As you rise up the ranks in your chosen career or company, there will generally be a greater responsibility placed on you to manage the needs and performance of others within the organisation. As with any skill, everyone has their own techniques and level of natural expertise in people management, and that the ability to successfully manage people is a critical part of career progression. Here are some tips on how to manage the people in your organisation more effectively.

Everybody’s different
Possibly the most important initial step in successful people management is to realise that people are, indeed, different. Whilst all professionals generally share some common motivations, desires and attributes, you will get the best out of people if you treat them as individuals. Management techniques that work with one professional may not work with another, so take time to get to know your team well, and you’ll soon pick up on individual characteristics that can help you manage them better.

Set the standard
Good management techniques are borne out of mutual respect and appreciation between all parties, so all management should begin by the manager setting a standard that he or she would expect from others. Employees can quickly lose respect for a manager who doesn’t display the abilities or commitment to undertake tasks that they themselves are required to do. If you want people to work long, focused hours and take pride in their work, then ideally you should demonstrate that you have these capabilities too, and are leading from the front.

Invest in good relations
It sounds obvious, but being a good manager of people is not merely about making successful demands of them. There are a few tried and tested ways of ensuring that your team performs well, but arguably the best way of achieving this is to invest in each personal relationship, going out of your way to do things purely for the benefit of the team and its individuals. If you don’t manage to do this, there is a danger that your team will solely associate you with requests for work, and this may create a negative psychology in the very people that you are trying to manage.

Careful critiques
Your evaluation and feedback of the work produced by your colleagues is one of the key areas by which you can either greatly increase loyalty, performance and respect, or greatly diminish it. Human beings hate to be criticised, and will generally go on the defensive when placed in this position, so choose your words carefully if you want to enthuse rather than deflate.

A helping hand
Successful managers have a tendency to be able to display empathy for a colleague’s challenges, and in many cases are in a position to offer proactive help and support. This is an essential part of management, as people generally respond well to professional relationships where the other party seems to be doing things for them. Most employees will gladly undertake tasks if they feel that management is looking out for their own personal interests.

Communication is king
Good communication is vital to good management techniques, and it is therefore essential that you establish a line of regular communication that suits both you and your team. Generally speaking, you should aim to set aside some dedicated time to communicating management news to the team, and allowing them to update you on their projects at least once a week. Sessions like this encourage team spirit, a feeling of togetherness and can be a highly effective way of identifying challenges and celebrating successes in a timely manner.

Get people to arrive at your conclusions
Instead of being a domineering manager who insists that things are done exclusively your way, it can often be helpful to use a little reverse psychology when managing people. If your approach is strictly to dictate, you may well encounter resistance, although if you set out your reasons for wanting something done a particular way, and encourage the buy in of your team, they will be much more willing to engage. Better still, create an open discussion where your team proactively suggest the route that you had initially intended. In this way, you can praise staff for their initiative whilst also getting things done the way you want them.

Create your own rules
Managing people successfully is a dynamic, evolving and highly personal process, with a wide variety of methods and styles that you could employ. A good manager, who gets the best results, will often be learning about their own skills in tandem with their team, creating a healthy and productive relationship all round.

The ability to motivate employees is one of the most beneficial attributes that a company or individual can possess. It can mean the difference between a business that merely treads water or one that is truly progressive and full of dynamism. A motivated team is a key step in achieving this culture in your workplace, but how do you successfully energise and focus the professionals around you? Below are some tips as to how you can inspire and drive your colleagues forward.

Create a vision
In order to motivate your colleagues towards a particular vision, it is essential to fully realise that vision yourself. The more clearly you can define your vision, the more easily it will be for your colleagues to absorb, comprehend and get behind it on a day to day basis. A distinct vision will ensure consistency on your part, an essential tool within motivating people.

Describe your vision
Whether you are trying to motivate a team or individual team members, the clarity of your communication is all-important. No matter how clever your ideas or strategies may be, they are worth little if not presented to stakeholders in an inspiring and coherent manner. By organising your thoughts and communicating them well, you are allowing teams and individuals the ability to fully grasp and be motivated by your ideas.

Push the right buttons
Successful motivation of a team requires an overarching vision as earlier described, although it is also important to consider the individual requirements of each person that you are trying to motivate. We all have different desires, professional aspirations and working practices and therefore have individual emotional buttons that need to be pushed in order for us to become fully motivated. These buttons might be related to enhanced financial or professional status, but if you take the time to understand what makes your colleagues tick, you may well find ways of motivating them that are both intuitive and effective.

Involve to evolve
Except in very rare circumstances, a dictatorial approach is never successful when trying to motivate your colleagues. A good tactic to inspire people by your vision is to involve them in part of the decision making process, even if the process is at quite an advanced stage. In this way, your colleagues will feel more responsible for the success of the project and will consequently be more dynamic in their contribution.

Go public
Keeping people motivated is dependant on you keeping a publicly consistent approach to all your colleagues. Whether it is compliments for a work in progress, or reprimands for working standards not lived up to, it can be detrimental to people’s motivation if they have the sensation that not all the information is being shared with them. Private negotiations, particularly within team decisions, can be very demotivating and can also lead to a certain amount of Chinese whispers, so keep public and uniform to all members of the team.

Delegate
By developing a shrewd ability to delegate, you will obtain the dual advantage of taking items away from your own workload, whilst at the same time showing your colleagues that you have faith in their abilities to get the job done. If you manage this process well, you can be responsible for actively developing the skillset of your colleagues, by delegating challenging work to them, which can also be very motivating.

Appreciate
Even if your vision is brilliant, your communications clear and your ability to push people’s buttons in order to create a motivated individual or team is excellent, you may still have forgotten one final tip to great motivation of others. Whenever anyone produces work that is of the standard you expect or higher, be sure to show your appreciation. It is easy to underestimate the power of a thank you or piece of praise in motivating people to work even harder next time and you may well find that a little goes a long way.

