Engaging Your People for Success with Lisa Askwith

John Maxwell says that he gets asked all the time, “How do you motivate your people?” and his answer is very simple: “Hire motivated people.” You want to attract and hire the best talent in order to continue your development and growth as a company.  You can have great processes and great products but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization. They are the ones that will allow it to Thrive……..or Stagnate. Recruitment is not as easy as many people think…..in today's fast paced work environment it has become an essential part of any leader's role, however, it is more often than not, not given the attention it deserves in order to really get it right.   If you are finding you are struggling to recruit, or to recruit and retain for any length of time, then it is time to thoroughly review your recruitment process.   Hiring the best Talent is a crucial leadership skill.   First you need to decide what the best talent looks like, and there are many ways to get the overall picture, lots of websites give reviews, and matching job requirements and salaries,  for all ranges of roles, which allow you to target the right people and remunerate them accordingly.

John Maxwell says that he gets asked all the time, “How do you motivate your people?” and his answer is very simple: “Hire motivated people.” You want to attract and hire the best talent in order to continue your development and growth as a company.  You can have great processes and great products but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization. They are the ones that will allow it to Thrive……..or Stagnate. Recruitment is not as easy as many people think…..in today's fast paced work environment it has become an essential part of any leader's role, however, it is more often than not, not given the attention it deserves in order to really get it right.   If you are finding you are struggling to recruit, or to recruit and retain for any length of time, then it is time to thoroughly review your recruitment process.   Hiring the best Talent is a crucial leadership skill.   First you need to decide what the best talent looks like, and there are many ways to get the overall picture, lots of websites give reviews, and matching job requirements and salaries,  for all ranges of roles, which allow you to target the right people and remunerate them accordingly.

John Maxwell says that he gets asked all the time, “How do you motivate your people?” and his answer is very simple: “Hire motivated people.” You want to attract and hire the best talent in order to continue your development and growth as a company.  You can have great processes and great products but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization. They are the ones that will allow it to Thrive……..or Stagnate. Recruitment is not as easy as many people think…..in today's fast paced work environment it has become an essential part of any leader's role, however, it is more often than not, not given the attention it deserves in order to really get it right.   If you are finding you are struggling to recruit, or to recruit and retain for any length of time, then it is time to thoroughly review your recruitment process.   Hiring the best Talent is a crucial leadership skill.   First you need to decide what the best talent looks like, and there are many ways to get the overall picture, lots of websites give reviews, and matching job requirements and salaries,  for all ranges of roles, which allow you to target the right people and remunerate them accordingly.

Often it is assumed if a company has a great vision or strategy then it must have a great culture and people will want to stay. Sadly this could not be further from the truth! I often see companies that once had a great strategy and culture, but over time things have changed, and not in a good way, the synergy is gone and often the culture has changed direction. Often the strategy has not really been reassessed for true relevance to the business and people- just the bottom line, and this leads to further problems. It's amazing just how often the people working in the business cannot see that this has occurred. Often it takes some time for them to realise the depth of the problem, and by then it has often become pervasive and much more difficult to change. In fact, by then the Strategy has continued on, and is often totally ignoring, or worse yet contradictory to the culture. This is what I want to ensure you avoid. It's time to rebuild the way your culture and strategy work together, to fully capitalise on long term sustainable business success.

Often it is assumed if a company has a great vision or strategy then it must have a great culture and people will want to stay. Sadly this could not be further from the truth! I often see companies that once had a great strategy and culture, but over time things have changed, and not in a good way, the synergy is gone and often the culture has changed direction. Often the strategy has not really been reassessed for true relevance to the business and people- just the bottom line, and this leads to further problems. It's amazing just how often the people working in the business cannot see that this has occurred. Often it takes some time for them to realise the depth of the problem, and by then it has often become pervasive and much more difficult to change. In fact, by then the Strategy has continued on, and is often totally ignoring, or worse yet contradictory to the culture. This is what I want to ensure you avoid. It's time to rebuild the way your culture and strategy work together, to fully capitalise on long term sustainable business success.

Often it is assumed if a company has a great vision or strategy then it must have a great culture and people will want to stay. Sadly this could not be further from the truth! I often see companies that once had a great strategy and culture, but over time things have changed, and not in a good way, the synergy is gone and often the culture has changed direction. Often the strategy has not really been reassessed for true relevance to the business and people- just the bottom line, and this leads to further problems. It's amazing just how often the people working in the business cannot see that this has occurred. Often it takes some time for them to realise the depth of the problem, and by then it has often become pervasive and much more difficult to change. In fact, by then the Strategy has continued on, and is often totally ignoring, or worse yet contradictory to the culture. This is what I want to ensure you avoid. It's time to rebuild the way your culture and strategy work together, to fully capitalise on long term sustainable business success.

Often it is assumed if a company has a great vision or strategy then it must have a great culture and people will want to stay. Sadly this could not be further from the truth! I often see companies that once had a great strategy and culture, but over time things have changed, and not in a good way, the synergy is gone and often the culture has changed direction. Often the strategy has not really been reassessed for true relevance to the business and people- just the bottom line, and this leads to further problems. It's amazing just how often the people working in the business cannot see that this has occurred. Often it takes some time for them to realise the depth of the problem, and by then it has often become pervasive and much more difficult to change. In fact, by then the Strategy has continued on, and is often totally ignoring, or worse yet contradictory to the culture. This is what I want to ensure you avoid. It's time to rebuild the way your culture and strategy work together, to fully capitalise on long term sustainable business success.

Today's show is building on our previous shows this week as we explore your employee's perceptions and needs to get a pulse on what could be going on in their lives as they navigate new working conditions and the challenges, struggles and opportunities of their roles; and how as a business you can not only manage that, but capitalise on it. Retaining Good Talent is crucial to any businesses ability to innovate, grow and succeed.Your great people are regularly recognised by others, as we live in a connected world that is digitally at our fingertips. Hence, now more so than at any time in the past, we risk losing people if we dont structure our business to keep them. So it's time to look closely at what you really offer your people, and not to expect them to stay just because you pay them.

Today's show is building on our previous shows this week as we explore your employee's perceptions and needs to get a pulse on what could be going on in their lives as they navigate new working conditions and the challenges, struggles and opportunities of their roles; and how as a business you can not only manage that, but capitalise on it. Retaining Good Talent is crucial to any businesses ability to innovate, grow and succeed.Your great people are regularly recognised by others, as we live in a connected world that is digitally at our fingertips. Hence, now more so than at any time in the past, we risk losing people if we dont structure our business to keep them. So it's time to look closely at what you really offer your people, and not to expect them to stay just because you pay them.

Today's show is building on our previous shows this week as we explore your employee's perceptions and needs to get a pulse on what could be going on in their lives as they navigate new working conditions and the challenges, struggles and opportunities of their roles; and how as a business you can not only manage that, but capitalise on it. Retaining Good Talent is crucial to any businesses ability to innovate, grow and succeed.Your great people are regularly recognised by others, as we live in a connected world that is digitally at our fingertips. Hence, now more so than at any time in the past, we risk losing people if we dont structure our business to keep them. So it's time to look closely at what you really offer your people, and not to expect them to stay just because you pay them.

Today's show is building on our previous shows this week as we explore your employee's perceptions and needs to get a pulse on what could be going on in their lives as they navigate new working conditions and the challenges, struggles and opportunities of their roles; and how as a business you can not only manage that, but capitalise on it. Retaining Good Talent is crucial to any businesses ability to innovate, grow and succeed.Your great people are regularly recognised by others, as we live in a connected world that is digitally at our fingertips. Hence, now more so than at any time in the past, we risk losing people if we dont structure our business to keep them. So it's time to look closely at what you really offer your people, and not to expect them to stay just because you pay them.

To continue from last week's discussion on how to make your business attract great people, and retain them for as long as possible, we are now going to focus on a key internal area that can really help achieve that, as well as improve your business from within. That is developing your people, and ensuring you have supportive and accessible career paths and development plans in place. Plans which help you remove bias and ensure that your internal promotion can be celebrated rather than ridiculed, can be believed in and seen to be positive and the right fit, rather than causing distrust and disengagement. In order to both retain your great people, and help them grow with the business you need more than an incentive scheme and bonuses…..so much more!. I will also focus more on how to make sure Promotions are fair and transparent, and based on performance. Whilst not getting caught up in the toxic trap of being based on connections. This is vital to get right, otherwise mistrust will take over and your business culture will lose its edge.  Let's stop this from happening and develop promotions, rewards, and a recognition structure that helps value all of your people, and makes them proud to be part of your business! One that can give back to both the business bottom line and the employee engagement levels. In reality this is not a hard or onerous task, but one that you must be aware needs to be achieved, and once done it will take on a life of its own that will help drive your culture and engage your people.

To continue from last week's discussion on how to make your business attract great people, and retain them for as long as possible, we are now going to focus on a key internal area that can really help achieve that, as well as improve your business from within. That is developing your people, and ensuring you have supportive and accessible career paths and development plans in place. Plans which help you remove bias and ensure that your internal promotion can be celebrated rather than ridiculed, can be believed in and seen to be positive and the right fit, rather than causing distrust and disengagement. In order to both retain your great people, and help them grow with the business you need more than an incentive scheme and bonuses…..so much more!. I will also focus more on how to make sure Promotions are fair and transparent, and based on performance. Whilst not getting caught up in the toxic trap of being based on connections. This is vital to get right, otherwise mistrust will take over and your business culture will lose its edge.  Let's stop this from happening and develop promotions, rewards, and a recognition structure that helps value all of your people, and makes them proud to be part of your business! One that can give back to both the business bottom line and the employee engagement levels. In reality this is not a hard or onerous task, but one that you must be aware needs to be achieved, and once done it will take on a life of its own that will help drive your culture and engage your people.

To continue from last week's discussion on how to make your business attract great people, and retain them for as long as possible, we are now going to focus on a key internal area that can really help achieve that, as well as improve your business from within. That is developing your people, and ensuring you have supportive and accessible career paths and development plans in place. Plans which help you remove bias and ensure that your internal promotion can be celebrated rather than ridiculed, can be believed in and seen to be positive and the right fit, rather than causing distrust and disengagement. In order to both retain your great people, and help them grow with the business you need more than an incentive scheme and bonuses…..so much more!. I will also focus more on how to make sure Promotions are fair and transparent, and based on performance. Whilst not getting caught up in the toxic trap of being based on connections. This is vital to get right, otherwise mistrust will take over and your business culture will lose its edge.  Let's stop this from happening and develop promotions, rewards, and a recognition structure that helps value all of your people, and makes them proud to be part of your business! One that can give back to both the business bottom line and the employee engagement levels. In reality this is not a hard or onerous task, but one that you must be aware needs to be achieved, and once done it will take on a life of its own that will help drive your culture and engage your people.

To continue from last week's discussion on how to make your business attract great people, and retain them for as long as possible, we are now going to focus on a key internal area that can really help achieve that, as well as improve your business from within. That is developing your people, and ensuring you have supportive and accessible career paths and development plans in place. Plans which help you remove bias and ensure that your internal promotion can be celebrated rather than ridiculed, can be believed in and seen to be positive and the right fit, rather than causing distrust and disengagement. In order to both retain your great people, and help them grow with the business you need more than an incentive scheme and bonuses…..so much more!. I will also focus more on how to make sure Promotions are fair and transparent, and based on performance. Whilst not getting caught up in the toxic trap of being based on connections. This is vital to get right, otherwise mistrust will take over and your business culture will lose its edge.  Let's stop this from happening and develop promotions, rewards, and a recognition structure that helps value all of your people, and makes them proud to be part of your business! One that can give back to both the business bottom line and the employee engagement levels. In reality this is not a hard or onerous task, but one that you must be aware needs to be achieved, and once done it will take on a life of its own that will help drive your culture and engage your people.

Most leaders are very comfortable in managing the day-to-day performance of their people.  The typical career progression for a leader means that they were likely promoted from within, largely because they have demonstrated mastery in their technical area.  Typically you are moving from being a highly successful individual contributor to suddenly being a manager of people. This is a big mindset shift that has derailed many previous successful people. The move from individual recognition to team recognition requires a very different thought pattern and behaviours, and if you are not prepared for tehi, it can quickly lead to failure. As your organization grows there is a need for your leaders to evolve from telling, or using a directive leadership approach to coaching which relies more on asking thought provoking questions. This is a key step that unfortunately many businesses and leaders miss. It is vital to get this right if you want to become an exceptional leader. Not only that but it develops you and your people to a much higher level, and really helps a company excel through engaging their people for success. Managers and leaders need to embrace the fact that they no longer have to have all of the “right” answers, and can't be expected to in today's rapidly changing workplace. However, what they need to do to combat this, is they need to know how to ask the “right” questions.  Today we will really focus on more of the key needs around your leadership mindset, developing it and the impacts is can have on key people areas such as culture and engagement in order to build you a sustainable business that is driven to success through exceptional people, ones who are engaged and willing to put their themselves forward to drive, innovation, culture and a positive and rewarding work environment.

Most leaders are very comfortable in managing the day-to-day performance of their people.  The typical career progression for a leader means that they were likely promoted from within, largely because they have demonstrated mastery in their technical area.  Typically you are moving from being a highly successful individual contributor to suddenly being a manager of people. This is a big mindset shift that has derailed many previous successful people. The move from individual recognition to team recognition requires a very different thought pattern and behaviours, and if you are not prepared for tehi, it can quickly lead to failure. As your organization grows there is a need for your leaders to evolve from telling, or using a directive leadership approach to coaching which relies more on asking thought provoking questions. This is a key step that unfortunately many businesses and leaders miss. It is vital to get this right if you want to become an exceptional leader. Not only that but it develops you and your people to a much higher level, and really helps a company excel through engaging their people for success. Managers and leaders need to embrace the fact that they no longer have to have all of the “right” answers, and can't be expected to in today's rapidly changing workplace. However, what they need to do to combat this, is they need to know how to ask the “right” questions.  Today we will really focus on more of the key needs around your leadership mindset, developing it and the impacts is can have on key people areas such as culture and engagement in order to build you a sustainable business that is driven to success through exceptional people, ones who are engaged and willing to put their themselves forward to drive, innovation, culture and a positive and rewarding work environment.

Most leaders are very comfortable in managing the day-to-day performance of their people.  The typical career progression for a leader means that they were likely promoted from within, largely because they have demonstrated mastery in their technical area.  Typically you are moving from being a highly successful individual contributor to suddenly being a manager of people. This is a big mindset shift that has derailed many previous successful people. The move from individual recognition to team recognition requires a very different thought pattern and behaviours, and if you are not prepared for tehi, it can quickly lead to failure. As your organization grows there is a need for your leaders to evolve from telling, or using a directive leadership approach to coaching which relies more on asking thought provoking questions. This is a key step that unfortunately many businesses and leaders miss. It is vital to get this right if you want to become an exceptional leader. Not only that but it develops you and your people to a much higher level, and really helps a company excel through engaging their people for success. Managers and leaders need to embrace the fact that they no longer have to have all of the “right” answers, and can't be expected to in today's rapidly changing workplace. However, what they need to do to combat this, is they need to know how to ask the “right” questions.  Today we will really focus on more of the key needs around your leadership mindset, developing it and the impacts is can have on key people areas such as culture and engagement in order to build you a sustainable business that is driven to success through exceptional people, ones who are engaged and willing to put their themselves forward to drive, innovation, culture and a positive and rewarding work environment.

Most leaders are very comfortable in managing the day-to-day performance of their people.  The typical career progression for a leader means that they were likely promoted from within, largely because they have demonstrated mastery in their technical area.  Typically you are moving from being a highly successful individual contributor to suddenly being a manager of people. This is a big mindset shift that has derailed many previous successful people. The move from individual recognition to team recognition requires a very different thought pattern and behaviours, and if you are not prepared for tehi, it can quickly lead to failure. As your organization grows there is a need for your leaders to evolve from telling, or using a directive leadership approach to coaching which relies more on asking thought provoking questions. This is a key step that unfortunately many businesses and leaders miss. It is vital to get this right if you want to become an exceptional leader. Not only that but it develops you and your people to a much higher level, and really helps a company excel through engaging their people for success. Managers and leaders need to embrace the fact that they no longer have to have all of the “right” answers, and can't be expected to in today's rapidly changing workplace. However, what they need to do to combat this, is they need to know how to ask the “right” questions.  Today we will really focus on more of the key needs around your leadership mindset, developing it and the impacts is can have on key people areas such as culture and engagement in order to build you a sustainable business that is driven to success through exceptional people, ones who are engaged and willing to put their themselves forward to drive, innovation, culture and a positive and rewarding work environment.

