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Frank Lampard is arguably one of the best English footballers of the past century. But his managerial career? Not so good.

In this blog, you’ll see how Frank as an example of how being good at something doesn’t make you a good manager.

(And what you can learn from this for your business).

Let’s get started.

Chelsea fans, look away. 

Management is a skill

Being good at something doesn’t mean you can lead others to do the same.

In football, typically, the best managers aren’t the best players:

• Eddie Howe
• Klopp
• Mourinho

They all had average playing careers (although Pep Guardiola and Zidane do buck this trend).

But why is this? Because being good at something and managing people who do it are very different. 

On-the-job skills and managerial skills are not the same. 

Skills must be taught. 

Unless someone is a natural-born leader, if they’ve never learned how to manage, they’ll struggle. 

Stop automatically promoting your top performing people

The ‘star’ of the team gets promoted because they’re good at their job. You will 100% have either done or seen this before. 

Management hopes they’ll lead by example, but what they don’t account for is having to deal with:

• Potential conflicts
• Staff personal issues
• Team building
• Business culture
• Knowing how and when to say no
• Training
• Mental health training

And that’s just scratching the surface of what managers do.

But can you guess what the worst part of all of this is?

It’s losing the person’s skills because you promoted them.

Who will replace them? You know how hard it is to find good staff at the moment.

Nobody goes to work to do a bad job

Being good at your job is intrinsically motivating and so if you promote your best performers and they don’t enjoy management, what do you think will happen?

They’ll either:

1 – Leave

2 – Be sacked (by you, probably)

There is a concept called the Peter Principle – it says you keep promoting people until you figure out what they’re shit at (and then fire them for it).

While that’s not an academic explanation, that’s essentially it.

Don’t let this happen.

So what can you do instead?

Find creative solutions when looking for leaders.

Yes, your best performer may tell you they want to progress into management (and they may display leadership qualities).

That’s fine. But what I’m saying is, don’t just promote someone just because they’re the best at the ‘day job’ on the team. 

Leadership requires different skills and competencies – they can be learned and developed but it’s not a space everyone feels comfortable in.

Think about back to your school days.

The best teachers were firm but fair. They weren’t the teachers who thought they were your mate.

Leading people is difficult – so let’s acknowledge that. And it’s important to get it right.

Your line managers are the people who set the tone at work. Their decisions every day have a massive impact on:

• Your company culture
• How happy your team are
• How fulfilled your team feel at work
• How safe they feel at work
• How creative your team can be
• How open and confident they are with you and each other

It is essential that all your leaders are trained in the skills they need – and you don’t assume they can do it.

Leaders are like archers

You can control the bow and the arrow, but you can’t control the wind. 

So work with what’s in your control. 

That includes making sure everyone on your team has the support they need (including your managers).

If you’d like to learn more about anything in this blog, send me an email to alison@reynolds-hr.com

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I admit that – and I’m a HR professional.

Based on the conversations I’m having with clients (and what I’m reading in the HR business press), there are some common themes I’m seeing at the moment. 

Some are challenges. Others are opportunities. 

Here are five things to consider for people managers, business owners and HR directors going into 2023.

Let’s get started.

1. Mental Health

Managers lack the confidence to have conversations about mental health and there is still a stigma around it.  

We’re all tired – including our people. This can cause people to behave in ways they wouldn’t usually. If you allow an environment to grow that lets people take the mick, they will.

But to support people, you shouldn’t create policies to stop the few who take advantage. And you shouldn’t pitch your communication to your worst offenders. Instead, pitch it to the best performers.

Why? Because people are genuinely having a hard time at the moment. Everyone is struggling in one way or another. People are exhausted and uncertainty is stressful.  

When Covid hit, nobody knew what was going to happen. Now everyone is looking towards winter wondering how they will manage their money – bringing even more uncertainty. 

So What can you do about it?

• Create an open culture where staff feel confident to share ideas and make mistakes.
• Have strong policies (for when you need them)
• Focus on building a good culture and teamwork (so you don’t need them).

When people are bought into the business, they want the best for it. But they only do that if you treat them properly. 

