Category: Leadership

Businesswoman

How to Become a Great Leader

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Amanda Coulson is Founder of SVC Solutions, one of the UK’s leading provider of business solutions. Drawing on her 22 years’ experience, we find out what it takes to become a great leader.


Love what you do.

It’s absolutely paramount. I believe everyone can be great if they put in the effort and they’re passionate about what they’re doing. You get to the top through determination, tenacity, loving what you do and believing in it. If you don’t believe in something, it’s very hard to make it.

 

KISS it.

Keep. It. Simple. Stupid.

Don’t over complicate it. Otherwise you can get wrapped up in things that take you away from your main visions and goals.

Don’t take everything on yourself. It’s also about delegation. And don’t sweat the small stuff.

 

Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.

The world has changed permanently. See change as a positive. We need to talk, listen, get advice, and adapt our leadership skills to fit with the new world of work. The future is quite exciting. And we’re learning all over again how to alter the process of leadership to the post-Covid world.

 

Plan and prioritise

Time management is vital. Every night before I shut my computer I look at what I achieved that day, then make a to-do list for the next day. I prioritise the big stuff and make a checklist. I also include personal admin in that, so nothing gets left behind. You’ve got a business to run, a family to run, and a life to run. And that’s all one list. By doing this I don’t lay in bed worrying about what I haven’t done or have still got to do. If I skip the planning, I worry.

 

Listen

My Dad has been a huge inspiration. He taught me to remain calm, be realistic and listen. The biggest thing he taught me is never to say: “I told you so.” He listens and then he says: “What do you need?” And I try to be like that with my team. You can sort out so much just by listening.

 

Be kind to yourself

Don’t put huge expectations on yourself and make sure you prioritise what’s important. Look after yourself first. Just like on an aeroplane safety briefing – you always put the oxygen mask on yourself before you put it on the person next to you. Because if you’re not right, no one around you is going to be alright either.

There have been many challenging moments during my career. Recessions and Covid-19 are all part of the territory, but it’s the personal challenges that have been the biggest to overcome – from personal loss to divorce. To keep a business going through a trauma it’s been important to show vulnerability and accept that I’m not superwoman.

 

Ask for help

Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. It’s hard to ask for help when you’re a leader. I tried to be superwoman and always say, ‘I’m alright’. But there’s a danger of everything going wrong if you don’t get help when you need it. If I hadn’t sought out the help of a coach and prioritised my well-being, I could well have headed for a breakdown or burn out.

 

Look after your well-being

I prioritise my well-being, otherwise I get stressed. I meditate daily, have a personal trainer and make sure I take time out. And I try to teach that in my team too. Whether it’s taking a break for a walk, reading, exercising or talking and not holding stuff in. You have to lead by example. If your team see you doing something, they will be more likely to do it, too. At weekends I switch off and have a personal life.

 

Invest wisely

The best investment I’ve made is in the right people, then giving them the time and training to get to where they are now. We also made a huge financial investment in our systems, which has been a great decision. The worst investments I’ve made have been out-sourcing skill sets to the wrong businesses, consequently losing money investing in the wrong people.

 

Get personal

Meet everyone. Get to know your customers. Don’t do it all over the phone. You can’t beat personal contact and connection. I love meeting all sorts of different people. And helping different people.

 

Inspire

I devour books. I take tips from certain leaders – especially great leaders who have come from nowhere. The Richard Bransons and Alan Sugars of this world. Success breeds success.

Everyone has their flaws, but it’s about having passion for what you do that is inspiring in a leader. I can be impatient. And I have high standards. But I will motivate everyone and solve their problems.

 

Enjoy the journey: Dig deep and row hard

I never go into a place and say I’ve done good. I’m grateful for what I’ve achieved but I don’t take it for granted.

People in an office meeting being happy and working well

How Can Happy Employees Make For More Productive Workers?

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

The well-being of employees is crucial. Improper care for staff can impact their performance and can have harmful effects within a company. The Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) conducted research in 2020 demonstrating that reduced labour activity can occur as a result of high stress. Case studies also showed that workplace wellness programmes can result in increased productivity.

So, producing strategies can benefit both the employees and businesses by ensuring that their needs are met. Here, we’ll explore some of the ways that businesses can safeguard their staff.

 

Implementing safety measures

There are many risks in workplaces, especially relating to physical safety. Between 2017-2018, it was reported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that 1.4 million people suffered from work-related illnesses in the UK. As a result, the economy suffered a loss of £15 billion.