The world revolves around relationships.  In business we have key relationships with our customers, suppliers, bankers, management team, and employees.  How you navigate the relationships present different challenges, and not everyone is an expert on managing those challenges. As the business owner or leader, navigating your relationship with your management team, and employees is key to your future success. Not just in terms of ‘getting on' well with everyone, but in terms of ensuring your business is capitalising from its biggest asset, its people!  Focussing on becoming an Authentic leader, or developing Authentic Leadership in your business gives you a positive influence over your key people areas, such as Culture, Innovation, Business Growth and Talent Retention. When your people trust and believe in you, and they feel valued, you will have much higher levels of engagement and hence success, both professionally and from a revenue perspective. Your people want leaders they can relate to and feel that their values line up with theirs, and that is why developing your authenticity is so critical to your overall leadership success and ability.  Authentic leadership is one of the most important leadership traits of an exceptional leader, especially as we navigate a fast paced and uncertain workplace, it is also one of the most enjoyable forms of leadership style, both for the leader themselves and the people they inspire. So why wouldn't you want to include this is your leadership tool kit?

The world revolves around relationships.  In business we have key relationships with our customers, suppliers, bankers, management team, and employees.  How you navigate the relationships present different challenges, and not everyone is an expert on managing those challenges. As the business owner or leader, navigating your relationship with your management team, and employees is key to your future success. Not just in terms of ‘getting on' well with everyone, but in terms of ensuring your business is capitalising from its biggest asset, its people!  Focussing on becoming an Authentic leader, or developing Authentic Leadership in your business gives you a positive influence over your key people areas, such as Culture, Innovation, Business Growth and Talent Retention. When your people trust and believe in you, and they feel valued, you will have much higher levels of engagement and hence success, both professionally and from a revenue perspective. Your people want leaders they can relate to and feel that their values line up with theirs, and that is why developing your authenticity is so critical to your overall leadership success and ability.  Authentic leadership is one of the most important leadership traits of an exceptional leader, especially as we navigate a fast paced and uncertain workplace, it is also one of the most enjoyable forms of leadership style, both for the leader themselves and the people they inspire. So why wouldn't you want to include this is your leadership tool kit?

The world revolves around relationships.  In business we have key relationships with our customers, suppliers, bankers, management team, and employees.  How you navigate the relationships present different challenges, and not everyone is an expert on managing those challenges. As the business owner or leader, navigating your relationship with your management team, and employees is key to your future success. Not just in terms of ‘getting on' well with everyone, but in terms of ensuring your business is capitalising from its biggest asset, its people!  Focussing on becoming an Authentic leader, or developing Authentic Leadership in your business gives you a positive influence over your key people areas, such as Culture, Innovation, Business Growth and Talent Retention. When your people trust and believe in you, and they feel valued, you will have much higher levels of engagement and hence success, both professionally and from a revenue perspective. Your people want leaders they can relate to and feel that their values line up with theirs, and that is why developing your authenticity is so critical to your overall leadership success and ability.  Authentic leadership is one of the most important leadership traits of an exceptional leader, especially as we navigate a fast paced and uncertain workplace, it is also one of the most enjoyable forms of leadership style, both for the leader themselves and the people they inspire. So why wouldn't you want to include this is your leadership tool kit?

The world revolves around relationships.  In business we have key relationships with our customers, suppliers, bankers, management team, and employees.  How you navigate the relationships present different challenges, and not everyone is an expert on managing those challenges. As the business owner or leader, navigating your relationship with your management team, and employees is key to your future success. Not just in terms of ‘getting on' well with everyone, but in terms of ensuring your business is capitalising from its biggest asset, its people!  Focussing on becoming an Authentic leader, or developing Authentic Leadership in your business gives you a positive influence over your key people areas, such as Culture, Innovation, Business Growth and Talent Retention. When your people trust and believe in you, and they feel valued, you will have much higher levels of engagement and hence success, both professionally and from a revenue perspective. Your people want leaders they can relate to and feel that their values line up with theirs, and that is why developing your authenticity is so critical to your overall leadership success and ability.  Authentic leadership is one of the most important leadership traits of an exceptional leader, especially as we navigate a fast paced and uncertain workplace, it is also one of the most enjoyable forms of leadership style, both for the leader themselves and the people they inspire. So why wouldn't you want to include this is your leadership tool kit?

People are the powerhouse behind everything, they are an intrinsic part of your business, and your everyday life. If you can't engage and work with them in a mutually beneficial style then everything suffers. I passionately believe in not only ensuring your people are engaged, but in putting people at the centre of the work equation. Whilst the business, or product, or service, is still vitally important, it is the people that will ultimately make or break your company's success. If you have people or processes in your business that are a mismatch, it means your business cannot meet its full potential. If left unchecked the business and the culture can be badly impacted, as people tend to embed themselves and develop a poor culture around them to keep them safe in their roles. This is often a hidden area in any business, yet it can cause so much damage and needs to be prevented from happening, or fixed quickly if already well established. I will take you through the steps for giving you many different ways in which you can structure your business to make sure that you can avoid hiring mismatches, and if you do, or already have them, allow you to remove them as quickly as possible. Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in this area. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several robust steps that you can put in place to prevent this, and ultimately eliminate it from your business.  You can have great processes and great products, but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization.  The growth of your company is dependent on the people within your organization, and the underlying processes which support them. So this is a key area that really needs your focus and attention to ensure it is working for you.

People are the powerhouse behind everything, they are an intrinsic part of your business, and your everyday life. If you can't engage and work with them in a mutually beneficial style then everything suffers. I passionately believe in not only ensuring your people are engaged, but in putting people at the centre of the work equation. Whilst the business, or product, or service, is still vitally important, it is the people that will ultimately make or break your company's success. If you have people or processes in your business that are a mismatch, it means your business cannot meet its full potential. If left unchecked the business and the culture can be badly impacted, as people tend to embed themselves and develop a poor culture around them to keep them safe in their roles. This is often a hidden area in any business, yet it can cause so much damage and needs to be prevented from happening, or fixed quickly if already well established. I will take you through the steps for giving you many different ways in which you can structure your business to make sure that you can avoid hiring mismatches, and if you do, or already have them, allow you to remove them as quickly as possible. Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in this area. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several robust steps that you can put in place to prevent this, and ultimately eliminate it from your business.  You can have great processes and great products, but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization.  The growth of your company is dependent on the people within your organization, and the underlying processes which support them. So this is a key area that really needs your focus and attention to ensure it is working for you.

People are the powerhouse behind everything, they are an intrinsic part of your business, and your everyday life. If you can't engage and work with them in a mutually beneficial style then everything suffers. I passionately believe in not only ensuring your people are engaged, but in putting people at the centre of the work equation. Whilst the business, or product, or service, is still vitally important, it is the people that will ultimately make or break your company's success. If you have people or processes in your business that are a mismatch, it means your business cannot meet its full potential. If left unchecked the business and the culture can be badly impacted, as people tend to embed themselves and develop a poor culture around them to keep them safe in their roles. This is often a hidden area in any business, yet it can cause so much damage and needs to be prevented from happening, or fixed quickly if already well established. I will take you through the steps for giving you many different ways in which you can structure your business to make sure that you can avoid hiring mismatches, and if you do, or already have them, allow you to remove them as quickly as possible. Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in this area. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several robust steps that you can put in place to prevent this, and ultimately eliminate it from your business.  You can have great processes and great products, but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization.  The growth of your company is dependent on the people within your organization, and the underlying processes which support them. So this is a key area that really needs your focus and attention to ensure it is working for you.

People are the powerhouse behind everything, they are an intrinsic part of your business, and your everyday life. If you can't engage and work with them in a mutually beneficial style then everything suffers. I passionately believe in not only ensuring your people are engaged, but in putting people at the centre of the work equation. Whilst the business, or product, or service, is still vitally important, it is the people that will ultimately make or break your company's success. If you have people or processes in your business that are a mismatch, it means your business cannot meet its full potential. If left unchecked the business and the culture can be badly impacted, as people tend to embed themselves and develop a poor culture around them to keep them safe in their roles. This is often a hidden area in any business, yet it can cause so much damage and needs to be prevented from happening, or fixed quickly if already well established. I will take you through the steps for giving you many different ways in which you can structure your business to make sure that you can avoid hiring mismatches, and if you do, or already have them, allow you to remove them as quickly as possible. Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in this area. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several robust steps that you can put in place to prevent this, and ultimately eliminate it from your business.  You can have great processes and great products, but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization.  The growth of your company is dependent on the people within your organization, and the underlying processes which support them. So this is a key area that really needs your focus and attention to ensure it is working for you.

 We are continuing to journey towards your success through Engaging Your People. There are so many facets of the work environment that can be worked with to give amazing results.  However they are so often overlooked as the drive to get to quick revenue takes over.Whilst we need revenue to succeed , we can't just drive towards it without taking into account our people, or at least not for too long, until things start to derail. This is where I talk about training programs being one of these hidden gems that can really support the structure and backbone of your business through engaging your people. This should be an area that you focus on as it links to everything else your people do in, with, and for your business. Hence it's one of those areas that can help complete your people engagement tool kit and drive massive returns and success. The great news is once you realize this and start to focus on it, you will find this is not just all about formal training programs and expensive external providers. No it is so much more, and there are many low cost yet high impact solutions that make a massive positive impact in your business. The scope and possibilities are really becoming quite endless,, so if it is too daunting for you then please reach out to us directly at www.apexbrs.com, and allow us to support you through this exciting transition.

 We are continuing to journey towards your success through Engaging Your People. There are so many facets of the work environment that can be worked with to give amazing results.  However they are so often overlooked as the drive to get to quick revenue takes over.Whilst we need revenue to succeed , we can't just drive towards it without taking into account our people, or at least not for too long, until things start to derail. This is where I talk about training programs being one of these hidden gems that can really support the structure and backbone of your business through engaging your people. This should be an area that you focus on as it links to everything else your people do in, with, and for your business. Hence it's one of those areas that can help complete your people engagement tool kit and drive massive returns and success. The great news is once you realize this and start to focus on it, you will find this is not just all about formal training programs and expensive external providers. No it is so much more, and there are many low cost yet high impact solutions that make a massive positive impact in your business. The scope and possibilities are really becoming quite endless,, so if it is too daunting for you then please reach out to us directly at www.apexbrs.com, and allow us to support you through this exciting transition.

 We are continuing to journey towards your success through Engaging Your People. There are so many facets of the work environment that can be worked with to give amazing results.  However they are so often overlooked as the drive to get to quick revenue takes over.Whilst we need revenue to succeed , we can't just drive towards it without taking into account our people, or at least not for too long, until things start to derail. This is where I talk about training programs being one of these hidden gems that can really support the structure and backbone of your business through engaging your people. This should be an area that you focus on as it links to everything else your people do in, with, and for your business. Hence it's one of those areas that can help complete your people engagement tool kit and drive massive returns and success. The great news is once you realize this and start to focus on it, you will find this is not just all about formal training programs and expensive external providers. No it is so much more, and there are many low cost yet high impact solutions that make a massive positive impact in your business. The scope and possibilities are really becoming quite endless,, so if it is too daunting for you then please reach out to us directly at www.apexbrs.com, and allow us to support you through this exciting transition.

 We are continuing to journey towards your success through Engaging Your People. There are so many facets of the work environment that can be worked with to give amazing results.  However they are so often overlooked as the drive to get to quick revenue takes over.Whilst we need revenue to succeed , we can't just drive towards it without taking into account our people, or at least not for too long, until things start to derail. This is where I talk about training programs being one of these hidden gems that can really support the structure and backbone of your business through engaging your people. This should be an area that you focus on as it links to everything else your people do in, with, and for your business. Hence it's one of those areas that can help complete your people engagement tool kit and drive massive returns and success. The great news is once you realize this and start to focus on it, you will find this is not just all about formal training programs and expensive external providers. No it is so much more, and there are many low cost yet high impact solutions that make a massive positive impact in your business. The scope and possibilities are really becoming quite endless,, so if it is too daunting for you then please reach out to us directly at www.apexbrs.com, and allow us to support you through this exciting transition.

Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve all elements of an organization such as processes, tools, products, and services, etc.   The improvements can be small and incremental, or they can be more breakthrough in nature. Continuous improvement itself is a key ‘hidden area' that many businesses miss out on, losing the massive gains it can give. Not because they don't want it, but because they don't understand how easily it can be included in the business structure. How it can be part of the people make up of the business, allowing it to take on a life of its own that benefits everything, people, culture, bottom line and success. In fact Continuous improvement can be one of the best tools for engaging your people for success, and it costs you nothing but can give back more than you can imagine. One of the key issues to grasp is that this should be an “ongoing” process if you really want to get maximum benefits for your people and your company. It should be part of the DNA of your company, embedded into the culture, not just an activity that your organization undertakes to tick some boxes and move on.  The most successful organizations can instill a culture of continuous improvement, which adds benefits and cost savings to all areas of the business. While actively engaging your people and creating sustainable success. According to a seven-year study by GiANT Worldwide, the average team functions at just 58 percent of its potential because it is not intentionally capturing the genius of each person. Instead, it relies on the drive of just one or two "leaders." This is just the tip of the iceberg! Imagine what that means for your business. How many more clients could you serve, and what would revenue and sales look like, if you harnessed more of the team's capacity? This is what focusing on Continuous Improvement as part of your business culture and people engagement strategy can achieve for you.

Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve all elements of an organization such as processes, tools, products, and services, etc.   The improvements can be small and incremental, or they can be more breakthrough in nature. Continuous improvement itself is a key ‘hidden area' that many businesses miss out on, losing the massive gains it can give. Not because they don't want it, but because they don't understand how easily it can be included in the business structure. How it can be part of the people make up of the business, allowing it to take on a life of its own that benefits everything, people, culture, bottom line and success. In fact Continuous improvement can be one of the best tools for engaging your people for success, and it costs you nothing but can give back more than you can imagine. One of the key issues to grasp is that this should be an “ongoing” process if you really want to get maximum benefits for your people and your company. It should be part of the DNA of your company, embedded into the culture, not just an activity that your organization undertakes to tick some boxes and move on.  The most successful organizations can instill a culture of continuous improvement, which adds benefits and cost savings to all areas of the business. While actively engaging your people and creating sustainable success. According to a seven-year study by GiANT Worldwide, the average team functions at just 58 percent of its potential because it is not intentionally capturing the genius of each person. Instead, it relies on the drive of just one or two "leaders." This is just the tip of the iceberg! Imagine what that means for your business. How many more clients could you serve, and what would revenue and sales look like, if you harnessed more of the team's capacity? This is what focusing on Continuous Improvement as part of your business culture and people engagement strategy can achieve for you.

Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve all elements of an organization such as processes, tools, products, and services, etc.   The improvements can be small and incremental, or they can be more breakthrough in nature. Continuous improvement itself is a key ‘hidden area' that many businesses miss out on, losing the massive gains it can give. Not because they don't want it, but because they don't understand how easily it can be included in the business structure. How it can be part of the people make up of the business, allowing it to take on a life of its own that benefits everything, people, culture, bottom line and success. In fact Continuous improvement can be one of the best tools for engaging your people for success, and it costs you nothing but can give back more than you can imagine. One of the key issues to grasp is that this should be an “ongoing” process if you really want to get maximum benefits for your people and your company. It should be part of the DNA of your company, embedded into the culture, not just an activity that your organization undertakes to tick some boxes and move on.  The most successful organizations can instill a culture of continuous improvement, which adds benefits and cost savings to all areas of the business. While actively engaging your people and creating sustainable success. According to a seven-year study by GiANT Worldwide, the average team functions at just 58 percent of its potential because it is not intentionally capturing the genius of each person. Instead, it relies on the drive of just one or two "leaders." This is just the tip of the iceberg! Imagine what that means for your business. How many more clients could you serve, and what would revenue and sales look like, if you harnessed more of the team's capacity? This is what focusing on Continuous Improvement as part of your business culture and people engagement strategy can achieve for you.

Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve all elements of an organization such as processes, tools, products, and services, etc.   The improvements can be small and incremental, or they can be more breakthrough in nature. Continuous improvement itself is a key ‘hidden area' that many businesses miss out on, losing the massive gains it can give. Not because they don't want it, but because they don't understand how easily it can be included in the business structure. How it can be part of the people make up of the business, allowing it to take on a life of its own that benefits everything, people, culture, bottom line and success. In fact Continuous improvement can be one of the best tools for engaging your people for success, and it costs you nothing but can give back more than you can imagine. One of the key issues to grasp is that this should be an “ongoing” process if you really want to get maximum benefits for your people and your company. It should be part of the DNA of your company, embedded into the culture, not just an activity that your organization undertakes to tick some boxes and move on.  The most successful organizations can instill a culture of continuous improvement, which adds benefits and cost savings to all areas of the business. While actively engaging your people and creating sustainable success. According to a seven-year study by GiANT Worldwide, the average team functions at just 58 percent of its potential because it is not intentionally capturing the genius of each person. Instead, it relies on the drive of just one or two "leaders." This is just the tip of the iceberg! Imagine what that means for your business. How many more clients could you serve, and what would revenue and sales look like, if you harnessed more of the team's capacity? This is what focusing on Continuous Improvement as part of your business culture and people engagement strategy can achieve for you.

