The People Whisperer...

Don't be taken to the cleaners by unfair dismissal law changes

2009-03-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday 20th March the new unfair dismissal laws were passed in parliament as part of Rudd's Fair Go legislation. Let's hope it really does result in a 'fair go' for Australian small business!

What you need to know about the new unfair dismissal laws:

small business will now be defined as those employing under 15 people
unfair dismissal claims can be brought against employers with over 15 people
unfair dismissal costs can be as much as 6 months worth of salary
those businesses with less than 15 staff still need to follow a process to ensure they don't unfairly dismiss and this includes completing a template detailing why they dismissed the person
the unfair dismissal legislation will come in to effect from 1st July 2009
If you employee more than 15 employees, employees can not take out an unfair dismissal claim until they have worked for more than 6 months with the organisation
If you employ less than 15 employees they cannot take out an unfair dismissal claim of any kind until they have worked for 12 months

For more information visit http://www.workplace.gov.au/workplace/Publications/Legislation/FairWorkBill.htm

Why the best organisations have position descriptions and Org Charts by Taimi Clinch

2009-03-03T22:30:00.001-08:00

Position descriptions (PDs), when written well, should all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle to tell outsiders what the organisation does, what it believes in and what it is aiming for. 'What and how???', you might be saying. Of course they are also required to provide the same information to those within the organisation. A company's PDs should also relate directly to the org chart, showing clear reporting lines.

When I am at my most ardent, I say that no one should ever be interviewed without a current position description having been developed. To Australian small business managers this might seem a triffle extreme. They are often used to shooting from the hip and filling gaps in the organisation with the nearest, easiest option available, with little regard to how the position itself will help the organisation achieve its goals.

PDs and Org charts are a key way to communicate to your people what the organisation expects of them. They are useful when recruiting, assessing current and future workload, undertaking a performance review, creating succession plans and of course when constructing an accurate org chart.

A clear PD will outline the responsibilities of a position, as well as its accountabilities. They should work to empower an employee to do a great job by providing clear boundaries within which to work. The polar opposite of this, is when a General Manager or CEO can't clearly identify where their responsibilities and decision making start and end, and where the employee or manager directly below them starts and ends. Imagine, if a senior manager has trouble determining this, how it must look and feel to those employees who report to him/her?

Typically when employees aren't clear on their boundaries or the boundaries are changed constantly, they will move into a dis-empowered and disgruntled mode. This negative culture will usually be rife within the business unit in question. So, if you think you might be heading in this direction, never fear, there is an easy way to turn things around.

Secret to success as a manager of people:
1. Get clear on your role - decide what you need to make decisions on, and what you can leave others to decide on
2. Write all your key responsibilities in dot points (it can be rough just to get started)
3. Write key responsibilities for your employees (or update their PDs if you already have them) and make them accurate. Set some accountabilities i.e. 'this role is accountable for the hiring, management and termination of employees', or 'this role makes spending decisions within the budget' etc
4. Commit to the accountabilities you have set. Don't write the above and then insist on knowing every decision they make on the hiring, management and termination of employees. Yes, this will mean letting go of your control! If you can't let go, then write the accountability on your PD instead and remove a management layer on your org chart.
5. Breathe deeply each time the employee who now has the clear accountability makes a mistake. Don't take back the task/responsibility, instead spend some time coaching them and help them get better at it. You might want to set a time frame for this, as you may find you have given the position description to the wrong person!
6. Constantly provide encouragement, feedback, guidance, and set clear expectations, then let them soar!

If you follow this six step formula you will see your team transform. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen, guaranteed. You may also find it easier to identify the under performers or those that are in the wrong role for their strengths. Whilst step five and six will seem to be exhausting, time consuming and never ending, you will reap what you sow and with time you will become less stressed, have more time to work on the strategic stuff and know that you can go on holiday and things will run smoothly back at the office - isn't that what we all want! So beware, position descriptions are powerful things and you need to spend the time getting them right in the first place.

Periodic Renewal for Greater Business Success

2009-02-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

I read this fabulous article that Neil from Frankston Digital sent around and just had to include on this blog (see following) - great information for those wanting to grow their business.

You Personally
It's important to really be specific in detailing what you want to achieve personally this year. If you don't, things will just take their normal course. Nothing will change without you making it happen.I recall a very powerful action tool I learnt some time ago - Think, Say, Do. Think involves thinking deeply and clearly of what you want and very specifically defining it in your mind. Say is either writing it and/or telling people of your goal or idea which creates both internal and external commitment and expectation. It brings the idea to life. Do is the final step that follows a thought and statement. There can be no ACTION without thinking and saying it beforehand. I encourage you to utilise this handy technique. It works.

Strategy for the Year
What is your strategy for the business this year? Have you updated and documented your monthly/quarterly/annual priorities, goals and targets. Review your projected sales figures, gross margins, net profits and key performance indicators. What is your marketing plan and what marketing activities will you conduct each month? Who are your new clients likely to be and where will they come from? Review your current resources - what new staff are needed and how will this be funded? What external resources are needed and how will those additional costs be funded? What is your plan to recruit new staff and how will you source these external service providers required?I recommend you do a detailed review of all areas of your business before the end of January so that you schedule and implement the important changes required effectively and efficiently.

Clients
Think about how you can better serve and communicate with your clients this year. Business is becoming more sophisticated in terms of client relationships. Businesses that build close relationships with clients win more annual share of wallet over a longer time period.Examples include regular phone/in-person contact/site visits, written correspondence, periodic client round table meetings, feedback forums and focus groups. Leading businesses have even included key clients in product/service design meetings with clients providing important input into what they really want from you. Imagine the competitive advantage in working with clients at that level.List down your prospects you wish to target for the year. These can be either specific businesses you already know or could be certain types of businesses possessing a specific set of characteristics. Estimate what revenues and margins these are likely to deliver and how you will service and resource them.Next create a marketing plan which steps out the specific activities and actions required to secure them. Some of these will be very specific targeted activities requiring allocation of your time internally/externally and creation of marketing resources and proposals. Complementing these will be general marketing activities which raise market awareness and product/service offering. Create a budget and action plan to implement this.EmployeesReview yourself honestly on how you led and managed your team last year. Make a commitment now to being a great leader this year. Schedule in your diary your regular internal meetings, regular one-on-one sessions with key staff and periodic performance reviews. These should be locked in your diary now and canceling them made non-negotiable.If you haven't shared your vision and goals for the business in 2008, make sure you outline this openly in your first internal team meeting. Allow time for questions and be patient and courteous in speaking with the team. The team can't all row in the same direction if they don't know where the ship is going.

