Dignity at Work?

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Suffice to say, it's been quite a while since I handed in my final year thesis on this subject.

The sad news is, since that fateful day [and thankfully a 1:1 - one of very few in my four years at uni!] - I seem to have heard ceaseless stories condemning the very essence of Dignity in the Workplace. I also experienced, first-hand, the impacts of bullying in a work environment.

All most of us want, in a work scenario, is to be treated fairly and provided with the tools [training, support etc] to conduct our job to the best of our ability. Obviously there are other factors, such as remuneration, career opportunities, which need to be considered - but in general, the issues which contribute to staff happiness relate to the environment in which they work.

Since the recession 'bit' in mid-2008, I have heard, first-hand, several stories which alarmed me hugely - from verbal abuse, to isolation / intimidation and, in most instances, overloading. The impact, on the individual is often catastrophic - though the experience may be confined to the working week - its effects are carried through to most areas of the person's life. Confidence, self-belief are damaged, whilst stress and anxiety levels are immediately driven upwards - and frequently, the individual considers that they are responsible, in some way for the behaviour which has been directed at them.

In my own experience, it was overburden and psychological manipulation [the only way I can describe it], which forced me to take stock and redefine my career. I must say that now, I would treat the behaviour I experienced differently, but then I was so ground-down by the daily misery, I simply didn't have the courage. The greatest irony of my experience - I worked in HR. In fact, on one occasion I remember delivering a presentation on Bullying & Harassment, and thinking afterwards, that I could never report such incidents as those I had experienced - no-one would believe me!

Undoubtedly, businesses [small and large] are suffering as a result of the times we find ourselves in, with budgets tightening and internal structures creaking under the weight of heavier workload and less headcount. However, this does not in any way mitigate the responsibility and duty of care required towards those in the employ of the company - if anything, it should point to a more focused policy and heightened awareness.

What Do You Do, Then?

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As small businesses and start-up companies, we're very attached [for that read, "often obsessed"] with our venture / organisation. Sometimes this level of entrenchment leads to a near-blindness to the realities of business... particularly our client 'message'.

Loving our company, our service or product as much as we do, can lead to a level of misdirected messaging - particularly in relation to the customer we wish to attract.

Reading a recent post by the fantastic Thomson Dawson, entitled "The Seed Of Better Outcomes In Your Business Development Conversations", I was reminded of the conversations I have had with clients again and again in the early [and growth stages] of their businesses. Fearful of cutting out potential leads or projects, they will frequently adopt the “all things to all people” approach... or worse still, struggle to define their actual offering. What this leads to, unfortunately, is a real lack of clarity for both the company itself and its prospective client.

Don’t let this happen to your business! Define your value proposition, products and delivery method... it’ll dictate whether you survive or thrive.

Recession = Regenerated Community?

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I promised myself I would avoid using the 'R' word in any 2012 blogs, as a rule - however - it's merely a reference in this case...

Noting, as I'm sure many others have, the bandying-about of the word 'community' in this past year or so - I found myself having to swallow a large chunk of my own cynicism of late.

Christmas, a time of togetherness, peace, celebration etc etc - has also developed, over time, a distinct whiff of commercialism [yikes] and can for some, be a time of sadness.

This year, wandering the streets of Dun Laoghaire, I was taken by the effort and thoughtfulness which appeared in celebration of the festive season. The town was illuminated with miniature cabins selling homemade goods, civic buildings ornate with Christmas lighting and new amenities popped up here and there for children and adults to enjoy.

Ah; I hear you say, that sounds like people got their act together and 'organised' - not that simple, methinks. Dun Laoghaire is yet another example of the fervour gripping Irish people - a new need to invent, create, develop, ways of making our town, county, or country - a better place to be. In short, a sense of 'community'.

Is it just possible that in the depths of economic turmoil, we Irish have started to rediscover one of our key attributes? Even my internal cynic hopes so.

Three-Step Business New Year Resolution

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Have you managed to count how many blog-posts / articles / references out there with

some spurious link to New Year Resolutions?

There are a lot. And just to throw my tuppence-worth at it, I have decided to indicate a few

small tips for your delectation, on how you can put yourself on track for 2012.

So, Christmas might have been a proper 'holiday' for you? Or at least a few well-earned days off

after a hectic year. In any case, the New Year provides great opportunity and timeliness to

reassess, rethink and restart.

What does this mean for the average business? Simply that you use the occasion of a new year to

review your progress [you may have done this before Christmas, if you're organised] and chart

this against your business objectives. It is key that you identify the gaps where plans / strategic

objectives fell flat or didn't reach their potential.

As a simple 1,2, 3 - think about it this way...

Purpose: What is our / my purpose in this pursuit?

Vision: What will 'great' look like? What will the business look like [e.g. clients / positioning]?