High quality working conditions are important to ensure the safety of employees, this includes regular monitoring of equipment. Damage to tools can reduce worker efficiency and could even risk injuring the employee. So it’s important that equipment checks are carried out on a routine basis.

Statistics from the HSE have revealed that between 2018-2021 the number of non-fatal injuries within the construction industry was an average of 61,000 each year. There were also 39 fatal injuries in 2020-2021. With the benefit of protecting staff, the business also can ensure that the site is allowing room for productivity so work is being completed with no issues.

Without physical safety checks there could be many dangerous situations – particularly in industries like construction. These circumstances can impact their health, so they may have to be absent from work. Not only would this affect the business, but it also could have harmful effects on the worker, causing stress from time off work. In 2020, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) discovered through case studies that 97% of construction industry professionals had reported high levels of stress. When the employee is eventually fit to work again an injury might have a lasting effect on work and lead to reduced productivity levels.

 

Recognising essential amenities

Several physical needs can have an impact on our mental state, which is why onsite toilet hire for construction workers is necessary. Providing employees with this reduces the likelihood of distraction and ensures that staff are comfortable and completing work to a high standard.

Water supply can be insufficient at times. Whether this be for hydration or cleanliness, this is essential to ensure that workers’ well-being is maintained. Especially in summer, dehydration among workers can lead to reduced productivity or illness. Making sure that employees are being cared for with suitable amenities ensures that they stay healthy in the workplace.

 

Acknowledging mental health issues

The physical well-being of workers is not the only area to consider, it is important to maintain their mental well-being too.

Monitoring workload can be a simple way to ensure that your employees’ mental well-being is not being negatively affected. Concerns over disciplinary action may cause individuals to hide their issues with work, which could lead to mental health issues. Working whilst ill and absent workers are two issues that annually cost the UK £73 billion. Improving staff well-being can reduce this by creating a comfortable working environment for employees to devote themselves to the company.

Simply encouraging workers to openly discuss their mental health can improve well-being significantly. Although some employees may feel anxious at the thought of revealing their issues, promoting awareness in the workplace can create a safer environment. This transparency can lead to open discussions to provide solutions and improved well-being.

Research by Forbes shows that employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work. Feeling the benefits of a caring employer has a clear positive impact on productivity levels. The construction industry is known for lack of support for the workers, so applying support strategies may set an important example.

 

In recent years, there has been an increased awareness of the need to improve the well-being of workers. However, there is always room for improvement, which in turn can positively impact both employees and the business. By implementing simple strategies to care for staff, companies could see an improvement in their business’ productivity.

Management Team

MBO Planning: Is Your Management Team Ready to Set Up

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

By Kevin Paget, Coporate Finance Director – Menzies LLP.

For business owners looking to make an exit, it makes sense to consider all the options – from pursuing a trade sale to a management buyout (MBO). Even for those that may not have considered it previously, the latter could come out on top – but is the management team ready to step up?

The combination of low interest rates and pent-up demand for funding opportunities, means there is more money available to the corporate finance market than there has probably ever been. For business owners planning an exit this is good news, as the availability of cash-ready funders means more competition to support management buyout opportunities.

While a trade sale is the most obvious course of action for many stakeholders seeking to realise value on route to retirement, a management buyout could be a viable alternative to consider and potentially a great way to reward loyal staff that have helped to grow the business over the years.

Before deciding to pursue a management buyout, business owners should ensure they understand the potential differences between this course of action and a trade sale, especially with regards to valuation and deal structure. A management buyout will generally value the business at a fair and reasonable market valuation that will typically match the price paid by most third-party trade buyers. However, above market valuations can be achieved when there’s a strategic fit. This could be where the customer base, products, intellectual property, or know-how specifically match the buyers’ acquisition criteria. A trade sale to a buyer with a good strategic fit may therefore realise a higher price than a management buyout, but finding themmay not be easy.

Understanding how a trade sale transaction is typically structured and comparing this to the structure of a management buyout is also an important part of the decision-making process. For the business owner, this means knowing how much cash they would likely receive on completion of the transaction and how much they would receive over time on a deferred basis, in both scenarios.

Seeking advice at an early stage can help business owners understand the valuation range and likely deal structures of a typical trade sale, or a sale to the management team. This understanding will go some way to determining whether a management buyout is a feasible option or not.