Your Network
Think about your existing network. How strong is it? What's missing and who do you want to connect with? Specify who and how you want to approach to create partnerships, alliances and long-term relationships. Make a commitment to meeting with at least one existing/new contact each week or fortnight depending upon time available. Of course these relationships are a two-way street so think deeply about what you can offer to do to help them too. Individuals that you like and trust naturally work best but this can't be established unless you actually meet someone in person. Trust until deceived and use that innate intuition that so many business owners possess.

Giving Back
The Law of Reciprocity basically means the more you give the more you get back. If this concept resonates with you, you may want to think about how you can give something back and make a difference. You may want to support a program to employ disadvantaged youth, offer an apprenticeship to a mature age worker, sponsor a charity or community group, donate goods or services to a needy cause, provide volunteer services, start your own cause -- the opportunities are endless.In my humble opinion it is definitely not a cliché that the more you give the more you get back. It's just the way it is. If you are authentic and genuine in your outreach work, you will be so much better off and I'm not just talking in material terms. And you might just change the world!Darren Bourke, Business Influence, 2008.
You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete (including the "about the author" information at the end).About the Author:Darren Bourke is a Consultant, Business Coach & Mentor who helps small & medium businesses struggling to maximize profitability, productivity, people and performance. His Free Report titled What Successful Owners of Growth Businesses Do That You Don't, newsletter and updates are full of strategies and tips to make your business boom. Go here to sign up now.
Contact us today: Call Neil on +61 404 830 664or email neil@frankstondigital.com

The best job description template

2008-11-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

As an HR Consultant to Australian small businesses I see alot of job description templates - and I have to say they can be very complicated! The template I use (which has evolved over time) is outlined below. I think it covers all the important areas and have found it really easy to write selection criteria using this template and I would usually include selection criteria at the end of the document.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Group HR Manager
Company: Smith Co

Location: Melbourne, with some travel to Sydney
Employment Type: Part-time
Tenure: Ongoing

Reporting structure
Reports to: CEO

Supervises: HR Officer

Internal Relationships: Administration staff
All company employees

External Relationships: Recruitment agencies & other suppliers

Position Objective
§ Develop and implement Smith Cos Human Resources Strategy to attract, retain, develop and reward employees

Key Responsibilities
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Strategic HR management including;
§ Develop HR strategy to align with business objectives
§ Develop and implement performance management system to reward high performance
§ Develop and implement OH&S Management System to ensure a safe & healthy workplace
§ Develop comprehensive policies and procedures manual
§ Develop and implement training and development program to grow organizational capabilities
§ Strengthen SmithCo's brand to market to potential applicants

Operational HR requirements include;
§ HR Administration
§ Maintain HR information system
§ Distribute employment paperwork including Employment Contracts
§ Assist managers with Induction of new employees
§ Develop comprehensive set of policies and procedures
§ Ensure policies and procedures are disseminated and understood
§ Drive performance development program; coach managers on effective staff development
§ Provide HR advice to managers and employees
§ Manage administration of OH&S program

CLIENT SERVICE
§ Demonstrate optimal client service in all circumstances i.e clients- internal and external, staff and external links

Accountability and Extent of Authority
The position is accountable for delivering on Key Responsibilities and Position Objectives

Note: Statements included in this position description are intended to reflect in general, the duties and responsibilities of this position and are not be interpreted as being all inclusive.

I understand and will undertake my duties as outlined by this position description

Name: _________________________________

Signed: _________________________________ Date: _____________________

The best policy template

2008-11-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

I often get asked what the best template is for a policy or procedure in small business and I always reply - keep it simple! I have included a sample template here that I have modified over time and have come to love. Odd, I know, that I love a template - but hey, I love policies and procedures - it's an illness I think.

Policy – NAME OF POLICY
Document ID: Approved By: Date of Approval: Revision:

Purpose: (why does this policy exist?)

Scope: (who does it apply to?)

Responsibilities: (who is responsible for the various aspects of this policy. This would typically be: managers are responsible for enforcing this policy and employees are responsible for abiding by this policy)

Definitions: (define any concepts/words used or put N/A if not applicable)

Policy Details
(Write your policy here)

Related Documents:
(List any documents and forms that relate to this policy. You can hyperlink them which makes it easier to find the correct documents)

Typically a small business should have the following policies in place:
OHS policy and various procedures
Performance management policy
Performance development policy
Harrassment and bullying policy
Annual leave policy
Sick leave policy
Bereavement leave policy
Company vehicles policy
Mobile phone and telephone calls policy
Internet and email policy
Code of conduct policy
Confidentiality policy
Travel policy
Expenses policy
Personal presentation policy
Uniform policy
Termination policy
Training policy

What use is HR in Australian Small Business Anyway?

2008-11-07T14:46:00.001-08:00

As an HR Consultant to Australian small business I often get the sense, when I introduce myself at a party, and the inevitable question is asked - "what do you do for work?", that people can’t quite understand the need for HR in the small business environment, or what it is I actually do. For many years I have taken umbrage at this and many times I have groaned to friends "small business managers don't even know what HR is, let alone how it can help them." However, I recently realized that by getting annoyed, I had set myself up for disappointment, as I had in fact made a c conscious decision to help this market with their HR issues. At the time of choosing, I did not realise the extent to which I would have to educate the market and convince them of need. Over time, I have sat in many small business offices where they have told me they don’t really have any HR issues, only to hear in the background constant enquiries about pay changes, complaints about excessive sick leave, another employee has resigned. “We do have a lot of staff turnover on our sites” one Financial Controller told me as a matter of fact as if there is nothing that can be done for it, after I had finally been given the HR contract after two years of meetings and proposals – I am a patient gal!