Introduction Performance Appraisals, or evaluations, are a process where job performance is measured, documented and evaluated.  This can occur as a formal process or in a more informal way. Either way there needs to be a goal to be achieved and an outcome that can be measured. It all sounds very black and white and process driven, with very little room for humanity. This is where many companies go very wrong. If we can't allow the human side to enter our performance appraisals we are setting ourselves up for failure, as we are cutting out a key part of what makes our business function. People are your greatest assets in any business, and you need to think of all of your internal processes from this view point, if you really want to build a sustainable and successful business that is run by engaged people. If you are still in the start-up phase, then planning for your business evolution is very important, and is often your sole focus. Early in the development of organizations processes tend to be very fluid, as people are asked to step in and perform multiple roles.  The performance evaluations during these early stages may be more informal, occurring over a series of conversations that are suitable for the changing environment.  As the company grows there is a need to move toward formal performance evaluations that is part of a systematic approach used to help manage employee performance, and conversely employee engagement and success. Whilst also establishing internal accountability and acceptance. At this point this needs to be done in a way that is positive and accepted, otherwise people start to feel like they are being watched and judged in a way that creates distrust and fear. Many organizations suffer from this, in fact often performance appraisals are feared by both the appraisee and the appraiser. This does not benefit anyone. Performance appraisal should, and can be largely positive experiences. To allow this to happen in your business you need to focus on more than just metrics, and open the process to all aspects of what engages your people in the workplace. Show Objectives This week's show focuses on maximizing your performance appraisal process and establishing it so that you are actually engaging your people, and not just judging them unfairly or suddenly. Done well you will find that Formal Appraisals can be a big positive in an organisation, but they do take focus to get them right. So why do they have the habit of generating so much fear and unrest for everyone involved. In essence formal appraisals were once mostly just used to judge success against very black and white parameters and metrics, often unexpectedly or without prior communication. Regularly forgetting that you are dealing with people, not just numbers.

Introduction Performance Appraisals, or evaluations, are a process where job performance is measured, documented and evaluated.  This can occur as a formal process or in a more informal way. Either way there needs to be a goal to be achieved and an outcome that can be measured. It all sounds very black and white and process driven, with very little room for humanity. This is where many companies go very wrong. If we can't allow the human side to enter our performance appraisals we are setting ourselves up for failure, as we are cutting out a key part of what makes our business function. People are your greatest assets in any business, and you need to think of all of your internal processes from this view point, if you really want to build a sustainable and successful business that is run by engaged people. If you are still in the start-up phase, then planning for your business evolution is very important, and is often your sole focus. Early in the development of organizations processes tend to be very fluid, as people are asked to step in and perform multiple roles.  The performance evaluations during these early stages may be more informal, occurring over a series of conversations that are suitable for the changing environment.  As the company grows there is a need to move toward formal performance evaluations that is part of a systematic approach used to help manage employee performance, and conversely employee engagement and success. Whilst also establishing internal accountability and acceptance. At this point this needs to be done in a way that is positive and accepted, otherwise people start to feel like they are being watched and judged in a way that creates distrust and fear. Many organizations suffer from this, in fact often performance appraisals are feared by both the appraisee and the appraiser. This does not benefit anyone. Performance appraisal should, and can be largely positive experiences. To allow this to happen in your business you need to focus on more than just metrics, and open the process to all aspects of what engages your people in the workplace. Show Objectives This week's show focuses on maximizing your performance appraisal process and establishing it so that you are actually engaging your people, and not just judging them unfairly or suddenly. Done well you will find that Formal Appraisals can be a big positive in an organisation, but they do take focus to get them right. So why do they have the habit of generating so much fear and unrest for everyone involved. In essence formal appraisals were once mostly just used to judge success against very black and white parameters and metrics, often unexpectedly or without prior communication. Regularly forgetting that you are dealing with people, not just numbers.

Introduction Performance Appraisals, or evaluations, are a process where job performance is measured, documented and evaluated.  This can occur as a formal process or in a more informal way. Either way there needs to be a goal to be achieved and an outcome that can be measured. It all sounds very black and white and process driven, with very little room for humanity. This is where many companies go very wrong. If we can't allow the human side to enter our performance appraisals we are setting ourselves up for failure, as we are cutting out a key part of what makes our business function. People are your greatest assets in any business, and you need to think of all of your internal processes from this view point, if you really want to build a sustainable and successful business that is run by engaged people. If you are still in the start-up phase, then planning for your business evolution is very important, and is often your sole focus. Early in the development of organizations processes tend to be very fluid, as people are asked to step in and perform multiple roles.  The performance evaluations during these early stages may be more informal, occurring over a series of conversations that are suitable for the changing environment.  As the company grows there is a need to move toward formal performance evaluations that is part of a systematic approach used to help manage employee performance, and conversely employee engagement and success. Whilst also establishing internal accountability and acceptance. At this point this needs to be done in a way that is positive and accepted, otherwise people start to feel like they are being watched and judged in a way that creates distrust and fear. Many organizations suffer from this, in fact often performance appraisals are feared by both the appraisee and the appraiser. This does not benefit anyone. Performance appraisal should, and can be largely positive experiences. To allow this to happen in your business you need to focus on more than just metrics, and open the process to all aspects of what engages your people in the workplace. Show Objectives This week's show focuses on maximizing your performance appraisal process and establishing it so that you are actually engaging your people, and not just judging them unfairly or suddenly. Done well you will find that Formal Appraisals can be a big positive in an organisation, but they do take focus to get them right. So why do they have the habit of generating so much fear and unrest for everyone involved. In essence formal appraisals were once mostly just used to judge success against very black and white parameters and metrics, often unexpectedly or without prior communication. Regularly forgetting that you are dealing with people, not just numbers.

Introduction Performance Appraisals, or evaluations, are a process where job performance is measured, documented and evaluated.  This can occur as a formal process or in a more informal way. Either way there needs to be a goal to be achieved and an outcome that can be measured. It all sounds very black and white and process driven, with very little room for humanity. This is where many companies go very wrong. If we can't allow the human side to enter our performance appraisals we are setting ourselves up for failure, as we are cutting out a key part of what makes our business function. People are your greatest assets in any business, and you need to think of all of your internal processes from this view point, if you really want to build a sustainable and successful business that is run by engaged people. If you are still in the start-up phase, then planning for your business evolution is very important, and is often your sole focus. Early in the development of organizations processes tend to be very fluid, as people are asked to step in and perform multiple roles.  The performance evaluations during these early stages may be more informal, occurring over a series of conversations that are suitable for the changing environment.  As the company grows there is a need to move toward formal performance evaluations that is part of a systematic approach used to help manage employee performance, and conversely employee engagement and success. Whilst also establishing internal accountability and acceptance. At this point this needs to be done in a way that is positive and accepted, otherwise people start to feel like they are being watched and judged in a way that creates distrust and fear. Many organizations suffer from this, in fact often performance appraisals are feared by both the appraisee and the appraiser. This does not benefit anyone. Performance appraisal should, and can be largely positive experiences. To allow this to happen in your business you need to focus on more than just metrics, and open the process to all aspects of what engages your people in the workplace. Show Objectives This week's show focuses on maximizing your performance appraisal process and establishing it so that you are actually engaging your people, and not just judging them unfairly or suddenly. Done well you will find that Formal Appraisals can be a big positive in an organisation, but they do take focus to get them right. So why do they have the habit of generating so much fear and unrest for everyone involved. In essence formal appraisals were once mostly just used to judge success against very black and white parameters and metrics, often unexpectedly or without prior communication. Regularly forgetting that you are dealing with people, not just numbers.

Most of us agree that Leadership is really important, yet so few leaders actually manage to reach a level of success that does them, or their people justice. The everyday pressures take over and people start to act before they think. It's a very common problem, however, thankfully it is one that can be resolved with some focus and dedication, that ultimately leads to good habits forming and taking over from the pressured reactions.  It takes time and dedication to reach this point, but the good news is there are a lot of ways to do this, and they can be tailored to your style and abilities. It's just a matter of making it a priority in your own self learning, or making it available and supported for your people. After all, great leaders empower others to become the same, and that is what will really benefit your business and your people. In today's show I will take you through some of the core steps for achieving exceptional leadership with a particular focus on the value and skills achieved via becoming an exceptional coach. Giving you some clear direction on how you can structure your business to make sure that you can maximise the potential of your leaders. Outstanding Leadership is the glue that holds a business together, and is the key ingredient for developing and sustaining a positive and successful culture. In recent years there has been a lot of talk about empathy and authenticity in leaders. Both of these topics are now seen to be critical to being an outstanding leader. One who can engage their people and improve, and drive a rewarding and positive culture that leads to amazing business outcomes. I covered these core traits earlier this season, but they are still worth touching on here as they help a good leader become exceptional, as you need to combine several key traits to really reach that level. Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in the area of leadership. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several things you can do to turn this around, and ensure you are providing your people with exceptional leaders, whilst also helping your people to become exceptional leaders themselves.  

Most of us agree that Leadership is really important, yet so few leaders actually manage to reach a level of success that does them, or their people justice. The everyday pressures take over and people start to act before they think. It's a very common problem, however, thankfully it is one that can be resolved with some focus and dedication, that ultimately leads to good habits forming and taking over from the pressured reactions.  It takes time and dedication to reach this point, but the good news is there are a lot of ways to do this, and they can be tailored to your style and abilities. It's just a matter of making it a priority in your own self learning, or making it available and supported for your people. After all, great leaders empower others to become the same, and that is what will really benefit your business and your people. In today's show I will take you through some of the core steps for achieving exceptional leadership with a particular focus on the value and skills achieved via becoming an exceptional coach. Giving you some clear direction on how you can structure your business to make sure that you can maximise the potential of your leaders. Outstanding Leadership is the glue that holds a business together, and is the key ingredient for developing and sustaining a positive and successful culture. In recent years there has been a lot of talk about empathy and authenticity in leaders. Both of these topics are now seen to be critical to being an outstanding leader. One who can engage their people and improve, and drive a rewarding and positive culture that leads to amazing business outcomes. I covered these core traits earlier this season, but they are still worth touching on here as they help a good leader become exceptional, as you need to combine several key traits to really reach that level. Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in the area of leadership. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several things you can do to turn this around, and ensure you are providing your people with exceptional leaders, whilst also helping your people to become exceptional leaders themselves.  

Most of us agree that Leadership is really important, yet so few leaders actually manage to reach a level of success that does them, or their people justice. The everyday pressures take over and people start to act before they think. It's a very common problem, however, thankfully it is one that can be resolved with some focus and dedication, that ultimately leads to good habits forming and taking over from the pressured reactions.  It takes time and dedication to reach this point, but the good news is there are a lot of ways to do this, and they can be tailored to your style and abilities. It's just a matter of making it a priority in your own self learning, or making it available and supported for your people. After all, great leaders empower others to become the same, and that is what will really benefit your business and your people. In today's show I will take you through some of the core steps for achieving exceptional leadership with a particular focus on the value and skills achieved via becoming an exceptional coach. Giving you some clear direction on how you can structure your business to make sure that you can maximise the potential of your leaders. Outstanding Leadership is the glue that holds a business together, and is the key ingredient for developing and sustaining a positive and successful culture. In recent years there has been a lot of talk about empathy and authenticity in leaders. Both of these topics are now seen to be critical to being an outstanding leader. One who can engage their people and improve, and drive a rewarding and positive culture that leads to amazing business outcomes. I covered these core traits earlier this season, but they are still worth touching on here as they help a good leader become exceptional, as you need to combine several key traits to really reach that level. Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in the area of leadership. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several things you can do to turn this around, and ensure you are providing your people with exceptional leaders, whilst also helping your people to become exceptional leaders themselves.  

Most of us agree that Leadership is really important, yet so few leaders actually manage to reach a level of success that does them, or their people justice. The everyday pressures take over and people start to act before they think. It's a very common problem, however, thankfully it is one that can be resolved with some focus and dedication, that ultimately leads to good habits forming and taking over from the pressured reactions.  It takes time and dedication to reach this point, but the good news is there are a lot of ways to do this, and they can be tailored to your style and abilities. It's just a matter of making it a priority in your own self learning, or making it available and supported for your people. After all, great leaders empower others to become the same, and that is what will really benefit your business and your people. In today's show I will take you through some of the core steps for achieving exceptional leadership with a particular focus on the value and skills achieved via becoming an exceptional coach. Giving you some clear direction on how you can structure your business to make sure that you can maximise the potential of your leaders. Outstanding Leadership is the glue that holds a business together, and is the key ingredient for developing and sustaining a positive and successful culture. In recent years there has been a lot of talk about empathy and authenticity in leaders. Both of these topics are now seen to be critical to being an outstanding leader. One who can engage their people and improve, and drive a rewarding and positive culture that leads to amazing business outcomes. I covered these core traits earlier this season, but they are still worth touching on here as they help a good leader become exceptional, as you need to combine several key traits to really reach that level. Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in the area of leadership. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several things you can do to turn this around, and ensure you are providing your people with exceptional leaders, whilst also helping your people to become exceptional leaders themselves.  

Leadership, it's a hot topic, but what is it really, and where is it going? In this Episode I really want to look at the modern workforce and how it is evolving, as that in itself dictates the type of leaders who will be successful in developing their companies and their people. Modern leaders need to continually evolve to meet the workforce needs, and this is often a massive mindset shift. In fact many cannot achieve this, and fail to recognise the benefits of continuous learning. Earlier this season I talked about developing a learning culture, this is even more critical for your leaders themselves. They are the ones that will steer your business and if they don't embrace continued learning, both they and your people will fall behind. Leading to your company missing opportunities and developing sustainably into the future. I will cover some of the key people tips and strategies that you can focus on as you continue to build your people management toolkit. Both in terms of your personal leadership success and supporting your people to build a successful culture. After all, you want to get ahead of the game and go on to be a fantastic people leader, with an extensive people management tool kit that can get you through any situation. As that will make all of the difference to both your success, and that of your business.  People are the glue that holds your business together, without them being engaged and supporting you, your business will constantly be putting out fires and leaking money. You also want to have a business that is sustainable and able to innovate to help achieve this.  In order for this to be a reality for you, you need a positive culture driven by engaged people who value their roles and care about the success of the company. Then you will find you can really capitalise on your greatest asset- Your People as they will be the ones to take your business to greater levels of success. This session is all about Future proofing your leadership so you can succeed.

Leadership, it's a hot topic, but what is it really, and where is it going? In this Episode I really want to look at the modern workforce and how it is evolving, as that in itself dictates the type of leaders who will be successful in developing their companies and their people. Modern leaders need to continually evolve to meet the workforce needs, and this is often a massive mindset shift. In fact many cannot achieve this, and fail to recognise the benefits of continuous learning. Earlier this season I talked about developing a learning culture, this is even more critical for your leaders themselves. They are the ones that will steer your business and if they don't embrace continued learning, both they and your people will fall behind. Leading to your company missing opportunities and developing sustainably into the future. I will cover some of the key people tips and strategies that you can focus on as you continue to build your people management toolkit. Both in terms of your personal leadership success and supporting your people to build a successful culture. After all, you want to get ahead of the game and go on to be a fantastic people leader, with an extensive people management tool kit that can get you through any situation. As that will make all of the difference to both your success, and that of your business.  People are the glue that holds your business together, without them being engaged and supporting you, your business will constantly be putting out fires and leaking money. You also want to have a business that is sustainable and able to innovate to help achieve this.  In order for this to be a reality for you, you need a positive culture driven by engaged people who value their roles and care about the success of the company. Then you will find you can really capitalise on your greatest asset- Your People as they will be the ones to take your business to greater levels of success. This session is all about Future proofing your leadership so you can succeed.

