Forming your own consultancy company With so many people being made redundant at the moment, many are considering taking their pay-off and investing some of it into setting up their own freelance business. Where your skills are readily transferable, it may be possible to set up as a freelance consultant and sell your services to a range of companies. What makes freelance consultants different? Consultants and trainers, by definition, provide advice and guidance to others requiring those … [Read more...] about Company Formation for Freelance Consultants and Trainers
What came first, the job or the experience? #HRBlog
Every year 1000s of graduates and others face the challenge of "Come back when you have more experience". But it's not just graduates. It is people from the military.People from public sector organizations trying to work in the private sector. people trying to change sectors. people trying to change careers. You get the picture.It's tough, but rather than make assumptions on the past we look at some ways to break this cycle The problem - Job or Experience? The problem is often said … [Read more...] about What came first, the job or the experience? #HRBlog
Ansoff matrix – product market grid – Management theory & model
Introduction to the Ansoff matrix Igor Ansoff is known as the father of strategic management. He was a mathematician and business manager. In the 1950s his work was developed and eventually published providing managers and the marketing world with a simple, practical tool that is in use 50 years later.In essence the Ansoff product/ market matrix is a tool that helps businesses decide their product and market growth strategy.Ansoff's product/ market matrix suggests that a business' … [Read more...] about Ansoff matrix – product market grid – Management theory & model
Blogs do they work for you
Web 2.0 and all that it means… blogs, twitter, interaction etc but what does it mean?Humans are social animals, we need to be part of a social group, a hierarchy. With the demise of the extended family, the nuclear family and more and more isolation perhaps it was inevitable that we will need to find a ‘new social group’.It is curious that over the past 15 years membership of voluntary organisations has changed. We no longer go to the ‘clubs’ that we once did to feel part of some … [Read more...] about Blogs do they work for you
Applying LEAN to HR, Training and other administration based departments #HRBlog
The term Lean has been in manufacturing organizations for many years. Increasingly organizations are applying Lean to HR and Training departments too. Lean Thinking Many take it to be a process to do with the improvement of manufacturing efficiency. Indeed it was in the Toyota factories that the process started. Even in Toyota in the early days it was about a lot more than manufacturing processes. It covered supply, sales, logistics and administration of all kinds.In the last 5 years, … [Read more...] about Applying LEAN to HR, Training and other administration based departments #HRBlog
Innovation creating an organizational wide culture of executive innovation
Executive innovation – creating the culture Ever heard your people say…“What we need in this organization is innovation” or “Creativity will give us the edge”.Executives and leaders often utter these words with little realisation of the difficulties of bringing about a fundamental shift in the behaviour necessary to create an innovation culture across the organization. “We can empower people to bring new ideas, we’ll run some workshops on creativity” if only it were that simple. But … [Read more...] about Innovation creating an organizational wide culture of executive innovation
Innovation – Individual or team effort – “Collective Leadership”
Today I read an interesting blog article on Innovation which starts with:"To generate creative business ideas, breakthrough innovators must be fiercely tested and wisely deployed (…) Truly innovative people are rare. Perhaps, 5% or 10% of the high potential managers within a company at any given time have the skills and attributes to become innovators.”Read Jeffrey Cohn, Jon Katzenbach, and Gus Vlack’s paper, “Finding and Grooming Breakthrough Innovators,” on HBR." The author … [Read more...] about Innovation – Individual or team effort – “Collective Leadership”
Executive Innovation the key to success
Is Executive Innovation the key to success?The world economy is changing… are we reacting fast enough? For many executives innovation is just not happening fast enough according to recent articles and research from Boston Consulting Group’s annual study on innovation. Many organisations know that first in order to survive and then to grow they need to innovate. In recent years the focus of innovation has been on creativity and the innovative process, but the lack of results show that this … [Read more...] about Executive Innovation the key to success
Not What Why
When situations are difficult it is easy to remain task focused (what), but does this help us maintain a future resistant approach?Schein in “Organizational Culture and Leadership” says “what happens in organizations is fairly easy to observe, but in the effort to understand why such things happen, culture as a concept comes into its own”If leadership is the key to the future success of our organisation then culture is the lock. In a world where we are very short term-ist (just look … [Read more...] about Not What Why
Employee Engagement the solution in difficult times
Employee Engagement – the solution in difficult times? Yet another weekend where the news broadcasts and the Sunday papers have been full of the economic doom and gloom. With many of the retail stores starting with 20% & 25% discounts with four weeks before Christmas you know things are changing.If the key to survival is employee talent, then retention of talent has got to be a prime drive. But security is not the only factor, often when organizations offer redundancy, it is those that … [Read more...] about Employee Engagement the solution in difficult times
Evaluating the impact of training – another failure
Evaluating the impact of training is this as successful as we would like to believe?On one forum I regularly visit was the question:I am currently trying to answer a question for my course, but have hit a slight problem. The question I need to answer for my written project is:- Conduct an analysis to determine the effects that training has had on the success of your organisation. I was planning on writing about Customer Service training we have been running on going for the last 18 … [Read more...] about Evaluating the impact of training – another failure
What is an Internship? Why should you do one?
