The managers most important role is to inspire teams to achieve great things. Without this mediocre performance and productivity is evidenced which of course leads to mediocre profitability. 

One of the challenges I hear regularly from Managers is that they have little time as they have their own job/goals to achieve also. Whilst this point is taken, making little effort or no effort to inspire and support your team to achieve will greater the burden on the Manager. 

So how can a manager motivate, encourage, and empower their employees to reach their full potential whilst staying on track with their own goals? It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort. The crucial point is to be organised, and ensure you do something regularly to contribute to achieving your teams’ goals. I explore some practical tips and strategies for inspiring your team to achieve. 

1. Set Clear Goals and Expectations 

One of the most important things you can do as a manager is to set clear goals and expectations for your team. When your employees know what they’re working towards – and what’s expected of them – they’re much more likely to be motivated and engaged. Take the time to sit down with each team member and discuss what they need to achieve, how they’ll achieve it, and what success looks like. Be specific, and make sure everyone is on the same page. Review the goals regular to ensure they remain relevant as change happens in business! Ensure regular 1-2-1’s are in the diary so that there is opportunity to build trusting relationships and review status on goals. 

2. Provide Regular Feedback and Recognition 

Another key to inspiring your team is to provide regular feedback and recognition. Let your employees know when they’ve done something well, and offer constructive criticism when there’s room for improvement. When you recognize and reward great work, you’re showing your employees that their efforts are valued and appreciated. This, in turn, motivates them to keep doing their best. Be ready to have difficult conversations when improvement feedback requires to be given – most of all, don’t avoid the discussion. 

3. Foster a Positive Work Environment 

Employees spend a lot of time at work, so it’s important to create a positive environment where they feel comfortable, understood, supported, and motivated. Encourage open communication, positive attitudes, and a culture of collaboration. Celebrate successes together, and help your employees grow and develop their skills. When your team members feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves, they’ll be more inspired to achieve great things. Regular weekly meetings to review the team’s success, the challenges for the coming week and how the team can support each other is a great way to collaborate – along with activities such as charitable responsibility initiatives. 

4. Lead by Example 

A Manager is the role model for the team. If you want your employees to be inspired and motivated, you need to lead by example. Show up on time, demonstrate the values of the organisation, work hard, and have a positive attitude. Treat your employees with respect and kindness and show that you care about their success. When your team sees that you’re invested in their growth, they’ll be more likely to follow your lead. Whilst this can be achieved on one level, many Managers find themselves under pressure from senior leaders and board members who perhaps don’t lead by example and then of course find themselves “stuck in the middle” trying to protect their team whilst trying to manage upwards – very difficult to navigate. 

5. Empower Your Team 

Finally, one of the best ways to inspire your team is to empower them. Give your employees the tools, resources, and support they need to succeed. Encourage them to take risks and if there is failure – learn rather than discipline; make their own decisions and solve problems on their own. When you show your employees that you trust them and believe in their abilities, they’ll be more likely to rise to the challenge. 

In summary…. 

Inspiring your team to achieve great things takes effort, but it’s definitely achievable. By setting clear goals and expectations, providing regular feedback and recognition, fostering a positive work environment, leading by example, and empowering your team, you can motivate and inspire your employees to reach their full potential. Remember, the best teams are those that are united, focused, and motivated towards a common goal. As a manager, it’s your job to create that kind of team culture and steer your team towards success – however it is also equally recognised it is a difficult balance to achieve with the many pressures experienced by managers. 

Serena Bower (MCIPD) 

Bower HR Consultancy Ltd 

April 2023 

The post Inspiring Your Team to Achieve: A Guide for Managers appeared first on Bower HR.

Although we remain in the eye of the storm of the pandemic, with cavalry on its way with the vaccine, companies still face a torrid time to stay afloat, but equally do their best to look to the future. 

Key to that success and having an edge in terms of competition will be the Employee Value Proposition. The reason why staff work for you; feel empowered and motivated in the work environment to remain with you and above all give their loyalty to you. 

Therefore, it is vital that you can acknowledge the staff which you have and the skills they have to be able to develop and grow them within the company. 

However, our skills continually change through external and internal experiences. Through the learning we experience every day directly e.g training courses and indirectly e.g observing others. Equally the products, services and the business changes as time evolves – many have had to pivot their offering as the pandemic has turned the business completely upside down. 

To understand that you still have the right skills in the business for the future, and you understand the developing and changing skills of your employees, it is crucial that a regular skills audit occurs. Here we provide an approach to doing this: 

1. What is Current and Future Company Strategy and Plan The initial step is to be clear of your products or services and your future strategy around them. Is there a need to change or improve how the product or service is being produced or undertaken? If so, what are the timescales? Are you diversifying the business into new products of services, again what are the timescales? 

2. What are the Skills, Values and Experience Required to Support the Future plan Identify and record the skills, values and knowledge you require to support the future plan. What are the unique skills required – particularly when there is a need to transition to a new product or improved way of working. What levels of experience do you require – can this open up opportunities for apprenticeships and future succession planning of key roles. Have you defined the values of the business? 

3. Identify the Gaps 

A great way to identify the gaps is draw up a skills gap matrix – It does not need to be whizzy, even a basic spreadsheet will suffice. It will allow you to plot where people are in terms of their skills, experience and whether they show they are or can demonstrate the core values of the business. However, do ensure that you understand the skills of that individual. Take account of recent training, 1-2-1 discussions to ensure information is up to date. 

4. Closing the Gap 

Linked back to the Employee Value Proposition, this is where the skills gap analysis comes alive. Closing the gap does not mean an all-scale change programme with redundancies giving way to disengagement and anxiety within staff. 

