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Category: Executive Leadership

  • Ryanair – a fine leadership cock-up

    The purpose of my blog is not to run Ryanair into the ground, though I am sure there are a number of people out there who would willingly do that.  Anyway time will tell?  As my mum always said “All good things come to he who waits!”

    I was listening to a well-known radio station a couple of weeks ago when the Ryanair situation was first breaking news.  Various listeners were sharing their experiences and tales of difficulty.  At that point the reason for this situation, according to Ryanair was “incorrect scheduling of pilot holidays”.  Extraordinary?  I am sure that Ryanair has hundreds of pilots.  Could poor scheduling really be the cause of such disruption?  As this point was being discussed, the wife of one of the pilots called in to share her understanding of the situation:  “This is not about poor scheduling, she said, it is about how pilots are treated by Michael O’Leary, who she said has no respect for them or the work they do.”  My leadership bells were already ringing.  According to Justin Bachman and Carol Matlack in their article “The Creative Hiring Habits of Ryanair and Norwegian Air Shuttle” (Bloomberg, February 12, 2015) both Ryanair and Norwegian have found ways to minimize the legal aspects and taxes on pilot contracts in favour of company profitability.   I don’t think there is a company out there who does not look for creative ways to minimise costs and maximize profits.

    What is the cost for Ryanair of this situation?

    The evidence of poor leadership in this situation keeps showing its face – why is the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) regulating body reacting so if the leadership is transparent, fair, and above all with integrity.  Not only it appears is the leadership of employees under question, but so too is the honesty and integrity with which Ryanair is communicating with their customers, who also appear to have been cheated.

    Mr Haines, Chief Executive (CAA) told the BBC news (28 September 2017) “that he very much doubted the dispute would get as far as the courts, but added it was “unacceptable” that Ryanair was disregarding the law and customers’ rights.”

    Don’t get me wrong doing the right thing and leading from the front with courage, integrity and transparency both with employees and customers is not always the easy route.  Trying to fool the customer over their legal rights was an act that perhaps Mr O’Leary and his senior management were hoping would make the whole thing die down through showing reassurance to customers that they are being taken care of and that Ryanair will do the “right thing”. This has not worked, in fact it seems to have added fuel to the fire.  Perhaps the fire is going to get bigger, as customers are so riled to the point that it makes them claim every last penny that is their legal right!

    In most situations where there is need for courageous and exemplary leadership, there is time for discussion with key members of the management team to formulate the message and to get it out there to change the course of the situation or even halt it before the fire takes hold.  However, if that’s not in your list of values, as a leader, nothing that happens is going to make you change your colours.

    Leading others, from my point of view is a privilege.  At times it can be difficult, demanding, even frightening sometimes, as well as exhilarating and joyous.  In each situation core values are what provide stability to make the right decision, that clear direction to stand up and say “I made a cock-up, and I am sorry and I will do everything I can to rectify this quickly, with openness and above all with honesty and integrity.”

    Leadership is not just about how we use our head in making strategic decisions to increase competitiveness and profitability, it is also about using our heart to understand our team members, as well as customers and to balance our “head” thinking and decisions with some human emotion from the heart.

  • Is your job making you sick? The impact of fear on health

    In a recent blog I wrote about the impact of a toxic job. The blog covered typical symptoms that the body expresses when subjected to a constant level of “uncontrollable” stress. What I didn’t talk about is why these symptoms appear and the damage that might be occurring in the body as a result of constantly elevated stress levels, and the impact of fear on health. So is your job making you sick?

    Too many people are trapped in toxic jobs. Jeffrey Pfeffer, an organizational behaviour professor at Stanford wrote in his book  “Dying for a Paycheck,”  (March 2018). Research has found that poor management in U.S. companies accounted for up to 8 percent of annual health costs and was associated with 120,000 excess deaths every year. Are employers really asking employees to put up with poor management and a toxic work environment at the cost of their health?

    Comparing humans to a herd of wild zebra, when a lion or pack of lions appear they go on to high alert in response to the sensed and perceived danger. This means that the sympathetic nervous system prepares the body to run. Most zebras would not take on a fight with a lion! As the lion takes chase the zebra spring into action and literally run for their lives. One of two things will happen, either the lion gets tired and gives up or she grabs a zebra and the chase is over. The rest of the pack now return to grazing peacefully because the danger has gone. This is how the human sympathetic nervous system is designed – to switch on when there is perceived danger and off when the danger goes away.

    What happens when the perceived danger doesn’t go away?

    The stress response causes the body to release the main hormones adrenaline and cortisol which are the “fight or flight” hormones. Constantly being in the fight or flight mode creates excess cortisol circulating the body which can lead to a build-up of visceral fat especially in the mid-section around the vital organs. Visceral fat is different from sub-cutaneous fat that lies just below the skin. Visceral fat has been linked to several serious medical conditions such as high cholesterol, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Researchers suspect that visceral fat causes inflammation in body tissues and organs potentially narrowing blood vessels, which in turn increases blood pressure. Visceral fat is much more difficult to reduce once in situ and may lead to insulin resistance which means that sugar cannot enter muscle or fat cells causing serious complications, type 2 diabetes being one.

    Stress triggers a process that involves three key glands – the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands. This system is known as the HPA axis. When the brain perceives stress it signals to the hypothalamus to release corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) which in turn signals to the pituitary gland to release adenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates cortisol release from the adrenal glands to prepare the fight or flight reaction by sending blood to the muscles and heightening the senses to deal with the perceived danger.