A recent survey conducted by performance consultants PM&M found that graduates were more interested in practical company benefits, such as private healthcare and tax-free childcare, than regular holidays. Almost two-thirds of the 600 respondents cited owning their own home as their number one lifestyle ambition, but only 7% cited regular holidays and just 2% said a designer wardrobe.

So how does your company view the rewards and benefits it offers to employees, and are you missing out on areas that could be attractive to new professionals? Below is a summary of the basic elements that can be offered, along with some tips on how best to communicate these benefits.

Pay, Bonuses and rewards
Cash, whether paid as a weekly or monthly salary, is the foundation of any benefits or reward package. It is often good practice to research and consult upon the level of pay offered by other companies within your sector in order to ensure that the basic package is competitive, although basic salaries can be balanced out by the other types of rewards on offer. Bonuses, performance related pay, team incentives and other forms of variable compensation can all be used in addition to basic pay levels to make a role more attractive to potential employees.

Company cars
Dependent on the role, and the geography of the working environment, companies can often provide cars to certain employees as part of the perks of their employment. Through the use of fleet management, employers can offer company cars to their employees in a number of different ways, from contributions to an employee car ownership scheme or a leased company car, or even a combination of methods. There are issues of company car tax, maintenance management and even health and safety surrounding the use of company cars, so it is a good idea to check with internal or external specialists before offering this benefit.

Healthcare
As individuals become ever more aware of their current and future health, companies are beginning to focus on providing new and innovative healthcare packages for their workforce. Examples of healthcare elements that your company could initiate include private medical insurance, gym membership, health screening and other employee assistance programmes. Despite the costs involved, studies have shown that an intelligently planned workforce wellbeing policy will actually save your business money through decreased sick leave, and may also significantly increase employee productivity and loyalty towards your company.

Childcare and carers
In April 2007, the 2006 Work and Families Act became law in the UK, increasing the duration of both maternity and adoption leave for parents. Within the work/life balance, employees have an increasing desire to build time in for their children or other dependants. From a tax perspective, childcare vouchers can be a mutually attractive way for both parties to navigate this benefit, although there are other ways that companies can support employee families. The Work and Families act has extended the rights of adult carers to request flexible working hours, whilst emergency childcare provision and onsite nurseries within the workplace are increasing.

Share schemes
The allocation of company shares to valued members of the organisation is a highly effective way to increase both productivity and loyalty, in addition to the overall value of your benefits package offered. Within the UK, companies are at liberty to design their own employee share schemes, although there are four Inland Revenue approved schemes, listed below:

- Sharesave (SAYE)
- Share Incentive Plan (SIP)
- Company Share Option Plan (CSOP)
- Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI)

The above schemes are all popular because they attract tax breaks that enable the allocation of shares and share options to be conducted in a more cost effective manner.

Occupational pensions
A contributory pension scheme is a significant benefit for employees in the UK, and by 2012 all companies will have to enroll all staff into some form of pension arrangement, or use the new National Savings Pension Scheme (NPSS). A well crafted pensions plan will work for both company and employee, and benefits from a favourable income tax and National Insurance break on contributions.

Benefits Communication
Regardless of how good your company benefits and rewards are, they will count for very little if they are not properly communicated to current and future employees. An increasingly popular method of setting out employee benefits is to create what is known as a total reward statement. A total reward statement is a concise breakdown of all the various benefits offered to each employee, which can be personalized, amended and communicated both on and offline to the employees concerned. The most useful thing you can do for your employees is to simplify the benefits and rewards as much as possible, particularly with more complex aspects such as the occupational pension, and you may find that you need external assistance with this. Check out http://www.businesslink.gov.uk for further Information.

In general, email, posters, leaflets, seminars, presentations, staff meetings, line managers, text messaging, staff handbooks and magazines are all useful tools to get the detail of your benefits scheme across.

The issue of employee rights is an ever-changing landscape that is shaped by both legal and cultural influences. To the uninitiated it can seem like a minefield, but a small amount of research can be a real boost to your confidence within your position, particularly if you feel that your rights within the workplace might be being compromised. Below is a basic introduction to the rights afforded to employees within the UK.

Which worker are you?
Before you can begin to work out what your employee rights are in a particular situation, the first step is to accurately assess what type of worker you are. For most of us, this question is relatively easy to answer, although the classifications within law are important to realise, as they could directly affect the rights afforded to you in your present employment. There are three main categories:

Employee
The most common classification within professional vocations, an employee is defined by the Government as somebody employed by a company, is on their books, and has an open-ended or fixed term contract, working either full or part time.

Worker
This classification includes almost everyone else except for the self-employed, for example freelancers, casual workers and temps.

Self employed
The Government classification of self-employed is someone that works for themselves on behalf of a variety of different companies or people.

As expected, employees get the most protection in terms of their rights, and this will vary from company to company. Workers are afforded only the most basic, core rights, whilst people who are self employed have very few, if any, rights within the organisation that they serve. If you are unsure about which category you fit into, there is an online questionnaire available from the government (http://www.direct.gov.uk) that can help you find out.

Which issues are commonly cited?
There are many issues that can occur within the commercial environment that might require you to have a basic knowledge of your rights. The common types of issues can include:

- Discrimination on grounds of age, sex, race or sexuality
- Pay levels (including overtime)
- Working conditions
- Medical problems
- Bullying in the workplace
- Unfair dismissal

Keep your first approach informal
If you feel that you are being unfairly treated for whatever reason, then it is recommended that you keep your initial approaches informal. A full list of the types of rights afforded to you can be found on the direct.gov.uk website, although if you think that the issue is easily rectifiable, then it will be worth having a discussion with your line manager or HR department about it. It could be that your company simply doesn’t understand the law or it’s obligations towards you, and in this situation a low level discussion could be all it takes to put the issue right.

Escalating your claim
If it transpires that your issues are not able to be addressed through an informal conversation, then it may be time for you to take further action. Your company is, by law, required to have a clear grievance policy, and you should be able to follow the procedures contained within it to further pursue your protection of your rights.