Leadership, it's a hot topic, but what is it really, and where is it going? In this Episode I really want to look at the modern workforce and how it is evolving, as that in itself dictates the type of leaders who will be successful in developing their companies and their people. Modern leaders need to continually evolve to meet the workforce needs, and this is often a massive mindset shift. In fact many cannot achieve this, and fail to recognise the benefits of continuous learning. Earlier this season I talked about developing a learning culture, this is even more critical for your leaders themselves. They are the ones that will steer your business and if they don't embrace continued learning, both they and your people will fall behind. Leading to your company missing opportunities and developing sustainably into the future. I will cover some of the key people tips and strategies that you can focus on as you continue to build your people management toolkit. Both in terms of your personal leadership success and supporting your people to build a successful culture. After all, you want to get ahead of the game and go on to be a fantastic people leader, with an extensive people management tool kit that can get you through any situation. As that will make all of the difference to both your success, and that of your business.  People are the glue that holds your business together, without them being engaged and supporting you, your business will constantly be putting out fires and leaking money. You also want to have a business that is sustainable and able to innovate to help achieve this.  In order for this to be a reality for you, you need a positive culture driven by engaged people who value their roles and care about the success of the company. Then you will find you can really capitalise on your greatest asset- Your People as they will be the ones to take your business to greater levels of success. This session is all about Future proofing your leadership so you can succeed.

Leadership, it's a hot topic, but what is it really, and where is it going? In this Episode I really want to look at the modern workforce and how it is evolving, as that in itself dictates the type of leaders who will be successful in developing their companies and their people. Modern leaders need to continually evolve to meet the workforce needs, and this is often a massive mindset shift. In fact many cannot achieve this, and fail to recognise the benefits of continuous learning. Earlier this season I talked about developing a learning culture, this is even more critical for your leaders themselves. They are the ones that will steer your business and if they don't embrace continued learning, both they and your people will fall behind. Leading to your company missing opportunities and developing sustainably into the future. I will cover some of the key people tips and strategies that you can focus on as you continue to build your people management toolkit. Both in terms of your personal leadership success and supporting your people to build a successful culture. After all, you want to get ahead of the game and go on to be a fantastic people leader, with an extensive people management tool kit that can get you through any situation. As that will make all of the difference to both your success, and that of your business.  People are the glue that holds your business together, without them being engaged and supporting you, your business will constantly be putting out fires and leaking money. You also want to have a business that is sustainable and able to innovate to help achieve this.  In order for this to be a reality for you, you need a positive culture driven by engaged people who value their roles and care about the success of the company. Then you will find you can really capitalise on your greatest asset- Your People as they will be the ones to take your business to greater levels of success. This session is all about Future proofing your leadership so you can succeed.

Recruitment 101- 4 part series ​1- Set up your playing field for recruitment success. 2- Build your recruitment structure- roles and responsibilities, key questions 3- The Perfect Interview- Situational questions, flow, and internal rating scale 4- Onboarding and Induction- Recruitment does not end at the job offer Segment 1- Set up your playing field for recruitment success. Contrary to popular belief, and often the biggest mistake made in this area, is it is not just about a good recruitment process. Yes that's important, but if we really want to get this key people area right, we have to take a step back. Even before you have a great recruitment process you need several key items and knowledge in place, So let's set up your recruitment playing field properly so it can support your recruitment plan and strategy. These are; Company Brand……or lack thereof…..or worse negative reviews- this can be a massive red flag, particularly for great talent, who want to feel valued and create a career. What are you actually recruiting for? Is the role right? Who is managing the process? Are they actively involved? When was this last reviewed? Where do you find new people? Is the role competitively marketted/priced?

Segment 2- Build your recruitment structure- roles and responsibilities, key questions One question I often get from my clients is centred around how to motivate people, and in reality there is only so much you can do, so instead try and look for this key personality attribute at the interview. Interestingly, John Maxwell says that he gets asked all the time, “How do you motivate your people?” and his answer is very simple: “Hire motivated people.” You want to attract and hire the best talent in order to continue your development, and growth as a company. You can have great processes and great products but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization. Clear Technical Requirements – The eligibility - intelligence & competence - requirements are clear and consistently applied throughout your organization. Fit test – The character, personality, and other desirable qualities needed for the position are clear – often it is easiest to develop your own key list of attributes and rate the candidate on a short list using a 1-5 scale after an interview as this helps keep everything consistent. Agreed and appropriate Job Description needs to be available Job Description- don't use an old one with the plan to fix it after you have employed someone!!!! List of tasks, duties and responsibilities that the job entails. Need to create an effective balance between breath and specificity. Job Specifications List of skills, abilities, knowledge and other characteristics that an individual must have to perform the job- this is where you need some not negotiable areas. Develop a core set of situational questions that you use for every candidate you see for the role. This is not negotiable. Without this you risk internal bias taking over and you missing key issues or experiences. You need at least 3 strong core questions that you ask every candidate. Make them large enough for the candidate to need to go in-depth in the answer. Ensure the same hiring manager is involved throughout the process to prevent bias or missed opportunities. As interviews are often spaced out due to work commitments on both sides. You also need to have an internal rating scale you can use that you can rely on to keep you on track between interviews. This means, develop something that gives you an idea of how the candidate made me feel during the interview, as these key things can be forgotten in the rush to catch up on work commitments. Remember it is the aim to hire for attitude and motivation as well as core skills and experiences. So a behavioral scale helps keep you on track. Have a clear structure around responsibilities- Main interviewer, recruiter and additional interviewers. Decide in advance how each interview is run and who is responsible for each part or particular questions.

Segment 3 - The Perfect Interview- Situational questions, flow, and internal rating scale 1- Preparation is key 2- The actual Interview- define the interviewers roles based on the already preselected questions and needs……you can ask other questions, but you should have some preselected core questions you ask every candidate. I recommend a minimum of 3 situation questions that allow you to have a conversation around previous work outcome or achievement. As these give you the most insight and allow you to compare between candidates. 3- Divide the Interview into three parts 1-Welcome and introduction- explain the interview process for today- allows the candidate to become comfortable and relax. Ask topical questions to gain further insight into their character, and allow you to develop a gut feel for the answers. 2- Ask the candidate to review the last 10 years of their work history with you. You will ask questions as they go and after they finish. When they have finished if you have not already completed your preselected questions then review those. 3- General wrap up, give the candidate a chance to ask any questions that they need to. Plus ask any relevant final questions yourself, such as if you were successful, how long before you can start, what is your salary expectation and do you have and leave plans, or medical conditions that would stop you from performing parts or all of the role. At this point it is critical to give the candidate next steps, both for them and your brand. Don't forget follow up Types of questions to ask- Situational open and example driven, expect clear answers, look for I not we, Ask situational questions that are relevant to your workplace. Remember this is about tailoring this key part of the recruitment process to your workplace! YOU ARE LOOKING FOR TRANSFERABLE SKILLS.

Segment 4​​ - Onboarding and Induction- Recruitment does not end at the job offer  Onboarding Once you have made it through the recruitment process and selected your new staff member, how you handle onboarding will play a massive part in if the person stays with the business and is successful. Of particular note is that every step of onboarding should be clear and agreed on by the hiring manager and the new employee, and this should be documented and signed against by both. Just like the hiring manager should run every step of the recruitment process. Good Onboarding/ Induction plan Done by the hiring manager- like recruitmentClear weekly agendaTime spent with the person to ensure any required training is clear and being utilizedHiring manager to review all training with the new employee as it is finished/passedClear program set out for the entire length of probation, and run by the hiring manager- milestones, expectations and meetingsFor the first week, the hiring manager should meet with the new employee daily at a minimum.For the entire length of probation the program should ensure the new employee has weekly meetings with the new manager to review their feelings of settling in, success, training, needs, and general work ability. As the new employee displays the appropriate skills and attitudes these meeting can become less formal, and if probation is to last for 6 months then the last 3 months may just be a monthly meetingFixed probation review meeting with workplace expectations that are clear and able to be reviewed.Clear objectives  Most importantly- document everything!!!! Great on boarding by and actively involved hiring manager- can stop mistakes too, not just keep great people An open and clear Career plan backed up by accessible and relevant training will help keep your great people for as long as possible

E8 Build your Core-Ensure your strategy and culture are Symbiotic not cannibalistic! - 4 steps to successful integration To build your core you need to set a true playing field for success. So in part 1 we looked at understanding that your people want and structuring accordingly, in part 2 and 3 we looked at developing your leaders, the crucial link for success and then developing your people. Now we need to further strengthen your playing field for success and ensure your culture is not only positive but that it works with not against your strategy. Step 1 Use Culture Surveys and 360 degree leadership feedback to diagnose where you are now Must be synergistic for success- review your culture now, really ask what it is, does it exist, is it positive……or is it something you prefer not to think about….if that's the case then you need to start looking more deeply, and thinking about if a culture survey is needed to really start to dig into the problems. If your culture and strategy diverge, it does untold damage, as you will find the core of your people live in the culture piece and are influenced by it strongly. Your leadership team lives mostly in the strategy piece. So you can see if your leaders are focussing on strategy and it does not match your culture you are going to have a massive problem with getting anything done, and particularly with getting it done well or in a way that allows the company to excel and fight off the competition. Step 2 Set up your key indicators to diagnose where the issues are in conjunction with the results from Step 1 1- Exit interviews 2- Staff turn over 3- Length of average staff stay 4- Length of stay post training 5- Leadership feedback 6- Culture feedback 7- Have anonymous feedback channel Step 3 Clarify the issues and plan solutions 1- Gain agreement from the leadership team on exact issues 2- Fact check these issues with a working group from the people in the business 3- Compare the answers for both and decide on the most pressing issues to solve 4- Set up working teams from across the business with only 1 or 2 leadership members to help support and carry through recommendations 5- Make these 3 monthly rolling projects and drive success. Step 4 1- Make culture review part of the leadership team's responsibility and KPIS 2- Culture must be part of the quarterly leadership reviews- including the key indicators from Step 2 3- Consider a yearly culture initiative run by a working team form across the business 4- Ensure culture needs are embedded in all documentation and strategy Shows ● Previous: Episode 1 Season 7 - Recruitment 101- Engaging your People for Success ● Next: Episode 3 Season 7- Strategy and Culture Alignment for Business Sustainability- Engaging your People for Success Written by Lisa Askwith Director of ApexBRS | ApexBRS, Regional Director of See Global Media, Chair of EGN Singapore, and Associate Professor Cambridge Corporate University | At the Age of Change, providing the HR component of the Global Executive MBA and BBA. Lisa has worked for some of the largest companies in the world and successfully led restructures and change management programs in order to improve the bottom line through engaging the people for success, while developing exceptional leaders who can make a positive impact on Culture and long term business sustainability. You can connect with Lisa on any of her platforms LinkedIn Lisa Askwith - Director - Apex BRS https://www.apexbrs.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ApexBRS Shows Subscribe to Engaging Your People for Success podcasts To Book a free 45 Minute Discovery call- https://calendly.com/lisa-apexbrs/45min To Book a 1 hour Consultation call- https://calendly.com/lisa-apexbrs/consultation-call

What your employees want is something that often gets forgotten, or not understood in the rush to get business done, so I want to help you fix this, as without a real understanding you may build some fantastic programs for your people, but you won't get the results you wanted, and worse still may risk disengaging them further! To help get this right in your business, Episode 5 focuses on what your people want, followed by 3 more parts to build your core; Develop your leaders Develop your People Ensure your strategy and culture are Symbiotic not cannibalistic! We have several generations to work with, baby boomers, generation x and generation z, with differing needs, however the great news is that being able to meet the transparency, accountability and lifestyle needs of gen z will actually benefit all generation of workers, as all workers actually enjoy the outcomes of this focus, and benefit from the programs offered to meet it. So what are we really looking for when we consider the future workforce? Firstly they are value based and this means they want to receive value as well as be able to give it. Key Areas to consider; New value based workforce emerging and growing. Mass disruptions from Covid to WFH to AI. Change has become a constant. How you deal with this from a value creation point of view is key- you need to embrace and support change and help your people get to that point too. Establish a learning culture and mindset for and with your people. No longer after jobs for life- more flexible and the GiG economy is calling Need to upskill regularly, and want to do that. Won't tolerate disrespect, like the past- They want acceptance, support and respect. Corporate Social Responsibility is gaining importance, and is now a requirement. Engagement is key- without it they will leave. Performance reviews need to change and embrace the new workforce. Access to supported learning and development is critical. Autonomy backed by rewards and recognition need to be part of the people strategy. Exit interviews are a must, but they must be run by HR. Your leadership team needs to be upskilled to support and drive all of this.

E6- Build your Core-Develop your leaders - 3 key steps to success Develop your leaders- a recent study by Indeed showed that only 11% of businesses felt they had a strong or very strong leadership team bench strength!!!!! This is scary- think about what this means for not just your business outcomes but for your core- your people? They simply can't be in a great space. When it comes to getting the people right in your business and really capitalizing on your greatest asset, there are several areas you need to address. Part 2 is focusing on your leadership team, and what they need to be capable of to be able to actually support your people and achieve success through engaging them rather than demotivating them. Leadership buy in and support must be created- this is key otherwise you will just be wasting your money on training programs. Use 360 degree studies and culture surveys. Next 3 key leadership development steps for any business Core behavioral skills- these are what will engage your people and start on the right footing- use Grow first, and focus in on learning the situational open questioning style Authenticity and servant leadership. Encourage your leaders and show them how to use their ‘stories' in order to engage your people through empathy and emotion. Move to an agile or growth mindset. Ensure you leaders are trained in an Agile or Growth mindset, this is key for success over the long term, and being able to embrace and work with change. Great news is these programs can be cascaded down the organisation and should be to really capitalise on people engagement and success. Your leaders are also subject matter experts- use them this way and encourage them to also run their own training programs- you will be amazed at the walls this breaks down and the value it brings. Structure these core points into your KPIs, and also your vision and mission, plus behaviour goals- this is a must to ensure it is alive in your business Put cross functional teams under the leadership KPI's to ensure this is all kept alive in your business

E7 Build your Core-Develop your People Your people are impacted by a fast paced changing workplace, hence their needs have correspondingly changed, and will continue to evolve, so my aim is to keep you ahead of the curve by putting your people at the center of your business equation, by fully engaging them for your, and their success. This is what takes a business to the levels of great, and what I can help you achieve. You need some great people strategies in place that are backed by exceptional leaders that can take your culture to higher levels of success. We know your people will leave you quickly today if they are not engaged, but what does this really mean for you as a business? If you have a new hire you need to focus on engagement and development from day 1- This focus is equally important for existing staff, and if you are not doing it now, you really need to start! Open training and development backed by a clear career path is key. This training needs to be optional, supported, and easily accessible. To help develop your people you need your leaders support and endorsement, to help you achieve this some key tips are; Strong leadership in place that is focused on developing a support and positive people culture- regular 360 degree feedback and culture surveys Consistent and constant leadership training that reflects the company values, culture and empathic leadership Visible leaders Leaders walking the talk Available leaders- working teams can help with this A living breathing culture that is distributed through all parts of the business Regular open communication with management Regular praise and recognition from management Psychological safety Space to try new ideas and be supported Focus on developing a learning culture Transparent and clear performance management systems that allow your people to be in control of their output. Develop low cost high impact training programs- Most of these can be done internally. The 2 key parts of training; Job Demands- often technical training Should support business needs and growth Should be broad where possible, Should be part of the JD steps and growth Career Development This should include not just the next step training but a large range of soft skills and optional training. This not only improves your people and allows them to develop, but engages them to stay.