Being born and bred in small business and having a natural passion for HR I set off to bridge the HR gap for Australian small businesses. As with many good ideas I may have been ahead of my time, although I am not totally convinced of this. As I set out to promote HR to small business I was at the forefront (internet wise in 2004) of small business HR consultancy. However, I noticed the other players were busy positioning their websites to appeal to big business, rather than talking to the small business owner. I thought, “gee these guys must be good at marketing to be able to sell corporate HR to the small business man” and I started to wonder what I was doing wrong (because the conversations I was having at a grass roots level, continuously showed me that small business didn't know what HR was, let alone that they needed it). I pushed on, but ended up pulling my HR website and instead developed this blog. I was continuously employed in varying industries, largely on a contract basis, from word of mouth referrals. Once in the small business as a consultant, the great affect of HR can often be overwhelming to the business owner/manager and I thrived on delivering outcomes. Yet I still had a longing to bring small business HR to the masses and my hope with this blog is that small business owners and managers can gain practical, actionable solutions, to move their business into high performance mode, through good people management strategies. My purpose for this site is to use my small business experience, my HR skills and my out-of-the-box approach to solve people problems and provide quality free content on HR management tips.

I was really disappointed in the HR industry today as I googled ‘HR+Blog’ in Australia and was presented with a wide array of HR blogs speaking to HR professionals. No one was talking to the small business owner, yet again. However, approximately 90% of Australian businesses are small businesses! HR people can be very narrow, and I'll probably annoy a lot of my fellow industry people by saying so. Taking what the big business guys know and benefit from daily and morphing it into something useable and practical within a small business environment is what I love and passionately believe should be done.

My approach seems to be quite different to most HR consultants, due to my hands on small business management experience. I know what it is like to manage a staff of 10 across two sites, I know the constant pressures that small business managers face and the long hours they work. I know the disappointment at not having your staff appreciate all that you do for them! It is quite bizarre the passion that a small business owner can have for their business - the type of passion that wakes them up at 2am and has them creating colourful mindmaps on the kitchen table using the children’s textas, tip toeing around so as not to wake the house. This all encompassing passion can set you up for staff disappointments and I have had my fare share of them. Only last year at our work Christmas function I ended up in tears when the staff gave the Managing Director a Christmas present but didn't have one to give me (due to an innocent mistake by the staff member who had been charged with the duty, forgetting to bring it to the function). I had laboured over the staff's presents and stupidly spent a day of my bereavement leave (when my sister-in-law passed away) carefully selecting their christmas gifts. I wrapped them with my children’s help and carted them all the way in to the city venue. I had booked the venue, ensured the menu would be suitable for all tastes.. For all my care and attention, I received a big fat nothing! (this was a particularly emotional time for me with my sister-in-laws passing, but still!) I think a lot of small business owners can relate to this terrible feeling of receiving nothing back, when seemingly giving everything.

There are simple things that small businesses can do to retain their staff, keep them happy, motivate them (although they may never have the same passion as you do – unfortunate, but true!), recruit the good ones, create and develop high performers and move from a fire fighting approach to a high performing team. You just may not end up with a Christmas present at the end of the year!

What underpins great HR is a clear vision and values that staff can align with and buy in too. These two items, whilst being the concrete slab of good HR, are also really good business practice and something that few small business owners ever stop to consider. So, my number one tip is to create your vision and communicate it to your staff, all the time.

The second thing good HR does is create clear policies and procedures that guide employees and management in decision making. Whilst employees actually really like policies and procedures, because it makes things clear, small business owners find them hard work to construct and often have difficulty setting aside the time to do them. An HR consultant will guide you in the underlying issues to consider when creating policies and procedures. For instance, a simple company car policy is likely to arise out of an issue of someone using excessive fuel in the company car. The usual small business response would be to quickly construct a company car policy and distribute it via email. The employee in question would then feel victimized and unhappy and would share their hurt with others, thereby damaging many other employee perceptions within the company. The policy which is a re-bound policy probably will not address all the other potential issues and the next time an issue arises the manager will say “we have a company car policy, it should be in there”, so the next issue gets added into the policy and it gets distributed to the staff and the employee in question feels victimized… you get the picture. The tip here is that all HR policies and procedures are linked to each other and need to be assessed prior to distribution for their potential to inflame issues, loop holes that employees might use against you, contradictory messages between policies (ie the company is committed to a healthy and safe workplace in one policy and then they require you to work extremely long hours in another policy). What you write in one will relate in some way to what you write in another and you want to make sure your message is consistent and that it helps to mitigate your risk, not increase it!

As HR professionals are usually pretty good at writing HR policies and procedures, they are often systems people as well, and in small business, procedures that map a business system are invaluable! They make a business saleable, ensure new staff get up and running as quickly as possible and highlight inefficiencies in production/service systems. Personally, I love policies and procedures, which my husband finds quite disturbing, and I have mapped many production/service processes for businesses, extracted problems, workshopped and resolved issues that have been frustrating staff for years and then delighted in the increase in productivity. So HR and small business are a natural fit, when you think outside the box; and I haven’t even touched on staff performance yet! Next time….

What does the looming recession in Australia mean for staff retention?

2008-11-06T19:10:00.001-08:00

Will Australia experience a recession or not? That's the question on everyone's lips; especially small business owners. The uncertainty, which is largely being fed by the media, is excruiciating. As a planner and an HR Consultant who is interested in people retention and high performance, I am curious as to the future for Australian small business.

Reading business news items from the UK and USA it would appear that the impact of their recessions is still largely to hit businesses. It is certainly being discussed, but no one is saying they have actually felt the tightening as yet.

All this talk and hype will be impacting negatively on your employees; making them feel insecure and unstable. This is a risky time for employers who have high performers. If high performers get a sniff of uncertainty from you, they might pack up their desk and look for more stable pastures. Recruitment is a costly and difficult exercise at any time, but it is more frustrating when it interrupts your business flow during already difficult times. We should all be aiming for strong staff retention.