Often, a staff member’s experience at work is a direct result of their relationship with their manager. So train your managers to have much-needed conversations with staff around mental health and train them to look for the signs someone is struggling.

Don’t know the signs? Or worry your managers don’t? I help businesses with this.

Email me now to find out more (alison@reynolds-hr.com).

2. The cost of living

Business owners and managers don’t just have their own increasing costs to worry about – they must think about how their employees are coping too.

Failing to show this empathy is a quick way to cause your staff to seek employment elsewhere. 

There are no shortages of jobs, after all.

And depending on how much you pay your staff, you could be competing with a whole range of sectors People are looking at different avenues if they pay more. Why? Because they must.

Wages are probably your biggest running cost. Can you afford to increase wages by 10% in line with inflation? Probably not. Not many could. Even if you can, it eats into your profits.

What’s the other option? Giving out bonuses? They’re notoriously tricky to get right. For example, if you give a ‘cost of living bonus’, should someone living with their parents get the same as the breadwinner of a family of four? 

These are questions your staff may have. Which means they’re questions you must consider. It’s these moral dilemmas I help my clients solve. 

For example, there are some excellent benefit platforms that give people discounts with certain retailers. Breakfast clubs are proving popular. By making them available to everyone, you reduce stigma while creating opportunities for people to eat together and get to know each other on a personal level – something crucial for your business’ success.

3. Finding and retaining talent

This is a case of push and pull:

• Pull good employees towards you.
• Don’t push good employees away.

How do you stop people from considering alternative career paths or competitors?

Throwing money at them works in the short-term, yes, but it’s not sustainable and it doesn’t engage people long-term.

The answer? It’s all about culture!  

You spend a lot of time working and it’s important you enjoy it. 

Happy workers are more productive. 

If people like coming to work, they will:

• Take less unplanned time off 
• Work harder
• Be your best recruitment tool

Not sure where to start with building your company culture? 

Email me now – alison@reynolds-hr.com – and take advantage of a FREE 30-minute people strategy session.

4. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

This is huge at the moment.

Gone are the days of delivering EDI using a checklist. You need to have an EDI agenda in your overall business strategy.

• A team from the same background with similar experiences and opinions will come up with the same solutions (which you don’t want).
• A diverse team will come from different angles and be more creative (which you absolutely need).

If you shift your mindset and see EDI as a solution (not a management task), your business will benefit.

It needs to be embedded into your culture and reflected in your leadership style.

5. Getting more for less

Want your team to be more productive?

Of course you do.

So think about your company culture. 

I know I’ve said this before, but that’s because it’s so important. 

Getting it right means your staff are happier, less likely to leave, and so you recruit less.

Growing a high-performing team is a skill. And is something I can help you with.

Don’t tolerate poor behaviours. Your worst people drive away your best ones. 

You can’t complacently accept mediocracy.

See, the key here is psychological safety. Your staff need to feel safe and secure at work.

If these basic needs aren’t met, they have no headspace to go above and beyond (or be creative).

This isn’t about being nice, it’s about creating a safe environment for:

• People to speak up
• Highlight improvement
• Be themselves
• Think creatively
• Be creative with their ideas

Need any help with any of the above?

Email me now at alison@reynolds-hr.com for a FREE people strategy session. 

What happens during this session?

We’ll look at what’s happening now, where you’d like to go, and plan some steps to get you there. 

If you need my support with anything going forward from there, we can discuss that on the day too. 

Email me now to find a good time to chat.

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This makes it particularly difficult for you to find new talented people.

So what can you do about it? You develop the team you currently have. 

This whitepaper takes a deep-dive into my NEW model: The Reflection Model.

 
Use it to pinpoint the areas of your business and company culture you need to work on.

Then get in touch with me to start making positive improvements that make a difference to your bottom line. 

The post The Reflection Model: Get the best out of your current team and cut your reliance on recruitment. appeared first on Reynolds HR & OD Ltd..

Kind of like when you have your first child, everyone wants to put their penny’s worth in. 

And while there are some consistent themes (like having a good morning routine) most of the advice isn’t practical.

You can’t follow all the advice. You shouldn’t try to. You shouldn’t want to.

In this article, you’ll learn five reasons why you shouldn’t read too many business books or try to follow all their advice.