A business owner may not want to stop working completely and, in this regard, a management buyout could be a more attractive option. This is because the transaction could allow them to reduce their day-to-day involvement, gradually, over a period of time.

When considering a management buyout, forward planning is crucial. Ideally, the existing management team will be well-established and have the right mix of skills and experience to attract the support of a funder. For private equity firms in particular, funding decisions are often directly linked to the quality of the management team. Consideration should be given to any skill gaps within the current management team and how these will be addressed. Making sure the business has a good in-house, or outsourced, finance function, with robust financial management reporting and processes in place, is also vital when planning any corporate transaction.

Whether it’s a trade sale of management buyout, business owners will need to consider how integral they are to the day-to-day running of the business. The more involved they are, the more difficult it would be to exit the business cleanly on completion of the transaction. For a management buyout, a period of transition, whereby the business owner stays involved, often helps to de-risk funders’ concerns and often makes the fundraising easier.  In addition, a period of transition may suit a business owner as they may not want to stop working completely. By staying involved, the business owner can help to ensure the business performs well after the transaction has completed. This could be important if there is some deferred consideration at stake.

Timing is also a key consideration when planning a management buyout. It is important to understand what future trading might look like and  a stable, or preferably growing business is likely to attract greater appetite from funders. Key upcoming events that could have a material effect on profitability, either positively or negatively, should also be taken into account as these could affect the valuation and level of funding raised to support the management buyout. For example, if a key customer contract is up for renewal, it may be worth waiting until it has been secured before funding is sought, as this will help to de-risk the proposition from the funders’ perspective.

Some other aspects to consider that make a management buyout more attractive than a trade sale are the due diligence and legal processes. With due diligence, the preferred buyer will want to thoroughly go through the company’s records, before the transaction is legally completed. Where the buyer is a key competitor, giving access to confidential and sensitive information is often an issue for the business owner that needs to be carefully managed. With a sale to the management team the concerns are far less as it is likely that the management team already know the key sensitive information. On the legal front, the warranties and indemnities given by the business owner in the Share Purchase Agreement will be much lighter if the business is sold to the management team, than to a third party, making the transaction easier to navigate during the legal process.

For the business owner, one of the most advantageous things that a management buyout offers is a high degree of control. Once the feasibility of the management buyout has been assessed, valuation agreed and deal structure outlined, it’s very rare that the transaction doesn’t complete. This is not always the case with a trade sale to a third party where there are considerably higher failure rates.

Management buyouts can provide business owners with a very attractive alternative to a trade sale and a chance to realise a fair and reasonable value for the business while rewarding loyal staff for the contribution they have made over the years. With the right advice and guidance from the outset, this option could suit many exiting business owners in the year ahead.

Celebrity creative director in a photoshoot for their brand

From Entertainment to Enterprise: A New Era of Celebrity Creative Directors

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

The recent appointment of Love Island’s Molly Mae Hague as Creative Director of Pretty Little Thing has proven to be a disruptive topic within the social sphere, leading to conflicting opinions on whether or not celebrities are equipped to lead the creative practices of brands. 

Printing experts Solopress have analysed the new emerging trend of celebrity Creative Directors, delving into the potential benefits and drawbacks of offering senior titles to those already accustomed to the spotlight over professionals who are not.


The World of Celebrity Creative Directors

With household names Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore representing the corporate image of Vital Proteins and Garnier respectively and Emily Ratajkowski named Creative Director of face mask brand Loops in October 2020, there’s an evident rise in demand for celebrities to occupy these sought-after roles.

Supermodel and influencer Kendall Jenner also became the most recent addition to the Celebrity Creative Director roster, joining fashion brand FWRD as Creative Director.

However, it isn’t famous females alone that have made a name for themselves with varying levels of success in the business world, with rapper Big Sean appointed as Creative Director of the Detroit Pistons in 2020, will.i.am being previously appointed as Creative Director for tech giants Intel, and fashion titan Marc Jacobs being appointed as CD of Diet Coke in 2013.

This obvious demand for celebrities in senior corporate roles has left many consumers, followers and industry professionals questioning whether or not these appointments are strategic business decisions or mere PR stunts to drive brand awareness.

 

Are Celebrities Qualified to Become a Creative Director?

Between four and seven years of experience working in the advertising, marketing or design sectors is required for non-celebrity candidates to reach executive level and become Creative Directors, according to Campaign.