Tips on keeping your staff during a recession:

Offer flexible work arrangements - this is a good non-financial motivator and quite attractive to many employees. With compensation tipped to decrease by 20-30% in the UK in coming months, employers may be looking for non-financial rewards to entice high performers
Invest in training - training your staff will significantly impact on productivity. It is much cheaper to invest time and money into training your existing staff, than to recruit new ones. You will also have a great workforce, ready to achieve fabulous outcomes when the economy gets better
Maintain good quality service - set high expectations of your staff to deliver quality service and let them know if they aren't meeting your expectations; give them guidance on how to do it better. During these times you want to make sure the service at your front end is keeping every possible customer loyal to your business. You simply can't afford for poor services to loose you a paying customer.
Adopt some creative marketing strategies. Marketing during a recession is really different to marketing during good times. If you have some spare staff due to a slow down in business, get them working on a marketing project for you. After all they probably know what your customer wants more than you do! Look at it as a professional development project for your staff. There is heaps of free information on the web these days for them to research and you might be pleasantly surprised at what they come up with. Besides employees hate being bored and this will keep them active. Also, use this opportunity to phone or visit past clients and catch up on their lives. Maintaining a rapport with customers is key to maintaining your client list. Often this gets over looked during busy times.

More than ever it is important to make your staff feel secure within your business. Keep them informed of the state of play. Don't be worried about scaring them with your reality, as not communicating might lead them to worrying more, which will inturn lead to ineffective performance - this could make the situation even worse!

How do I get my staff to perform better?

2008-11-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most common questions I get asked is "How can I get my staff to perform better, to do more, to take ownership of tasks?" In fact many of my consulting jobs begin because of this frustration. Unfortunately there is no magic wand to wave and high performance requires a lot of good HR principles to be in place. Often poor or limited performance is a result of employees not knowing what is expected of them or not having the tools or information they need to do a good job.

The culture of the organisation will also have a major impact on performance. If the company has always offered pay increases on an annual basis and not linked it to performance, then it can be really easy to sit back and cruise. If, in the past, an employee has had a go at extending themselves, only to be met with criticism or a boss who changes everything around, then the employee is unlikely to contribute much beyond the basics. Employees are funny things, they can be really sensitive to negative feedback! I don't quite know why??? Perhaps it is because they are human. The worst thing for employers is that one negative in a workplace can rapidly spread to a negative vibe throughout the organisation. People who feel hard done by spread the word very well.

It is not all bad news though. To get the edge through your people it is really important to do the following seven things:

1. Clearly communicate your vision for the company
2. Give positive encouragement as much as humanly possible
3. Deliver honest feedback when things aren't going as you would like
4. Provide a clear expectation of what you would like done
5. Offer guidance on how to deliver on this expectation
6. Check that employees have all the tools they need (these can even be policies and procedures)
7. Let them soar! Give them freedom to do a good job

To make sure your employees have a clear understanding of what they need to deliver on, you should have a robust performance review system in place. They should be exposed to this immediately upon job acceptance and it should be verbally outlined during their induction. As a manager you should check that your actions are in alignment with the expectations you are setting, i.e don't ask that they be effective decision makers and then take away any possible decisions they can make or criticise them for the decisions they have made.

Latest on OHS for Victorian workplaces

2008-10-27T01:49:00.000-07:00

I am just back from Day 1 of Worksafe Week at the Melbourne Museum and the key message for Victorian employers seems to be that the honeymoon period is over! Worksafe have openly declared that they aim to prosecute more cases in the next three years, as they have identified prosecution as being a major tool in accident prevention. This is vital information for small to medium sized businesses as over 93% of all registered workplaces in Victoria are SMEs and the fine for one charge can be as much as $1million.

I must say the stats are rather satisfying, with a reduction in deaths down to 16 in 2008 from 31 in 2000. Worksafe, however is looking for a 40% reduction in incidents by 2012. They are also targeting health and safety for males aged between 15-24, as they are more likely not to report an incident/injury, but instead take themselves off to hospital for treatment. Their other key focus areas will be on migrant workers, the obesity epidemic and psychological health. Apparently Australia and Scandanavia are two countries with very high rates of psychological health issues. A recent Australian study reported 1 in 5 workers will be suffering from psychological health issues.

OHS will certainly be undergoing some changes in the coming years as we move to a national OHS law. A basic outline of these changes will be revealled within the next two weeks and details of the new act are due to be finalised by May 2009. From an international perspective the key message was that we should be partnering with others in our industry so that we can share our knowledge and learn from each other. In addition, we should be developing very specific OHS Key Performance Indicators that are meaningful for middle managers (where the relationship between the HSR role and the supervisor is lacking clarification in alot of work places). And finally, we should all be developing a strong safety culture, walking the talk from top to bottom.

I'm so excited - I've just launched my new Leadership Program!

2008-10-24T02:15:00.000-07:00

Yeh, this is a very exciting day! I have just launched my Outstanding Leadership program via eNUSHI. Since 2004 I have been running an Outstanding Leadership one day training program for small businesses and I have loved it. I have now taken this to another level - transforming it into a set of 12, weekly emails full of Leadership Success techniques, inspirational pictures and quotes and specific actions to undertake in your business. I know it isn't wise to LOVE your own product or you might have blinkers on to what your market wants, but I can't help but be in love with this delivery mechanism! Anyway, if anyone out there is interested in trialling it for free I'd love to hear from you. In return, I'd love a testimonial!

Time Management - Set up your workspace for success

2008-10-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Organise your workspace

Set up your workspace to look like you are organized and it will make you feel organized. Time management starts here. You can never successfully manage your time if you can't manage your workspace!