Let’s get started.

Reason 1: Things never go to plan

Yes, you can have a plan. But when you work with multiple clients and their people, nothing goes to plan: 

–         The quiet afternoon you kept free catch up on admin gets interrupted when something urgent comes up.

–         The hour you set aside to strategize runs out and you’re left with nothing. Later that night, an idea strikes you as you’re watching a Facebook video of someone in a bikini icing a cake halfway up Mount Snowdown.

I’ll happily admit this now: sometimes my best client meetings are over a glass of wine!

(No, not at 10am).

Things never go to plan – and that’s good.

Reason 2: Structure is important, but being too rigid restricts creativity.

You need to be flexible, otherwise, one curveball will throw everything off balance.

In fact, life is about balance. We live in a 24/7 world and it’s stressful. 

We could spend all day responding to emails and not doing anything else. But the problem with responding to emails is people email back.

We need to unwind and do something for ourselves. Downtime gives your brain room to breathe. And when it’s got space and time to think, it’ll throw ideas at you. 

But I get this isn’t always possible.

When I was on my own with two young children, everything had to be carefully choreographed with no time for me. 

While it wasn’t ideal, there was no alternative. Sometimes choice is taken away from us and there isn’t anything we can do about it other than respond.

You must start with yourself, understand what your non-negotiables are and work around them. And be clear on your values. 

Self-awareness is the key.

It’s key to knowing:

–         How to unwind

–         How to avoid stress triggers

–         How to make the right choices about what to prioritise. 

When you have your own business it’s easy to want to do everything. It’s ‘your baby’.

Particularly when things aren’t going to plan (like during covid) it’s easy to focus on one piece of advice or business book – but remember what works for you.

Reason 3: Just because it worked for someone else, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.

Your situation is different from everyone else because nobody else is like you or your team.

It’s important you understand yourself. If you do, you will have a better idea of what will work. 

(If you need support understanding yourself and your team’s personalities – Myers Briggs will help – contact me at alison@reynolds-hr.com to find out more).

You have to be yourself. You have to be authentic. You have to figure out what works for you.

Reason 4: Because there is rarely one problem and one solution

It’s important to take a holistic approach to making changes. 

See, some things will be working well. You need to make sure you don’t change them.

Rash actions and spur of the moment decisions can turn things from bad to worse.

Instead, look for tweaks in the overall system rather than overhauling one aspect completely. 

This is the main premise of Organisational Development. 

Reason 5: Business books say the same things

It’s rare you find a business book that’s completely unique.

Most business books repeat themselves, overlap, and package up old principles and ideas with a fancy new name.

You’ll quickly realise how true this is the more business books you use. 

So don’t go overboard – find what works for you.

So before you make any changes…

Remember advice is just that – advice.

It’s not gospel. It’s not a fact just because someone said it.

And that’s true even for the advice I’m giving you now.

Read the books, listen to the advice, but do it your way.

And be prepared to change your mind if necessary.

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I love karaoke. 

Always have. Always will.

The only problem is, I can’t sing.

But does it matter?

In this article, we’re looking at what karaoke can teach us about nurturing a company culture that encourages innovation and creativity. 

So let’s get started.

The history of singing 

Before we look specifically at what karaoke can teach us about building a team, we need to understand the importance of singing:

• Cavemen sang songs.

• Songs were oral traditions in West Africa.

• And think about folk literature, too.

Oral history is passed down in song form. Singing is a communal activity. 

In cavemen times, it wouldn’t have mattered if you couldn’t sing well. 

You may have been a better hunter. Better with animals. Your skillset may have been stronger elsewhere. 

Do you think cavemen heckled each other? Of course not. They harnessed the power of the group.

You loved singing as a young child (until you become self-conscious). Then you either got over it or stopped because you found it embarrassing.

Singing is great for teaching. John (who works on all the policies at Reynolds HR) used to change the lyrics of well-known songs to help his Geography students remember key facts.

Music is so natural and ingrained in us that dementia patients remember songs and music far longer than they remember people. 

When my Grandma was 95, there was a party in her care home. She barely recognized her own sons. But when her friends visited her, she remembered all the Welsh hymns and even played the piano!