External action
If you feel that your grievance is being ignored, or mistreated, and that your rights are being clearly restricted, then you can take your case to an employment tribunal, who are able to make an impartial but legally binding decision on the matter. To find out more about how tribunals work, go to http://www.employmenttribunals.gov.uk/

A broader view
Generally speaking however, it is only a small percentage of professionals that encounter situations that require an exercising of their employee rights. Most companies, and their HR departments, realise that treating their employees well is good for business, and many issues that might arise can be easily addressed in-house, and with a minimum of fuss. It is good to be aware of your rights, even though the chances are hopefully slim that you will ever need to act on this knowledge.

This August we have awarded Belinda Murray our prestigious temp of the month award. Congratulations Belinda!!!

Belinda is a fabulous candidate who has been temping through Regan & Dean since June 08. A well presented and experienced receptionist, she is a great asset to any temp department!

Belinda is a professional temp and since joining us has been to HSI London, AW Media and ARG Talent and has had great feedback. She is always reliable, professional and ON TIME. Belinda is on a working holiday visa and will be around for the next 4 months, so snap her up before she goes!!!

What our clients say:

“Belinda was punctual, friendly and very capable. She needed very little instruction and was keen to help out wherever she could. Exactly what you hope for when you book a temp”
AW Media

The Prize

Each Regan & Dean Temp Of The Month receives a £50 gift voucher, some flowers and a permanent entry into the temp ‘Hall of Fame’ on our website, accompanied by a photo and the client feedback that made their nomination so successful.

Nominate your Temp Of The Month Today!
Each month, Regan & Dean will assess the performance of each temp, using their reliability, punctuality and attitude, in direct conjunction with feedback from the client. The temp who we feel has made the most significant contribution to a client’s needs will be awarded the monthly prize in recognition of their achievements.

Any business can nominate their Regan & Dean temp for the award - it’s a simple process, which is a great way of commending and saying ‘thank you’ for their work. Email thea@regananddean.com to nominate your Temp Of The Month today!

On the face of it, leaving your job is a very simple thing to do. Hopefully it will have been your decision to leave, but regardless of the motivation, there are a few steps that you can take to ensure a smooth transition, maintain some valuable contacts and enhance your future prospects. Below are a few tips on how to make an effectively graceful exit.

Resolve yourself to your future
Whatever the reason for leaving, the first step to take is to be make sure that you’re comfortable with leaving, and that you see it as an opportunity rather than a threat. Many people advance their careers significantly by changing jobs, and at the very least, leaving your current workplace allows you a unique opportunity to re-evaluate and refocus your life. Once you’re 100% comfortable in your own mind, it will make the steps of leaving much more simple and even pleasant.

Remember why you joined in the first place
Even if there is a negative reason for leaving your job, there must have been positive reasons as to why you joined the company originally. Stay mindful of these reasons, and allow them to inform you of the most beneficial aspects of the job that you are leaving. You will have added to your experience, met new people and possibly learnt new skills along the way, so the job you are leaving has served a useful purpose. A positive outlook is the best image that you can give your ex colleagues to retain once you’ve left.

Fireproof your bridges
Although it can often be tempting, it is not a good idea to burn bridges with your ex boss or any former colleagues prior to or during the leaving process. Even if they are the reason for you leaving, it is recommended to stay on cordial terms with pretty much everyone, because you never know when circumstances might change or what opportunities that involve these people might occur in the future.

Thank all the right people
Just as it is important not to alienate yourself or other people whilst leaving a job, it is also a good move to go out of your way to thank and/or reward the people that have helped you during your time there. A little thought goes a long way in this area, so show your gratitude and you may well build friendships and create useful allies that can benefit you in your new direction.

Supply your suppliers
People often develop enduring and close relationships with suppliers, so be sure to inform those suppliers closest to you that you are leaving and of any future plans. Often, professionals who move roles can give new business to preferred suppliers, so it should be in their interests to maintain a relationship with you too.

Handing over the reins
Regardless of whether you can’t wait to leave your current job, or whether you will sorely miss it, a good handover is essential. Creating a concise, comprehensive and effective handover document should form the basis of this process. This document should include every relevant working aspect of your role within the company, from details of important file locations and passwords to clear contact and hierarchy details of the people and suppliers that you work with. Any inside knowledge or tips that you may have picked up during your time will also be very helpful here too.

Leave a clear desk
This tip is essential on both a practical and metaphorical level. Tying up loose ends, and leaving good status reports about ongoing projects is important if you are to leave with a truly clean desk for your successor. Much of the goodwill and reputation you may have built up at the company could be at risk of being slightly tainted if you don’t clear this final hurdle, as it will be the lasting impression your ex colleagues will have of you.

Don’t look back
The process of leaving a job can be a complicated, emotionally draining and protracted period in your life. It also signals the closing of one particular chapter in your life, and the opening of a whole new set of opportunities. Once you have left, it is crucial not to look back but instead embrace a whole new future. Good luck!

Creating a harmony between professional and personal commitments is arguably one of the most significant challenges facing each and every one of us in our working lives. The work/life balance is a much discussed topic, and deservedly so, but how good are we at getting the balance right, and how can we take steps to improve the quality of both our personal and working lives? Below are some tips on how to achieve a better work/life balance.

Keep a diary
For many of us, there is an overwhelming sensation that we simply do not have enough time at our disposal to fulfil all our commitments. In this scenario, it can be very useful to start detailing exactly what it is that takes up so much of your time in an average week. Keep a diary and try logging all the things you do, and the time you spend doing them. It’s only when you have a clear view of how your time and energies are split that you will be able to make adjustments for the better.

Keep your communications in check
With the advent of mobile phones, PDA’s and Blackberrys, we have entered an age where we are virtually always on call. This only adds to the sensation of a poor work/life balance, because the two are merging, and your ability to receive phone calls, texts and emails at all hours can have a detrimental effect on your quality of life. Setting up email filters, and even turning off your phone or PDA at certain times during the week can have a tremendously liberating effect, and reminds you that there is a division between work and life.