INTRODUCTION Strategy and Culture Alignment for Business Sustainability Part 1 (EP 9)- Did my Strategy eat my Culture?- Diagnose your pain points So often we see the needs behind developing a positive culture that empowers people through engagement forgotten in the rush to do business and make money. Now don't get me wrong, you definitely need to make money in the business otherwise you fail yourself and your people, but there comes a point in every business's lifecycle where the culture is critical for either long term success, improvement, or revenue generation. Typically once a business is up and running and the original founders are moving into defined roles and more employees come on board the culture really starts to solidify……..for better or worse! Similarly in an established business, culture needs constant monitoring and engagement to keep it at a high and beneficial level……..culture whilst self-sustaining for a period of time needs exceptional leaders, and a sound long term plan to stay valuable and positive……just as a good business strategy needs constant reviews and discussion to be successful, a culture is the same. This is a key point that many business leaders miss………and hence great cultures often only last for short periods of time, as they are often sacrificed to the focus on strategy. When I say sacrificed, I am not saying it is a deliberate shift of focus, more often than not it is an unconscious one, as the leadership team have become used to working in a great culture and don't realise that it needs constant attention to keep it that way. When this happens people start to revert to type, and the highly driven leaders start to focus on metrics, and forget to put a similar level of focus and time into maintaining and further developing a great culture that can drive the business forward. This is when I start to see the phrase of Culture eats strategy for breakfast flip around and become strategy eats, and often steamrolls culture and leaves the business in a mess To help diagnose the pain points in your business, review; Disengaged staff, High staff turn over, Silo thinking and mentality, Increased sick leave, Lack of accountability, Blame culture, Bullying, Nepotism High performing staff are leaving rather than taking a promotion Long serving staff only in one part of the business No innovation Leadership has been the same for over 10 years Staff not accessing learning and development Deadlines constantly being missed or push further out No feedback from the floor- ever 2 Key tools Use Culture Surveys and 360 degree leadership feedback to diagnose where you are now. The results from these 2 key tools will allow you to really understand the pain points, as well as identify those that may not be talked about in the open. Then you can start to understand the scope of the problem, and have the opportunity to be able to turn it around and allow your culture to once again flourish backed by a strong and supportive strategy. 5 key metrics for culture and strategy integration There are several key metrics you need to ensure that are part of your strategy and culture continue to be aligned. Start with the basics of attrition and length of stay and then build from there to include loss past training, average length of workers across business units and compare this all to the competition. You need an industry benchmark to really help you understand where you can change effectively. .These numbers must be part of your regular leadership meetings to ensure they embed in

Strategy and Culture Alignment for Business Sustainability- Part 2 (EP10) Culture Builders- 10 steps to help your Culture Working Teams to diagnose issues and put in place plans Leadership development that mirrors down to all staff- Are people leaders reskilling quickly enough to be relevant or are they becoming impediments of Future organizations? Company wide initiatives that involve values Regular rewards and recognition for culture initiatives and outcomes Transparent performance reviews and access to further training Open and regular communication at all levels Leaders who walk the talk and actually become involved at the ground A complete package that mirrors through from initial job training all the way through to continuous discretionary upskilling that is also tied to career development both upwards and laterally. D&I embedded to become the ‘norm' Corporate Social Responsibility- shared and celebrated engaging everyone

Strategy and Culture Alignment for Business Sustainability Part 3 (EP11) Strategy and Culture should be symbiotic, here's how Have you really looked at your culture, does it match your strategy? If the answer is no, then you will run into a lot of problems that will cost your business in terms of money as well as people and innovation. Throughout this season of engaging your people for success I will talk about Culture a lot, and focus on how the leadership team can help you have one that is beneficial to your business outcomes. Culture, leadership and people are core topics that I passionately believe can make or break your business. 8 Steps to integrate culture and strategy symbiotically Use the results from your culture survey and 360 degree feedback Develop working teams to check the results ad decide on key route cause issues to work with Set in motion a culture action team and plan Strengthen all internal communications- this means open and regular, plus accessible leadership team Start a method where staff can anonymously raise issues- and have them addressed! Develop your leadership training plan- every year requirements for all senior leaders plus new leaders training. Develop a mentoring program Develop a shadow Board

To build your Culture and Strategy to become symbiotic is key to your long term business successes and hence sustainability. However, many businesses overlook this key next step. Don't let your business suffer, take the next step and build sustainability too! Mark Emmer, gave a fantastic overview of 10 key steps to a killer strategy, and it allows me to add what that means for your culture, so you can ensure the 2 are working together symbiotically, and you achieve business sustainability; these were 1. Develop a true vision. Culture- make sure the vision is more than a document on the wall it must be living and breathing- KPI's, rewards, internal documents, JD's it must be talked about and interwoven through all of this, and include behavioral aspects 2. Define competitive advantage. Culture- Are you people able to raise their voice and add to this. Has this been expanded beyond the leadership team- use your greatest asset, your people to help you here and you will see your culture grow symbiotically with your business plan/strategy. 3. Define your targets. Culture- Are your targets communicated to everyone? Or is it just sales? If you want to build a culture that everyone can feel proud of they need to be connected to the overall objectives too. How are the rest of your people encouraged and engaged to help drive these targets, are they recognised? You need more than sales targets controlled by sales people to generate a culture across the business, others need to be engaged too. This can be key parts of their KPI's, special projects or shared work. All will help your culture evolve and be supported by your strategy. 4. Focus on systematic growth. Culture- This is a key culture builder that drives synergy. You can gain so much from your strategy supporting your culture on this point, do not miss it in your business!!!! You people are your greatest asset, so make sure you allow them to show that. They have some much experience and many ideas that are easily overlooked that if harnessed can lead to massive gains for any business. Allow your people to help drive your growth, have a shadow board, allow for working teams, source new ideas from the floor and support them through leadership and working teams, have agile focus groups, have new idea focus groups, rotate these, the list goes on. 5. Make fact-based decisions. Culture- Allow and expect your people to present facts, develop them to look for the right data, have appropriate training courses available, have appropriate resources available, teach agile thinking. Build all of this into your strategy. 6. Think long term. Culture- Set agile quarterly reviews, develop an agile mindset through training and encourage your people to challenge assumptions and reset as often as needed. Remove excuses and embrace change. Encourage change and remove fear from speaking up. Develop your leaders through agile training and ensure they are also trained as coaches, and your culture will blossom being supported by all these points being embedded in your strategy. 7. But, be nimble.- Agility is key Culture- Make Agility a core value and build it into your leadership KPI's, this will then trickle down through the business. Support it positively and reward new ideas and change plus ensure your people are involved. 8. Be inclusive. Culture- Make D&I a key part of your strategy, without doing this it will not live in your business. Include it in leadership KPI's but more importantly train your leaders to not only challenge assumptions but to learn how to challenge their own fixed mindset. Train the value of mixed teams and different backgrounds. Train the value of cross functional work. Have internal metrics set up to monitor how long people stay in the same role and make sure they are trained in other areas if this passes xx years. 9. Invest time in pre-

Retain Your People Part 1 (EP 13)- ‘Why am I losing so many Great people?' Healthy habits to retain your people. Have you reviewed your business in the context of what you people actually want? The new generations of workers are value focussed. They want to be valued, and be able to give value. Has your business adapted and developed ways to incorporate this critical need into the way your strategy, structure and culture handle this? IF not you are missing out and will not be achieving the level of success needed to understand what you people want and and offering it. Instead you will be losing great people. The 4 key needs to address are; Value creation Skill development Workplace ethics Leadership ability These all come before salary considerations- is your workplace able to adapt to the new needs? Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

Part 2 (EP 14)- Culture to retain your People- It's more than just a positive workplace So often we see the needs behind developing a positive culture that empowers people through engagement forgotten in the rush to do business and make money. Now don't get me wrong, you definitely need to make money in the business otherwise you fail yourself and your people, but there comes a point in every business's lifecycle where the culture is critical for either long term success, improvement, or revenue generation. Typically once a business is up and running and the original founders are moving into defined roles and more employees come on board the culture really starts to solidify……..for better or worse! Similarly in an established business, culture needs constant monitoring and engagement to keep it at a high and beneficial level……..culture whilst self-sustaining for a period of time needs exceptional leaders, and a sound long term plan to stay valuable and positive……just as a good business strategy needs constant reviews and discussion to be successful, a culture is the same. This is a key point that many business leaders miss………and hence great cultures often only last for short periods of time, as they are often sacrificed to the focus on strategy. When I say sacrificed, I am not saying it is a deliberate shift of focus, more often than not it is an unconscious one, as the leadership team have become used to working in a great culture and don't realise that it needs constant attention to keep it that way. When this happens people start to revert to type, and the highly driven leaders start to focus on metrics, and forget to put a similar level of focus and time into maintaining and further developing a great culture that can drive the business forward. This is when I start to see the phrase of Culture eats strategy for breakfast flip around and become strategy eats, and often steamrolls culture and leaves the business in a mess 2 Key tools Use Culture Surveys and 360 degree leadership feedback to diagnose where you are now. The results from these 2 key tools will allow you to really understand the pain points, as well as identify those that may not be talked about in the open. Then you can start to understand the scope of the problem, and have the opportunity to be able to turn it around and allow your culture to once again flourish backed by a strong and supportive strategy. This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

Part 3 (EP15) Learning & Development to retain your People- The 3 key steps you may be missing. A recent survey by PWC, of millennials which asked what characteristics make a company compelling to work for, found that 52% value career development, and 35% value excellent training programs, these were items 1 and 3 at the top of the list with good pay and conditions sitting at 2. Learning and Development is critical to retain your new workforce. Your leadership team is the glue that will hold this together, but only if they are supportive and engaged. Key Issues: 1. How do I determine my company's training needs? 2. What are the intended outcomes of the training program? 3 key Steps Learning and Development options must be provided and supported for; 1- Job Demands Should support business needs and growth Should be broad where possible, Should be part of the Job Description steps and growth 2- Career Development- further chance to engage your people and retain them Linked to JD and KPI's Linked to a clear succession plan throughout the company, and possibly cross function if possible The more programs that you can offer the better your staff becomes, and the more they can give back. Training is seen as one of the best retention tools, as staff are very mobile now. Sometimes staff will leave as they develop and no longer have a pathway in the company. Try to support this and see it as a win-win, as what they give back before they leave, and potentially may work together with you again in the future. 3- Organizational development- the final key area You need to know your company's key technical needs, you need to understand the people's development needs, then you need to make sure that you are preparing your business for its future too. So this is where the final component comes in- Organizational needs. You need to have training provided around the next step of the business, not just the current direction. This upskils your people, retains them for future roles and improves your culture and revenue. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people If you would like more information on any of these key topics I can be reached at lisa@apexbrs.com, where you can book a free discovery call

Part 4 (EP16) Leadership to Retain your People- 4 key strategies Never underestimate the need for yearly leadership training and regular feedback and support to ensure they are meeting the people's needs in your business. This is a key step to not only ensuring you have a great culture but in retaining your people and slowing down the attrition you have seen increase. 4 key steps to keep your leadership team on track and as capable as possible; Yearly leadership training- no excuses (if your leaders don't embrace this you have a bigger problem) Core foundation leadership training in Coaching Core Foundation leadership training in Servant leadership Core Foundation Leadership training in Authenticity Then to hold all of this together parts 2-4 need to be regularly updated too, you need to ensure your leaders are moving with the generational shifts and needs, that is why this training needs to be yearly, and not avoided. After all great leaders know they have blind spots and embrace regular training to remove them. Great leaders also know thy have to walk the talk, and will encourage their people to access further training if they are leading by example. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people Tip- Exceptional leadership is the glue that will hold all of this together- without it you will not achieve the levels you desire. This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

Reinvent your Performance Appraisals Part 1 (EP 17)- The problem with most Performance Appraisal- key things to stop doing now! Have you reviewed your business in the context of what you people actually want? The new generations of workers are value focussed. Do your current performance appraisals satisfy this need or do they just tick a box and create a metric? This is where performance appraisals have derailed over the last 10 years. They have forgotten the people and the impact on them and only focused on the bottom line. Removing humanity and often instilling fear- this is never a good outcome for a business. Key things to Stop now!; Unmatched Job Description and quantitative measures No behaviors in the metric Unachievable Irregular with no communication One way No Development options or plan Not linked to a career path Not transparent No consistency across different areas of the business Run by leaders who do not prioritise regular reviews and catch ups. Often business owners forget that a good Performance Appraisal is not just about seeing if the staff member can do the job, but also about identifying business shifts, training needs, staff development needs, and future innovation. All of these things together make a real formal performance appraisal system that is not only painless, but gives the business owner and leadership team much more insight than just a few rating scales can. Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

Part 2 (EP 18)- Positive Performance Appraisals- 8 key structure tips To develop a formal PA that works for you, your people and your business, you need to start with the end goal in mind! You really need to know what you are hoping to achieve, and this might sound super obvious, but so many companies get this wrong! They miss the value of a good solid Job Description, particularly in relation to career development and training needs. You need to check that your Job Descriptions actually cover what you are expecting your staff to do, and that they are clear, measurable and actionable………without this you are setting yourself up for failure. 8 Key Tips 1- Clear Job Descriptions that are relevant 2- Clear metrics- no surprises 3- All actionables have to be under control of the person being appraised 4- Transparent rating system that is the same across the company 5- Quarterly reviews 6- The control is given to the employee to drive the conversation 7- Manager and Leaders need to be trained in coaching to run a rewarding performance appraisal that is meaningful full and will benefit the business and the employee 8- Must include career development and progression that is accessible This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

Part 3 (EP19) 4 Steps to Positive Performance Appraisal for Development. 4 of the key items that will create the base for your performance appraisals bing positive and supporting Development in your company; Clear and transparent rating system that is consistent across the business, 2 way system, Good leadership, Appraisals embedded with career/personal development. This is a key people topic that builds your culture through trust, respect, honesty and engagement, so we need to not only get it right, we need to ensure it is something that actually helps improve your business success. Example of developing your own transparent rating scale that can be used across the entire business I recommend a 5 point scale, due to it being easier to manage and administer, but remember you can alter it as needed to suit your particular business. This should be against key criteria to make their roles successful. For instance, if you have a sales professional you would have grading's for things like Salves vs target, then you would have a scale within that grading, such as; a 1-5 scale 1- Not achieving- 80% or new tarter 2- Competent but underachieving- 90% 3- Satisfactory- 100% 4- Highly Competent- 105% of target 5- Excelling- 110% of target Key thoughts; Progressive companies are redesigning their performance management to evaluating accomplishments, and how these are achieved (behavioural) A good appraisal systems takes the ‘pain' out of its use and actually encourages and raises employee satisfaction and engagement TIP- Effective PM is a process not a one off event

Part 4 (EP20) Performance Appraisals for Culture and Revenue A well built and supported Performance appraisal system not only helps your leaders keep on track with their employee goals. It can also greatly engage your people if you have done it properly and made it 2 way, employee run, and driven not just by metrics, but development plans and career goals as well. This leads to a greatly improved culture, one in which your people are engaged and willing to add back extra such as continuous improvement and innovation, this leads to even further revenue gains, and a more sustainable business. Key tips for a positive Performance review that improves Culture and Revenue Trust in leadership, and procedural fairness and feedback- You need well trained leaders! Your leaders must be coaches in order for the 2 way part to work Regular not one off events, quarterly Formal and Informal Clear agenda Regular communication about performance needs and expectations The ability to really take part in one's own appraisal- needs true discussion and agreement Agreed outcomes and review points, improvement plans if needed are clearly documented and supported Clearly linked to career ladder and development steps Documented and signed- then returned to staff member for actions Clear review of success and any expectations or time frame requirements that are then followed up. The leader running the review should be fully prepared and engaged An advance clear time should always be made. The core of the conversation is their actual contribution to achieving business objectives vs what was planned for the period. Use praise Leave ego at the door, and be a leader who recognises contributions not steals them Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people Tip- Exceptional leadership is the glue that will hold all of this together- without it you will not achieve the levels you desire. This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

By the end of this series you will have a list of key ways in which you can develop your business with your employees needs in mind, helping to minimise Burnout and maximise staff retention, engagement and long term success. This will give you back so much more than numbers, it will improve your culture, develop your people, and help build your business for the future. Let me show you how. Part 1-‘The Great Resignation vs Employee Burnout- how to minimise it in 3 steps'. You can also listen to parts 2, 3 and 4 to complete the series. Part 2- ‘Employee Burnout and The Future of Work'- Its more than just a new workplace Part 3- Employee Wellness to minimise Employee Burnout- the key steps you are probably missing Part 4- Executive Loneliness and Burnout- Your leaders are people too 40% of your people are thinking of leaving in the next 3-6months. This is an unprecedented figure. Have you reviewed your business in the context of what you people actually want? The new generations of workers are value focussed. Does your current workplace recognise this? Have you forgotten the people and the impact on them and only focused on the bottom line. Have you asked your people what they want? 3 steps to success Prioritise- People can be part of your strategy, and should be! Authorise- Your leadership teams need to endorse a new focus You need the right leadership team Monetise- Successfully engaging your People will give back to your bottomline in ways you have not recognised previously. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

You need to embrace the future of work and the rapid change of pace and not give up. When you can recognise the below key areas and find ways to embrace them,only then will you reduce employee burnout and build a company for the future; The Gig economy. Contract workers Gen Y and the millennials beyond- focused on finding something that fits culturally with their beliefs and having a high willingness to change roles if they don't. Value- to give and to receive Workplace becoming an experience centre Where a person lives now means more than the role The death of the long term job Agility WFH Remote workforces AI If your business is not already recognizing and finding ways of working with these key changes then you will be losing great staff. To help you focus on this big area there are 4 key healthy habits to work with when you are developing your strategy and culture. The 5 key focus points to keep you ahead of the future of work; Value creation Skill development Workplace ethics Leadership ability Commit to having difficult conversations This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people