    The fight and flight response is supposed to be a short term response and once the danger has passed the body goes back to “normal” mode, as with the herd of zebras. Let’s face it we all have times at work when we feel stressed, which in itself is not a problem as it stretches us to rise to a challenge. When you are stressed for too long or too often the body loses sensitivity to cortisol. In panic the hypothalamus and the pituitary keep telling the adrenals to release cortisol and adrenaline which they do until they are literally exhausted leaving you with a constant supply of cortisol floating around your blood stream that is dumped into visceral fat.  Your highly intelligent body tries to make the best of a bad situation by achieving a “sort of balance” to get by each day by altering brain chemistry and even behaviour. This process is called allostasis and can often lead to a pre-disease state.

    “So what?” A good question

    When in a heightened state all the time you are burning blood sugar which results in your body demanding energy to keep going. Enter some of the symptoms of stress-overload or chronic stress – poor focus, inability to think on your feet, lack of energy and moodiness. Typical things that you might crave are food and drinks that will give you a quick energy boost – caffeine-based drinks and coffee, all stimulants that increase heart rate and dump sugar straight into the blood stream. Chocolate and foods made with simple carbohydrates – wheat-based foods – doughnuts, cakes, pastries, pasta dishes etc. The sugar in these foods is very accessible and quickly absorbed by the system to provide that desperately needed energy boost. Which it does, but at what cost?

    Every time you go around this loop of seeking and eating sugary foods that provide the energy, the energy “high” gets lower and the energy “low” gets lower, ultimately needing more and more to receive less and less response. The slippery slope to burn out and chronic stress. This may in turn result in insulin resistance in the cells of your body, which means that sugar cannot enter muscle or fat cells causing serious complications.

    This is a double whammy that impacts the brain (depression, anxiety, brain fog, moodiness…..) as well as reducing the effectiveness of your immune health. Depending on where you dump stress in your body it might also cause respiration, gastrointestinal disorders (IBS, ulcers…) adverse skin conditions (eczema, random skin rashes) as well as general aches and pains.

    Breaking the Cycle

    As a Leader:

    • Address potential insecurities – Sometimes insecurities are not coming from within the department or organisation, but are fueled by external sources – Covid, rising inflation, market changes, financial issues etc.  Take time to open up conversations for your employees who might be too fearful to ask the question or raise their worries and concerns.
    • Listen to your employees – If they are providing feedback about you or the way in which the department is functioning, whether positive or otherwise, listen. Take it as positive and constructive, understand what is relevant and address it. Ask for updates on the changes
    • Give regular positive feedback – Positive feedback is one of the most important tools you have in your management toolbox. Be sure to give to all your employees regular, positive feedback and make negative feedback constructive to motivate the person to change
    • Address conflict in the team – Avoid pushing conflict under the carpet. Bring it out into the open with relevant parties and get commitment to change. Conflict in the workplace causes those not involved to either discuss it in the corridor, thus becoming involved and adding fuel to the fire, or to withdraw. Both strategies are unhelpful in maintaining a productive environment and healthy teamwork
    • Dare to ask employees how they are doing – Asking this question will build trust and an open environment to discuss things that might be causing difficulty and therefore unnecessary stress. When asking this question listen to the answer! Not listening may make the matter worse
    • Follow up – Show your interest in your employees by following up on conversations and changes as a result of those conversations. This shows respect to your employees and shows that you really care.

    As an Employee:

    • Approach your boss – Go straight to the horse’s mouth and lead an open conversation about how you are feeling and why. Calling your boss “toxic” certainly will not win you any brownie points but, pointing out that his or her leadership approach is inappropriate (be constructive and specific). Encourage him or her to change so that you can be at your best and most productive. This might just help your boss change. If it doesn’t you know where you stand! If you have tried to solve the issue with your direct boss, perhaps HR as well, and nothing has changed you need to fix the underlying problem, not continue to deal with the symptoms in the hope that something will change.
    • Identify triggers – It is not always possible to avoid triggers of stress. However, taking note of specific triggers can help you develop coping and management strategies, which may involve reducing exposure
    • Reframe your negative thinking – One of the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy, is that how you think can change how you feel. Perhaps changing jobs is not an option for you. Therefore, reframing the situation might just work. Using mindfulness to manage unhelpful churning thoughts about how a recent conversation went, what you should have said in a particular situation, instead of what you did say, or what a colleague said to you, can be very useful in stopping these unhelpful thoughts that create dissatisfaction and drain energy
    • Create personal boundaries – Create boundaries for how many hours you work each day. Don’t be overly pedantic about this in being sure to observe the exact start and finish times, but generally stay within the parameters. Take breaks for lunch and get away from your work-station, computer or regular place of actual work, so that you can enjoy your break without interruption. Educate others around your boundaries so that they too can organise themselves
    • Be clear on goals – Clarify anything that is not clear before embarking on the task. Fumbling through tasks that are not clear in the hope that you might get it right uses up much unnecessary energy by generating feelings of lack of confidence and circulating self-talk.  Running round trying to find information from others who are themselves not clear on what they are responsible for and therefore don’t have what you need is both unproductive and stressful
    • Find another job – On recognising that you are in the “wrong” job for you, see these things as a warning that you need to find a new job that better suits your values and needs. Long hours, absence of autonomy, uncertain scheduling, poor management and economic insecurity of a job are all factors that contribute to a toxic workplace environment that needs leaving behind, not just coping with
    • Speak to friends and family – They can provide emotional support and the motivation to take action.

