Steve shares his thoughts on why your culture is the fuel running through your business.

Think of a car built for success, it possesses an appearance which catches the eye, a driver that knows where they are taking it and is fully competent steering it in whichever direction serves as the very best route to destination. Now lift the bonnet and see the all the parts in all the right places primed and ready to run efficiently along its journey.

But then put the wrong fuel in it, how far would it get you?

Let’s look at running a business the same way, a facility fit for purpose and striking on first impression, a strategic and visionary CEO who drives best practice at the forefront of their mindset. You open the doors to find a workforce trained and wholly competent on how things will need to be operated, but the culture simply does not flow through the ranks. The engine is clogged with things like toxic behaviours, a lack of responsibility, a workforce that doesn’t want to be there.

How far can this company move forward and grow?

Creating the right culture for your business is paramount. The analogy I use is a simple enough one to comprehend but the implementation is where many businesses fall short on delivering against it. Though you can break each section down, no one particular element can work effectively without the other, whether that be by having a fit for purpose workplace to function from, the right leadership to drive the numbers forward or a highly skilled workforce that deliver against the ongoing challenges and pitfalls that lie on the road ahead.

Ultimately it is the strength of your culture that determines your all-round capability.

To create one that is positive and buoyant you must ensure the buy-in of all your people and create a sense of ownership and pride in what they do. This responsibility is a gift to your people, and it is what inspires them to go the extra mile. Whether it is answering the phone at 5:02pm on a Friday afternoon to help that customer in need or making the call to that complainant before they go to a competitor.

If you thought about your job as CEO as solely being to generate a sense of belonging, a purpose in what your people do and how they go about doing it, what would you do differently?

Creating freedom within a framework for people to operate in is key. It may appear like small things but appreciation and support along the way is massive! They are all vital ingredients in progressing your people not only professionally but as an individual as well. We spend a large chunk of our life in work, making people smile whilst they are doing their jobs is a must for me.

The trick to creating a healthy culture is to value people and pass over that sense of belonging. This doesn’t happen by accident but there are simple things you can do to move you forward on the journey. You hold the keys to unlocking the performance of your people and making your business fire on all cylinders.

Put simply, good culture is simply good fuel for your business – fill the tank up and watch the business go!

Kate shares her thoughts on reward and recognition.

Speak to any business owner at the moment and they will tell you that the competition for recruiting and retaining talent is fierce. Recognising and rewarding employees has always been a key part of effective leadership but now, more than ever, the way organisations show that they value their people is a key differentiator – and I am not talking money.

Even before Covid-19 hit the world, we were in the midst of a social revolution, where belonging, purpose and quality of life were taking over from traditional status driven markers such as job title and high salaries. Today’s workforce want to work for organisations who have strong values and beliefs, where the culture is focused around the employees and not the hierarchy, where they have a voice and can help to shape the future of that organisation. Things like flexibility of working hours and opportunities to develop and learn, which might have been offered as incentives or rewards are now a basic expectation. Put simply, if you don’t help them grow, watch them go!

Recognition helps employees see that their company values them as individuals, as well as their contributions to the success of their team and the organisation overall. This is particularly key when going through periods of change or growth as it helps employees to build a sense of security in their value to the company, motivating them to continue great work. Communications also has an important role to play– regularly sharing news about how the company is performing against its aspirations and making the connections between individual employee achievements and the bigger picture vision for the organisation.

At our core as humans we crave recognition. It’s all very well having self-satisfaction in completing a task but how great does it feel when someone takes the time out to recognise a job well done? This can be as simple as a ‘thank you’ from a peer or a Manager taking time to give someone a call. The thing to remember is that there is no ‘on size fits all’ when it comes to recognising and rewarding employees. My advice is to get to know your people, find out what motivates them, what their ‘love language’ is (Google it – it’s a great team discussion to have!) and create a reward and recognition programme that works for your greatest asset – your people.

Kate shares her tips to building a culture of psychological safety.

According to a Google study called ‘Project Aristotle’ the secret behind high-performing teams is psychological safety. This was a term coined by Harvard Business School Professor, Amy Edmondson. Amy Defines psychological safety as ‘a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes’.

