Author: Chanel Finnigan

Performance issues? Staff lacking motivation? Absenteeism problems?

What do all these things have in common?

Yes, they are to do with your staff, and yes, they impact on business performance, but more often than not they are caused by a gap in leadership skill. 

As an HR consultancy we are often called in to help when things have gone wrong, when managers are at the end of their tether and small problems have escalated to something significant. While these problems can be solved, by the time they have reached this stage they end up costing time, money and can be very disruptive to your business.

We find that many of these problems could have been nipped in the bud early on by some clear constructive feedback, open dialogue and coaching, and saved everyone a lot of trouble.

We understand that this can be difficult. Leadership can be complex, tough conversations are hard, and we are all busy people. It does, however, pay off in the long run when you have less of the “big” people problems to deal with.

“The pessimist complains about the wind,

The optimist expects it to change,

The leader adjusts the sails.”

John C Maxwell.

The key to this is having well developed leaders who have the skills and confidence to handle any conversation, give regular feedback and can solve people problems before they spiral out of control. Taking a pro-active approach and ensuring that your leaders have these skills will pay off through improved team performance.

Leadership development can take many forms and involve the transfer of knowledge and learning a variety of skills.

If you want to encourage early intervention and stop problems before they escalate, we recommend ensuring your leadership development covers the following areas:

1. Giving (and receiving) feedback – Changing behaviour is most effective when it is done as soon as the behaviour occurs and at the first example. Feeling confident to give clear, forward focused feedback often is an essential leadership skill for early intervention. Equally important is being able to receive feedback, so that your leaders can amend their leadership style to get the best from their team.
2. Setting expectations and holding teams accountable – How can your team deliver what you expect when they don’t know exactly what that is? This is a step which is often missed with team members and can result in confusion around delivery. Alongside this, understanding how to have conversations when your team miss a mark, in a way that is supportive and outcome focused, will keep things heading in the right direction.
3. Building trust – Staff are more open to feedback and perform better when they trust the person they work for. If they question your motives and feel they can’t rely on you it makes it difficult to have honesty and openness in the relationship. Without these problems occur.
4. Having courageous conversations – Small things are easy to discuss, big things or regularly occurring issues aren’t. This is often why leaders shy away from addressing some topics until it’s too late. Learning how to make these conversations a safe space, managing emotions and handling conflict will encourage your leaders to step up to the plate for these conversations when they need to.
5. Managing change – Many issues arise from change, and in today’s world, change is inevitable. A proactive approach to communication and planning will mitigate these risks, reduce problems and, ultimately, make your changes more successful.

Bear in mind that leadership skills are significantly different to technical skills.

You may have the most capable operational team in the world, but if they aren’t bringing their team on the journey your business results will suffer. If you want your leaders to be pro-active with managing their team, get pro-active around giving them the skills to do so.

Positive People have over 30 years creating leadership development programs which deliver tangible results and are best fit for your needs.

Call us now on 09 445 1077 or click here. 

The silly season is upon us, and all across the country HR professionals hold their breath…..what festive mess will we be dealing with this year?

Yes, the annual Christmas celebration. Loved by your team, also slightly feared by your senior team, but always important to say thank you for a year of hard work.

Even though it’s been a tough year for most businesses, it is likely that you will be looking to do a little something for your team to celebrate the end of the year. Whether it’s a low-key BBQ at the office, dinner out or simply an after-work drink, there is always the possibility of mischief.

Best to be pro-active, set expectations up front, and make sure you are mindful of what can go wrong.

Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts from us; to help make sure your function is the special celebration you are hoping for, and you don’t have any doozies to deal with.

Do:

• Set clear expectations before the event – Making sure your team consider their behaviour and what’s acceptable prior to the function can head off any high jinks they may be planning.
• If alcohol is involved, have a plan – Don’t forget you still have H & S responsibilities, even at a function. Consider how you limit the quantity available, what to do if someone has too much and how you will make sure your team all get home safe.
• Have a definite end time and make sure everyone leaves the venue – Some of your team may like to kick on, and that’s great for them. You just want to make sure it’s very clear any behaviour following the event is not your responsibility.
• Take time to talk to as many of your team as possible – It’s a really nice way to finish the year getting a personal “thank you for your hard work” from your boss and this is a great time to do it.
• Enjoy yourself – It’s time for you to celebrate the end of the year as well so try and have fun too

Don’t:

• Skip it – It may be tempting to think “this is mostly for the team” but this sends a very big message around how much you value them and their efforts. This is a must attend event.
• Drink too much – If you have a small team, you feel close to, it may feel like you can completely relax and totally let your hair. You can’t! Make sure you are not the one everyone is talking about on Monday morning.
• Get too familiar with individuals in your team – Have fun but keep it professional throughout
• Be anti-social or look bored – Appearing like you would like to be somewhere else is as bad as not showing up at all. This event is all about making your team feel valued and important.
• Forget to acknowledge the people who did the organising – This is just good manners and will encourage them to take the lead on this in the future.