Your people really have all of the answers, but have you accessed them. Are you willing to involve your people in the solutions? If not, you will fail, and employee burnout will continue to be a problem in your business. 1. Have you asked your People what they want? 2. Give workers more control over how they do their work. 3. Allow employees more flexibility about when and where they work. 4. Increase the stability of workers' schedules. 5. Ensure front line is connected to the entire business 6. Provide employees with opportunities to identify and solve workplace problems. 7. Keep your organization adequately staffed, so workloads are reasonable. 8. Encourage managers in your organization to support employees' personal needs. 9. Take steps to foster a sense of social belonging among employees. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people If you would like more information on any of these key topics I can be reached at lisa@apexbrs.com, where you can book a free discovery call

You need to focus on all of your people if you want to minimise burnout in your teams. That means you need to recognise that your leaders will also need support to prevent their burnout. Too often this is overlooked. Leading to not only disengaged leaders, but bad habits and cultures being established throughout the business. Look to your leaders and ensure they are supported too. In order to really understand this, you need to go to your people. Your leaders can explain what is happening, you just need to listen and develop a way forward with them. The best way to understand the situation is from experience, Nick Jonsson produced the book Executive Loneliness which documents his journey through burnout. It is a very useful survival guide and will help establish 5 key principles you can use in your business to ensure your leaders don't burnout. The 5 Pathways to Overcoming Isolation, Stress, Anxiety & Depression in the Modern Business World #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER THe 5 steps to avoid Burnout, or to get to recovery 1. Taking Stock 2. Asking for Help 3. Getting Healthy 4. Nurturing Healthy Relationships 5. Finding Your Purpose Understanding how you can incorporate these key needs and drivers into your workplace policies, strategies, programs and behaviours is key to reducing and removing burnout. You can read the entire book at Executive Loneliness by Nick Jonsson #1 International Best Seller (executivelonelinessbook.com) Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people Tip- Exceptional leadership is the glue that will hold all of this together- without it you will not achieve the levels you desire. This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

To allow your business to be the best that it can be, you need to focus on developing your, and your leadership team's authenticity. The new modern workforce demands so much more than command and control, they are value based, wanting to receive value and give it back to the workplace. They derive their value from what you do in the business, and this understanding is key to your success. To help you meet these core needs, authenticity becomes key for you and your leadership teams. Focusing on authentic leadership and how key areas such as, coaching, mentoring, empathy and servant leadership can help you establish that for yourself and your business. Exceptional leadership is a key success tool in any business, and it takes effort, time, and experience to achieve. It's not an overnight thing, or something that you can decide to have, or do. However, getting it right can improve your culture, leading to growth and innovation as well as retaining your talent, Engaging your People to achieve this will deliver you maximum success across your company. 5 key traits that characterizes authentic leadership, offered by Harvard Business School Professor Nancy Koehn, who teaches a course about legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton. 5 CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTHENTIC LEADERS 1. They're Committed to Bettering Themselves 2. They Cultivate Self-Awareness According to Koehn, cultivating this foundational component of emotional intelligence involves asking yourself questions, such as: · What am I experiencing? · What are my strengths? · How am I showing up in the world? 3. They're Disciplined 4. They're Mission-Driven 5. They Inspire Faith Part1- Key traits of Authenticity- Why and How Authenticity helps you lead If you enjoy this the following 3 parts of the series are; Part 2- Step by step to Becoming an Authentic Leader Part 3- Authentic Leadership by developing your Coaching Skills in 4 key steps Part 4- Authenticity and Servant Leadership- How to develop both successfully. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

‘Authentic leaders create an environment where their values are known and they are willing to be held accountable to them; they are transparent. Ultimately, an authentic leader inspires trust, loyalty, and confidence within their workforce which drives optimal results, mission success, and personal growth. This obvious leads to very beneficial financial results in any business as well. In fact According to the Harvard Business Review, 75% of employees want to experience more authenticity at work. In order to inspire your employees, they need to know you, they need to respect you and they need to be aware that you are living in line with your own values. When authentic leaders create a trusting environment, they allow employees to be themselves, which boosts productivity by as much as 30%.' Think of the impact that will have on your bottom line? The first few key steps; 1- Your people want to know who you are 2- They want to be able to respect you 3- They want to see you are living in line with your values- that you are trustworthy!!! Manage the Paradox of Authentic Leadership- Managing Authenticity: The Paradox of Great Leadership by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones 1- Prepare in advance 2- Focus on Knowing Yourself and Others 3- Keep those close to you who give honest feedback 4- Use Where You Come From 5- Conform—But Only Just Enough Great leaders understand that their reputation for authenticity needs to be painstakingly earned and carefully managed……this is not a set and forget task. Many great leaders have personal stories they share regularly that engage their people creating their authenticity, so reviewing yours and making sure they match your environment is critical for your success in this area. There is a lot more than just being open and talking with direct honesty needed for being a trust based authentic leader…..in fact it's much harder than most people ever grasp, but if you can focus on this, and get it right you are on your way to being a great leader who can fully engage your people for success! This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people

Authentic Leadership can ultimately make or break a business, if it is done well, you can uncover the keys to truly engaging your staff, and reaping the benefits such as innovation, positive culture and staff retention, all of which lead to improved business growth. Ensuring your business has authentic leaders who generate trust is a critical part of your overall business success. To achieve this you need to make authentic leadership a positive, living part of your business culture. To establish this you need to focus on 3 key areas; 1- Coaching 2- Mentoring 3- Empathy These 3 points need to be part of your leadership and people engagement tool kit. In fact great leaders should have strong coaching and mentoring skills and be able to display empathy. Make this a focus for your teams and yourself, and you will develop authentic leaders, as this focus develops trust and respect. An effective leader-as-coach demonstrated some key traits, they; asks questions instead of providing answers, supports employees instead of judging them, facilitates their development instead of dictating what has to be done. This is the real difference, This potential will not only save you money when it is engaged, it will also create new ideas and recognise problems that are not seen from the c suite. Your people see everything is your business and often they are the ones, if you listen to them, who can actually identify business shifts, customer issues, or new ways of working well before the leadership team does. So don't miss this key money making part of your business. Spend the time to help your leaders take the difficult step to being coaches, that way you have a much higher chance of accessing your full potential through engaging your people. Your people really have all of the answers, but have you asked them the right questions? Are you able to use your coaching skills to develop your authenticity and engage your people in the outcomes? If not, you will fail. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people If you would like more information on any of these key topics I can be reached at lisa@apexbrs.com, where you can book a free discovery call.

Consistently as we restructure companies and help them achieve success by engaging their people, we see a common theme established as to what an authentic leader looks like. My top 10 traits- both for, and your leadership team are; 1. Self-awareness and constant self improvement An authentic leader reflects upon all of their actions and decisions and examines their own strengths and weaknesses without any bias. They look for continuous learning 2. Lead with heart An authentic leader is all heart. They are not afraid to dig deep, and they lead their team with courage and empathy that only comes from listening to the heart. 3. Focus on long-term results Authentic leaders don't waste precious time unnecessarily worrying over temporary setbacks, or less than stellar results in the previous quarter. Their focus is always long-term. They know that patience and hard work do take time, but yield rich results. 4. Integrity Strength of character is essential for an authentic leader. They don't say things which they don't mean, and they earn respect because of this quality. People trust them because they keep their word, no matter what it takes. 5. Lead with vision Authentic leaders lead with purpose and vision. They always add value to people they interact with and help them realize higher professional goals which lead to better personal lives as well. 6. Listening skills An authentic leader is always a good listener, even when someone else contradicts their views. They are even willing to consider those ideas with an open mind and change their opinion if the arguments make sense. 7. Transparency Authentic leaders believe in open communication and combine their directness with empathy, which more often than not brings success. 8. Consistency Their behaviour is consistent, and they are not easily swayed by superficialities, prompting trust and belief. 9. Share success with the team They not only build a good team but also give credit where it is due and share success and achievements with the entire team. 10. Drawing on experience They share their experiences good and bad, humbly through storytelling. Servant Leadership- by Greenleaf In 1970 Greenleaf said, and it is still relevant today: “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature. “The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“ The ten principles of servant leadership according to Greenleaf 1. Listening. 2. Empathy. 3. Healing. 4. Awareness. 5. Persuasion. 6. Conceptualization. 7. Foresight. 8. Stewardship. 9. Commitment to the Growth of People. 10. Building Community. Tip- Exceptional leadership is the glue that will hold all of this together- without it you will not achieve the levels you desire. This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders

Training is the Answer to Your People Problems- 4 Part series INTRODUCTION- Part 1, Ep29- Training and the Future of Work- What you need to know now If you enjoy this the following 3 parts of the series are; Part 2- Training as an Employee Engagement tool- Step by step to a Learning Culture Part 3- Low cost/ High Impact Training Solutions Part 4- Leadership Team as Company Trainers- Drive engagement and Authenticity without spending anything Becoming a company that has a clear focus on developing a learning culture will put you well ahead of the competition, as your new generation of workers see this as one of the most valuable tool they want in the modern workplace. Training programs and how to structure them to give you a true learning culture are critical for your future business success. Plus they are a core part of your people engagement tool kit. Something you can actually utilize in many cases at very lost cost with a high level of positive rewards. ​Every business has some type of training need from onboarding, specific technical competencies, management, leadership, marketing, sales, communication etc.. Investments in talent development help to improve job satisfaction and retention by providing a path for personal and career development. At the same time having open, inclusive and supported training programs will help to improve the culture in your business, as they lead to staff feeling valued and recognised, which in turn spreads to their work ethic and motivation. To really capitalize on this in your business, you then need to take things to the next level, and also provide training programs around organisational development. When this occurs you have the opportunity to fully engage your people and really increase the potential of the success of your business. However, this is a big mindset shift for many businesses, as it means training programs need to be valued as an investment and not seen as a forced cost. If you can shift your mindset here you will reap massive benefits. To remain competitive, as the future of work constantly changes you must continue to invest in your people, especially via training and upskilling, not just your business. Don't let your business suffer, let me help you make your business the best that it can be by utilizing your greatest assets, Your People!!!! "What if I train them and they leave?" well as W. Edwards Deming said "What if you don't and they stay?" ​Key Issues - Employee Perspective: Continue to gain skills for my current position and prepare for the next position. Proactively look for opportunities to attend training that enhance technical and if needed soft skills. Show your employer that you value your training by putting your newly learned or enhanced skills into practice. 3 Key training needs to be met to engage your people and be the future of work 1- Functional training 2- Training for career growth/ personal development 3- Training for Organisational change Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

When it comes to getting the people right in your business and really capitalizing on your greatest asset, there are several areas you need to address to ensure your training programs are where they need to be to actually add the value needed. Not just to the business outcomes, but to the individual staff members, and culture of your company; you want to ensure maximum benefit, not just the possibility of good outcomes. This is a big mindset shift, as too many times in the past people felt forced to go through training programs or saw them as a waste of time. However your new workforce feels the opposite, and you need to capitalize on this to develop a sustainable business, using training as an engagement tool, not a punishment! Michael Leboeuf in his book "The great principle of management" warns of the dangers of ignoring training: "If you believe that training is expensive, it is because you do not know what ignorance costs. Companies that have the loyalty of their employees invest heavily in permanent training programs and promotion systems. " This is simply because it actually works, and costs due to lack of innovation, high turnover and poor culture are removed. Not to mention better trained employees are more productive! A recent survey by PWC, of millennials which asked what characteristics make a company compelling to work for, found that 52% values career development and 35% values excellent training programs, these were item 1 and 3 at the top of the list with good pay and conditions sitting at 2. You need to have a strong focus on discovering just what your business and your people need, and then design programs or provide ones that support that. For your business to be the best it can be, these programs need to move beyond only covering today's technical skills, and provide more than soft skills. You need to look to the future and find training programs that meet your organisational development needs as well. When you do this, you not only future proof your business, but you also fully engage your people as you are giving them the opportunity to grow and succeed. This then all works together to give you the best possible outcomes. 10 Steps to setting up your training as an engagement tool 1. How do I determine my company's training needs? 2. What are the intended outcomes of the training program? 3. Make sure that your employee development needs are considered. 4. What feedback have employees given on any knowledge or skills gaps? 5. How are you going to track your training? 6. Training needs should be incorporated into the employee evaluation and performance review process as well. 7. Develop a learning culture within your company. 8. Look at a career development from several viewpoints – technical, organizational, and individual. 9. Develop people technically first - job of management is developing skill mastery, but do not forget to include the development of soft skills into your training program. 10. Continue to develop their business skills to make competence complete. This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training

You need career development, and proactive training as the workplace rapidly changes, but let's drill down to give you the maximum benefit, and ensure you have this entire key area covered, you also need to ensure career development is not just a wish list, but is aligned to the company, the person and reality. In order to this you need to make sure your training has 3 key aspects, these are; Technical, - the black and white required training, often the basics of every role. Remember not just new starters, but also as they enter new roles- you need to do this first!!!! Organizational- planning for the future, allowing your people to really engage with the business of tomorrow and develop themselves as well. Individual- Targeted at both job demands from a technical and organisational view point, but also employee needs and future growth that may not necessarily be a clear career path in the company. Adds to overall skill set, engages people and retains staff and improves culture. Once you have these identified, you can then plan your low cost high impact training programs. They are just sitting there waiting for you to identify them, as they are your people, your greatest asset. Your business has a mass of subject matter experts just waiting for the opportunity to engage further, and potentially be rewarded or recognised for their skills and abilities. Use this wisely. You can give your key people some external facilitation and training skills and then allow them to start to work on developing their programs. This can be started at management level and be seen as recognition for staff to be able to help train others. Simple ways are; Buddy or line training SME group talks adn e learning Cross functional working teams Regular team lead roles given out to run projets Subject matter experts given develop days to run as groups SUbject matter experts used as internal trainers and buddy's Training through games and competitions Leaders as trainers Develop internal trainers in high turnover or specialised areas, and reward them Mentor systems Support internship and allow your employees at all levels to practice their mentoring skills Create a talent mobility platform to match skills of mentors and mentees Partner with government bodies that provide free training- such as health, welfare or finance etc Encourage and provide the tools for self directed learning Have leaders hold round table discussions on best practice Work with final year university students to develop e-learning packages Your people really have all of the answers, but have you asked them the right questions? Are you able to utilise your greatest asset by allowing them to become more involved in the business? If not, you will fail. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training If you would like more information on any of these key topics I can be reached at lisa@apexbrs.com, where you can book a free discovery call.