There have been lots of reports which suggest that leaders who create psychologically safe work environments are more likely to retain top performers and be more innovative. Like all successful cultural initiatives, it must start with the leaders at the top so that others can follow.

Here are my top 5 tips to build psychological safety in the workplace:

1. Listen and be fully present

If your employees feel that you don’t pay attention when they speak or that you don’t value their thoughts and opinions, they’ll be less likely to open up to you. Demonstrate your engagement by being present during meetings – switch on your video camera, ignore emails and your phone. Be fully with them in the room – whether that is virtual or actual.

• Ban blame

If something doesn’t go to plan, it can be easy to jump into the habit of looking for someone to blame. The blame game doesn’t help people feel safe to speak up the next time they see something awry or do something wrong. Instead of “What happened and why?” ask “How can we make sure this goes better next time? Notice the focus on the collaborative language: How can we make sure this goes smoothly next time? We statements turn the responsibility into a group effort, rather than singling out an individual for a mistake.

• And while you are at it, squash bad-mouthing

There’s nothing more of a psychological safety killer than people bad-mouthing one another. When leaders allow people air-time to speak disparagingly of others, it can become contagious. Employees will think that either they’re supposed to talk bad about others, or that others are probably talking about them. If you have a team member who speaks negatively about peers, talk to them about it. Let them know that you work together as a team and bad-mouthing will not be tolerated. 

• Involve people in decision-making

When making decisions about the business, take time to engage with employees and ask for their input/thoughts/ideas. This will help them to feel included in the decision-making process and may also lead you to make better decisions as often the most innovative ideas are hiding inside the mind of someone you least expect! As a leader, letting people know you value and trust their opinion is one of the most powerful things you can do to encourage psychological safety. Make it ok to speak up. No idea is a bad one! Once a decision is made, communicate the reasoning behind it and let people know how their feedback played a part. Even if your employees don’t agree, they’ll appreciate the honesty and transparency behind how the decision was made.

• Show vulnerability and invite challenge

If you are the ‘boss’ or a senor leader in a business, you wield a lot of power whether you like it or not! Unless you lead by example by showing vulnerability and saying when you got something wrong, and encourage challenge and debate for your ideas, you can quickly find yourself surrounded by ‘yes people’. Whilst that might feel comfy, it is not a great place to be if you want to build a winning team and business. Invite your team to challenge your perspective and push back. When employees feel psychologically safe, they feel empowered to give feedback—up, down, and across. Healthy conflict leads to better decisions and greater accountability—making it a win all around.

Not sure if your employees feel psychologically safe? Why not ask them to encourage a conversation about it? See what their ideas are to improve the way you do things and take steps to improve the culture for the better.

Whilst there are plenty of interesting articles about AI and the future of automation in business, the truth is that there aren’t many business owners that can foresee a day when people will be totally eradicated from their operation. This goes some way towards explaining why the coaching industry is reported to be worth $2BN globally and a whopping $366BN gets spent each year on leadership development around the world.

A Wiki definition of leadership roles are ‘those that facilitate execution of a company’s strategy through building alignment, winning mindshare and growing the capabilities of others.’ Big corporates continually invest in the development of their leaders and succession planning for their key roles but what about smaller businesses? Is there really a case for leadership development when you run an SME?

If you want to grow, then the answer is yes. When businesses are going through a period of (often rapid) growth, a critical factor in its success is the strength and quality of the leadership team. Without effective leaders, businesses can get held back and growth becomes dependent on the owner or founder. To take a business from being the idea and creation of one person, to something that is shared as the professional focus of a group of people is no mean feat. It requires the ability of the founder to trust and empower others to deliver whilst they continue to innovate and focus on the areas for future growth.

This is where the leadership development and coaching world naturally collide. Often a founder needs help from a coach to be able to step back from the core tasks and trust the team beneath them to take ownership for their individual parts, and unless it was initially set up with the skillsets in mind for growth, the team beneath them will need leadership development. This doesn’t have to be in a traditional hierarchical way – more businesses are recognising the need for leadership skills to be spread throughout the organisation. Whatever structure is right for that particular business, creating a culture where autonomy and accountability is encouraged at all levels is key.