Plan: How am I going to achieve my / our purpose and vision?

Small Businesses Need a Partner, Not a Mentor

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“Mentoring” is a regularly used ‘buzz-word’ in the context of small business development supports, however, in actuality, it’s often not what a start-up or SME needs to support its growth, claims IBI. Working alongside these individuals or collectives has provided IBI’s Olwen Dawe with a clear insight of the success in adopting a different approach – that of a ‘business partner’.

Established in 2010, Irish Business Intelligence supports start-ups [collectives and individuals], as well as SMEs in development ‘mode’. IBI provides strategy, planning, messaging and general business management advice to their clients through a practical and supportive service. Their delivery model focuses on acting as a partner rather than a mentor – simply because “it is more helpful, more hands-on and more interactive. Mentoring is hugely beneficial also - however we are responding to the feedback we’ve received from clients, which points to a far more long-term solution for them”.

So – what is the difference between these approaches – pedantics? According to Dawe, it’s simply a case of providing small businesses with advice and practical support – and empowering them to manage and run their enterprises. “Mentoring has become so much of a focus for SMEs and start-ups – they don’t always know what exactly they should be getting, or asking for – being a Business Partner sets the tone and deliverables for both parties – and that’s the way it should be. Both are accountable and have clear objectives – simple as that.”

What is the positive impact for the individual or SME engaging a Business Partner? Moreover, why would they set about working with one? It’s a case of managing a skill-gap, Dawe explains: “one of the hardest lessons to learn in small business is that you can’t and don’t know everything. It’s also difficult to admit that, starting out, you need a second pair of eyes, a second opinion. Our approach is hands-on: essentially, becoming your business partner, working with you and providing the advice in a respectful, honest way”.

IBI works with many of the State enterprise support organisations, and extols the virtue of small businesses researching what is available to them “unfortunately not all the support mechanisms are clearly labelled as applicable – so it’s a case of doing your homework, and asking questions – however these supports are there for small businesses to get up-and-running, and they shouldn’t be shy in asking”.

No Plan? No Future...

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I regularly come in contact with plan 'anxiety' when meeting start-ups and SMEs for coaching sessions. It's the 'ah, well' or 'emmmm' juncture in the meeting, the sharp intake of breath or deer-caught-in-the-headlight moment, and quite often, the crux of the issue for the business's growth.

So - why should anyone really be bothered with a business plan? WELL - because it's at the core of developing your business idea, growing it and understanding how you're going to operate it. It contains milestones, targets, objectives and financial requirements - ensuring that your business has a clear trajectory and path to success.

The core strategic plans of a business in terms of finance, marketing, personnel, operating style [and much more] are all contained in a business plan. In essence, trying to start a business without one is akin to attempting a journey to an unknown destination without a map: you might get there eventually but it's going to take you a very long time, and you may end up in some very strange places along the way [and keeping fuel in the tank may prove a very costly experience].

To those of you currently experiencing a nauseous feeling, be calm. The good news is, a business plan doesn't have to be five hundred pages long, and in fact, some of the most succinct and practicable plans are short, to-the-point, clear, strategic and focused with strong measurable, deliverable objectives.

A final [and most noteworthy] point: don't let your business plan fester or gather dust, remember that it's a living document, and therefore should be kept alive by review, analysis and most importantly, by learning from what didn't work and why. Your plan should reflect where you are and where you're going... it should be stretching, whilst being realistic too.

So... how are you feeling now?

A Market in the Gap?

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I was really compelled to pen something bite-sized about this topic, having flagged it myself at the recent "Mayo Ideas Week" boot-camp, and then heard Anne Butterly of Easydry at the "SMEs Doing Business in Europe" seminar last weekend.

Any one of you who knows an entrepreneur, or has listened to one talk about their business idea, understands the drive, passion and sheer fearlessness involved in their 'project'. Their energy is extraordinary and knows no-bounds, and they verge, sometimes, on the obsessive end-of-things.

However, all-too-often, this drive, stamina and conviction can lose its momentum, as a result of one thing... lack of research.

When starting her business, Anne Butterly had all the same traits I've mentioned, as well as a large dollop of awareness - an awareness of the importance of ensuring she had a market. Not simply a possible market - but one ready, willing and open to her product.

Identifying the nuances of the market you're entering, as well as those already 'entrenched' in it, and any issues your product may encounter PRIOR to launching it is, simply, key. There are very few ways of identifying this type of information without conducting research, analysis and gleaning insight - and while the thought of it might frighten you [I don't want to find out it won't work] - ignorance is not bliss when you've invested in a product or service which simply isn't market-ready when it launches.

So I must reiterate... make sure you have a "Market in the Gap" [thanks Anne!] by doing your homework on its prospective client, competition, location, collaborators etc... don't risk throwing away a good business idea as a consequence of being ill-prepared.