People who surround themselves with piles of paper aren’t usually busy enough – they are just trying to create the impression of busyness. Or they are letting their work get on top of them. If you set aside a regular time each day to have quick clean up you will be so much productive in the other hours of work.
Tools you need:

IN TRAY – for items inward (this provides space for others to drop things when you are not around). This should spend most of its time empty as you move items from this tray into your WIP (see below)

WORK IN PROGRESS TRAY – WIP. The WIP will likely be the fullest tray. Separate projects by putting them into manila folders in your WIP. If you cease to work on a particular project take it out of your WIP and file it until you need it again. If you really want to get organized you should have an overarching task in Outlook Tasks for each WIP but we’ll talk about that more in a minute.

If you have a collection of business cards piling up that need to be entered to your contacts put them in a folder (with a flap) in your WIP. If you have a collection of articles that you want to get around to reading one day, take them out of your WIP and put them in a hanging file marked – articles to read. Take out one or two to read with your lunch. Staple a piece of note paper to each one and write quick dot points about them. File the read ones in the hanging file marked Research.

FILING tray – this is where everything goes after it has been WIP’d and is ready for filing. If you have anything in your WIP that you don’t know what to do with – get it out of there – put a sticky note on it and it place it in someone elses IN tray with a question mark. So that you don’t loose track of it – enter it into yours tasks to follow up list so you know where you put it. Empty this tray weekly! Or get a secretary to do this.

Forms or documents in hard copy that you regularly look at should not be kept in any of the above trays. They are best placed in a ring binder in plastic sleeves. You can even section these off, for example I have a section for my current business plan, marketing plan, website passwords etc. Put this on a shelf within easy reach.

Old note books are essential to keep. You’ll be surprised how often you need to go back and find that phone number or bit of info you jotted down in there. Label the front of each note book with the start date – finish date and put your name on it. File these in a hanging file in order.

To order your work for the day:
Now that you’ve tidied up and got some structure to your workspace you need to organize how you undertake all this work. To get through your workload quicker you need to streamline your workflow. To do this either adopt the following process or create one of your own.

1st thing on arrival at the office – Switch on computer and have general chit chat whilst it starts up
Read emails
Log tasks from these emails into your Outlook Tasks (more on Outlook Tasks next)
Go through WIP
Look at your Outlook Tasks – update and make notes, change reminder dates etc – send emails to those who you are still waiting on task completion from
Create a priority list and try not to deviate from it until all items are completed for the day
Check emails again at lunch time and again before you go home (don’t keep checking throughout the day or you will get sidetracked)

Outlook Tasks
This is a fabulous way of keeping track of all your tasks. It is a giant To Do list. It took me a while to move from the touchy feely paper version and switched between the two systems for some time but that was not helpful. Office 2007 really has it together with Outlook Tasks now but the older Office version is still highly suitable.

Enter all your tasks in Outlook Tasks. Create categories of tasks to help keep you organized such as; waiting on others, or peoples names that you are waiting on, WIP, or particular project names. Assign a status for them. In 2007 you can assign another person a task if you are networked and still see it on your list until completed.

As things change or you get feedback on something update tasks to keep the notes. The notes section is great to keep info on when you emailed the person about something, where the task is up to, what other actions need to be undertaken etc.

Delete tasks as they are completed.

EmailCreate folders in your IN BOX to file emails that are sent to you. These folders might be people’s names if you regularly receive mail from particular contacts. Each email they send you should be moved into their folder on receipt (once you’ve entered any required actions into Outlook Tasks). Other folders I find handy are ‘Flights’, ‘Course Info’, ‘General’

At the end of each day you should go through your sent items and place them in the IN BOX folders according to name as well. This means you can easily search the email trail when you need to refer back without having to think if you sent or received the email.

If you are unable to move ahead with a particular task or project due to lack of decision making or information flow, check in with your manager or request a status update from those in question. Providing regular updates to your manager is a great proactive approach which is highly valued by management as they can assess your workload and feel confident that you are on top of things.

If you are a leader of a small business and feel that you can never quite get ahead, you might want to check out eNUSHIs Outstanding Leader email program. It is easy, informative and action based. Designed to get business managers organised all within 12 weeks.

In these dark financial times we need a little inspiration

2008-10-13T03:03:00.000-07:00

If you are like me and feeling a little tired of all the dark, depressing talk about finance, you could probably do with some inspiration. I really enjoy receiving my daily eNUSHI emails with words of wisdom - even though I've written many of them. I love the uplifting photos of stunning scenery, the inspiring quote to spur me on and my personal incantation I have written to target a particular area in my life. I am presently working on a set for wealth creation - now I think we all could do with that! I will journal my experience here through out my 12 week experience. If what they say in The Secret is right then we should start to see some serious changes in our financial life. I already do my positive wealth boosting breathing in the morning and whenever I can remember to do it during the day. I know in Think and Grown Rich, Napolean Hill talks about the Depression of the 30's largely being a result of negative group thought, so for the future of finance we should all be focussing on the positives. Now they would be? umm... housing prices are likely to go down which will be good for those wanting to get into the market, shares will be cheaper to buy, interest rates in Australia are likely to start heading south.. yes well there certainly are quite a few positives when you look for them. If you'd like a touch of inspiration in your day subscribe at http://www.enushi.com.au for your free set.

Annual Leave Policy

2008-10-07T04:01:00.001-07:00

Recently when I was writing an annual leave policy for a client I thought to myself "annual leave is annual leave, you get 20 days of it if you are a fulltime employee, prorata if you are part time and nothing if you are casual, how much could I have to say on annual leave?" Well the policy ended up being about an A4 typed page as I decided to delve into the meaning of annual leave and why employers should encourage their staff to take it regularly. The benefits of this are:

It reduces your liability so that when a staff member leaves the organisation you don't suddenly have to pay out a huge sum in untaken annual leave
It creates a 'fresh' workforce - lets face it, everybody benefits from a holiday
Refreshed staff are not likely to be stressed staff who might injure themselves through fatigue
Encouraging regular taking of annual leave shows you are committed to employee wellbeing - and employees love that in a boss!

Other things to consider for your annual leave policy are; Is there a waiting period ie does the worker have to have been with the company for six months before they are entitled to annual leave? How do you assign annual leave when everyone wants the same holidays off - do you use a first in best dressed approach? How do employees request annual leave - do you have a request form that then assists payroll to log time off as annual leave? Do you require workers to take some of their leave when the business closes over a holiday period, such as Christmas?