Karaoke is a team sport 

As a family, we are on our fifth karaoke machine.

In fact, we just treat ourselves to the latest one. 

The best money can buy. And it’s money well spent. 

Why? It’s not because of the number of tracks it stores or the quality of the microphones.

It’s because we do it together as a family most weekends (which is fantastic with a blended family of four teenagers). And we often do it with friends, too.

(We’ve tried it in public but aren’t keen. Not because we’re shy, but because we don’t like waiting ages for our turn!)

People often say how lucky we are that all the kids get on so well. 

But it’s not luck at all. 

And here’s our first lesson: we get on because we do stuff together. We are a team. We have fun.

Now imagine if you could harness that feeling in your team.

What difference would that make to your business?

Lesson 1:  Better ideas

Now let’s get into some key points to take away from this article. Starting with allowing your team space to come up with good ideas. 

See, the best ideas come to you when you’ve had a break. 

When your brain is rested and feels safe, it’ll throw ideas at you that you may never have had sitting at your desk.

I’ve had so many good ideas while singing karaoke. This article is one of them!

So factor in time to give your team some rest and let them surprise themselves with great ideas.

Lesson 2: Trust

When you grab the mic and sing karaoke, you’re putting yourself out there.

You’re vulnerable. 

And so when the group you’re with are supportive (even if you’re terrible), that makes you feel brilliant. 

It’s nothing ground-breaking to say that singing karaoke is easier after a few drinks. That’s due to the chemicals alcohol releases. 

Trust releases the same chemicals. The chemical itself is oxytocin, which is significant because oxytocin increases during childbirth and breastfeeding.

You see? Oxytocin is what bonds us to other people.

Trust is fundamental to relationships and the more trust felt, the more oxytocin is released.

You should create an environment where your team aren’t afraid to ‘grab the mic’ and put themselves out there. 

To feel trusted, and to trust your team, is fundamental to a thriving company culture.

Whether that’s speaking up in a meeting, raising concerns or sharing ideas, it’s absolutely crucial they feel trusted and can trust others. 

Lesson 3: Innovation is key

In a karaoke session, you can’t sing the same song someone else just sang.

Everyone knows that.

You have to pick your own songs.

Put your stamp on it.

And that’s similar to innovation. 

Karaoke demands you push yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Nobody wants to just hear the songs you’re good at. They want to hear you completely butcher a Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston classic every now and then. 

In order to survive in today’s commercial world, innovation is key.

Nothing is new. Change (or pivoting) is constant. Creativity and innovation are essential. 

So creating a culture that puts this at the centre is everything. 

Diverse songs on the karaoke are more fun.

A diverse team is more innovative and profitable. 

Lesson 4: Low consequence 

So you missed a line? 

Forgot the words to the song?

Or after 30 seconds realised you don’t know the tune as well as you thought you did?

So what?

It’s karaoke. It doesn’t matter.

You can blame the microphone, the song, the karaoke version you chose, anything you like. 

There’s no real consequence to messing it up. 

Create a culture that mirrors this. 

A culture that gives people the confidence to try new things and make mistakes. 

The braver your team is, the more innovative they’ll be.

The more boundaries they’ll push, the better your business will be. 

Lesson 5: Be who you want to be

Karaoke allows you to become your heroes for 3-5 minutes.

It gives you a chance to be the person you’ve always wanted to be. 

Not all of us are confident and outgoing, but singing karaoke, some people really come out of their shells.

It makes us feel good. 

So create an environment where people feel good, and they’ll be happier at work (and perform better).

Would you like to discuss how to build a solid company culture so that your team’s best day becomes their every day?

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Staff want and expect it from their employers, and most businesses have been quick to agree.

• But what is hybrid working?
• How do you know if you should do it?
• And how do you get it right?

That’s what we’ll look at now.

Let’s get started.

What does ‘hybrid working’ mean?

‘Hybrid working’ is a new term for businesses that let their staff work part at home and part in the office (e.g three days a week at home and two days in the office).

Usually, employers ask their staff to work in the office between 6-8 days a month. The rest of the time, they’re free to work from home or the office (depending on what they prefer).

But just because your staff want hybrid working isn’t reason enough to agree. There’s a lot to consider.