Always estimate upwards
One of the big problems for time-deprived professionals is that they can get locked in a situation where they risk over-promising and under-delivering in both their personal and professional lives. If you’ve been keeping a diary for a week, you’ll know how long certain tasks take, and so you can start to take control of this time by building contingency into every task you perform, so it doesn’t feel like it’s being undertaken at breakneck speed.

Invest in your down time
One of the strongest contributing factors to a sensation of a poor work/life balance is the lack of eventfulness in your personal life. Perhaps you feel you are too tired from working to do anything apart from rest, but a bit of investment in your personal life greatly adjusts the work/life balance in your favour. Take your partner out for a surprise romantic date, start a new hobby or get a bit more exercise: you’ll be amazed how your priorities can shift and the feeling of greater balance can be restored.

Focus on outcomes, not challenges
In theory at least, everything that you do in your personal and professional life is undertaken because you are choosing to do it. Working for a company is a choice you have made because of the economic social and professional benefits that it offers, for example. By looking at your ultimate, overall ambitions in life (such as getting promoted, raising a family or working more flexible hours), you will understand how far you have travelled towards them, and how far you still need to go. In this way, you can stop yourself getting bogged down in the day-to-day trivia that can lead to the perception of a poor work/life balance.

Find a New Job
For whatever reason, you might find that the stress involved within your current job is having a sustained negative impact on your life and stress levels. This can often happen if professionals have been working in the same role for an extended period. Remember that there are a great many opportunities out there for you to work in companies that may use an approach that is more suitable for you. If this sounds like you, why not have an informal chat with a Regan & Dean Consultant about what other opportunities exist within your chosen field?

Find a New Career
The plain truth is that there are some professions that are more innately stressful and time consuming than others. If you think that your work/life balance is being upset by the career that you’ve chosen rather than the specific job you’re in then perhaps it’s time to look at branching out into a different, perhaps related field.

Perfection is fundamentally flawed
It is a practical impossibility to enjoy a perfect work life/balance at all times. Whilst you can take many measures to improve your own quality of life, it’s important to remember that the work/life balance is exactly that: a balancing act that requires regular attention if you are to get the mix right and enjoy the best of both worlds. Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t feel like they’re going your way, but instead focus on a few small changes at a time, and you’ll soon find out that they add up to a happier life.

The skills associated with successful leadership are both wide-ranging and subjective. Ask an effective leader what the secret of their success is, and they’ll give you a slightly different answer than their peers. Having said this, there are a few core areas that greatly contribute to successful leadership, and below are some tips on how to develop your skills in this most interesting area of professional life. Develop your leadership skills more fully and your promotion opportunities will rise significantly, as will your new job prospects.

Create your own mould
If leadership is about anything, it is about sound judgement and individualism. Great leaders become great precisely because they think, interpret and communicate differently to most people. Leadership credentials can be drawn from a diverse range of skillsets, and a smart leader will develop their image to emphasise the areas that they are strongest in. Look at your own abilities, honestly evaluate your strong and weak points, and then begin to mould a leadership style that is unique to your personality and skills.

Recruitment is key
Very often, successful leaders only become so because they have managed to create a successful team around them. Establishing people around you that are every bit as sharp, hungry and focused as you will greatly enhance your ability to get things done, and thus be seen to be leading well. For this reason, effective recruitment is fundamental to your leadership success, and establishing a productive relationship with key recruitment companies will provide you with direct access to talented people, whenever you need them.

Visionary inspiration
The quality of a leader is often defined by the quality and focus of their vision, and by how good they are at communicating this to each and every stakeholder within that vision. If you are a leader, people will look to you to draw their inspiration and motivation, so your visions for commercial futures need to be both impressive and clear. If you can truly focus on the vision you have, and provide a rationale for every detail, then this will be much easier to communicate and you stand a better chance of universal buy-in from your peers.

Speak effectively
A good leader needs to be a shrewd advocate of your business to clients and suppliers, but also a motivational force internally. For both purposes, you will need to develop your speaking skills and body language so that you are comfortable in these roles. Remember that your vision and directives for the business are only as good as your ability to communicate them.

Nip things in the bud
Like a garden that requires regular attention, your company may need the ability to stem certain negative influences within your organisation at times. If you experience poor performance, take measured, but swift steps to remedy this with the employees concerned. A successful leader will always nip situations in the bud rather than wait until the rot sets in, and this will send a clear signal to other employees about the types of performance expected in the workplace.

Decision over inclusion (just)
Good leaders, in all walks of life, have a finely tuned sense of which decisions need to be made by teams, and which require a single-minded authority to push them forward. Too much, or too little of either is generally a bad thing, although if you are a dynamic leader, there may be a tendency to favour clear decisions rather than design by committee, particularly where time is of the essence.

Walk at least part of the walk
Empathy, the ability to genuinely appreciate the challenges felt by your team, is a crucial skill for any leader. This means that in addition to developing your speaking skills, you will need to hone your listening abilities too. It helps greatly if you have some experience of your team’s individual job roles, although the level of experience in those areas need not (and arguably should not) be as deep as theirs. If you show an ability to listen and impress your team with your understanding of their positions, this will breed trust and willingness to follow your vision.

Become a time management guru
One of the things that leaders most underestimate is the amount of time involved in managing the time and projects of others. Because of this, it is essential for you to become a master of time management, and not just your own. Truly effective leaders recognise that time is their most precious commodity, so spend yours wisely, and distribute it fairly amongst the people or situations that need it most. Hopefully your skills in this area will act as a blueprint for your colleagues and team too.

Look sharp
Sad but true, but we live in a superficial society obsessed with appearance, so it pays to look your best at all times. This has little bearing on your actual looks, but dressing sharp sends a signal out that you are there to do business as a serious professional. Many leaders find the process of dressing to impress a great psychological tool to ‘get into role’ and this approach tends to filter down to other personnel.

Lead from the front
At the end of the day, a good leader is one who earns the respect, trust, and ideally the commitment of their colleagues and team. In order to really achieve this, you will need to be seen to be leading from the front and displaying the qualities and behaviours you are expecting of others. Once they have faith that you can demonstrate that you have what it takes to become a great leader, people will take you as such, and you will be free to lead.