There is quite a lot to consider when writing an annual leave policy after all!

A day out at the Snow - how lovely

2008-09-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

We spent today at Mt Baw Baw. It was truly magical as the large snowflakes fell whilst we had snowball fights and made a snowman. The kids loved it and so did the parents! There is definately something to be said for taking a day off to get out into the wilderness. I can understand why so many large companies use the wild to encourage team building and strategic thinking. It is absolutely refreshing. I was recently down in Tassie on a consulting job and also found the tranquility of green rolling hills got my creative juices going again.

It would be valuable for all small business owners to get out in the wild to re-centre themselves and let the creativity for building their business flow.

Policies and Procedures Manual Small Business

2008-06-14T19:34:00.001-07:00

The most important systems a business can have and those things that are highly valued by high performers are policies, procedures and plans – the three P’s. The optimal performer will want to know why the company exists, what the vision is, agreed goals and strategies, and will need policies and procedures which enable them to do a great job. They will want to see operational plans and strategic plans so they can really understand the direction your taking. The three P’s are vital tools to build any business and without them your business is not saleable and hence not that valuable, because it relies completely on you.

Policy and Procedure manuals can be hard copy or electronic, they can be made available through an 'intranet' or simply stored in a binder on site.

The most important thing about a policy and procedure manual is that it is maintained. That means constant updating as things change in the organisation.

I have created many electronic induction programs based on policy and procedure manuals. They are a fabulous way of introducing a new employee to the business. They also get the employee up and running really quickly.

You can link in some training elements into a policy and procedure manual by incorporating customer service scripts, expectations and information that the employee will find useful.

Policies and Procedures Manual Success Story:
Recently I started a new employee at a medical practice and she was super keen to get straight into her work. I asked her to sit down at the computer and start reading through the policies and procedures manual. She thought this was quite mad and attempted to start to answer the phone and get on with the job. I let her know that this company was no ordinary medical company and that it was best to start with the PP manual. After much convincing she started to read through it. She couldn't believe how much she learnt - not only through the policies and procedures but also through the tips, scripts and expectations. She was up and running by midday and was able to answer all manner of complex enquiries with a confidence that often takes many weeks to acquire in a new position.

http://www.incitesolutions.com.au

2008-06-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Recruitment in Small Business - Success Story
The Brief: IT support firm entering major growth phase required IT Engineers to service clients across Melbourne in their businesses and private homes.
The Challenge: Victoria was undergoing a labour shortage of suitably experienced engineers. The combination of technical knowledge and customer service skills made finding suitable applicants even more difficult.
Action Taken: It was decided that “customer service focus” needed to be the top priority and that technical skills could be supplemented by rigorous ongoing training by the organisation. Technicians could also be supported by the company's online knowledge base and as a last resort they could bring the machine into the workshop for further testing.
Incite Solutions approached TAFE's and Universities where IT courses were undertaken in search of potential casual employees who had at least some technical knowledge. Applicants were phone screened for customer service ability, work ethic and interest in the industry (selection criteria). In conjunction with the client we developed a technical test to be taken prior to interview which would gauge the applicant’s technical aptitude.
A survey of high performing Engineers currently working at the organisation was conducted to assess what behaviours were needed to do the job well and important cultural-fit elements.
Results: Ten casuals were recruited. Technical and customer service training was implemented as a weekly requirement. Many of the recruits went on to become Team Leaders after finishing their studies.
The testimonial: “With huge growth ambitions we needed robust HR systems and Taimi ensured we had everything in place to grow from 5 people to over 50 in just a few years.” Brad Bond, Manager, Invizage Technology Pty Ltd

Best Practice for Australian Small Business Management

2007-07-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

The best business tip I have received is to model successful people and do what they do. That way you can change your mindset from one of frustration and uncertainty (as it can often be when developing your business) to a ‘successful’ mindset and then everything seems to flow more easily.

Similarly when I’m experiencing frustrations with my staff I shift my mindset to the outcome that I would like to achieve. Doing this without analyzing all the steps involved to get there sets my intention and prevents me from getting bogged down in the nitty gritty, which can at times seem insurmountable. This way I get clarity on the issue and often the path forward appears, seemingly out of the blue.

Having said that I rely on positive thoughts to sort things out, I am also completely attached to systems, strategies and procedures. I firmly believe that businesses which rely on their staff to do a great job in order to make money should have very clear systems that ensure they can do a great job every time and make decision-making easy. Systems also make your business saleable because it means the business can operate without you and potential buyers can see clearly how it all works. Whilst people management systems have been my passion for years I am a systems thinker across all areas and have created databases, websites, client service systems, admin systems … the list is endless. At times I drive my staff crazy with new or updated systems but they all say it makes their job so much easier and now they even ask for a system to be developed when they encounter an area not working properly.

If you like the idea of systematizing your business but don’t know where to start, I have found it is best to start with the biggest issue you are currently facing (that could be finding the right staff member, improving delivery times, making more profit on a particular product). Whatever the issue there is usually room to improve the system and there is usually a system of some kind that sits behind the activity. Once you are focused on the issue map out the steps you think are involved in the present system and highlight any areas that seem to be breaking down. Take your process map to the staff that work in that area and have a group discussion or brainstorming session with them on ways to fix the problems or refine the process. Don’t be critical of their ideas at this stage or you will dampen any further creative input they have and will also find they lack ownership when the new improved system is implemented. Whilst going through your process mapping remember to keep in mind what your positive outcome is and then it will be sure to work!

Taimi Clinch http://www.incitesolutions.com.au

Motivating the whY Generation

2007-07-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

Managing Generation Y seems to be a hot topic at the moment as employers face the new generation of worker who is not afraid to demand a certain style of management or walk straight out the door. That is if they decide to turn up on day one after accepting the job. Obviously not all Gen Y’s are like this and it is important not to generalise, however as a HR consultancy we certainly hear increasing accounts of similar behaviour. Research has found that Gen Y is a different breed who value work/life balance, constant skill development, independence, variety and honesty. Employers are being urged to gain an understanding of what motivates them, in order to retain them as long term employees.