What you need to consider with hybrid working

Life seems quite ‘back to normal’, doesn’t it?

Arts and music venues are open, live sports is back on and clubs are open (if that’s still your thing). But it’s not all plain sailing:

• The Chronicle recently reported one in 50 of us in the North East have covid.
• Schools and universities are returning right now (we haven’t felt that impact yet).
• Winter is coming (I do like a Game of Thrones/business reference).

And that’s just the covid-related considerations.

Operationally, you must ask yourself these questions:

Can you really be as productive working from home?

Every business is different. Just because your competitors/friend’s businesses are doing hybrid working doesn’t mean it’s right for your business.

How do you train new people?

It’ll take much longer to train new staff because there’s a delay in asking questions. Plus, whereas new starters may feel comfortable asking their colleagues a quick question face-to-face, many will worry their question isn’t Whatsapp or email worthy.

By not asking enough questions, new starters will make more mistakes and take longer to learn the job.

How do you get the benefits of teamwork?

I’ve spoken before about how important teamwork is.A high-performing team is a team that knows each other’s strengths and weaknesses. A team full of people who want each other to do well. How will you make sure your team builds rapport when they’re not in the office together?

So you see, there’s a lot to consider before you make a quick decision to go hybrid just because everyone else seems to be doing it.

But we’re not finished yet.

Extra things to consider

• Will you insist people socially distance? Will people wear masks? 
• What if people are shielding?
• You’ll need to hire extra cleaners to clean desks if people are hot desking. Have you factored in that cost?
• What about TWATs: staff who only want to work in the office Tuesdays Wednesdays And Thursdays? Will you have enough room for everyone on those days? Or will staff have to ‘book’ a desk in advance?
• What will you do with people who are shielding or people who have suppressed immune systems?
• Your young staff may not be double-jabbed. Anti-vaxxers will refuse the jab. What happens there?
• People’s lifestyles have changed. Childcare commitments are different. Will you/can you be flexible?

How can you get hybrid working right?

Some people don’t work as hard at home, but others work much harder. Some people need the buzz of the office, others need silence. It can feel like a balancing act.

Yes, you’d like to try and please everyone but you’re running a business: you need to keep people safe and make sure the business is productive.

Here are four main ways to get hybrid working right.

• Factor in an adjustment period
  

We’ve all become experts at bending rules to suit our own situation/plans. The top people in government are doing it, so why not us?

Coming back to work, rules are rules. You need to allow people time to readjust to this.

We all struggle with transitions. Your staff’s lives have changed. Their situation at home may have changed. Work friendship dynamics will be different.

Don’t be too harsh on your staff if they’re late because they misjudged their commute time. It’s easy to forget things that were once a habit.

The key to managing change is how you manage uncertainty.

Be clear. Be honest. Be kind.

• Don’t impose things on people

If you want to encourage team building, don’t expect people to stay late to attend work socials – their working day is already longer than it has been for two years.

Make sure socials are in work time. Make them appealing and respect people’s individual needs.

• Encourage everyone more

Take extra time to tell people how good a job they’re doing.

Share positive company news and successes.

Make sure everyone feels part of the success.

• Communication is key

Without clear communication, people ‘fill in the gaps’ themselves. They speculate. They gossip. They come to conclusions they want or they’re worried about.

For this reason, explain why you’re doing things – don’t just tell people what you’re doing.

When delivering key messages, tell everyone where and when you’re going to deliver the news. Explain you’re delivering this in person so everyone gets the same message and they have to be there to hear it from you. This sparks FOMO and you’ll find more staff attend the briefings.

Then think about how you’ll get the key message to the people who can’t be there. Recording your briefing and making the link available is a great option. Send it using instant messenger so everyone gets it at the same time.

If a member of your team has to deliver the briefing, pick someone who is positive and part of your core team.

Remember people rarely remember exactly what you said but they remember how you said it. Tone is everything.

Nobody likes rules that don’t make sense

So when you’re setting up your processes and procedures, make sure you’re not doing things out of principle.

Make sure they’re logical and explain the logic. Explain the reasons.

Be authentic. Be yourself.

And above all, don’t be a TWAT.

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