One of the enduring strategies spoken of highly within the HR community is the need to create coaching cultures within business. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that 80% of companies surveyed used coaching techniques as part of their people development programmes.

The benefits to individual development, staff retention, company cohesion and productivity can be large, but how does it work in practice, and how can you tell if you’ve got it right? Below are some tips on how to develop a successful coaching ethic within your company:

Why do it?
A well-crafted coaching programme, either internally run or with the help of outside experts, can be an invaluable tool for organisations and individuals alike. It feeds morale, encourages cross fertilisation of ideas, and stimulates business development through close relationships between staff members.

Even though it sounds good as a generalised concept, it is crucial that any coaching programme be specifically developed for your individual business needs. Good coaching is one to one, targeted at resolving specific areas and skills deficiencies, and is aimed at improving performance in an honest and secure environment.

Synergies within strategies
Any successful coaching strategy should use the company’s business plan as its foundation, judging the benefits and required resources of coaching within the context of the existing and future business model. If your business plan sets targets for growth in particular areas, and you do not feel that you have the skills or experience base to achieve these objectives for example, then your focus on coaching can begin in these areas.

If your coaching strategy is anchored in specific business targets then it has a much higher chance of measurable success, and of reaping the more general benefits that occur in a supportive coaching culture.

One for all, and all for one
One of the secrets to great coaching is getting the match between coach and coachee exactly right. One of the more obvious mistakes that can be made is to match people based on their personality types, rather than their complimentary skillsets. Often it can be rewarding, although sometimes challenging, to match individuals with contrasting personalities, forcing both parties to extend beyond their traditional comfort zone.

Another important element to remember is that all levels of seniority must get involved if you are going to make the successful transition towards a coaching culture. Coaching is all about development at all levels, so don’t be afraid to include Directors in your plans, as they too will benefit.

Coaching culture shock?
As with any corporate change, initiating a programme of coaching may create something of a culture shock within your organisation. This can be quite challenging to manage, mainly because individuals themselves will be challenged to come out of their comfort zone and interact with their peers in a completely new fashion.

The right strategy of implementation should make allowances for this, and ensure that the transitional learning curve is not too steep and the initial expectations not too demanding.

Stick with it
The philosophy of coaching is nothing if it’s not adhered to, or pursued in a short-term fashion. For a cultural change to become embedded in a company’s practices, it must be viewed as a long term investment in your people, and cutting a programme short will inevitably send out the wrong messages to your employees.

If your coaching programme is closely allied with your mid to long-term business plan, then this should allow the cultural shift enough time to take root and become a success.

Report the results and share the achievement
The real benchmarks of a successful coaching strategy within your business are only tangible if you set realistic and measurable criteria and feedback mechanisms from the start. If your goals are to improve an overall skills deficiency in the company, for example presentation skills then you should plan in a method to review the achievements against that goal. All participants could have a presentation day, where they get to show off their new abilities and critique each other in a safe, non-judgemental way.

You should also build in a responsive feedback mechanism to allow both coaches and coachees to comment on the stages of the process, and its effects on their own development. This will create an inclusive aspect to the process, encourage buy-in, and allow you to measure results more effectively. Once these results are verified, make sure that you communicate the benefits back to the participants.

Keep it moving
A successful coaching strategy has many rewards, and has a tendency to inform many different aspects of how your business views itself, its individual and collective development, and even the HR function itself. You may find yourself changing your recruitment strategy to encompass the selection of future employees not only on the basis of their skills offered to the specific role, but also on the array of transferable skills that they can offer the coaching culture itself.

It’s important to keep the coaching culture dynamic, using any feedback gained as a basis for developing further coaching programmes, and keeping the spirit of individual and collective development at the very heart of your business.

The management of Human Resources is in a process of considerable change that will not only affect the day-to-day function of HR professionals, but also the way that they are perceived by colleagues and other industries alike.

The old notions of a largely administrative service are being washed away by a tide of technological innovation that is irreversibly altering the function of HR’s. Automated payroll, e-training and development and the movement towards a truly paperless department are examples of technology already commonplace within the industry, and this places new challenges to the HR professional intent on progressing in this increasingly fluid sector.

In the future (click here for our article about e-HR), HR professionals need to place a larger emphasis on management consultancy skills and develop a broader business knowledge in order to fulfil against the new expectations demanded from the profession. HR departments will invariably shrink due to outsourcing of ‘non-core’ administrative duties and many of the time intensive old processes will simply be replaced by web-based applications. In this sense, much of the ‘old HR’ role will disappear, stimulating an ‘evolve or die’ mentality amongst industry members.

But it’s not all bad news. The HR industry needs to change, and technology has merely acted as a strong catalyst for what some would argue is a much-needed overhaul of the function and practice of human resources. The industry will produce a leaner, more focused generation of professionals, who are more proactive, strategic and business minded, bringing a new set of benefits to the companies that employ them. Not only is this more valuable for a business, but it will create a more fulfilling job role than could have been possible as recently as a decade ago.

HR professionals who can demonstrate a clear impact on the financial performance of a business will be placed in increasingly high regard as the future unfolds. New HR’s will have to show how they can reduce overhead and business costs through better people management, and they will have better analytical tools available at their disposal in order to help this. Once an HR begins to show a broader business focus within this context, they can go on to a bigger, strategic role.

You may well be required to develop a deeper knowledge of elements such as finance, market strategy, technology, staffing and training needs in order to progress your career. More recent skill sets, such as the specialist abilities to manage both change and culture, require specialist knowledge, and the HR’s of tomorrow will have to develop credibility and capability in order to explore such interesting areas of the business.

In a global marketplace, the most successful Human Resource professionals will be those who think from the outside in and provide greater insight as to how the shifting commercial landscape impacts on their people. To be able to deliver some or all of these qualities elevates HR to a much higher position than it has arguably ever occupied.

Which brings us back to the idea of image change. As the new century unfolds, business will have no choice but to accept the new role of HR as more agenda setting than administrative, more proactive than procedural. HR professionals have an individual and collective responsibility to help shape this new perception, and usher forth a new era of dynamic human resources. Ultimately, this progress will filter down through the industry until it affects the way in which we all see HR, and maybe only then will the makeover be complete.

