Category: Culture and change

            Why Don’t Your Employees Trust You? Trust is a funny old issue. It’s hard to describe, and it’s arguably not very measurable. Those who are sceptical of the HR profession might say that it’s exactly the type of thing that we’re known for dealing with – in other words, all fluff and no substance! Jokes aside though, if there’s a lack of trust between management and employees, you’re going to run into serious problems. Issues like low productivity, high turnover of staff, and a…

Being part of a family business can seem like a dream come true for many people. The opportunity to work alongside your nearest and dearest to pursue your goals and create financial independence is something that can have huge appeal, so it’s no surprise that Harvard Business School has reported that family firms account for two thirds of businesses across the globe. Regardless of how close your family unit may be though, there are unique challenges that come hand-in-hand with working alongside your relatives. It might sound good on paper,…

In the last year, I have been getting to know my clients and they have been getting to know me. Those that I have been working with for a while, know they can be totally honest with me about their worries, fears and concerns or about what really happened, and they wont be judged! Rather than the version of events that I am sometimes given which I know is possibly not quite what really happened!  With my clients who are really honest with me, I feel that I owe them…

I rarely read books let alone business books, as when I eventually get to bed and start reading them, I fall asleep in seconds! So holidays are really my only time to read the books that I have been wanting to read all year. Over Christmas and New Year, I had some time off and read a great book called “Why should anyone work here?” by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones. They also wrote a book in 2006 which is also worth a read called, “Why should anyone be led…

I have been an independent HR consultant now for 8 months and it has been a fantastic time, setting up my new business and meeting lots of clients; some from old connections that I have worked with many years ago and some new. But what has been most interesting over the last 8 months is the reaction from new clients who meet me for the first time. Lots of the clients I meet tell me that “I am a breath of fresh air” or that I am “normal” or that…

Recent research from PwC revealed that two thirds of larger companies are thinking about revamping their appraisals processes. The 2015 Performance Management Research found that businesses are becoming increasingly eager to ditch the once-a-year approach and instead concentrate on developing practices that create a continuous feedback culture. It’s often suggested that it’s time for appraisals to be scrapped in favour of more business-focused solutions, but it’s unlikely that savvy leaders will be taking them completely off the agenda anytime soon. After all, if you want your staff to achieve great…