However, it provides a company the opportunity to identify key people in the business and begin to have concrete plans of succession planning with the upskilling of employees. It provides the route to a strategic training plan to develop staff. It provides the opportunity for career and learning development, to establish and embed the values of the business – all are positive ways to preserve motivation and employee engagement. 

A skills gap analysis cannot be seen as a paper-based exercise. It has purpose, it can be a powerful tool towards creating loyalty and improved productivity. 

Contact us here at Bower HR, where we can support you through a skills gap analysis exercise and to assist you to enable it to be at the heart of your campaign for future growth and competitive distinction. 

Written by Serena Bower (MCIPD) 

Bower HR Consultancy 

February 2021 

The post Skills gaps: Strategise, identify and analyse appeared first on Bower HR.

Baby boomers +55

Generation X: 38-54

Millennials: 23-37

Generation Z: 16-22

What is common across all generations is the desire and need for flexibility in their work-life patterns.  This is particularly so of Generation Z and Millennials – it is becoming clear that those companies which do not embrace the flexibly themselves will face challenging times in attracting this population to positions and vacancies – resulting in potential skills gaps in the future.

No longer is the desire for a 9-5, five days a week job – equally factory style jobs are less popular – not helped by the decline in the manufacturing sector over the years.  Technology has transformed office environments – assigned to the history books are the days where you had to queue to use the computer in the office, typing pools, carbon copied orders, dedicated telex processors…!

Permanent Flexibility is a term coined by Mercer in their 2018 Global Talent Trends Survey refers to flexible work arrangements that are in flow with a modern digital lifestyle. Flexibility involves rethinking how work is done and by whom.  51% of employees want their workplace to offer more flexibility.

More agile based office roles and service industries have dominated in recent times, more females returning into the employment market needing part time or full time work, all widening the talent pool of the country, but all seeking the flexibility to have a good work-life balance.

The employee value proposition is fast becoming dominant in the USP for a company, an aspect of that proposition is how companies appreciate and support flexibility for all in the workplace.  The health pandemic has also shone a light on employers having to take more seriously the psychological contract and the emotional and mental wellbeing of its staff. 

It is more flexibility which is needed or a four-day week?

Firstly, a company must decide what a four-day week looks like for their company and can it work for them.  In true terms a four-day week is reduce the working week to four days but on five days pay and having a 3-day break.  However, it could also mean:

• The company closes on a set day e.g a Friday, and all work is compressed into four days.  Staff work the same hours but in four days.
• The company opens all week, and provides a four-day week to staff where five days are compressed into four and an agreed day is decided for the no longer required day?
• Compressed hours of a four-day week, becomes part of an individual request for flexible working.

Managing Directors and senior executives of companies are reluctant to embrace the true term of a four-day week, and therefore consider alternatives to demonstrate that they understand the need to offer flexible working.

Choosing the interpretation highlights whether there is actually a desire for more flexibility rather than a four-day week.

Does the type of work performed by the company enable a four-day week?

When thinking about a possible move to a four-day week, consideration has to be given to many aspects, so for example:

• Customer service – what happens if a customer or client can’t make contact on the day the company is closed?
• Sales capability – can sales be maintained at the same level if a compressed week?
• Clients – will they become frustrated if no-one is available to take calls?
• Ability for the back-office processing centres and teams to maintain level of transactions.

In fact, the complexities of implementing such a scheme could outweigh the benefits.

Are there proven benefits?

Those which have trialled or introduced a four-day week have reported:

• quality of work has improved as productivity increases
• staff are less stressed
• people are happier as a result of a four-day working week
• flexible working is helping companies attract the right talent
• reduction in running costs, therefore savings can be achieved and improvement of the cost/income ratio resulting in increased profits.

With employee’s wellbeing considered a major factor, and with a four-day week resulting in happier and less stress staff, a more positive and productive environment could occur.

A positive reduction could also be achieved with the carbon footprint as less journeys are required commuting to office bases.  However, this could be off set with journeys to enjoy the increased leisure time. 

There equally could be added benefits for the economy.  With an increase in leisure time, an increased spending at retail outlets, leisure venues as well as in the travel and hospitability sectors including hotels, cafes, pubs and restaurants could be evident.

Results of some trials

A four day week is being trialled in different countries, however leading in this area are Finland (whose prime minster wants their country on a four day working week – they have been leading in flexibility in the work place for many years), followed by Sweden and New Zealand particularly.  In the UK, employees of companies which have trialled a four-day week – with the Friday being the naturally chosen day off – have expressed that the third day provides sufficient recovery and have time to so something else.  Also, that it ends the “Friday afternoon fatigue” with morale and energy levels higher among staff on the four days worked.

It’s not right for every company

Some companies who have planned to introduce such schemes have not taken actual steps towards implementation finding it too complex for their environment to make it work.  Other companies who have trialled the approach have completed the trial and not progressed further.

Some common pitfalls experienced indicate:

• Complaints from customers had increased – namely that the service expectation had diminished as the company was not open to receive customer or client calls and queries.
• Wrong approach – particularly when the compressed hours model used – it was not right for all staff – and actually doesn’t provide flexibility and actually increased stress levels.

In summary

For some companies, a four-day week is a step to far and they are more comfortable with local flexibility arrangements with employees.

However, for some, offering such a concept may well be key in the employee value proposition which will play a major role in attracting the talent of the future.

The concept requires to be thought through carefully, that it can work with little disruption to the customer base and the profitability of the company.  Is more individual flexibility the key to success in valuing employees?  As we know they are your greatest asset – they enable and deliver the profitability of the company.

Serena Bower (MCIPD)

Bower HR Consultancy

July 2020

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