In a recent survey conducted by the Samaritans charity, a staggering 81% of UK workers have experienced bullying at some point in their careers. Of more immediate worry is the fact that ongoing bullying is a weekly or daily concern for one in four currently working in this country. According to business psychologists Pearn Kandola, more than two-thirds of employers reported an increase in harassment and bullying in their workplace over the past two years.

Despite these alarming statistics, there are precious few companies that consistently monitor bullying and harassment levels amongst their employees. If left unchecked, this sort of behaviour can considerably damage relationships, morale and productivity, so what can be done about it? Below are some tips on how to manage bullying and harassment in the workplace.

Be proactive
Don’t wait for the business culture to degenerate significantly, or for genuine grievances to be exposed only when they have reached boiling point. Try and ensure that your company develops a proactive approach to ensure that it remains alert to instances that may constitute bullying or harassment and can ‘nip them in the bud’.

A good way to achieve this is through an anonymous survey of general company culture, of which a few questions can relate to this sensitive topic. This can give you valuable information as to how the company operates, as well as alerting all employees to the fact that the company cares about, and will not tolerate, harassment in the workplace.

Invest in your company’s culture
It is not in your company’s interests to sustain a culture where bullying or harassment is either ignored or tacitly tolerated. In order for your business to thrive, it is essential that everyone within the company pulls together, and it is part of a good HR’s role to help develop a positive culture based on encouragement rather than threat, on support rather than intimidation.

One method of positively shaping the company culture is through training and development programmes that actively address the concerns.. Only through dialogue will any issues of bullying be resolved, and training is a perfect environment within which to subtly tackle negative behaviour of this nature.

Develop and communicate an evolving policy
Ask yourself whether your existing company manual and procedures are capable of dealing professionally with issues of harassment and bullying. It is essential that the company values are enshrined in a policy document that can be clearly communicated to, and understood by, all employees.

By clearly setting out the company’s views and process for dealing with this issue in black and white, you place the responsibility of adhering to company policy on employees, and the document will be useful to refer to in the event of such an issue.

Lend an ear
Most instances of bullying and/or harassment can generally be dealt with through a confidential chat with the parties involved. Regardless of company policy, a good HR will try to ensure that all employees feel comfortable coming to them with problems of this nature, hopefully allowing situations to be resolved.

In order to do this, you will need to be a good listener, and be able to withhold any judgement or bias until you are fully furnished with the facts from both sides. A culture of open communication is far less likely to harbour bullying tendencies.

Take a balanced view
When called upon to deal with any issue of harassment, it’s important to take a balanced view and not create deeper divisions by taking sides too readily and without full consultation. Similarly, try to offer support to both parties, not just the claimant, as the preferred outcome will generally be one where all participants will need to work together again in the future.

Be seen to take action
Once you have heard from both sides, referred back to company policy, and taken a reasonable position on the severity of the claim, it is imperative that you take action. If the harassment or bullying persists even after a confidential conversation with the parties involved, then you must be seen by employees to be taking action on this issue.

The company manual should give you adequate guidance as to the options open to you in resolving any dispute of this nature, although commonly this can be a verbal and then written warning to the offending party. Acting publicly, once all diplomatic avenues are exhausted, sends a clear message out to the whole company that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and will be dealt with promptly and correctly.

Keep evolving
Given the hierarchical nature of today’s businesses, it is not surprising that some people can have a tendency to abuse the power and status vested in them by their job role and overstep the boundaries occasionally in their dealings with their peers. On a personal level, some people use an aggressive personality as a compensation for their own insecurities, and this can cause problems, regardless of the employee’s position within the company.

For these reasons, a good HR team or officer will be committed to a constant evolution of their thinking within this sensitive area. Tweaks to company procedure may be necessary, although equally important are a vigilant eye and a good ear.

Each occurrence of harassment or bullying is by definition unique and individual – it is up to a skilled HR to recognise this and take appropriate measures to correct and reduce what can be a very traumatic experience for those involved.

For further information about bullying and harassment in the workplace, and to find out the rights of all involved, go to http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/DiscriminationAtWork/DG_10026670

Managing stress is an increasing problem for people from virtually all walks of life in modern times. Increasing demands on our time and resources creates pressures that can manifest themselves in our health, our mental wellbeing and our productivity at work and at home.

According to the NHS, some 80% of visits to British doctors are stress-related, whilst the Confederation of British Industry estimates that stress-related sick leave costs British Industry some £12 billion every year. Below are some tips on how to deal with and successfully manage stress within your own life.

Why do we get stressed?
People get stressed for a variety of reasons, and we all have our own individual triggers for what constitutes a stressful situation. Perhaps the stress comes from negative experiences in the past, or maybe it is simply an increased workload and an inability to balance the work/life equation.

In any stressful situation, try and take time to discover exactly what it is that’s worrying you, whether it should be something to worry about to such a degree, and what steps you might be able to take to change your behaviour and reduce it.

Fitness first
One of the primary reasons for a build up of stress levels is an unhealthy lifestyle. If we’re unhealthy, we respond to challenges with less energy levels and consequently run a higher risk of becoming stressed if we do not match up to expectations, even self-imposed ones.

With this in mind, remember to exercise regularly (yoga is a good stress-reliever, as it focuses primarily on breathing), as an increased level of exercise is the single most effective way to combat stress and even depression. Even just going for an extended walk in your lunch break, seeing the sky and getting some fresh air, can do wonders for your stress levels.

Eat yourself calm
During stressful periods, our body generally consumes nutrients faster, and this can lead to deficiencies in your diet that can in turn lead to further stress. Regular eating, in a calm and unhurried environment is essential.

Try and eat foods that are rich in vitamins A, B, C and E, and cram in as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can. Magnesium and selenium supplements can also be helpful in diffusing stress levels. Stimulants, such as coffee and alcohol, should be avoided if possible, as these can crank up stress levels in their own right.