    In summary – a fearful work environment that is causing employees to be overly stressed can be caused by many factors. Living with it is not necessary and therefore can be addressed one way or another with relevant parties. If you are a manager and leader, have close contact with your employees to know what aspects of the job might be causing too much stress and loss of productivity and then proactively do something about it before complaining and unhappiness contribute to making a toxic work environment and ultimately a loss of well-trained and hard-working personnel.

     

    References:

    https://www.visiblebody.com/blog/the-endocrine-system-the-adrenal-glands-and-the-stress-response

    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323324#health-effects

    The Clinicians Handbook of Natural Medicine, Joseph E. Pizzorno ND, Michael T. Murray ND, Herb Joiner-Bey ND

     

     

  • Is Your Office Ready to Accept Clients and Team Members?

    I recently went into the City of London for a business meeting. The meeting was held on the client’s premises, the same premises I have visited on numerous occasions prior to the onset of SARS-Cov2 and the implications of lockdown.

    On entering the office building I was taken aback when I was greeted by an x-ray machine just on the inside of the main entrance glass doors. Walking on auto pilot, I didn’t realise it was there until faced by several masked gentlemen who requested to know where I was going. For a very short moment, I honestly thought I had auto-piloted myself into the wrong building. Infact it was the right building, just that a highly sensitive company had moved into the same office block hence the x-ray machine for their visitors. With a sigh of relief, I took the lift to where I was going and exited on the appropriate floor. Going through the doors I was greeted by a dark reception, the absence of a happy, smiling receptionist, no smell of coffee being brewed and no fresh flowers. There were boxes stacked up on the floor that were clearly visible to visitors. Strange, is this company moving office or closing down, I thought to myself?

    While waiting, through further observation, it seemed that the place hadn’t been dusted for some time, the TV was not on and the newspaper on the table was dated 8th  December 2021. Is that the last time anyone was here? After what seemed an age of sitting in the dark, the person I was meeting appeared. He didn’t seem to notice the absence of light, absence of the receptionist or the absent usual pleasant smell of fresh coffee. I guess we were both lucky that the heating was on!

    Our meeting proceeded with my almost immediate question – “Are you moving office?” The quizzical response said it all “Why do you ask?” With the invitation I shared my observations. He explained that most people were not back yet to working in the office, but that planning was underway to make the transition for those that want to return. Our meeting continued and afterwards as it was close to the end of the working day, we left together.

    Why do I raise this as a point of interest and importance?

    As this company is one of my clients, I felt it would be remiss of me not to highlight the impression of the lack of “warmth” when entering the reception and how it impacted my perception, and what effect that might have on any future relations, especially if I was a client. Probably in all fairness it started with the x-ray machine heightening my awareness from that point on.

    All the factors described when combined gave me the impression that the company is either closing down or moving office. If I had been a potential client, I might have decided then and there that this company is not stable and therefore would not engage with the services on offer. Worst case scenario that I would actually leave before arrival of the person I am meeting with.

    Most of us are still experiencing nervousness about meeting others and for many, going back to the office is a big step. Consequently, the main focus appears to be on the workforce where and how they would like to work, contracts that support the chosen approach and in doing this keeping the morale high to ensure good continuous service to clients, maintain productivity and ensure consistent flow of revenue.

    According to the conversation with my client this was exactly what was happening in their company and because of this focus, the thought that clients might come to the office had not entered into the discussion, therefore planning to meet and greet appropriately. Sounds strange, but easy to make this mistake, when your trusted receptionist does not want to come back to working in the office combined with the fact that most of us have not seen a client or colleague in person for approximately two years!

    This reminds me of pre-opening processes for the many hotels I was privileged to plan and conduct pre-opening training to support the overall complex process of building, fitting out, stocking and opening a new or newly renovated hotel. Remembering all the things that are taken for granted and that are easily overlooked if no one has it in their sights or Peter thinks that Paul is responsible and Paul thinks that Sara will take care of it when in the end, no one does.

    Perhaps broader internal communication amongst colleagues and external communication with customers is needed at this time? This would be further supported by a simple checklist of actions (at the risk of sounding old!) to ensure the image you want to present not only to external, but internal customers with nominated responsible persons, is agreed.

    Reducing anxiety and creating that feeling of being welcome is as important for team members at this time as it is for customers and clients. Taking a few moments to switch the lights on, start the coffee machine, strategically place some fresh flowers and being there to greet returning colleagues and customers goes a long way to creating a pleasant, calm atmosphere and lasting positive impression.

     

     

  • How Can You Lead Others If You Are Running On Empty?

    How many business leaders do you know who miss lunch breaks, work at the weekends, work well into the evenings and have vacation days stacking up? Or is this you?

    If it is you, you are probably well aware of what you are doing, and have perhaps made some New Year resolutions for yourself to address the number of hours you work, the extra pounds you have put on or the lack of time you are spending with family and or friends.