Skillshare also notes that degree-level education is required in either art, marketing, graphic design, photography or fashion, in addition to practical experience in the chosen industry, naturally climbing the career ladder from a junior position.

The job specifications and qualifications required for prospective non-celebrity Creative Directors already put these candidates at a significant disadvantage compared to celebrities and influencers, who are given leniency with their credentials due to their status, followership or wider industry experience.

 

What Duties are Involved in the Role of the Celebrity Creative Director?

Creative Directors are tasked with defining the creative vision of a brand, ensuring a cohesive look and feel, establishing budgets and leading the creative team; governing the direction of advertising campaigns and marketing communications.

When it comes to the expectations of celebrity Creative Directors, the rules are slightly more nuanced. Jennifer Aniston’s relationship with Vital Proteins includes being responsible for product innovations and brand strategy in addition to leading a new social campaign for the brand which incorporates her personal wellness rituals.

On the other hand, Kendall Jenner’s Creative Director duties include taking charge of the look and feel of the FWRD site, the curation of brands sold on-site, monthly trend and style edits as well as marketing ideas, brand partnerships and brand activations.

Pretty Little Thing said Molly Mae Hague will be working closely with the brand’s creative team throughout 2021 and 2022, directing upcoming advertising campaigns and signing new faces for the brand.

 

What Can Celebrity Creative Directors Offer Brands?

With their immense followership, strong connection to their audiences and involvement in the promotion of various brands throughout their career, celebrities bring with them the promise of mass exposure, improved customer confidence and increased sales. Leveraging the 6.1 million Instagram followers of Molly Mae Hague or the 191 million followers of Kendall Jenner will naturally enhance the exposure of a brand, which in turn builds momentum from a sales perspective.

This undisputable effect and sales uplift is evidenced in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s signature sneaker for Under Armour named Project Rock One which sold out just 30 minutes after launching. When Pizza brand Papa John’s partnered with Shaquille O’Neal and the star created his own signature pizza, over 3 million units were sold within a 2-month period leading to O’Neil eventually becoming a board member of the brand. 

Creative Director of 20ten Sam Richardson stated that one of the key responsibilities of a CD is to promote a brand in the most effective way possible and hiring celebrities is a strategic way to achieve this.

Whilst some brands will naturally gravitate toward hiring idolised celebrities to share their audiences, others are drawn to their years of experience in certain fields. In response to the appointment of Kendall Jenner as CD of FWRD, Revolve Group shared that due to her years of operating within the fashion industry, Kendall is an expert in the field and therefore couldn’t be a better fit for the position. Similarly, Umar Kamani, CEO of Pretty Little Thing commended Molly Mae Hague for playing such a strong role in the Pretty Little Thing journey and for her investment in the brand, implying that the 22-year-old was selected for her experience, previous input and capabilities in the industry.

Despite the varying motivations for placing celebrities in these demanding roles, are celebrity Creative Directors really up to the task?

 

Celebrity Endorsements Gone Wrong

From David Beckham representing Brylcream and soon after shaving his head, to Helena Bonham Carter revealing “I don’t know why they chose me, I don’t wear much makeup” in response to her becoming the face of Yardley Cosmetics, there have been a number of jarring examples of celebrity appointments taking a turn for the worse.

The event of Lady Gaga being elected as Creative Director of Polaroid in 2010 to develop a wireless mobile printer and glasses that could take pictures that never materialised also suggests that the partnership was forged in pursuit of acquiring the artist’s following as opposed to introducing something new and innovative to the market.

These instances emphasise the real risk attached to celebrity appointments without the attachment of relevant qualifications and commercial awareness. One of the most notable examples being when Jessica Alba was hired as Microsoft’s Creative Director to promote the new Windows phone in 2021, the actress was caught tweeting a picture from an Apple iPhone, a directly competing product.

 

The Average Salary of a Creative Director

As you may expect, becoming a Creative Director in the celebrity world usually involves a highly lucrative proposition. Molly Mae Hague is rumoured to have been awarded a seven-figure deal as a result of her new position whilst for the non-celebrity Creative Director, the average salary sits at £78,654 per year for Creative Directors in the United Kingdom.

Unsurprisingly, this significant pay gap and arguable skills gap between celebrity and non-celebrity corporate brand leaders has sparked a great deal of debate on social media.