One of the biggest challenges I see amongst SME leaders is finding the right balance between operational and strategic tasks. Unlike a big business, there usually isn’t the luxury of different tiers of management to be able to free people up for the ‘blue-sky thinking’. Getting your hands dirty as well as inspiring and motivating the team is par for the course but ultimately this will stifle your progress.

A successful SME leader knows when to step-back, empower and coach staff to deal with problem solving on their own. This is an investment in the long-term leadership potential of the business. The saying goes that ‘what got you here won’t get you there’ so if you are serious about growing your business, it might be time to give us a call!

Kate shares her thoughts on the value of your employer brand.

Having gone through the pain of a rebrand on more than one occasion, I know the hard work that it entails, not to mention the fact that for several months if not years after the actual ‘go live’ date you are finding old livery, be it pens or signs, letterheads, or uniform. As a business, your brand is important to you, and rightly so. It is your identity; it is what sets you apart from competitors and what people know you for.

But do you spend as much time, energy, money and effort on your employer brand? Now we aren’t ones for using jargon or management speak at DICE, but in certain circles this is called your ‘Employer Value Proposition’. Simply put it is showing what you offer your employees. In a post-Covid world where the employment market is as buoyant as it has ever been, it is what will set you apart in the marketplace for attracting and retaining talented employees.

So what happens when you aren’t at Google or Facebook status with your employer brand? What happens when you don’t or can’t have a business operation that suits ‘early dart Friday’ or ‘Monday Mindfulness’? Well you might be surprised to know that these things aren’t always valued by employees and can be seen as gimmicky. It is far more compelling for businesses to offer people things that they truly value, such as flexibility, long-term career development and fulfilling, challenging job roles.  

A strong employer brand should show candidates what they can expect beyond the role, which means working to ensure that your culture is seen as attractive and compelling as a whole.

Your culture is how people behave and what they do when no-one is watching. Having a strong set of values that set out the guiding behaviours you want to achieve in your business is the first step towards driving your culture but it has to be lived – not just words on a wall or on your website. We work with clients to curate values that are then embedded through the actions and behaviours of everyone in the business. It’s not good enough to list values like ‘we embrace innovation’ or ‘we are inclusive in everything we do’, we have to work hard to bring these things to life and make them real in the business.  We have to practise what we preach, or risk creating a gap between what we say and what we do, which is the fastest way to lose trust with your people.

The concept of being ‘real’ is vital for another reason and that is because of your existing employees. Many companies rely on referrals when hiring and existing employees are the most trusted source of information about real working conditions. Sites such as Glassdoor are commonly used by people researching their next role – if your employer brand is just spin, your chances of success are slim. Your existing employees are your brand ambassadors, so using them in your recruitment campaigns can be a great differentiator. McDonald’s have been doing this for years successfully, plus it is brilliant for morale when people see their names and faces in lights on your social media posts.

Flexibility has been the biggest change to employment coming out of the pandemic and people are more likely than ever to leave an employer who isn’t willing to explore a world beyond the 9-5 desk-based working. Listen and engage your people to find out their ideas about how to make flexible working work in your business. It’s too easy for leaders to say ‘that won’t work’ before giving it a go.

My last point is ‘help them grow or watch them go’. And this is probably the most important piece of advice I would offer any business leader in developing their employer brand. You want your people to stay? Help them see that there are career development opportunities and paths to grow. This doesn’t always have to be the next rung of the ladder, it can be sideways opportunities, job-swaps or project assignments. More than ever people are looking for ways to enrich their experience at work and lives generally.

The world of branding is often thought of as the one of the more glamorous or exciting elements of business and the same needs to be true when it comes to your employer brand. You want your employees (existing and future) to be excited about working for your business. Getting them fired up so that they want to join you, they want to work hard for you so that ultimately together you can achieve great things!

I’m helping several of my clients improve their internal communications at the moment and it struck me that some of the things I have always taken for granted growing up in comms roles, are actually quite alien to some business leaders. For instance, asking the question ‘is this a need or nice to know?’ before sharing it.