    How can you lead others if you are running on empty?As leaders we have an obligation and responsibility to our team members and to ourselves to ensure both you and they are fully charged, leading a balanced life that in turn quickly translates to productivity and ultimately profitability for the company and its many stakeholders.  Why is it that leaders so often miss applying these guidelines to themselves, to their health and wellbeing and to achieving a healthy balance in life between work, career and personal lives?

    It is understandable to feel overloaded when there are meetings to attend, reports to write, customers to call and teams to look after, but when we try to carry an unsustainable workload two things happen.

    Firstly, we are denying the fact that the system is flawed if it requires a ridiculously large workload.

    Secondly, we are giving our team members a message, loud and clear that it’s OK to neglect ourselves, our physical and mental health as well as our family and friends under the umbrella of work expectations.

    Unless we lead by example, we are serving no one.

    As with every other aspect of leadership, wellbeing, organisation values and culture must start from the top of an organisation. If this is not demonstrated by the leaders it becomes harder for personnel to believe it’s the right thing to do.

    FILL YOURSELF UP FIRST

    One of Fresh Air Fridays core wellbeing principles is to “fill yourself up first”.

    Two simple metaphors describe this well:

    1. On a plane, in case of an emergency, the crew always tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first, making sure you take care of yourself before you try to help others.
    2. The common saying, “you can’t pour from an empty pot” describes the same idea that you need to see to your own needs to enable you to care for others.

    Both things are proved true when it comes to wellbeing. If we believe that we must consistently and continuously do for others without resourcing ourselves, the likelihood is that at some point something will give. Whether the result is mental burnout, physical ill health or some other crisis.

    AS LEADERS WHAT CAN WE DO?

    The first step is awareness, and this needs some consideration. Regularly taking time to listen to and understand what your needs are, is important. This can become more difficult when it gets hidden in the morass of work, that we end up feeling overwhelmed and therefore don’t hear the messages.  Taking a moment, to have a short walk to clear the head, is something that Fresh Air Fridays would recommend.   However, short bursts of time can also be found in those forced moments, which invariably find us being irritated and frustrated, such as sitting in a traffic jam, waiting for the traffic lights to change or any other situation that’s presents a few minutes to ask yourself: “What would looking after me look like?  What would filling me up involve?”

    If you have no idea, just notice you have no idea. If something unexpected comes up, don’t react, just take a minute to consider it. Over the course of a few days or weeks keep gently asking yourself this question – your subconscious will be working on it anyway without much conscious effort from you. When you come up with some ideas, make it a priority to try some out. Schedule time in your calendar to make sure it happens.

    With all leadership skills and practices, this is not a one hit wonder.  You have to keep making time to listen and to feel at what level your petrol gauge is at and to avert circumstances when you are running on reserve tank.

    Wherever this exploration takes you, remember that the people around you, your teams, your colleagues, your family, and friends, are much more likely to take notice of what you do, rather than what you say. Therefore, if you want to create wellbeing in your workplace, you need to start with you.  With the start of 2020, a new year and a new decade, now is the time to make a fresh start in a manner that you mean to go on.

    Wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year. 

     

    To learn how we can help you and your organisation, email Rachel directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

     

    References:

    Fresh Air Fridays www.freshairfridays.co.uk (Saranne Postans) 

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • How compatible is your company motto with decisions that affect customer loyalty?

    Continuing the airline theme by taking a look at our own national airline in terms of the company motto and how poor decisions within the organisation affect customer loyalty.  As seen on the Ba.com website:

    “At British Airways our promise of ‘To Fly. To Serve’ embodies who we are and what we do. We want to ensure our promise extends beyond our everyday operation and that our commitment is one that lasts. To do that we have one overarching goal: Responsible Flying.”

    Taking this “promise” of “We fly to serve”, further, I have been flying one route for the last 20 years with BA at least 5-6 times per year, not to mention other flights to other destinations. I believe I have been a fairly loyal customer and I am qualified to comment on how this motto of “Fly to Serve” has changed in service delivery on this particular route, and how that has affected my loyalty.

    Today, on this flight, which is approximately 3.5 hours there have been several changes, all of which have occurred in the last 12-18 months:

    • From being served a hot meal, offered hot and cold drinks there is now no food, no drink or snack unless you want to buy it from the M&S menu.
    • The ticket price has gone up considerably and for the last two flights on this same route, I took another airline. All be it not a direct flight, but the price was more than 50% less!  And I got a meal on one and a sandwich on the other together with a hot or cold drink of my choice.
    • Interest of the cabin crew has decreased considerably.  The last flight I was on the crew served the M&S food to those who wanted it and then sat at the back of the plane and talked loudly to each other for the rest of the flight.  I don’t want to hear what stewardesses do in their spare time with their children, husbands and dogs, or any other thing they want to discuss!
    • If I fly hand luggage only, I either have to pay extra to choose my seat when checking in 24-hours before or sit where my seat is allocated, hence having to listen to the cabin crew discussion!

    Further reflecting on “Fly to Serve”, I am encouraged to earn Avios points thus the more I earn, the more loyalty I am giving to the airline.  Fair enough, and a winner for both parties.   Using my earned points was, I believe, to be a reward to be able to use them on a future flight.  As this is a loyalty programme, why then am I penalized for being loyal?  I recently redeemed some of my Avios points for a long weekend in a European city.  Being only a long weekend, I don’t require much luggage, and therefore flying hand luggage is reasonable.  As usual I check in on line 24-hours before to do just that – check in and print my boarding pass making the whole experience easier for BA and myself as I self-organise for the flight.  To my surprise, using my points, I am again penalised as my option to choose my own seat, unless paying more has been removed.  Thus having to sit in the seat allocated.