Become good at saying no
In life, the people who seem to manage stress well are often the people who do not have a problem with saying no to things. This does not mean that you should say no to everything, but merely that a balanced life requires a selective judgement on what you should and shouldn’t be spending your precious time on.

By saying yes to every request you receive, whether in the workplace or in your personal life, you run the risk of overloading yourself with too many commitments, which you can’t possibly fulfil to the level that you might like to. Remember to gracefully say no occasionally, and you’re on your way to a life with reduced stress.

Look at your belief structure
Belief structures, the way we see things, are informed by personal values and experiences, although sometimes they can be responsible for irrational behaviour and add stress to an otherwise mildly annoying situation.

Examine your own belief structure, the stress levels that you attach to dealing with certain situations and people, and see whether there are some areas in your life that create more stress for you than they should. Then try and change the way you see and respond to these things in order to diminish the associated stress related to those areas.
Develop your abilities to avoid or deal with conflict
The ability to successfully avoid or minimise the impact of stressful situations is the key to a happy life, both in and outside the workplace. Whether they are conscious of it or not, everyone develops their own coping strategies for resolving stressful encounters. Do you shy away from stressful moments or secretly like the drama? Do you bottle it up or explode? Do you smile at the time and then harbour your grievances in private?

By honestly observing how you deal with stress, you can then start to slowly reshape your coping strategies and responses to it. Don’t be surprised if you start to notice a real reduction in your stress levels, particularly because you have acted differently in what was a previously stressful situation.

See your friends, or make new ones
We have all been in situations where our stress levels have seemed to be at boiling point, and then we manage somehow to laugh about it over a social drink a couple of hours later.

Friends and supportive colleagues can serve as powerful valves for reducing stress in your day to day life. They may also share experiences with you that put your own stress into perspective and make you feel happier and more empowered to deal with the stress in your own life. Even if the stressful scenario seems like a worst case, friends can literally provide a shoulder to cry on, and help you to look outside the initial problem.

Learn how to relax
Most of all, learn how to relax, and teach yourself some new tricks if necessary. The truth is that we all get stressed from time to time, although it is our responses to these moments that set us apart from our friends and colleagues. Crucially however, if you learn how to truly relax in your quiet times, you will find your overall stress levels recede in the times when stress builds up.

Have a bath, do some yoga, eat well and take a walk. Doctors often say that stress is a killer, so do yourself, and those around you, a favour and take some steps to reduce it in your daily life.

From the most innocent flirt by the photocopier to marriages between co-workers, we all know that romance in the workplace is very much a reality. Research conducted by information specialists The Vault, suggests that 58% of those surveyed had been involved in an office romance, up 6% from the previous year. The same survey also found that 21% of employers now have policies that cover this phenomenon, an increase of 4% over the same period.

As we spend more and more of our lives at work, it seems natural and obvious that the office should become a possible context for forming close relationships and even sparking romance. As anyone who has had one will tell you however, it is not always as rosy and straightforward as it might appear, and many more relationships fail begun this way than succeed. Here are some tips for those about to embark, or have already embarked, on an office romance.

Be upfront
As with any relationship, it’s important to be upfront with your intended paramour about your expectations of the relationship, should one begin to materialise. A one-night stand is never advisable with a colleague, although if that’s what you’re after, don’t confuse them by indicating otherwise.

The more upfront you are, the easier the relationship will be to manage in the long run, so don’t be afraid to put your cards on the table if the situation arises.

Keep it professional
Just because you have begun a relationship with someone at your place of work does not mean that you can afford to treat the office and each other with any lesser degree of professionalism. In fact, the reverse should be the case, and the onus is on you to behave with the utmost professionalism in order to avoid charges that the relationship is affecting your work.

Both you and your new romance must agree on the terms of engagement, and stick to them. You both need to agree to keep the relationship secret until you both agree it is ok to go public, to treat each other no differently in the workplace, and to behave with dignity should the relationship break up. In many cases, employees often stay at a company longer than the relationship with a co-worker lasts, so it’s imperative to conduct the relationship right.

Status symbols
All too often the relative status of the two co-workers becomes a defining characteristic in their private relationship, particularly if the relationship exists between two people of non-equal status within the company. This can lead to imbalances within the relationship itself, and also invite outside accusations of favouritism should the relationship be made public.

Relationships with co-workers either your junior or senior are a potential minefield; you will need to be mindful of the implications and, where possible, agree to ditch any notions of status between you when you leave the office.

Remember your colleagues
These are the people you have to come into work with each day and treat the situation as if nothing has changed. Out of respect for your colleagues, their intelligence, and your future working relationships, it is important not to underestimate the perceptions of others with regard to any romantic involvement you might be engaged in with another co-worker.

The underlying issue with relationships at work is that they alter the balance of loyalty within the existing framework, causing jealousies and allegations of favouritism to be perceived which will not be in your professional interests. Try to remain objective and uncompromised when it comes to dealing with your co-workers, as this will mitigate any negative feelings towards your relationship and help with their acceptance should you decide to inform them.

Give each other space
If you work with your partner, the chances are that you will now be spending a very large amount of time together. Within this scenario, it is essential that you give each other some space from time to time in order that you may keep and develop your identity and avoid a sense of claustrophobia.

Workplace romances are exceptional circumstance that require you to operate differently than you would in a conventional relationship, so a bit of time apart occasionally will do you, and the relationship, the power of good.

What goes up…
The unfortunate truth about office romances is that the vast majority of them are doomed to failure. This is largely attributable to the additional strain that the context of the relationship brings, in addition to the intensity of spending so much time together.

If you do find yourself breaking up a relationship with a co-worker, try and conduct yourselves with dignity and respect for each other’s position at all times. Few people in the outside world are forced to come into daily contact with an ex boyfriend or girlfriend in the same way that you would do if you split from a co-worker – worth bearing in mind.

The secret of a successful working relationship
Having said all this, the absolute reality of working life means that a large proportion of us will have romantic inclinations towards a co-worker at some point in their career. It’s true that many who try and balance a workplace romance fail, but it is also true that some succeed, and are thankful that work gave them the opportunity to meet that special person.