At its most basic level an internship programme could be said to be: An internship programme is a planned work experience opportunity offered by an employer. There should be no expectation of employment after completing the programme/ experience. People in these roles are called interns. The intern role is to work at an organisation for a fixed, limited period of time. Interns are usually undergraduates or post graduates. Most internships last for any length of time between 1 week and 12 … [Read more...] about What is an Internship? Why should you do one?
How to Write a Mission Statement and Sample Statements
How to Write a Mission Statement and Sample StatementsHow to write a Mission Statement Mission Statement Style Template The Ideal Mission Statement Examples of Mission Statements Copyright Mission Statements A mission statement is a statement of intent for a business or organization. It may be a temporary one setting a strategic goal, or a long term statement.They should be more than a series of buzz words and business jargon strung together. Nor should it be a stiff, bland dictum. … [Read more...] about How to Write a Mission Statement and Sample Statements
Writing and Training Managers in SMART Objectives and Goals
How do we start training and developing our managers in writing SMART objectives?Please also see Writing SMART objectives. So how do we go about training managers in developing and writing SMART objectives?This is always an interesting topic. the following was recently posted on a community forum: “We are currently reviewing our appraisal process. We have realised our line managers need training on how to set clear SMART objectives. Has anyone got any information that they have used … [Read more...] about Writing and Training Managers in SMART Objectives and Goals
Microsoft could eat LinkedIn for breakfast – but will it spit it out again? #HRBLOG
Microsoft & Linkedin - Heaven or nightmare? Is this disruptive change from the big behemoths? Over the last few days, there has been increased talk about the decision for Microsoft to bid for LinkedIn. What could a blend of Microsoft & LinkedIn really achieve? Background to the media comments on Microsoft & LinkedIn Microsoft have been quoted as overpaying for the purchase of LinkedIn (again)That LinkedIn is past its sell-by-date and on the declineThat Microsoft has a … [Read more...] about Microsoft could eat LinkedIn for breakfast – but will it spit it out again? #HRBLOG
Do Management Models and Theories Work?
“What Management & Business Methods, Models and/or Theories have provided executives/managers and their organizations (e.g. company, institution, team) benefits and improvements”Over the years I have used many of the management, leadership, business and change models and theories and unfortunately the answer to “do they work?” is YES and NO.One of the difficulties with any management, business or leadership models is that we forget that the original success for using a given strategy … [Read more...] about Do Management Models and Theories Work?
Stop Start Continue Change – a Management and facilitation Model
The Stop Start Continue Change is a management and facilitation model that can be applied to a wide range of situations where we need to improve processes, polices and behaviours etc. Stop – Start – Continue – Change The Stop – Start – Continue – Change four step change model is a simple yet often overlooked organizational and individual development tool. Suitable for a wide range of applications including individual, team and organisational, the SSCC model provides a valuable facilitation … [Read more...] about Stop Start Continue Change – a Management and facilitation Model
Developing a team and managing change
So how do you go about Developing a team and managing change? What are the key steps?Today we received a request: “I need some ideas and help please. I need to run a simple first team meeting within the start up division I am employed. There are 20 people in the division, and all have been employed no more than 6 months. Usual growing pains and fall outs and frustrations of no one quite sure what they are doing. Do you have any ideas?”Our reply to this request was…It all depends … [Read more...] about Developing a team and managing change
Infographics and facts from #HRSS16 and #RECEX16 Olympia @cleanviz @cipd
Having spend 2 days at Olympia, here is my roundup of facts and mini-infographics that were created and posted on the day.Graphics created by @cleanviz, @cipd @martincouzins or @rapidbiWhere it all began - The West Hall Olympia Not sure who this troublesome 2 are! The @CIPD social media gurus Stocking up ready for the main event! The headline dataThe graphics In no particular order … [Read more...] about Infographics and facts from #HRSS16 and #RECEX16 Olympia @cleanviz @cipd
Swivel chair chats with @MartinCouzins & @RapidBI at #HRSS16 & #RECEX16
This week we have been that the HR Software show and Recruitment Exhibition run by the CIPD. These are exhibitions that provide showcases for people looking to buy enterprise HR software and to recruit people into their organisations.The HR Software Show is a well-established event, which has been running for over 15 years. It helps hundreds of HR professionals make important purchase decisions every year. It can help you to Upgrade your HR strategy with the latest software … [Read more...] about Swivel chair chats with @MartinCouzins & @RapidBI at #HRSS16 & #RECEX16