Smart people leaders are focused on helping their employees be as good as they can be by providing them with information they need to know. These are the things that need actioning to ensure things get done and goals get achieved.

Inclusive people leaders know that it is equally as important to share things that might interest employees about the wider business and the team that are working in it.

We all know that it makes business sense to care about people, to ensure employees are safe, comfortable and that they are as happy as they can be doing the work they do. When your people are happy, they do better work, they look after customers well and ultimately everyone wins.

Internal communications is the process of keeping employees connected and informed. When done well it creates a shared understanding of company vision, values, and goals. It squashes the rumour mill and wasted energy that is spent on back-biting between teams or departments.

When done exceptionally well it engenders a culture of trust, purpose, identity, and community. It is a two-way street, with plenty of opportunities for employees to give their thoughts, ideas, and opinions on how to make the business even better to leaders who listen and take action.

The stuff that is nice to know might include recognition of a new customer win, an employee celebrating their child’s graduation, or someone welcoming a new addition to the family (be it a baby, dog, kitten, hamster!). When you truly care about your people you should take the time to communicate the nice to knows about their wins or personal stories, as well as the things that need to get done to make your business fly.

Here are some more top tips for improving internal communications in your business:

Ask don’t tell

It is easy for internal comms to turn into broadcasting. If you are just ‘sending out stuff’ then it is time for a re-think. If you don’t want to pose questions directly to people, try creating channels and platforms for them to suggest ideas and offer constructive criticism. But don’t fall into the trap of asking then not responding – this is worse than not asking people what they think at all! That just makes leaders disingenuous – appearing to listen but actually just pretending to. Your people are the most important resource you have. Listen to them and get their views and ideas, you might be surprised the difference it can make to your business, as well as your culture.

Be transparent and share the bigger picture

That whole ‘finding your why’ thing that was all the rage a few years back is important when it comes to thinking about internal comms. People perform better at work when they have a clear purpose and can see the benefit of the work they directly do on the bigger picture for the business. Sharing how the company is doing financially, customer wins and other good news stories can be inspiring. It also motivating to know that your work is contributing to something to the success of an organisation. If things aren’t going so well, then that’s good to share too….often your people at the sharp end can have great ideas for efficiency savings or innovation. Don’t be afraid to involve people when times are tough – it is often these times that the strongest bonds of trust are formed and changes and impact are made.

Create a network of champions

Internal champions or ambassadors are a great way of ensuring that company initiatives succeed. Get together a group of people in your business who embody your values and culture. These don’t have to be people in leadership positions, in fact it works best when they are at all levels of the business. The essential criteria is for them to understand why good communications matters and be prepared for them to be a conduit for two-way engagement between team members. Equip them with the messages and tools they need to become your champions for internal communications.

Choose the right channels

When you take the time to craft and prepare communications messages, it is important that you consider the channel and tools you’re using to get it out to people. There are so many different channels you can use for effective communication, and it will be different dependent on what you’re communicating and to who. You may want to combine multiple channels to ensure your message is received, such as all-staff emails, town-hall style meetings (increasingly a mixture of online and in-person), internal employee engagement platforms and intranet sites. It’s also best practice to follow-up any important verbal meetings with written confirmation of what was discussed to ensure messages land correctly and can be referred to if required.

Over-communicate in times of crisis

As we saw during the pandemic, the best performing companies were those who kept their customers informed at every stage, whether it was closures or changing of opening hours….moving from in-person to online delivery. The same was true internally and many businesses found themselves turning to different ways and harnessing technology to keep their employees informed but also to listen to their concerns and provide reassurance. Remember those office Zoom quizzes? Communicating regular updates and briefings to employees during times of crisis engenders trust and confidence. Even when sometimes no news is good news, it is better to fill the void than to allow the dreaded rumour mill to crank up. Being consistent, calm, and communicating at regular, set intervals supports your employees, boosts morale, and keeps everyone informed, even if/when the rest of the world feels like it is in crisis mode!

To finish, internal communications doesn’t have to be this big, scary thing. You can start small with a monthly round-up of what’s going on in the business. The main thing is to start and then keep it going. Try out different things and get feedback from your people….have some fun along the way.