Good bosses matter more than you might think. Research shows that positive relationships with management are the top factor in employees' job satisfaction—and, by extension, correlate with stronger corporate performance. But good bosses are also hard to find: 75 percent of Americans see their boss as the most stressful aspect of their job. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, both bosses and employees have been under more pressure than ever. Is your leadership team focused on continual development- This is key, they need to walk the talk, to allow others to feel confident and access further training, but they also need to have their skills refreshed for your business to stay ahead. 1- Develop you leaders as SME trainers and cross functional team leads 2- Develop a Culture of Learning Then focus on developing a learning culture- none of these are expensive, but they are all high impact, as your new generation of workers values feeling respected and appreciated and demands on going learning and opportunities. Full process steps to developing your internal training programs Review your existing training programs and processes that you already have in-place. You must know your starting point. Assess your organizational training needs. Are there key areas within your organization where you see a clear need for training? Are there market or technology changes that are driving the training needs? Is training needed as part of succession or growth planning? Or Developing a “deeper bench.” Assess your employee training needs. Engage your employees for suggestions on any gaps in technical knowledge or skills that they may be aware of. Be sure to communicate that you are in the process of developing a formal training program and you want their input. Do your employees need to further develop their “soft” skills? Get feedback from your leadership team on areas of need. Develop your training program based on the needs of the organization and the employees. Determine the best way for the training to be delivered (Group, Individual, remote or in-person.) Clearly define the purpose and goals of the training program and individual training sessions. How will success be measured organizationally as a whole, within each department, and on the individual contributor level. Include training in part of the performance evaluation and promotion process. Coach your employees and managers on developing training plans for their teams and themselves. Make sure your management team is on board with the training program as they will reinforce the everyday importance of training with their team members. Develop a learning culture within your organization, and focus on organization development training opportunities. Tip- Exceptional leadership is the glue that will hold all of this together- without it you will not achieve the levels you desire. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders need help with. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Shows ●Previous: Episodes 25- 29 Season 7- Build you Leadership Capabilities through Authenticity- Engaging your People for Success ● Next: Episodes 33- 36 Season 7- Continuous Improvement- Make money while you sleep- Engaging your People for Success

Steps to Support you Identify the problem that you are trying to solve Determine if Continuous Improvement can help you solve the problem. Create a culture of Continuous Improvement. All hands on Deck – Continuous Improvement is everyone's responsibility Engage all employees in the continuous improvement process. Continuous improvement should be the responsibility of everyone in the company (not just for the process improvement team). Continuous Improvement has to become part of the identity of your organization, not just something that you do. This should be a part of training programs, hiring, and the performance evaluation process.​ Key steps to help embed the process 1. Commit throughout the organization. ... 2. Make kaizen 9 (drilling down to the route cause) part of the new routine. ... 3. Tie it back to everyone's job. ... 4. Measure the results. ... 5. Communicate. ... 6. Be deliberate and patient. ... 7. Repeat. Sounds easy right, there are just 7 steps…….but remember we want this a living part of your culture in order to generate you success year on year, not just as a once off. Sending a memo asking for it will not work, it will just get lost in the noise. We need to think a little bigger and really plan for it and then embed it. So make it fun, and it will also become done!!! Your people will gravitate to the task or tasks that they feel rewarded for and enjoy completing….even if those rewards are not financial……remember a key part of engaging your people for success is allowing them to feel valued. So give them some fun and value at work and create a self-fulfilling embedded CI program. Think Big – start small Small consistent changes lead to transformational results. In order to really capitalise from Continuous Improvement being a core of your business model, you need to embed it properly. A big part of doing this is to use diverse cross functional teams to investigate issues and solutions. This gives you back so much more value, and literally costs you nothing. An organization that has diverse team members encouraged to work together across organizational areas and role scopes, is the best way to really start to embed Continuous Improvement, as it functions across all key areas of potential success- breaks down barriers, increases communication and knowledge throughout the business, supports and generates new ways of thinking, and ultimately leads to new solutions, ideas, and possibilities that would not have represented themselves previously. This also greatly engages your people and helps establish the culture of success and continuous improvement for you. Every individual brings in their way of thinking, operating, solving problems, and decision making. This increases the overall value and potential outcomes. Nurturing a culture of continuous improvement is a groundwork of employee engagement and favorably triggers growth and success as an organization. Don't miss out on utilising this key people practice in your business. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

Key Issues Owner/Manager What is continuous improvement? Why continuous improvement? Does this process only look at things that are not working? Why do we need to improve if what we are doing is already working? What level of impact can continuous improvement achieve? What areas can continuous improvement be applied? Areas of possible Improvement Business Strategy Business Results Customer Service Customer Relationships Internal Relationships (Employee) Relationships with Suppliers All standardised processes that have been running unchanged for more than 5 years. Key steps to help embed the process 1. Commit throughout the organization. ... 2. Make kaizen 9 (drilling down to the route cause) part of the new routine. ... 3. Tie it back to everyone's job. ... 4. Measure the results. ... 5. Communicate. ... 6. Be deliberate and patient. ... 7. Repeat. Your Leaders need to focus on Continuous Improvement and ensuring it is part of the People Engagement Strategy. This is actually easy, and comes back to great communication and Authentic Leaders. ​ Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve all elements of an organization such as processes, tools, products, and services, etc. The improvements can be small and incremental, or they can be more breakthrough in nature. Continuous improvement itself is a key ‘hidden area' that many businesses miss out on, losing the massive gains it can give. Not because they don't want it, but because they don't understand how easily it can be included in the business structure. How it can be part of the people make up of the business, allowing it to take on a life of its own that benefits everything, people, culture, bottom line and success. In fact Continuous improvement can be one of the best tools for engaging your people for success, and it costs you nothing but can give back more than you can imagine. One of the key issues to grasp is that this should be an “ongoing” process if you really want to get maximum benefits for your people and your company. It should be part of the DNA of your company, embedded into the culture, not just an activity that your organization undertakes to tick some boxes and move on. The most successful organizations can instill a culture of continuous improvement, which adds benefits and cost savings to all areas of the business. While actively engaging your people and creating sustainable success. I will not only talk all about continuous improvement, I will also review the more interesting and engaging ways in which you can make this part of your culture and staff mindset, throughout all 4 parts of this series. After all Continuous Improvement is an ongoing, consistent effort to improve products, processes, or services, and the reason we are focusing on it is because it reduces waste and increases quality in a business, while also having the opportunity to fully engage your staff and take your business to the maximum level of success. Sometimes Continuous Improvement gets a “bad-rap” as being just another process where people are going to critique a department or someone's work. It should never be presented this way. In fact if done well it can be fun, and engage your people to greater utilisation of their skills and ideas. This ultimately benefits everyone! The key is to tie the Continuous Improvement process to business needs, and the engagement of your people. Doing this will give your organisation an edge, as it will lead to a competitive advantage for your business and an improved culture for your people. Core Steps to Establishing Continuous Improvement in Your Business 1- Define- you need to know just what your business needs, and how that works with your brand and vision 2- Get feedback from the floor- Your people will make all the difference here! 3- Understand the intended outcomes- Make them measurable 4- Implement- Use working teams 5- Review outcomes- Remember to be agile 6- Repeat Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

Becoming a company that has a clear focus on developing a culture of fairness, one that looks out for its people, and does not play favorites, is key to engaging the new value based workforce. You can capitalise on this and allow your people engagement and business results to soar! A focus on removing bias and how to structure it in your company to ensure it stays away, will allow your people to really engage with your business and provide unexpected yet beneficial ideas and results, which are critical for your future business success. Plus it's a core part of your people engagement tool kit. Something you can actually utilize in many cases at very lost cost with a high level of positive rewards. Businesses are run by Hierarchies, and this leads to 2 key issues; Unconscious Bias in Decision making Conscious Bias in Decision making Both of these can lead to negative cultures forming and your key people going elsewhere to succeed and grow. Promotions are a key area in your business where bias can flourish. You need to prevent this so you can make the entire system work for you, not against you. Focus on your top performers and how they can be promoted in your business in a way that benefits everyone, upwards or laterally……and that means transparency and competence, not connections and closed door discussions. Remove the Bias! Steps to achieve this. 1-Recognizing your company needs and purpose to identify the type of staff and culture you want for success….without this you will spend a lot of time in order to fail. This is a key first step to get right, you need to really understand where you are going as a business in order to make it work. 2-Top grading of employees and how to achieve it – note more than 1 manager must agree on a rating to avoid bias 3-Communication of grading's and how to deliver 4-Training of leadership team to be accountable for the company philosophy 5-Ensuring grading's, and corresponding achievement criteria are open, transparent and accessible to all 6-Develop options and opportunities so you can retain staff while they are progressing/ waiting for the next opportunity. 7-Make promotions and progression a part of your living culture, by reward, recognition, different opportunities etc Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

How do the best leaders drive perceptions of fairness in performance appraisals and promotions? 1. Leaders care not only about employees' professional growth but also about their personal growth. 2. Give people the tools and opportunities to own and define their professional future, rather than deciding it themselves. 3. Performance ratings are transparent to all- they are driven/agreed by multiple leaders to remove bias and have rigorous behavioral and metrics areas for assessment. 4. People Growth is encouraged above and beyond the organizational chart. 5. Actively mentor people. 6. Ensure your leaders are trained as Coaches 7. Opportunities for exposure to senior leadership for everyone. 8. Encourage cross-department shadowing for people to develop new skills, and consider a career change in a new department. 9. Embrace cross functional working teams- Solutions and Innovation 10. Let people show their true selves. 11. Maximize human potential. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

How transparent and consistent this system is across your company is the key to your success. For instance, if you have a sales professional you would have grading's for things like Sales vs target, then you would have a scale within that grading, such as; a 1-5 scale 1- Not achieving- 80% or new starter 2- Competent but underachieving- 90% 3- Satisfactory- 100% 4- Highly Competent- 105% of target 5- Excelling- 110% of target Transparently measuring Behavioural parameters are key to an engaged workforce 1-5 scale to keep it consistent with metrics; 1- Not achieving- not able to demonstrate or new starter 2- Competent but underachieving- Attempted but not consistent 3- Satisfactory- Regularly works with others across the business in a supportive way 4- Highly Competent- Has gone beyond the call of duty to display 5- Excelling- Regularly goes above and beyond to work with others and ensure their success 2 key points need to be included when these scales are rated, to ensure you can remove bias and nurture your people, these are; 1- How the top performers are selected 2- How the leadership team jointly participates in this selection even though they may be in other areas. A fair and robust system allows you to easily demonstrate to your people where they can focus to target their career growth, without resentment or negativity arising. In fact it makes the whole conversation much easier, than not having a system in place. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

Stopping promotions being based on connections may not be at the top of your key issues right now, but as you can see if you don't put the structure in to support and ensure that promotions are based on performance, you will allow bias to enter into the process and this can quite literally destroy your business. Think about this as a form of business insurance, you would not forget to insure your built assets, so don't forget to insure your people by giving them the right tools to make your business be the best it can be. In this instance one of those tools is a robust structure for removing bias leading to promotions by giving your team of people a strong, and supported performance based development and assessment pathway. ​ The other key tool to achieve this is a great piece of synergy- Your Learning & Development package. We know the companies that have the loyalty of their people have readily available and regular training available to them. Like the performance ratings, you need to also ensure this is far, accessible and transparent for all. Adding the Formal Training programs to your Development and Career pathways is key for removing Bias by breaking down barriers, sharing knowledge, and pulling apart regressive hierarchies. Plus you get the added benefit of more engaged and capable staff. It is a massive win-win!! What You Need to Do Know your growth plan and create future organizational chart that focuses on positions Create future position descriptions - focus on job demands Continue to Instill a Performance Management system that promotes based on performance and details performance expectations, progress Create a job scorecard with success metrics- build out your package Create Future Position Descriptions Create future organizational chart - focus positions; Create future position descriptions - focus on job demands Create a Training Plan for the new Positions- Formal classroom for technical, human, and conceptual Formalize Training; Technical Skills - driven by technology and position descriptions; Human Skills - driven by management requirements and teamwork; Conceptual Skills - driven by ownership demands of strategic thinking and innovation As you are preparing for the future you want to use as much knowledge and experience as possible, so while you work though these key 9 points with your leadership team, do not underestimate the value of forming cross functional working teams to help you develop some of the 9 points, particularly those around new roles and needs. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

Coaching is an often forgotten or unrated skill, which is actually a core need if you want to be an exceptional leader. I am not saying you are becoming a coach instead of a leader, but you are integrating the core skills of a great coach into your tool kit, allowing you to have more open and beneficial conversations with your people, allowing you to become their cheerleader without even thinking about, and ultimately leading you to a place of exceptional leadership and highly engaged people in your teams. This is good for them and good for you, so a great win- win in any type of business. Becoming a leader that has a clear focus on developing a their core coaching skills, is key to engaging the new value based workforce, they want to give and receive value, and if you have coaching skills it makes it much easier for you to uncover and develop this core need, so why not capitalise on that and allow your people engagement and business results to soar! A focus on being an exceptional leader via coaching, will allow your people to really engage with your business and provide unexpected yet beneficial ideas and results, which are critical for your future business success. Plus it's a core part of your people engagement tool kit. Something you can actually utilize in many cases at very lost cost with a high level of positive rewards. To develop your leadership mindset and lead teams, there are several areas you need to focus on developing, Covey sums it up well, and suggests 6 critical factors, I have added 2 more to meet the needs of the modern workforce.gives some great insight into this development Critical Practices For Developing your Leadership Mindset and Leading A Team: 1.Understand what you need to do to Develop a Leader's Mindset, and progressively work towards it. You are shifting from an individual contributor to someone who gets things done through engaging others. 2.Hold Regular 1-on-1s. 3.Set up Your Team to Get Results. 4.Create a Culture of Feedback. 5.Lead Your Team Through Change. 6.Manage Your Time and Energy. 7.Focus on your own development- Training is important 8.Develop a leadership network internally and externally A big part of displaying your leadership mindset is being capable of developing a workplace around you that displays emotional safety. Lots of leaders think they can do this easily, but in reality it is simply not that easy, they tend to miss many keys steps to acceptance. And jump straight to saying they have an open door policy and everyone should use it. In reality this does not work, and you often need to unwind years of habit and beliefs. Check your ability to do this and ask for help if needed. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

To make this possible you need some key steps to work really well for you, these are; Strong leadership in place that is focused on developing a supportive and positive people culture- regular 360 degree feedback and culture surveys Consistent and constant leadership training that reflects the company values, culture and empathic leadership Visible leaders Leaders walking the talk Available leaders- working teams can help with this A living breathing culture that is distributed through all parts of the business Regular open communication Regular praise and recognition Psychological safety Leaders who are exceptional coaches and mentors- as this is the key development step that allows them to become truly authentic and empathetic. Then focus on developing your coaching skills one, the first area to focus on is your ability to interact with your people through thoughtful, supportive and insightful questioning. Use the GROW model to help you structure this- The GROW Model Explained for Coaches (Plus Special Report .PDF) | The Launchpad - The Coaching Tools Company Blog Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

A good coach brings specific and well-defined issues to the attention of others. Being unspecific about problem areas, or failing to bring them up with the appropriate parties, suggests a reluctance to affect positive change and a lack of leadership. Confront issues in a positive coaching mindset, don't hide from them! A good coach is, • positive, • enthusiastic, • supportive, • trusting, • focused, • goal-oriented, • knowledgeable, • observant, • respectful, • patient • and a clear communicator. So essentially a skilled and empathetic leader. You need leadership to make everything work particularly when it comes to engaging your people and developing both trust and a culture you can be proud of. Develop a leadership network internally and externally This is key for pulling everything together It will help you stay ahead of change It allows you to grow though exposure, and capitalizing on others successes and failures It gives you new options and ways of thinking It increases your leadership presence It stops you from stagnating It allows you to appreciate more points of view Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really achieve this. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

To help you solidify your coaching skills as an exceptional leader, you need to focus on how you can retain your leadership mindset into the future, through challenge, and stay relevant and up to date. To do this, the next step is developing your growth mindset. Growth Mindset: “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” (Dweck, 2015) Having a growth mindset means you believe in yourself and especially in your ability to change, learn and develop. ... In the Growth Mindset, errors are seen as the natural part of learning and the students with a Growth Mindset, process their mistakes and correct them and that way they also learn from them. This allows you to use your coaching skills, your authenticity and mentoring in order to become an exceptional leader, as you are willing to change and do better and learn from your mistakes not ignore or hide them. Consistently as we restructure companies and help them achieve success by engaging their people, we are seeing a common theme established as to what an authentic leader looks like. My top 10 traits that you should be looking for both in yourself and your leadership team are; 1. Self-awareness and constant self improvement 2. Lead with heart 3. Focus on long-term results 4. Integrity 5. Lead with vision 6. Listening skills 7. Transparency 8. Consistency 9. Share success with the team 10. Drawing on experience Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement Shows Previous: Episode 33-36 Continuous Improvement- Make money while you sleep! Next: Episode 41-44 Coach your way to Exceptional Leadership Written by Lisa Askwith Director of ApexBRS | ApexBRS, Regional Director of See Global Media, Chair of EGN Singapore, and Associate Professor Cambridge Corporate University | At the Age of Change, providing the HR component of the Global Executive MBA and BBA. Lisa has worked for some of the largest companies in the world and successfully led restructures and change management programs in order to improve the bottom line through engaging the people for success, while developing exceptional leaders who can make a positive impact on Culture and long term business sustainability. You can connect with Lisa on any of her platforms LinkedIn Lisa Askwith - Director - Apex BRS https://www.apexbrs.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ApexBRS https://tockify.com/ibgrnetwork/pinboaird?search=lisa&startms=1602216000000 To Book a free 45 Minute Discovery call- https://calendly.com/lisa-apexbrs/45min To Book a 1 hour Consultation call- https://calendly.com/lisa-apexbrs/consultation-call

Introduction People are the powerhouse behind everything, they are an intrinsic part of your business, and your everyday life. If you can't engage and work with them in a mutually beneficial style then everything suffers. I passionately believe in not only ensuring your people are engaged, but in putting people at the centre of the work equation. Whilst the business, or product, or service, is still vitally important, it is the people that will ultimately make or break your company's success. If you have people or processes in your business that are a mismatch, it means your business cannot meet its full potential. If left unchecked the business and the culture can be badly impacted, as people tend to embed themselves and develop a poor culture around them to keep them safe in their roles. This is often a hidden area in any business, yet it can cause so much damage and needs to be prevented from happening, or fixed quickly if already well established. I will take you through the steps for giving you many different ways in which you can structure your business to make sure that you can avoid hiring mismatches, and if you do, or already have them, allow you to remove them as quickly as possible. If your hiring decisions have been 100% correct, then you are in rare territory. Most organizations experience some type of “people” issue at some point in their hiring processes. The new hire, for whatever reason, is not the person for the job or the organization. Sometimes this is easily resolved with training but what happens when it festers and nothing is done? What you do when you realize that there is a mismatch between the employee and the business, is critical for everyone's success. There are steps you can put in place to prevent this from happening in the future, and to manage it if it is already happening in your business. Regardless of the situation that you find yourself in, you want to have a system, and processes in place that allow for quick decisions, and successful resolutions. A business mismatch is not just people and beliefs, it can also be processes and implementation. Both are key parts of what can make or break your business. Never forget to look deeper and examine the processes in your business, are they really as effective as they used to be, or has time and technology also made them a mismatch in your business? HINT- If you have been using the same process for over 5 years, you are missing an opportunity in your business to re-examine and change it to suit your current needs. ​Don't forget this key area, as it can be a major part of your cost improvement plan. Often old processes are more costly than you realise. It's easy to investigate them and the results can be amazing!!! Key Issues to review- People and Recruitment Focus Do the standard operating procedures and positions contain clear performance standards? Are performance 1:1 meetings occurring between leaders and their direct reports? Is there documentation on performance? Is there a policy or informal rule for 'probation'? Is there an arbitration clause in employment contracts? Make the decision sooner rather than later, focus on performance Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