With this in mind we decided to undertake some research of our own locally grown Gen Y’s. We surveyed over 120 secondary students on their career and study interests, employee benefits that would motivate them and where they intended to live post study.

The results bode well for retention of youth on the Mornington Peninsula as over sixty percent of the participants said they would like to remain on the Peninsula after they completed their studies. Whilst most said they intended to study at University or TAFE after secondary school, twenty five were interested in gaining an apprenticeship or traineeship.

The most popular industry was Community and Sport, followed closely by advertising/media/entertainment, education and retail. The retail and education sectors which are relatively strong on the Peninsula would be happy to see these results point to a good supply of future workers. Community and Sport is an interesting industry on the Peninsula because there are several community agencies to seek work through, however these are mainly within the health sector, which was not heavily highlighted in our study. Anecdotal evidence in relation to the sports industry suggests that recreation is a growth area on the Peninsula and may provide opportunities for small business start ups.

The advertising and entertainment industry is likely to be much stronger closer to the CBD as local work opportunities would be limited. A positive result was found in relation to the trades and services sector, with sixteen students aiming to work in this industry. Most of which were interested in remaining on the Peninsula.

With the motivations of Gen Y’s an important element for employers to understand, we gave students a set of nine employee benefits to rate in order of importance to them. “A good salary” was included in the nine and came out on top as the number one important benefit. However the other benefits produced very interesting results. It would seem that the future workforce will be looking to work for organisations that provide them with flexible work hours, opportunity for training, and bonuses for achieving results. These were the top three benefits after salary. In addition, a majority of students were interested in receiving extra annual leave and time off to pursue other interests. These results further support prior research that Gen Y values work/life balance and skill development.

It is important that local employers looking to attract and retain this generation of workers offer not only salary based rewards to their employees, but incorporate opportunities for training and flexibility of work hours. By listening to this generation and their needs the likelihood of retaining will increase immensely.

How to Recruit Great Staff

2007-07-06T02:13:00.000-07:00

Many business managers dread the employment process. The pressures of finding and selecting the ‘right’ employee are great. Small to medium sized enterprises (SME’s) most often run lean machines and don’t have the luxury of staff padding to get them through whilst they find that ‘ideal’ candidate. Too often they recruit based on need instead of focussing on quality. This short term fix can lead to many future headaches dealing with poor performance, major skill gaps or even lack of culture fit.
Managers would do well to remember that no employee likes to go to work and do a bad job. Poor performance is most often due to skill/knowledge gaps or bad organisational fit. The organisation has a responsibility to the future employee to make sure they select correctly. Not only do they need to ensure they choose the candidate who can do the job well, but they also need to ensure the person clearly understands the role, the expectations and the culture of the organisation, prior to accepting the position.
There sure is a lot to think about when recruiting! If that doesn’t make it difficult enough, we haven’t even mentioned the current skill shortage Australia is experiencing in many industries and the ageing workforce which is already impacting on size of candidate pools.
To increase the chance of getting it right first time organisations should:
Ö Have clear and current position descriptions prior to placing an employment ad
Ö Understand their organisations culture – that is ‘the way we do things around here’
Ö Dedicate time to the employment process and commence it well before the previous employee departs
Ö Establish selection criteria - know what qualities are essential to the role and what are just desirable
Ö Preferably have conducted an exit interview with the departing employee to gain further insight into the role and the perception of the organisation
Ö Follow a set of behavioural interview questions (i.e. questions that ask the candidate to describe a time when…) and conduct other supporting assessments such as role plays, reasoning tests and technical tests at interview
Ö Have a panel of interviewers
Ö Rate candidates on a matrix according to your selection criteria
All these things will greatly increase your chances of employing the right person for the job, first time!

Small Business Can Save Big Money With Templates

2007-07-05T02:05:00.000-07:00

In the business world, time is a valuable asset and A great way to start saving time in developing your business is to use ready-made templates. Templates can be used to quickly develop websites, ad campaigns, business cards and more. In most cases these templates can be purchased from large wholesalers online for penny's on the dollar. The quality and type of templates available will vary greatly, but below are descriptions of the most often used types of templates and those that can often save you the most money.
Website Design Templates:
A web design template is a pre-built website where the design work and coding has been completed, but the content still must be integrated into the pages. A simple web template may cost under $20 dollars, but a well-designed professional e-commerce website may cost upward of $200. These prices are based on high volume template warehouses. A custom developed template solely for your business alone may cost in the thousands. Webmasters, either novice or expert, can easily save thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours by using website templates. In addition when purchasing your template from A professional website template reseller you will often be purchasing designs of a much higher quality than your are capable of creating on your own.
"I want an original design" - Often this is what people think when considering the purchase a website template. They feel that having a design that might be used by others is not a viable option for their business; however, most professional template distributors offer a "unique bid". This special price is offered to those who wish to purchase the design for their use only. If the special price is paid (which is often as much as 20X more than the normal purchase price) then the template will be removed from the sellers database and from any and all affiliate websites which might also sell their products. In this way you have purchased the design you wanted for much cheaper and faster than had you hired someone to develop a custom design.
Business Card and Logo Templates:For most small agencies, using business card templates is a wonderful tool to easily make custom business cards. Templates usually come in two main categories. Program source files (Photoshop or Illustrator files ready to accept your personal information) and "online development programs " which allow you to choose images and layouts online and simply input your personal information through an interface on the seller's website. Either way works well and can often give you a high quality, professional looking business card in a matter of minutes. The design can then be used to purchase cards directly through the template seller's website or you can take the files to your local printer.
PowerPoint Templates:The third most popular category of business templates are PowerPoint designs. These templates allow you to quickly put together a good looking presentation as fast as you can copy and paste your content into them. These are great for unexpected meetings and spontaneous presentations. You can make it look like you had all week to prepare when actually you threw it together on the plane.
Summary:The real story behind using templates to start your business off right is the cost savings combined with the huge time savings. Together they allow small start up companies to have the same opportunities as the big boys who have designers on staff. I cannot think of a more accessible way to level the playing field so keep them in mind the next time someone quotes you a ridiculous price for design services. This author has built his own business on the backs of template designers I have never met.
Written by Gene TorreyLead developer for BGM designTo learn more about saving money with website design templates follow this link. Copyright © 2005 Blue Gel Media This article may be reproduced if all content, links and byline remain intact.
Blue Gel Meida is a webmaster software and design resource center
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gene_Torrey