And once again – enjoy yourself! Even if you have host responsibilities, this should still be a fun night.

And if it isn’t, you can always call us – we have 30+ years’ experience dealing with the Christmas doozies!

We listened with interest to the interview with Sir Brian Roche, our new Public Service Commissioner, this week as he outlined his key objective for the public service.

It is to increase productivity and performance.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Isn’t that what we all want?

But at a time when the public service is feeling the pain of restructures, funding cuts and uncertain futures, this is a task easier said than done and definitely not simple!

We know that many private businesses will be facing the same challenge right now. It has been a tough year and many of you will have downsized or put recruitment and training on hold. The challenge you face is how to do more with less people.

Equally for your teams, going through change is tough. They may be feeling uncertain about their future, frustrated by additional work or missing friendships and connections they had with staff who have left.

The result of this is that you may want more, but your team may not be in the space to give more.

Getting your team back on the same page, motivated and settled into the new environment will be critical for achieving your business goals.

If you want to improve productivity after a time of change, consider these three questions:

1. How engaged are your team and are you delivering on what is important to them right now?

You generally feel it when engagement is low. Your team are not quite as committed to going the extra mile, no one puts their hand up to help when it is required, productivity may be low, or quality is suffering.

This is normal after periods of change, but it takes a concerted and focused effort to get this back on track.

• A key place to start is by asking your team how they feel, what they need from you, then making a clear effort to deliver this
• Make time for each individual and communicate a strong united successful future for you and them
• Try and put some fun back into the workplace

Involving your team in these discussions through engagement or pulse surveys and focus groups means they play a part in creating the workplace they want.

This starts the journey to increased engagement, and improved performance and productivity.

2. How skilled are your leaders at managing change and motivating their teams?

Leaders have it tough as well. They still need to deliver results and do this with smaller teams and staff who may not care as much as they do. This can lead to some having a short fuse, which can create other headaches for them and for your business.

So, what are you doing to support them and make sure they have the right skills to navigate this period successfully?

• Putting in some focused development opportunities for them is an important part of helping them to lead your team for success
• Do they know how to give clear, forward focused feedback?
• Can they successfully manage small issues before they escalate?
• Do they understand how to manage change?
• Can they communicate well with their teams?

These are all important leadership skills and can make the difference between your teams limping along or starting to fire on all cylinders again.

3. Are your expectations realistic?

You may have downsized and gone from two sales people to one, or down to one dispatch staff member.

Is what you are asking actually do-able? What does that mean to their call cycle or travel? Can they really load two trucks a day?

• Having these conversations and reviewing your processes will go a long way towards making these changes work
• You may have to do something differently, like automate, introduce new software or introduce virtual client meetings

If you take the time to talk to your people and really understand their workload and tasks, you will improve your productivity.

Expecting people to work faster or for longer hours isn’t the full solution. Improving productivity takes a change in the way you are working.

Thinking through these questions carefully and taking meaningful action to improve productivity and efficiency will help to get your team ready to go for 2025.

Positive People have over 30 years helping businesses improve engagement, leadership skills and productivity. Call us now on 09 445 1077 or email us at info@positivepeople.co.nz.

Change is never easy, and when you’re dealing with change that potentially impacts an individual’s ability to financially support themselves and their family, it can be very hard all round.

Looking at your business critically to make sure you have the right number of people, with the right skills in the right positions doing the right things is an essential part of managing your business well. It is also an on-going process. When this is undertaken in a tight economic climate, it often means that downsizing options need to be explored.

Despite best intentions, detailed planning and a thorough process, it is easy to make one small mistake which can derail everything.

In life, change in inevitable.

In business, change is vital.

(Warren G. Bennis)

We work with a variety of organisations supporting them with their change processes, so we thought we would highlight the most common mistakes we see, so you can make sure you tread a safe path in your business.

What NOT to do in a change process:

1. Don’t keep your team in the dark around the business position

We know that most of us like to keep things positive and don’t want to cause unnecessary stress for our teams. However, it is important that your team do have some prior understanding that trading may not be quite where you need it to be. If a restructure is the first your team learn about this it can come as an unpleasant surprise, can be more emotional and ultimately more difficult for everyone.

2. Don’t announce that a restructuring is being considered before you have made a definite decision to proceed with the process and are well organised

Talking about the possibility of a downsize well before the process starts is risky and can cause unnecessary stress for your team, both those who might be impacted and those who will not. It can result in resignations from valuable team members, undermine morale and negatively affect the process when you do start.

Keep the messaging clear on business conditions but stay away from talk around restructures until you know what you are doing and have a clear plan.

3. Don’t have any side chats with some of your team.

If you are involved in implementing a new internal promotion or appointment, it can be tempting to want to let the person/s in on a potential restructuring plan so that they know that they will be safe. The intention being to make sure you retain them and keep them engaged. It is a risky move. It is also relatively common for these people to share this information and undermine the integrity of a genuine process. If your team learns the selection process is predetermined then no matter how well the change process is conducted, you put your business at risk.