    How does an organisation with the motto “We fly to serve” make such decisions that lead to giving with the right hand, which helps earn the airline revenue and loyalty, and then taking it away with the left?  Clearly these two policies are in conflict.  Where are the managers who are supposed to ensure a company provides consistent messages to its customers?  Messages that give the impression that customers are valued and we do care which is reasonable with such a company motto?

    What is the affect of these decisions?    As I have free will and the possibility to choose who I fly with, it is clear that most of us would prefer to fly with an airline that actually values its customers and serves them in the fullest sense of the word.  Where the experience on board is safe, friendly and efficient and the rules for one passenger in the same class are the same as for all passengers, whether travelling hand luggage or with hold baggage.   Most importantly, I am welcomed and rewarded for my loyalty.

    It is a shame that the motto is no longer delivering its promise due to poor managerial decision-making, but I guess we can be thankful that at least the “flying” part is still being delivered!

  • How Sustainable is Your Human Resource Strategy?

    Recently I attended a webinar that was focused to helping make businesses sustainable which got me thinking about sustainability in deeper terms than usually addressed through our media and government. My question to the person leading this webinar was, “You have given a case study in this session which you are using to show good measures that this particular company is taking to become more sustainable. In the example, I was confused because as the company is focused to delivery service, they had switched all vans to electric. On the surface we can say that is a good step to take, but going deeper, are electric vehicles really sustainable? How is the electricity generated to charge those vehicles? The company that makes the batteries – are they operating a green, sustainable production? Where and who mines the lithium for those batteries? How much water does production take and so on? Perhaps I digress, as the essence of my question was “Please tell me what does it mean to be sustainable?” What is sustainability?

    Whilst I did not receive a direct answer to these questions, it was clear that we all have to start somewhere in this journey and if we can influence our suppliers to follow suit through buying choices, this can only be a good thing for all concerned, including our environment.

    Seldom do you hear someone in conversation connecting sustainability to human resources. Perhaps I have been sleeping, but it still seems that the emphasis on creating a sustainable workforce is very much on surface level, as perhaps other aspects of becoming a sustainable business are. We measure turnover (churn), sickness and absenteeism, accidents in the workplace, mental ill health and so on. If these issues were truly addressed through the lens of creating a sustainable workforce through effective, caring, nurturing organisation leadership, surely the results of measuring these things would show minimal impact on business productivity and ultimately profitability?

     The conclusion of an article in Science Direct titled, “Systematic literature review on sustainable human resource management” by Janaina Macke, Denise Genari stated “Beyond the triple bottom line concept, leadership plays a very important role in sustainable human resource management. A formal and clear leadership definition is, in fact, the most important element for the implementation of sustainability principles in human resource management”.

    Some organisations take the time to measure happiness, morale and wellbeing in the operation which is a very positive action and one that will be well received by employees if:

    1.    They are privy to the results, in other words results are transparent.

    2.    Actions are taken to change those issues that are not supporting positive morale, happiness, wellbeing and ultimately sustainability.

    3.    Measurement is carried out on a regular basis in order to track results of actions implemented and to track any changes, ultimately making updates to the initial plan as necessary.

     

    In an article by Ed Houghton, CIPD, he stated that “Sustainable HRM recognises performance outcomes, which are broader than financial outcomes (for example, by including environmental and social outcomes) and assumes that in working towards multiple goals there are likely to be contradictory outcomes that must be resolved. In addition to this, sustainable HRM creates and captures value over the longer term and recognises that to be truly sustainable HRM must be able to deal with the internal and external environment and the changing context in which the business is operating.” Surely this again links into the effectiveness and overall approach of leadership within the organisation?

    A few ideas of how I understand the concept of sustainable human resources:

     

    ·      Employees who stay with the company for a minimum of two years

    ·      A healthy track record of promoting from within into positions that are created due to company expansion or to fill gaps due to natural attrition

    ·      Employees who speak positively about the organisation in which they work

    ·      A willingness of employees to help others without being asked

    ·      Minimal absenteeism according to or lower than internal targets set

    ·      Minimal sickness whether physical, mental or emotional according to or lower than internal targets set

    ·      Orientation away from shareholder value to multi-stakeholder value

    ·      Leadership who has the employees’ best interests at heart while remaining focused to organisation goals

    ·      An environment of kindness and positive energy creating positive morale

    ·      Group problem solving and decision making

    ·   Focus to the positives of what was achieved and not the other way round in order to learn from and strengthen successes rather than only focusing towards mistakes and non-successes and what we need to do about them

    ·      Leadership that provides a strong positive example of what is expected, knows all employees by name and gets out and about into the operation. The “old” style of management by walking about.

     

    I am sure there are many more examples of what could be included into an organisation’s sustainable human resource strategy and approach. However, each one of these points has great depth to implement and get it right in order to result  not only in a strategy, but actual sustainable human resource management that really works.

    Why are sustainable human resources important? With the shortage of candidates in the marketplace, surely it makes sense to look after those you already have. Less time fighting fires, avoids costly time-consuming hiring processes, no need for onboarding training to bring employees up to speed, giving time to focus on developing employees in the roles they hold. This translates into increased loyalty, good company reputation and overall productivity. In fact, I don’t see any negatives in this approach. This is simply effective, caring leadership that is part of the overall organisation strategy and goals for becoming and being a sustainable organisation that serves multi stakeholders rather than shareholders only.