Creating a high performance staff

2007-07-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

It is every business manager’s dream to be surrounded by high performing staff. To be able to go to work and know that instead of problems, waiting for you are fantastic solutions, happy customers and strong profits. The dream and the reality are often light years apart.
It is possible however to establish a high performance culture in a small to medium sized enterprise (SME). In fact SME’s are often better placed to achieve this than larger organisations. When the organisation is relatively small, communication lines are often stronger; the organisations goals are better understood by the workforce and client service can have a more personal feel. The key to high performance is encouraging employee buy in. Employees must understand, agree with and take responsibility for delivering on organisational objectives.
As businesses grow the performance level of its employees may drop as roles become more compartmentalised, problems are able to be passed on to others to fix, the office becomes busier and the boss becomes further removed from ground zero.
Keys to creating and maintaining high performance are:
Ö Promoting the businesses vision, mission and values in clear, understandable statements (not waffle which is rehashed from someone else’s mission statement). This means thinking about why you are in business and expressing your business ideals concisely and constantly.
Ö Practice what you preach. This is a fundamental step in achieving high performance. If management does not abide by the organisations espoused values then there is no chance that staff will.
Ö Implement a strong induction process for new employees so they can quickly settle into the organisation, understand why the organisation exists and be clear on what your expectations are for them.
Ö Think small. The days when the business consisted of just two employees were probably the days when things went smoothly. This was due to direct contact between the employee and the employer. Praise, encouragement and guidance from the top was swiftly given out. Ensure that as your business grows you maintain contact with your employees and encourage high performance.
Ö Handle poor performance immediately. Don’t put it off. Nothing damages high performance like a poor performer ‘getting away’ with performing badly.
Ö Develop your teams skills and ensure they have the right skills and knowledge to grow with your business
Ö Let employees ‘own’ their job. Micro management might achieve short term fixes but does nothing for encouraging responsibility and a solutions focus
Ö Have clear position descriptions with detailed accountabilities and a performance appraisal system which supports employee goal development
When employees are clear on what is expected of them and what the organisation believes; when they are supported in performing to the best of their ability and when they are praised for achieving results; then high performance will become part of the business’s culture.
For more tips on creating high performance visit http//:wwwincitesolutions.com.au

What Is Your Passion?

2007-07-03T03:28:00.001-07:00

Think of something that you know and are good at doing. Now how can you use the love and passion for this area of expertise and turn it into a business? Often times this is the advice given to those pursuing owning their own small business.
There are pitfalls in pursuing your passion and they may very well be the reason a business fails. Our passion for our "widget" sometimes gets in the way of making good business decisions. We get so entrenched in the idea that we are no longer flexible and become unwilling to change the course of action needed to succeed.
Have you ever had a close friend present their idea of a winning business and think it was the worst idea you had ever heard? Do you agree with them knowing that if they decide to pursue this idea it will be a costly mistake or play devil's advocate? It is a loosing proposition to dampen their dream and because they are so engrossed that they just may interpret your input as jealousy.
All too often we can not see the forest for the trees when the business is near and dear to our hearts. We turn our backs on good advice even when facing financial ruin.
How does one maintain the passion of their dream business and couple it of good business sense? The first and foremost way is with a good written business plan and realistic profit & loss statement. These two vehicles can keep your feet on the ground instead of your face planted flat against the pavement!
Secondly, be open to advice from people you respect. More often than not those same people may not tell you what you want to hear, but remember, you asked!
Recently, I had a friend approach me with the business idea of making voodoo dolls of race car drivers. They blurted out all the reasons they felt it was a winner. I listened a minute or so before stating that in order to dress these dolls in patent uniforms would require permissions from sponsors and NASCAR alike and could be very costly.
My next reaction I kept to myself. I imagined sitting a my desk sticking these dolls with needles. Who I asked myself would these fans be that are passionate enough to spend their time doing this? Are we talking all NASCAR fans? Not likely. Now the market has narrowed.
So the next question I asked my friend was what percentage of fans did she feel would actually spend money to buy one of the dolls?
You do not have to squash their dream to have them focus on the big picture. Now the friendship is still intact and your friend is thinking through the statements and questions from your initial reaction.
On the other hand, doing something you love and know gives you drive to succeed. Just watch out for those trees!
Mary Riggs is the Owner of Cute as a Bug Boutique in Hickory, NC http://www.cuteasabug.biz
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Riggs

Get Work/Life Balance

2007-07-03T02:57:00.000-07:00

As an entreprenuer, manager of two businesses, wife and mother in my mid thirties I think there is true value in 'cloning' oneself so you can be in five places at one time!

No seriously, I do know that the only way to make your business fun and continue to be passionate about it, is to surround yourself with people who are great at their jobs and to have all your processes (that is for the entire running of the business!) documented in one easy to use format. If you neglect either of these two areas you will feel like a slave to your business. Whilst it sounds like a simple concept and is probably one that most would agree with, too often small business owners fail to take positive action towards achieving it. Instead they fix every problem that goes wrong, work extremely long hours as a 'technician' in their business rather than as a strategic business builder, and commonly state "I can't trust anyone but myself to do this right." I ask you, where is the joy in that!

Work/life balance for the small business owner is extremely important and lack of it is probably why so many small businesses close within the first 3 years of start up. There have been many times when I've thought working for a salary would be so much easier. However, the freedom to create, set my own direction, lead my own team to greatness would be too hard to give up and besides I was born and bread in an entreprenuerial family. Both my parents still to this day have their own businesses (and have had many over the years), my brother has won several awards for his entreprenuerial approach - what hope was there ever for me!