4. Don’t neglect the detail

Often businesses will focus on the business rationale and forget the job details or job descriptions. Your team don’t only need to know “why” you are considering the change, they also need to know what it means for them, what job they may be doing or where their current tasks will be reassigned to. And if a role is being disestablished and other staff are picking up their tasks, these people need to be consulted with as well.

5. Don’t ignore the feedback given.

All feedback should be properly considered and responded to. This includes even the small details that may appear to not have any impact on the overall outcome of the process. We’ve seen some great ideas come from feedback in a change process, so even though you may have a clear idea of what you want to do, it is imperative to keep an open mind. All solutions and alternatives should be considered, including possibly tweaking a job description, having part time options, or something completely different that might be suggested.

6. Don’t expect your team to be operating in a completely BAU space during the change process

Change is hard, and depending on the scale of change some of your team may not be able to focus on anything else. Plan for this at the beginning. Could people work from home? Can they have special leave? Can you take the pressure off for a while? We suggest planning the timing, taking care to cater for any critical business projects or deadlines and making sure your leaders know to keep the pressure off during this time.

A good change process includes:

• A clear well thought out business case and plan.
• Clear and honest communication
• A genuine consultation period and consideration of feedback
• Empathy and support for your team

While change processes are tough for any organisation, a detailed step-by-step plan and schedule makes for reduced risk and fair implementation.

Positive People have over 30 years’ experience supporting businesses to get change processes right. Call us now on 09-445 1077.

Ever had a team member come into your office, sit down, then proceed to unburden you with all their frustrations?  You listen, you advise, they leave, and you think “job well done”, I’ve solved that problem.

And then…..… a month later……. the Personal Grievance arrives!

What may have seemed like an off the record chat to you, may have been an attempt to make a formal complaint or act as a whistleblower. This can catch you out when they raise a PG stating you were aware of the concerns, but didn’t act. Particularly in cases of alleged bullying as you have not only your employment obligations, but a duty of care to provide a safe workplace as well. This can be an expensive mistake!

We have seen a noticeable increase in Personal Grievances in the past year. Some come as a complete surprise, but often it is an issue the business knew about in some capacity.

Listening to your teams’ frustrations is an essential part of leadership – so how do you navigate this to be supportive, resolve problems AND mitigate future risk?

1. A “Complain.”

It is usual for team members to speak to their managers when they have concerns or frustrations about something (or someone) in the business. If one of your team comes to you to complain it is important to ask them the question “are you making a formal complaint?” You may have to explain what this means for them and double check, are they wanting you to get involved or are they looking for advice, or are they just venting?  Note this. If it’s advice they are after, also make a note of this or follow up with an email along with the advice you provided. Check in again after a few weeks to make sure the issue is resolved and note that it is. We all want a happy productive workplace, so helping to resolve issues early is good for business and keeping a note of this will help if things go further.

2. A “Complaint.”

This is the stage where your team member wants the concern investigated and some action taken. In this instance you should do some initial enquiries and double check your complaint policy.  Most will contain a first stage of early resolution to try and find possible solutions and this should be your first option. If you feel there is potential misconduct (or serious misconduct), then a formal investigation should be initiated. For serious allegations against another team member, consider using an independent investigator to ensure the process isn’t biased. At this stage it is important to be thorough, fair and transparent, so you can resolve things without them going further.

3. A Personal Grievance

A PG is the legal mechanism for employees to resolve issues with their employers. Usually at this stage an employee advocate or employment lawyer is involved, and you will receive a letter stating the allegations and details of this. Often this is accompanied by a timeframe to respond, a request to attend mediation or a dollar figure they are seeking.

Firstly, don’t panic, – you don’t have to respond by whatever deadline they have set!

An email noting receipt of the PG and advising a date when you will respond is fine. This gives you time to take a breath, understand the concerns properly and seek advice if required. PG’s have a 90-day time limit to be raised after the allegation or action occurred (unless it’s for sexual harassment), so check this carefully. If it is outside this time limit you can refuse consent to the grievance being raised. There is also a clear list of when a PG’s can be raised (Personal Grievances). Check this carefully as you can decline the PG if it sits outside these reasons and treat it as a formal complaint instead.

If it fits these two criteria, we suggest taking your time to consider things properly and get advice if required. A well-considered response from the beginning, balancing risk, costs and time is important towards reaching an outcome that is satisfactory for everyone involved.

We know that PG’s or formal complaints can be frustrating, time consuming and costly, but they also can be an opportunity to understand what’s not working in your business and make things better for the future.

“Opportunities are where the complaints are.”

Jack Ma.

If you need help navigating an employment issue and wish to discuss, call us now on 09 445 1077. With over 30 years in this complex space, we can help.