One Twitter user commented “Nowadays the connections you have and amount of followers are more valuable than education or experience even” in response to a tweet on the subject of Molly Mae’s appointment, with many others eluding to the fact that those with relevant qualifications would be more deserving of the role. Others took to the social platform congratulating the former Love Island star for her hard work, hailing the 22-year-old as an inspiration, revealing a significant divide in opinion in relation to celebrity “hustle culture”.

 

The Future of Celebrity Creative Directors

Time will tell if this emerging business model of bringing celebrities to the forefront of major brands will become more about finding new ways to resonate with audiences and develop brands and less about reaping the benefits of a celebrity’s huge social presence.

It will be interesting to see if a candidate’s social presence is going to be considered a significant commodity or pre-qualifier in the hiring process as we look to the future of Creative Directors and whether or not measures will be taken to provide fully qualified, non-celebrity Creative Directors with the same benefits and commendation as their celebrity counterparts.

Apprentice

A Guide to Supporting Your Apprentice’s Holistic Health This National Apprenticeship Week

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

By Cheryl McKown, Bupa’s Apprenticeship’s Manager

A tumultuous 24 months has led many people to think carefully about their careers and explore ways of developing workplace skills. Apprenticeships are attractive to many groups, including school leavers, graduates and those looking to change careers or upskill, as they offer the opportunity to learn on the job, develop skills in a real-life setting and earn a wage.

Apprenticeships also benefit businesses, as they bring fresh perspectives and up to date industry insights, and successful placements can lead to productive, long-term working relationships. So how can businesses ensure that they are fully supporting their apprentices to stay happy, healthy and motivated?

 

Create supportive networks

Helping your apprentice to grow into your team starts with getting to know them. It’s important to embrace what makes them different and in doing this, you’ll create an environment where everyone is encouraged to be themselves.

Think about ways you can help apprentices bond and collaborate with others at their level – for example, you could create a buddy or mentor system, connecting new starters with those who have a little more experience, as well as providing access to dedicated online forums and channels.

Employees who feel that their organisation takes an active interest in their wellbeing are more likely to stay motivated, engaged and loyal. Think about arranging informal get-togethers, either virtually or in person to help them to feel part of the team from the off.

 

Encourage a good work-life balance

Particularly at first, some apprentices may find juggling a new role, studying and commuting challenging.

Instil good time management skills by working together with your apprentice to plan how they’ll manage their time between learning and on-the-job tasks. In getting to know your apprentice, you’ll get an idea of what their home situation is like, and what a good work-life balance looks like for them.

It’s important to refer to the ‘20% off-the-job-learning’ rule (a legal requirement of apprenticeships) in gaining this balance and being flexible where needed to adjust the plan to make it achievable. Your apprenticeship provider should be able to support you with this.

Work-life balance is really important in protecting against things like burn out, anxiety and stress, so make sure your apprentices are also building in time let off steam and recharge.

Some people love yoga, others prefer to hit the gym and some might find cooking or crafts help them relax. Getting enough sleep is also crucial.

 

Embrace diversity

As well as celebrating individualism, embracing those from different demographics and with different cognitive styles helps to open the floor to ideas from all employees at all levels. This can harness insightful views from a range of backgrounds, leading to a wider understanding of what your business offers and can provide, from a diverse mindset.

If your new apprentice is from a background that’s not yet well represented across the rest of your organisation, think about how you can specifically support them so that they feel comfortable and included.

At Bupa Global & UK, we launched the ‘Be You at Bupa’ commitment to reiterate that everyone in our business – from all backgrounds – can feel comfortable bringing their whole self to work every day. By celebrating and supporting people’s differences, we aim to promote collaboration, encouraging everyone to feel comfortable working here.

 

Feedback is key

Taking the time to check in with your new apprentice can go a long way to helping them feel listened to and appreciated, which can foster better wellbeing and company loyalty. Additionally, an open-door approach can help apprentices to feel psychologically safe approaching you with any queries or concerns about their learning.

A simple ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’ goes a long way to boosting an apprentice’s feeling of worth. Feeling properly rewarded for workplace efforts helps to boost mental wellbeing and decrease stress.

Regular appraisals or one-to-one sessions give you and your apprentice the chance to speak freely, helping you to gauge what your apprentice is enjoying about the scheme and make any adjustments to help them enjoy their scheme more. As well as listening to them, these check-ins provide the chance to provide any constructive feedback, too.

 

Promote good all-round health

If you introduce your apprentice to a workplace culture that places value on the benefits of being honest and open about both mental and physical help, they’re more likely to follow suit and feel confident to put their health first if they ever need to.