     

    References

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652618331056

    https://www.cipd.org/uk/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/the-world-of-work/sustainable-hr/

     

     

  • Ignoring Bad Leadership is Damaging your Business

    We have all had at least one experience of poor or bad leadership. I could add “unfortunately” at the end of that sentence? In most cases it is a learning lesson for the employee to avoid such leaders and their behaviour in the future. In other words, it teaches a very good lesson and makes us wiser in our future job searches and appointments. What about the organisation, is it unfortunate for them? The answer is most likely “yes” for the obvious reasons such as loss of good employees, poor morale that leads to low employee engagement, low productivity and ultimately increased sickness and absenteeism. The 2022 Gallup poll stated that “60% of employees are disengaged at a cost of US$8.8 trillion to business globally.” If that doesn’t make your ears prick up or hair stand on end, then I don’t know what will.

    What are the top-rated worst leadership behaviours according to a survey conducted by Bamboo HR of 1000 employees:

    Your boss takes credit for your work 63%
    Your boss doesn’t trust or empower you 62%
    Your boss doesn’t care if you are overworked 58%
    Your boss doesn’t advocate for you when it comes to compensation 57%
    Your boss hires and/or promotes the wrong people  56%
    Your boss doesn’t back you up when there is a dispute  55%
    Your boss doesn’t provide proper direction on assignment/roles  54%
    Your boss micromanages and doesn’t allow you freedom to work 53%
    Your boss focuses more on your weaknesses than strengths  53%
    Your boss doesn’t set clear expectations  52%

    On top of these reasons, Gallup together with Workhuman in a survey conducted in May 2023 established an extensive connection between employee recognition and wellbeing, finding that “employees who receive the right amount of recognition for the work they do suffer from lower burnout, enjoy improved daily emotions and stronger relations with their co-workers.”

    What does Gallup consider to be wellbeing? This is divided into different aspects of wellbeing:

    • Community
    • Social
    • Financial
    • Career
    • Physical

    I agree that wellbeing is not just physical, wellbeing is much more than that, infact it is holistic just as Gallup has highlighted. The way I explain wellbeing is physical (vitality, energy, strength) mental (clarity, cognition, concentration), emotional (resilience, inner balance, positivity, self-compassion), and spiritual (purpose, alignment, integrity). In the Gallup survey these different aspects of wellbeing, in turn are placed into three buckets:

    • Thriving Wellbeing – High wellbeing across most elements
    • Suffering Wellbeing – A mix of high, medium or low elements
    • Struggling Wellbeing – Low wellbeing across most elements

    What then is the link between leadership and thriving employee wellbeing? According to Gallup and Workhuman – it is what they term “Strategic Recognition”. This is the ability to use the technique of giving genuine recognition to all employees. To be strategic it needs to:

    1. Meet employee expectations. In other words, be given in a timely manner and for the work that the employee thinks deserves recognition.
    2. Be authentic and genuine and not something that is simply on a to do list to be done every day.
    3. Personalised – given fairly to all without showing favouritism.
    4. Equitable – taking the needs of each individual into consideration rather than a one size fits all.
    5. Is part of the organisation culture and is lived throughout the organisation by all in everything they do.

    The interesting point here is that giving recognition to an employee for doing a good job, costs nothing, there is no pay check attached, bonus or increase of some kind. It is a simple act of human, respect, gratitude and quiet celebration of an individual’s performance. The result when recognition is given authentically is an employee who feels valued for what they do, resulting in willingly doing more of the same. This in turn leads to increased engagement and productivity, less employees actively searching for a job and therefore increased retention, not forgetting the ultimate aim of decreasing sickness, both mental and physical, and absenteeism because employees thrive within the organisation culture.

    So what you might ask? A Harvard Business Review survey on the impact of poor leadership behaviours revealed that:

    • 48% of employees intentionally decreased their work effort.
    • 47% intentionally decreased the time spent at work.
    • 38% intentionally decreased the quality of their work.
    • 63% lost work time trying to avoid the offender.
    • 66% said that their performance declined.
    • 78% said that their commitment to the organization declined.
    • 25% admitted to taking their frustrations out on customers.

    Give me an example of any organisation leadership that would not want to turn employee performance around to stop damaging their business? I hope that all organisations would want to turn this around and create a thriving workforce who love what they do. This requires a change in leadership behaviour to those that embrace their employees and encourage top performance through strategic recognition. Does this mean that all employees perform well? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean that a manager and leader should see this as requiring discipline, severe correction or even some kind of abuse. It is an opportunity to understand why and consequently turn the employee’s performance round to one of excellence. In my opinion there are no such thing as bad employees, only bad managers.

    What behaviours do managers and leaders need to increase? Start by giving genuine authentic feedback and strategic recognition. This means “managing by walking about”, a concept that I learned in my early 20’s. By doing this you become human and approachable, you also know your employees by name and see how they perform, at the rock face while experiencing their daily work lives and not just seeing their names on a report or computer screen.

    Not all managers and leaders have received appropriate training to know when and how to deliver feedback. Ask yourself: “What is the damage and cost to your business for not investing in your leaders to provide the necessary training in leadership and these vital skills?

