

Your immune system why you need it and what you can do to support it!