Make sure that you have your eyes wide open, however, and have the ability within the relationship to fully discuss the implications and a sensible and agreed approach to dealing with the various challenges that engaging in such a relationship might bring.

June’s temp of the month goes to………..Anne Marie Hayford!!!

Anne Marie is a fabulous temp who has been at Macquarie (Investment Bank) since January as a Roadshow Coordinator, working round the clock to ensure that the roadshows run smoothly!

A graduate in Marketing, Anne Marie began her career as a Marketing Assistant for a furniture company where she was also required to coordinate all open day events. She then went on to work for K&L Gates (International Law Firm) planning their seminars, conferences, corporate entertainment and hospitality for up to 300 delegates in both the UK and Europe.

Anne Marie is a proactive, hardworking and super efficient temp. Her current role at Macquarie often involves long hours and having to work on weekends - a true test of character!!! Anne Marie has been one of the most reliable temps Regan & Dean has worked with, and would be an asset to any organisation.

Well done Anne Marie!

What our clients say:
“During the time that Anne Marie has been working for us she has been consistently loyal, hard working, patient and dependable. In addition to her professionalism, she brings a great sense of life to the team and she is constantly making us laugh. She has been an absolute joy to work with and her skills at Excel have been life saving at times. We value her as a team member and a work colleague but also as a friend.” Macquarie

The Prize
Each Regan & Dean Temp Of The Month receives a £50 gift voucher, some flowers and a permanent entry into the temp ‘Hall of Fame’ on our website, accompanied by a photo and the client feedback that made their nomination so successful.

Nominate your Temp Of The Month Today!
Each month, Regan & Dean will assess the performance of each temp, using their reliability, punctuality and attitude, in direct conjunction with feedback from the client. The temp who we feel has made the most significant contribution to a client’s needs will be awarded the monthly prize in recognition of their achievements.

Any business can nominate their Regan & Dean temp for the award - it’s a simple process, which is a great way of commending and saying ‘thank you’ for their work. Email thea@regananddean.co.uk to nominate your Temp Of The Month today!

Everybody knows that looking after the environment, and trying to cut down on eco-damaging habits is something that will become ever more important as we move further into the 21st Century. Resources are becoming scarcer, and a greater awareness of the environmental impact of our actions means that we must all become more responsible for taking a greener approach to life.

But what can you do to lead a greener lifestyle in the workplace? Here are some top tips on how to build a more environmentally friendly approach to your working life.

Keep everything digital

It seems a little ironic that even though we live in what is commonly known as the ‘digital age’, we still have a high dependency on, and usage of, paper. We generally use each sheet only once, print and/or scribble all over it, and then it is either thrown away or recycled.

The technology now exists to do pretty much everything electronically or online, keeping paper usage to an absolute minimum, so changing habits at work has never been easier. Review documents on screen, rather than printing them out, and send emails rather than letters. All documents can be scanned and stored electronically now, so empty out unnecessary filing cabinets to benefit the environment and give yourself some extra space too.

Check your thermostat

One action that has an almost immediate impact to the energy consumed at work is to check your company thermostat. Most thermostats are set to an automated pattern that does not reflect the fluctuations in temperature day by day.

Remember that each degree warmer you leave the thermostat in summer, and each degree cooler you set it in the winter can save the business between 6 to 8 percent of its energy costs, and keep your green credentials high.

Stand by to end stand bys

Instead of leaving electronic office equipment on stand by, turn off anything that you don’t absolutely need left on when you’re not in the office and, if possible, unplug them too. Every computer left on overnight and every coffee pot left plugged in eats up electricity and costs your company money.

Items that are only used occasionally, such as printers, scanners, and other peripherals, can be unplugged until they’re needed, although make sure to power down inkjet printers before unplugging, as they need to seal their cartridges.

Lighten the load

Everywhere you need artificial light in your office represents an opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint and also your electricity bills. Standard bulbs can be replaced with compact fluorescents, whilst desk lamps can be swapped with a range of LED devices that use tiny amounts of energy to power.

Artificial lighting accounts for approximately 44% of electricity use in office buildings, so remember to turn off any lights not actively being used. Not only is natural daylight a free source of lighting for the office, it has been proven to improve productivity and satisfaction in the workplace, so keep the lights off where possible.

A virtuous re-cycle

Just about everything used in the office these days can be recycled. All types of paper, such as envelopes, fax paper, junk mail and cardboard, can be reused, along with printer cartridges, electronic equipment and even mobile phones.

Try and get some recycling bins placed at strategic positions in your office. It seems like a small thing, but it all adds up. To give you an idea of the impact, office supplier Office Depot estimates that each remanufactured toner cartridge “keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills…and conserves about a half gallon of oil.”

Look into flexible working, or telecommuting options

Every commute between home and the office costs you money, time and fossil fuel, not to mention the stress of getting to work at rush hour, a time when everyone else is trying to get in to work too! Speak to your company about flexible working practices that can actually increase productivity, whilst giving you a better work/life balance and helping the environment.

One innovative solution is to consider the possibility of working four ten-hour days per week instead of five eight-hour days. This process alone will cut the energy and time spent on commuting by 20%, intensify the productivity whilst you are working, and give you some lovely three-day weekends.

If you must commute, make it greener

For many of us, a commute to work for at least part of the week is unavoidable, although we can make it greener by looking at the way that we actually get into work. Ideas such as car sharing with local colleagues and greater use of public transport are good places to start, although for a double benefit, why not consider walking or cycling at least part of your journey?

The environment will benefit, and you’ll also feel better in yourself, knowing that you are making yourself fit and avoiding congested and stressful travel routes.

Real Plants

A great way to do your bit for the environment and make your offices look and feel better is to get hold of some real plants. Many businesses use fake greenery to bright up drab workplace surroundings, but try and talk your company into getting more of the real thing.

It may take a bit more maintenance, but real plants add beauty and generate fresh oxygen into the atmosphere, making an office feel literally much more alive.