    Start the leadership training today, let’s talk.

    References:

    https://www.workhuman.com/resources/reports-guides/from-thank-you-to-thriving-workhuman-gallup-report-emea/?utm

    https://newageleadership.com/poor-leadership-behaviors-its-collateral-damage/#:~:text=Poor%20leadership%20behaviors%20and%20bad,root%20cause%20%E2%80%93%20bad%20leadership%20behaviors.

  • Inspirational Leadership – A Festive Thought

    2018 has been a very turbulent year, especially when we look at what has been going on in the world – dare I mention the “B” word again and all the leaders involved in that process to execute the will of the British public, the turbulence in the USA that came with Trump leadership, the unrest in France, challenges to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and many more issues that have created news in 2018.

    However, my thought as this year comes to a close, is around inspirational leadership.  Sadly there is little evidence of inspiration coming from world leaders during this year, therefore I want to go back to February when I had the honour of attending the winter Olympic Games in South Korea.  When I say, the honour, what I am referring to is the fact that one of my godson’s was competing.  Infact he was and still is the skip of the Swiss men’s curling team.

    I have never attended an Olympic games before, and from a leadership perspective it was quite fascinating to watch the curling teams manage the challenges of each game, the pressure that a competition like the Olympic games brings, as well as the relationships within the team and the need to make decisions in the moment that very often demanded the courage to take risk in order to be at the top of your game.  As in business, this risk sometimes pays off, and sometimes it does not.   Making those decisions does not make you less of a leader, infact the reverse as it is an opportunity to learn and grow, but at the same time an opportunity to inspire each and every team member to give of their best and to find that energy, courage and enthusiasm to keep focused and to excel by pulling something extraordinary out of the hat.

    Is inspirational leadership about winning?  Personally, I do not think so.  Winning is a bonus.  Instead it is about sharing the glory, sharing the disappointments, but more importantly knowing that everyone gave of their best and in that there is always celebration.

    I wish you all a very inspirational 2019 with opportunities to share, to experience the true essence of being a team, and to celebrate at every opportunity.

  • Integrity in Leadership; What Business Leaders Can Learn from Our Political System

    In today’s Britain, as we watch our government navigate scandal, public discontent, and complex global challenges, the question arises again and again: are our leaders truly working with honesty and integrity?

    Recent months have seen a string of events that throw this into question. Sir Keir Starmer entered office promising a clean break from political sleaze—but recent revelations suggest a more complex reality.

    In 2024, Starmer declared that he had accepted over £100,000 in gifts and hospitality since becoming an MP—far more than any other parliamentarian, including clothing and accommodation provided by Labour donor Lord Alli. While technically disclosed, this sharply contrasts with his message of accountability and austerity. As one Reddit commentator put it:

    “For a man who found so much pay dirt in presenting himself as a man of integrity, accepting these sorts of gifts … seems like such an easy bullet to dodge.” 

    There's also the awkward incident during lockdown: Starmer reportedly invited an acting coach to Downing Street for in‑person lessons while urging strict lockdown compliance for everyone else. The episode sparked claims of hypocrisy and doubt over whether “rules for some” applied across the board. (IAE Limited)

    On issues of openness and accountability, Starmer has called for a statutory “duty of candour” in government aimed at ending cover‑ups seen in the Post Office, infected blood, and other state failures. Yet critics argue that his own government's internal handling of data secrecy, e.g. hidden Afghan data leaks, hasn't always aligned with these values. 

    Take, for example, the ongoing Post Office Horizon IT scandal. After years of injustice, during which hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted for financial shortfalls caused by a faulty computer system, the government promised compensation and transparency. Yet, as of mid-2025, many victims are still waiting. Promised payouts delayed, processes remain unclear, and bureaucratic hurdles persist. Despite repeated reassurances from ministers that the issue is being handled with urgency and compassion, families remain in limbo—forced to relive trauma while fighting for justice that should have been swiftly delivered.

    Is this leadership? Or is it another case of “managing the message” rather than taking meaningful action?

    Honesty and integrity in leadership aren’t abstract ideals. They’re the foundation of trust and trust is the glue that holds together public cooperation, engagement, and belief in the system. When leaders send mixed messages—one rule for the public, another for those in power—it erodes the very contract that enables effective governance. Is this any different for private companies and their employees?

    We’ve been here before. Rewind to the early days of the pandemic and the infamous Partygate scandal under then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. While the public was locked down, making sacrifices and losing loved ones, senior officials partied at Downing Street—breaking the rules they themselves had set. That hypocrisy shattered public confidence and left a deep scar on the national psyche. I suspect the deep scar might become even deeper as the truth about Covid and the “pandemic” is revealed.

    And what about science?

    When it comes to public health and medical research, integrity matters just as much, if not more. In a 2021 article in IHCAN Magazine, journalist Ronald Bailey exposed shocking systemic failures in the scientific research community. Former BMJ editor Dr. Richard Smith even proposed a radical stance: “Assume all medical research is fraudulent until proven otherwise.” Let that sink in! The very field we rely on for life-and-death guidance is increasingly driven by incentives that reward quantity of publication over quality or honesty of findings.

    As researcher Barbara K. Redman wrote, this “isn’t just a case of a few bad apples”—it’s a whole system that encourages poor behaviour. The absence of robust fraud-detection mechanisms, combined with an unwillingness to retract false findings for fear of reputational damage, is deeply troubling, setting an example to the many who look up to and follow those in authority through unquestioned belief. (Authority is one of Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Influence).