Promoting a positive culture like this will encourage your apprentice – as well as the rest of your team – to bring their full self to work. Finding out what makes your apprentice tick can help you to understand them better, spot any signs that they need further support, and generate an inclusive team spirit with increased productivity.

You can help to further support your apprentice by ensuring that they’ve got access to employee wellbeing services, like Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), GP appointments or health assessments.

Business leaders in a meeting

Myth Busting Change Projects 

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

From introducing more sustainable processes to implementing remote working technologies, change and business go hand in hand. However, common misconceptions about what the people side of change involves can sometimes make it challenging for businesses to get teams on board with their strategy and get change projects off the ground. 

 

For employees, change management often conjures up images of restructuring and job cuts. As a result, some instantly fear the process, assuming the worst, rather than embracing the chance to deliver organisational improvements. Regarding employers, supporting the people side of change is commonly viewed as a ‘nice to have’ rather than something that is essential to the business’ future success. For this reason, it is often the first thing to get cut in times of difficulty, which is arguably when change management is most needed. 

 

There are a number of reasons why these misconceptions exist, but they all boil down to a lack of understanding. People naturally fear change, often taking a ‘better the devil you know’ attitude, causing them to resist the process. This may be exacerbated by a history of poor experiences with change, brought about by a lack of understanding of how people will be impacted, poor communication, and limited support and training. 

 

If employees aren’t on board, then a successful transformation project can be challenging to achieve. Failed change initiatives can taint the opinions of everyone in the organisation, from employees to employers, with people unable to see the value that change can hold when it is done effectively. From then on, it is seen as an unnecessary expense, particularly for SMEs whose finances are more heavily impacted by the process. 

 

However, the reality of change management is far more positive, provided it is carried out effectively. The goal is to understand where an organisation is, where it needs to go, and the barriers stopping it from getting there. Job cuts are often not involved. In fact, the main purpose of change management is to ensure that the transformation being undertaken will benefit everyone involved with the business, from employees and employers to customers and stakeholders. 

 

As such, clearly communicating with employees is vital, as they are the people who will be impacted most. First, their fear of change must be understood and addressed, enabling them to embrace the process. Employee involvement is key to this, so keeping them updated and listening to any concerns they may have should be a priority. This can lead to a state of continuous improvement, where changes are made based on the issues that team members are facing. 

 

Effectively managing the people side of change makes a project far more likely to successfully fulfil its objectives and brings an organisation greater return on investment. Essentially, it enables businesses to do what they set out to do, resulting in an improved work culture and helping them to realise efficiencies.  

 

This creates a solid foundation for the future, helping to weave agility and flexibility into the core of the business. Once people have experienced a successful transformation process, they become aware of change management’s value, and are more likely to accept it in future. As a result, the organisation will become better prepared for any future disruption it may face. When the workforce isn’t fighting change, it can be implemented much more quickly, leading to a happier and more productive team in the long run. 

 

When considering embarking on a change project, it’s important to allocate a reasonable budget and timespan in order to achieve the best outcome, including allowing time for planning and implementation. Change management strategies can also be scaled-up or -down to suit the business’ needs and budget. It isn’t something that only large organisations can afford and benefit from.  

 

Sometimes, a psychological shift amongst employees is needed before change can be implemented, and this can also take time. Not having staff on board throughout the process can be detrimental, with people feeling as though they are being left behind. This is why clearly communicating the project’s objectives is essential, enabling employees to understand the process and give valuable feedback. Proving that they are being listened to is part of bringing them along for the journey, so it’s important to adjust plans as and when this is needed. 

 

Change fatigue can hinder the transformation process, and following the pandemic, it is likely that many people will be feeling it. Recognising this and adapting the change management approach accordingly will help staff to remain supportive. For example, rather than carrying out lots of smaller changes, this could involve implementing one large transformational change that is cohesive and aligns with business’ goals. When you communicate the benefits of a change, employees can visualise what success looks like, and it’s easier to keep them on side.

 

One thing is for certain, change is inevitable, but whether it is positive or negative depends on effective change management. Seeking support from professionals in the field can ensure employees are open to the process from the beginning, improving the chances of success, and future-proofing the business for many years to come. 