People mismatches and how to avoid them Who owns the people process?....or do you even have a people process Does your Organisation chart really match how the people in the business are managed? Is there accountability for this? Who monitors new starters? How are performance reviews structured? Is there a clear induction process with steps that need to be achieved? Do your employment contracts clearly outline legal implications, such as probation, arbitration, appeals, etc. Who reviews long serving members? KPI's? Do they include agreed behavioural ones? JD's? Are they clear and followed by appraisals? Is there a culture that governs what is acceptable or is there a charter? Are staff held accountable? Is mentoring available? Who is accountable for addressing ‘people' issues? Is the hiring manager fully involved in the entire process? There is a huge range of areas around people that need a robust and clear plan, documentation, and support, to ensure you can identify and remove any mismatches as soon as possible. After years in business I can confidently say that it is much better to act sooner on this key issue, rather than later. What You Need to Do Determine the cause of the mismatch. Is this a mismatch or simply a miscommunication? Develop a plan for corrective action. This plan should be developed in consultation with the employee. Address the performance problem not the problem of the “person.” Document and communicate the plan with the employee in writing Execute the plan Evaluate progress Problem Solved, or Is it time for termination or reassignment. Review your existing Recruitment and Retention process to update or fill in any gaps that were discovered while evaluating the cause of the mismatch. Make sure that you have clauses in your contract that allow for a probationary period which will make it easier to terminate if a mismatch is found during the start of the employment period. It's not just a great recruitment plan that helps you be able to prevent, or quickly recognise a mismatch in your business. There are 2 other critical steps you must be in control of, and have a robust structure around- On Boarding and Probation. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

Think about the types of processes that run your business- the more you think about it the more you see just how many there are- recruitment, training, on boarding, payroll, tenders, Performance reviews, sales processes, manufacturing…….the list can literally go on and on…. Who is responsible for these processes? Who monitors there outcomes Does your business have an audit schedule for all processes? How do you know if a process is still serving your business or if it is causing a mismatch? Don't let fixed processes fool you. If you are in a business where there are lots of processes that require clear steps, and they have been that way for years, then you are creating a huge risk of mismatches. People will stay with the status quo, as it is known, and often even good employees who are normally innovative will not speak up, as they have become so used to the process, they simply do not see it any more. The best way you can stay ahead of process mismatches in your business is develop a regular audit schedule of processes. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

One of the biggest process mismatches I see regularly occur across business of all levels is recruitment and onboarding. The gaps here are often huge You can easily avoid this!!!! I have talked about good recruitment techniques in Part 2 to keep you out of trouble. However when recruitment finishes and onboarding starts, it is another key risk area, one where mismatches often occur leading to either disengagement or staff members leaving soon after hire. Good Onboarding Done by the hiring manager Clear weekly agenda Time spent with the person to ensure any required training is clear and being utilized. Hiring manager to review all training with the new employee as it is finished/passed. Clear program set out for the entire length of probation, and run by the hiring manager- milestones, expectations and meetings. For the first week, the hiring manager should meet with the new employee daily at a minimum. For the entire length of probation the program should ensure the new employee has weekly/bi-weekly meetings with the new manager to review their feelings of settling in, success, training, needs, general work ability. Including 2 way feedback Fixed probation review meeting with workplace expectations that are clear and able to be reviewed. Clear objectives Most importantly- document everything!!!! Probation This can be your saving grace, and should be used if the employee is not meeting the standards required In Job Contract Clear and legal terms Enforceable Monitored during entre length of Induction Hiring manager responsible for deciding on sign off and reviews Clear objectives to be met Include behavioral objectives to ensure the culture is upheld Clear steps in terms of feedback and opportunity to improve Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement Shows Previous: Episode 33-36 Continuous Improvement- Make money while you sleep! Next: Episode 41-44 Coach your way to Exceptional Leadership Written by Lisa Askwith Director of ApexBRS | ApexBRS, Regional Director of See Global Media, Chair of EGN Singapore, and Associate Professor Cambridge Corporate University | At the Age of Change, providing the HR component of the Global Executive MBA and BBA. Lisa has worked for some of the largest companies in the world and successfully led restructures and change management programs in order to improve the bottom line through engaging the people for success, while developing exceptional leaders who can make a positive impact on Culture and long term business sustainability. You can connect with Lisa on any of her platforms LinkedIn Lisa Askwith - Director - Apex BRS https://www.apexbrs.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ApexBRS https://tockify.com/ibgrnetwork/pinboaird?search=lisa&startms=1602216000000

Introduction People are the powerhouse behind everything, they are an intrinsic part of your business, and your everyday life. If you can't engage and work with them in a mutually beneficial style then everything suffers. I passionately believe in not only ensuring your people are engaged, but in putting people at the centre of the work equation. Whilst the business, or product, or service, is still vitally important, it is the people that will ultimately make or break your company's success. If you have people or processes in your business that are a mismatch, it means your business cannot meet its full potential. If left unchecked the business and the culture can be badly impacted, as people tend to embed themselves and develop a poor culture around them to keep them safe in their roles. This is often a hidden area in any business, yet it can cause so much damage and needs to be prevented from happening, or fixed quickly if already well established. I will take you through the steps for giving you many different ways in which you can structure your business to make sure that you can avoid hiring mismatches, and if you do, or already have them, allow you to remove them as quickly as possible. If your hiring decisions have been 100% correct, then you are in rare territory. Most organizations experience some type of “people” issue at some point in their hiring processes. The new hire, for whatever reason, is not the person for the job or the organization. Sometimes this is easily resolved with training but what happens when it festers and nothing is done? What you do when you realize that there is a mismatch between the employee and the business, is critical for everyone's success. There are steps you can put in place to prevent this from happening in the future, and to manage it if it is already happening in your business. Regardless of the situation that you find yourself in, you want to have a system, and processes in place that allow for quick decisions, and successful resolutions. A business mismatch is not just people and beliefs, it can also be processes and implementation. Both are key parts of what can make or break your business. Never forget to look deeper and examine the processes in your business, are they really as effective as they used to be, or has time and technology also made them a mismatch in your business? HINT- If you have been using the same process for over 5 years, you are missing an opportunity in your business to re-examine and change it to suit your current needs. ​Don't forget this key area, as it can be a major part of your cost improvement plan. Often old processes are more costly than you realise. It's easy to investigate them and the results can be amazing!!! Key Issues to review- People and Recruitment Focus Do the standard operating procedures and positions contain clear performance standards? Are performance 1:1 meetings occurring between leaders and their direct reports? Is there documentation on performance? Is there a policy or informal rule for 'probation'? Is there an arbitration clause in employment contracts? Make the decision sooner rather than later, focus on performance Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help.

Introduction- Part 1- Ep49- Future Leadership- Why is it Different? Each Series this season builds on core knowledge that will help you develop a world class People Engagement and leadership tool kit. Many episodes interlink and support each other in order to allow you to gain in depth knowledge of the strategies and key people needs that you can focus on in your business. Make sure you download the show notes for each episode as I will always include the key strategies so you can take them away to use for yourself or your business. These all come together in today's Season finale as we really focus on the future of leadership. Key Tips to get you started today It is very worthwhile that you keep in mind the rapidly changing workforce and its needs, as you are developing your people engagement tool kit. We are now regularly impacted by things such as; The Gig economy. Gen Y and beyond being more focused on finding something that fits culturally with their beliefs and having a high willingness to change roles if they don't. The death of the long term job. Out of the box things like a global pandemic Constant change WFH Remote workforces AI Staff expect to feel valued An agile workplace is needed for success Always keep these key changes in mind as they will affect the entire culture of your business, and hence the people. Your leadership team should always be planning for the future so staying aware of key trends and preparing to integrate them is another key aspect of engaging your people. Change is our working reality, don't be scared of it, instead look for ways to incorporate it into your business, and it will take you to greater levels of success. This is a key component of future proofing your leadership skills. The future of work will bring a number of challenges, such as a digital talent shortage and the need for a strong employer brand. Off the back of this, how we recruit, and form teams will change, so how we lead those teams will inevitably evolve. Plus over 70% of our workers will be millennials by 2025, this means value creation is key to your success. You need to move your mindset to achieve an understanding of this, and for most leaders that means understanding the move from transactional leadership to transformational leadership. This is key to your success. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

The value needs around training are the biggest driver in the current and future workforce, so that means you need to be agile in your thinking as this is a big change from the previous 20 years. This is why building your leadership mindset, and being agile your self is so key to future proofing your leadership. Embrace Continuous Learning You no longer have all the answers, and if you want to be a future proof leader, you need to acet this and look at the solution. The solution is continuous learning, allowing yourself to keep challenging assumptions and grow in your role. This is key to keeping you ahead of change and dealing with crises. If you run a department this should also be an area you focus on for your people. They want continuous learning as they know it future proofs their careers. So use this to your benefit, allow yourself and others to access learning and focus on developing a learning culture in your team or business. This is a win-win as it supports your people, improves revenue, and creates a positive and supportive culture. Don't miss out on this key opportunity. To help you get there, or your leaders get there, you might need to make a key mindset shift, and that is to embrace Agile thinking into your leadership tool kit, and have it become a part of your everyday thought process. Agile Leadership is key to your business success and to Future Proofing your Leadership skills The Agile Manifesto which was software focussed also sums up what we need to do to future proof our leadership skills- probably not surprising as this is looking at new Technology and your leadership skills need to be doing the same, especially if you want to future proof your skills. This manifesto values the following: “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan.” The core principles of Agile are: Customer satisfaction is the top priority. Embrace logical change at every step of the project. Create working deliverables then gradually improve them. Business and tech people need to work together. Build projects around motivated teams to produce quality results. Face to face communication is preferred over other forms of interaction. A working product is the best measure of success. Aim for a sustainable pace of development. Invest sufficient time to produce quality products. There is power in simplicity. Self-organizing teams are ideal. You can learn valuable lessons from both failure and success. Keeping these principles in mind can help you and your team to become more open-minded to the agile mindset approach. They are the core values that help to nurture more efficiency in teamwork. Hence they are goals you need to incorporate into your everyday work styl in order to start to develop your agile mindset. Don't let your business suffer, let me help you make your business the best that it can be by utilizing your greatest assets, Your People!!!! Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

Learn to communicate and collaborate Communication and collaboration are vital to achieving a streamlined team. Every opportunity to foster teamwork should be embraced, this is a mindset shift for many leaders who are used to ‘telling' instead of involving themselves. Group training that features Agile based games and exercises can also build bonds and be enjoyable, if you are struggling to achieve this. This aids in the development of effective communication. Be transparent (as much as possible) Sharing responsibility and being accountable are key factors in transparency. That means not just holding your team accountable, but you too! At the end of the day, it is a team effort. Withholding data or important information will do more harm than good, as will being directive without discussion or acceptance of ideas. Transparency in giving performance feedback and tracking growth and development boosts team morale. Don't miss out on using these core skills. Stay humble and reflect- This is the hardest mindset shift for many leaders! Human error can sometimes produce negative outcomes. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, you should be able to take it as a learning experience and move on. Fail fast- fail forward- this helps keep everyone on track. People make mistakes for various reasons, understand them first and then you have the opportunity for growth and learning to occur. Develop you agile mindset skills to the point they are second nature The agile mindset places value on constant improvement, in today's constantly changing workplace this is a great benefit to you!. This is applied to software, techniques, and the people involved. Things and people always have room to improve and reach their highest potential, therefore growth and progress is an ongoing process. It also doesn't just benefit employees. It boosts the performance of the firm as a whole, adn allows you to engage as a leader across all spectrums of the business and the people's needs. This is what will help future proof your leadership. Don't let your business suffer, let me help you make your business the best that it can be by utilizing your greatest assets, Your People!!!! Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement

Value Creation through Career Paths and accessible Training Opportunities- Your people need to feel valued and this is a key step to achieving that. Ensure you have fair, achievable and accessible career paths and training opportunities that are supported by an exceptional leadership team. In order to make you the best leader you can be you need to embrace this key area and ensure you are supporting it. This is important for a few reasons; Employee's will stay if they can follow a pathway that is clear and supported Career paths provide brilliant ways for employees to gain further training and be of greater value to your business, as well as themselves. Staff progressing through the business and staying helps promote a culture that is positive and rewarding, and encourages shared success Staff feel more valued and therefore more engaged if they can follow a career path This Engages your People and leads to innovation and improved culture which directly positively impacts the bottom line Developing your Personal Leadership- Always focus on this You may not have given much thought to how adults learn and retain knowledge, but in fact research shows they can be broken into 3 different learning styles….now these are not exclusive, there is overlap, but generally people are more dominant in one area. Knowing this will help you understand how your audience reacts to uptake of knowledge and will help you streamline and prepare key communications with your people. These are; Visual learner Auditory learner Kinesthetic learner Empathy and Value creation is a key pillar to Future Proofing you leadership skills- This is what your people demand. Hence focus on Servant leadership and Coaching to help get you there. Servant Leadership- Originally coined by Greenleaf in the 1970's- A key to your success Servant leadership is a method of development for leaders. Servant leadership stresses the importance of the role a leader plays as the steward of the resources of the group, and teaches leaders to serve others while still achieving the goals set forth by the business. “The servant-leader is the servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions” Greenleaf- The ten principles of servant leadership 1. Listening. 2. Empathy. 3. Healing. 4. Awareness. 6. Conceptualization. 7. Foresight. 8. Stewardship. 9. Commitment to the Growth of People. 10. Building Community. Coaching Coaching is one of the key traits of an outstanding leader, and the skills you gain through practicing this will lead you to uncovering new ideas, needs, and strategies by working with your people. This naturally starts to future proof your leadership skills and keeps you ahead of the competition.. It is something that can be learned and will set you apart as a great leader if you can master the habits and make them part of your leadership style. Coaching is defined in many ways. The essence of coaching is: To help a person change in the way they wish and help them go in the direction they want to go. Coaching supports a person at every level in becoming who they want to be. Coaching builds awareness and empowers choice that leads to change. It unlocks a person's potential to maximise their performance. Coaching helps them to learn rather than teaching them. Coaching is a learned skill, and like a muscle it is one of those things that can be developed with training and use. The more you practice it the stronger it gets, until it becomes second nature and forms a key part of your core business skill set.

Key Issues – Employee Perspective What is my role in the Continuous Improvement? Do I have an opportunity to make a difference and be recognized? This is key! How does my role in the organization impact the organization as a whole? From my perspective, what could improve my job, department, division? Are the tools available that could increase my/our productivity? What You Need to Do How difficult is it to start a Continuous Improvement process? Is the process complicated? Are there existing Continuous Improvement models in place that I can use? Deming or Shewhart Cycle: (PDCA) Six Sigma Lean Theory of Constraints Total Quality Management (TQM) Who is responsible for continuous improvement? Owner Executive/Management team Leaders Frontline workers​ How do I create a culture of continuous improvement, so that this approach is part of my company culture and not just another task that we do? 10 Core areas you need to achieve in your Business to allow Continuous Improvement to Flourish, and to make you money while you sleep. 1.Communicate Expectations. 2. Manage and reward Small Improvements. 3. Give Feedback. 4. Unleash the Potential of your Employees by constantly encouraging ideas CI. 5. Celebrate Innovation- remove the fear of failure. 6. Promote a Creative Work Environment. 7. Organize Continuous Improvement Teams- there could be a new one each 6 months or on a time scale that works with your business 8. Reward Improvements. 9. Every Employee Matters. 10. Diversity Among Employees. Nurturing a culture of continuous improvement is a groundwork of employee engagement and favorably triggers growth and success as an organization. Don't miss out on utilising this key people practice in your business. Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes'. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at lisa@apexbrs.com for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement