At the weekend I allowed myself an excursion to watch my team, Notts County, of league 2 (the old 4th division to you and me) play premiership Wigan in the 4th round of the FA Cup. Anyone with even a passing interest in football would be aware of the trials and tribulations surrounding the oldest league club in the world: a multi million £ takeover which proved to be a mirage, talk of another sale, mounting debts and doubts over whether the wage bill could be met, rumour and counter rumour swirling around the club. You would think that all this would affect the work performance of those key members of staff, the players wouldn't you? Well it certainly didn't show on Saturday as Notts raced into a 2-0 lead and were only just denied a historic win by the fluke of a last minute equaliser (OK, I'm biased).
The point here though is that, despite all the uncertainty about their future as well as whether they would actually be paid this month the team still delivered. If you are in the position of having to steer your business though uncertain times and tight budgets you could maybe take inspiration on how to do it from Notts County's caretaker manager Dave Kevan. Throughout his time in charge he has asked the team to concentrate on their own performance and contribution, not on what is going on elsewhere. He has turned the rather beleaguered atmosphere at the club into a positive by using it to bond the team in a 'we're all in it together' kind of way. Above all, he has led by example, refusing to be drawn on speculation about the clubs future and by being cheerful and optimistic, setting the standard and challenging others to meet it. In short he has proved himself to be a real leader, the kind every business could do with in difficult times.
Monday, 25 January 2010
Monday, 27 July 2009
Lifes A Beach
'Lifes a beach?' Well holidays can be, especially if you get into a state not just about where you go but whether to go at all.
Naturally, if you employ no staff then a holiday break can seem unnecessary and even dangerous but with all the mobile media at our disposal today even you should be prepared to give yourself a short break safe in the knowledge that you are extremely unlikely to miss that all important sales call.
If you do employ staff in your own small business then the holidays you take, or whether you take them, says a lot about your management style and what you think of the people you employ.
If you take no holiday at all or only dare venture a few miles away on a 'long weekend' in order that you can come back in at short notice to deal with some 'emergency' you are simply not running your business effectively. It also smacks of crisis management which, trust me, attracts nothing but contempt from employees however good it may make you feel. What on earth are the point of the people you employ if they can't be left to manage things during your absence? If your answer is to take no holiday at all then you are adding extra pressure on yourself and possibly hastening the day when you have to take time off whether you like it or not; what will happen to your business then?
Think too what impact this has on your employees who will feel that they are not trusted to run things while you are away or to use the skills and judgement they undoubtedly have. Horror of horrors they may even have some ideas on how to manage the day to day that haven't occurred to you!
Naturally, your business needs the leadership and strategic direction that you provide but even for that to be effective you will need talented committed people around you. The first thing to admit to yourself is that you are not indispensable, then ask yourself who in your team shows genuine promise and ability, start to think about how you may be able to bring this out more by putting together a formal training plan for them using your knowledge and industry experience, there may even be some external supervisory or management training you could provide. The effect on the staff you deal with in this way is often out of all proportion to the time or money spent on it. If you are able to do this then not only will you eventually be able to to take a proper holiday you will genuinely enjoy it and be a far more effective manager when you get back.
Naturally, if you employ no staff then a holiday break can seem unnecessary and even dangerous but with all the mobile media at our disposal today even you should be prepared to give yourself a short break safe in the knowledge that you are extremely unlikely to miss that all important sales call.
If you do employ staff in your own small business then the holidays you take, or whether you take them, says a lot about your management style and what you think of the people you employ.
If you take no holiday at all or only dare venture a few miles away on a 'long weekend' in order that you can come back in at short notice to deal with some 'emergency' you are simply not running your business effectively. It also smacks of crisis management which, trust me, attracts nothing but contempt from employees however good it may make you feel. What on earth are the point of the people you employ if they can't be left to manage things during your absence? If your answer is to take no holiday at all then you are adding extra pressure on yourself and possibly hastening the day when you have to take time off whether you like it or not; what will happen to your business then?
Think too what impact this has on your employees who will feel that they are not trusted to run things while you are away or to use the skills and judgement they undoubtedly have. Horror of horrors they may even have some ideas on how to manage the day to day that haven't occurred to you!
Naturally, your business needs the leadership and strategic direction that you provide but even for that to be effective you will need talented committed people around you. The first thing to admit to yourself is that you are not indispensable, then ask yourself who in your team shows genuine promise and ability, start to think about how you may be able to bring this out more by putting together a formal training plan for them using your knowledge and industry experience, there may even be some external supervisory or management training you could provide. The effect on the staff you deal with in this way is often out of all proportion to the time or money spent on it. If you are able to do this then not only will you eventually be able to to take a proper holiday you will genuinely enjoy it and be a far more effective manager when you get back.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
New Year Resolution
When de-icing the car prior to that frosty trip to work you know that the festive season is well and truly over!
Having braved it through the January gloom your early morning is not improved by taking calls from staff who can't quite match your determination due to suffering from 'the flu' or something similar.
If you manage to resist the temptation to throw the mobile down the toilet please don't use it to ring the temp agency. Instead do something really radical. Nothing. Yes, I mean it. If you do you may well be rewarded by witnessing something truly amazing; the sight of people coping! This will lead you to asking some important questions such as:
I will deal with the best way to implement a cost saving restructure next time as well as discussing other areas where savings can be had that may be staring you in the face!
Having braved it through the January gloom your early morning is not improved by taking calls from staff who can't quite match your determination due to suffering from 'the flu' or something similar.
If you manage to resist the temptation to throw the mobile down the toilet please don't use it to ring the temp agency. Instead do something really radical. Nothing. Yes, I mean it. If you do you may well be rewarded by witnessing something truly amazing; the sight of people coping! This will lead you to asking some important questions such as:
- How long is it since you gave any thought to how you do what you do?
- Does your structure chart (if you have one) look like a complicated wiring diagram?
- Can everyone on your payroll answer with confidence the question 'who do you work for?'
I will deal with the best way to implement a cost saving restructure next time as well as discussing other areas where savings can be had that may be staring you in the face!
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Comfort and Joy?
With the festive season well and truly under way it is very tempting to convince yourself that the last set of monthly figures were not as bad as all that and put off wondering what you are going to do about it until the New Year. Tempting but wrong.
When you are trying to turn your business around time is precious and, although it may be a little unrealistic to expect you to take action in the next couple of weeks, it is an ideal time to plan. Start by asking yourself some basic questions: are you getting the best possible return from your people, your assetts and your capital? If not, why not? If things aren't going so well, is it truely temporary or are you simply ignoring the real things that are holding your business back?
If you are lucky enough to have a business partner (or partners) that you trust, take some time out for a real heart to heart about where you think the business stands and what needs to be done.
Whatever you conclude, if you are asking these sorts of questions I doubt you will decide that you should leave things as they are so draw up an action plan for implementation when you return after the holidays.
In my next post I will discuss what should be in the plan and how to put it into action.
When you are trying to turn your business around time is precious and, although it may be a little unrealistic to expect you to take action in the next couple of weeks, it is an ideal time to plan. Start by asking yourself some basic questions: are you getting the best possible return from your people, your assetts and your capital? If not, why not? If things aren't going so well, is it truely temporary or are you simply ignoring the real things that are holding your business back?
If you are lucky enough to have a business partner (or partners) that you trust, take some time out for a real heart to heart about where you think the business stands and what needs to be done.
Whatever you conclude, if you are asking these sorts of questions I doubt you will decide that you should leave things as they are so draw up an action plan for implementation when you return after the holidays.
In my next post I will discuss what should be in the plan and how to put it into action.
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