    What happens when the people can no longer trust their government leadership and the scientists who produce the “science” it not only relies on, but makes decisions on? When both leadership and knowledge systems seem riddled with opacity, contradiction, and self-interest. Until then, the public will continue to ask: “who are they working for – us or for themselves?

    That same question can be asked of leadership within an organisation. What happens when employees cannot trust their leaders and the information and systems they rely on? 

    For the UK we can still reclaim that future—but only if our leaders choose transparency over spin, substance over slogans, and integrity over image. In organisations it should never come to “reclaiming” because damage will already have been done and consequences will be clear as good employees jump ship, service levels drop and customer negative feedback increases all seriously effecting earning capacity.

    Conclusion: Lessons for Business Leadership

    Examples shared and the many others whether Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, Rishi Sunak, David Lammy or Boris Johnson all demonstrate important lessons for organisational leaders:

    o    Trust is earned, not assumed: Promising reform or transparency isn’t enough if actions don’t follow through—and stakeholders notice inconsistencies.

    o    Details matter: Whether in public office or private boardrooms, undisclosed interests or misstatement, even when unintentional undermine credibility.

    o    Prioritize timely, accurate declarations of interests.

    o    Ensure consultation and stakeholder engagement are genuine and recorded.

    o    Show transparency in who you are and what you do.

    o    Back up what you say with personal behaviour and deliver on what you promised. In other words “walk your talk”.

    o    Communicate honestly—even when facing difficult decisions or scrutiny.

    o    Be true to yourself, and to others.

    As Nelson Mandela reminded us: “A bright future beckons. The onus is on us, through hard work, honesty and integrity, to reach for the stars.”

    Organisations can build that bright future—but only if leadership demonstrates integrity in word, action, and transparency.

    References

    Bailey, Ronald. (2021). Zombie Trials and Outright Fraud: Why Medical Research is Mostly Fake News. IHCAN: The Practice and Science of Natural Medicine, September, p. 42.

    Smith, Richard. (2021). “Time to Assume Fraud?” BMJ Editorial.

    Redman, Barbara K. (2021). Research Misconduct Policy in Biomedicine: Beyond the Bad-Apple Approach.

    https://iaelimited.com/keir-starmers-days-are-numbered-the-scandal-that-could-end-his-leadership-carole-malone/

    Cialdini's 6 principles of Persuasion book

  • International Women’s Day – A Celebration of Female Leadership

    On the 8th March to celebrate International Women’s day perhaps it is appropriate give credit to the many female Heads of State, CEO’s, Owners and Mothers.   How interesting that the world has a strong representation of female leaders, 22 countries in total including  Denmark, Poland, Bangladesh, Lithuania, Brazil and Norway.   This is quite a sizeable representation of women in top leadership positions, some in countries that are culturally showing more masculine than feminine qualities. (Hofstede)  It is irrelevant what you think about them, but the fact is these female leaders are running governments and countries in what can only be termed a very troubled and challenging period, including Teresa May who is grappling with the turmoil created by Brexit.   Angela Merkel holding strong as the German Chancellor who has  just been re-elected (with some help from her friends), and Norway Erna Solberg who has been Prime Minister since 2013.

    What are the principle characteristics of female leadership?  Can we characterize these principles and definitively separate them from the principles of male leadership?  Unlikely, because styles of leadership differ amongst men and women equally depending on education, experience, courage, individuality, stamina and so on.  However, when looking at women and men, there are differences and when women bring these differences into play we might see different characteristics, many of which come naturally to women.

    Female characteristics:

    • Intuitive and sensitive emotional intelligence
    • Ability to sense the emotion behind something as well as see the facts – therefore make decisions on both factual and emotional levels
    • Patience and tolerance
    • Ability to forgive and let go
    • Quiet drive, stamina and courage
    • Ability to multi task therefore being able to think about, understand and action different points with ease
    • Ability to release own emotions to relieve tension and break stress often through crying.  As well as breaking the tension in a situation.
    • Happy to be out of the limelight and just get on with the job

    In this list I am not saying that men do not have some of these characteristics, I am saying that these characteristics are more common in women in general, but particularly in female leaders.

    What does this all mean?  Are we moving into a time when female leadership is more appropriate for the challenges we face in today’s world – starvation, homelessness, loneliness, escalation in chronic disease, environmental damage on a huge scale, greed by the few who want to monopolize the many, to name but a few?

    I don’t know the answer to this, but I do know the questions:  How much longer can we, as human beings go on living in an environment that we are determined to destroy, removing the right to heritage for generations to come?

    How long can we continue to ignore, flush over, minimize the impacts of large industrial farming whether fishing, dairy, crop or animal farming on human health. Not to mention the pain caused to the animals themselves and the impact on waterways, air and the earth?

    How long can we go on not listening to, or covering up the detrimental impact of processing foods on our health and the health of our children, leading to escalation in chronic disease, obesity and stress, all of which we see in most of the English speaking world, with other countries not far behind having adopted a Western diet?

    Lets celebrate all our female leaders and leadership, not only on this day, but everyday whether Heads of State, Heads of Companies, Company Owners or Mothers.  Perhaps it is our leadership that will turn the ship to become more caring and responsible about how we live, what we live for and what we leave behind?