 

Anna Lane, senior consultant and Tamara Pleasant, managing consultant at business change consultancy, Entec Si 

Hybrid Leader

How to Thrive as a Great Leader in a Connected Hybrid World

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Hybrid working is now a recognised part of our day to day lives, and whilst a great number of organisations may feel they’ve ‘mastered’ the art of hybrid working during the pandemic, research carried out by Leading Edge found expensive mistakes are being made and huge opportunities are still not being seized.

Two years ago, long before the pandemic entered our lives and daily news cycle, professionals already identified hybrid working as critical to their organisations. According to Leading Edge’s most recent report, the High Performance Insights, more than half of senior leaders (61%) said hybrid working was of high or critical importance.

Organisations that have been able to embrace change and thrive in such a complex world are uniquely prepared to adapt to new ways of working and accelerate their high performance to prosper through the pandemic and into 2022.

 

What is connected hybrid working?

Leading Edge defines connected hybrid working as moving from flexible working to high-performance hybrid solutions. It is the practice of building successful strategies using a combination of new technology, optimised organisational design, role refinement, and engagement through collaboration in order to help teams thrive, not just survive.

True ‘connected hybrid working’ means creating an optimum working approach that’s carefully tailored to your specific operation and the ability to successfully engage every team member to play their part in the organisation’s success.

 

A people centred approach to high performance through connected hybrid working

Organisations also need to be transparent that it’s simply not possible for all roles and all individuals to suddenly work remotely or differently; the need for transparency and equity in our job re-design is an important component of the hybrid conversation.

 

The connected hybrid working lens – differentiating great leaders from good leaders

Leading Edge defines three ‘tensions of leadership’, within which five aspects of mindset, behaviour, and skills differentiate great leaders from good leaders. Viewing this framework through the ‘connected hybrid working’ lens shows the additional complexities that leaders now need to embrace and be enabled to deliver.

The three tensions of leaders – and how they show up through the connected hybrid working lens

1. Find ways to win

Drive performance outputs not inputs

Be intentional in the role of Sensemaker

Embrace technology for new ways of working

 

2. Be your authentic self

Find the balance that works for you

Flex your trust muscle

Embrace your vulnerability

 

3. Be in service of others

Create a safe and inclusive climate

Consciously nurture connections – beware of the visibility trap

Dial up your curiosity to care

 

Three things great leaders are doing right now

 

  1. Embracing radical opportunities. ‘Connected hybrid working’ affords leaders an opportunity to reimagine and revolutionise the future world of work. Leaders can use this as an opportunity to be creative, to draw on the blank sheet of paper, to take bold steps to engage your current and future workforce into roles and ways of working that are fresh and engaging.

  2. Collaborating for success. Success of ‘connected hybrid working’ isn’t attributable solely to the leader. The need to engage and inspire your talent to maintain connection to the organisation purpose and news ways of working is an imperative in the ‘War for Talent’ and made all the more challenging without the shared physical space and ‘water cooler’ conversations.

  3. Testing and learning. We can no longer have the perfect solution before we embark on the next step of our journey. We need to embrace the ambiguous ‘test and learn’ opportunity to embrace connected hybrid working. 80% is good enough. Leaders and teams have to commit and deploy – and accept the changeable impact of the landscape and needs of the individuals to allow for continuous evolution.

 

Victoria Freer-Hewish, Director of Client Experience at Leading Edge says, “Now the first flush of excitement about hybrid working has died down, we are moving beyond the transactional ‘how can we manage the workload’ conversations and into the drive for high performance teams and high levels of productivity and impact, while building engagement and belonging without the mecca of the office. Being intentional about our collaborative working opportunities and ensuring value from the times we are together takes co-ordination and planning.”

 

Case Study: Glanbia’s Smart Working Model

 

The COVID catalyst

Glanbia, a world-leading global nutrition group, made ‘connected hybrid working’ a core priority of their organisation, making unique progress in their approach to help them succeed through the recent global pandemic. But what was first instigated by the pandemic, has since become a fresh, exciting, and successful way for their culture to unlock continued high-performance.

 

A new way of working today that’s built for tomorrow – ‘The Smart Working Model’

The intent of Glanbia’s Smart Working Model was to re-focus their efforts on how work was being accomplished and its outcomes, versus ‘when’ and ‘where’ it got done. Using a combination of new technology, organisational and role re-design, alongside an intentional leadership focus, Glanbia’s model was built from the ground up with employees at the very centre of every decision – based on business requirements, personal preferences, and role requirements.

Adopting a test and learn approach and trying to figure out the best way to be productive and collaborative was encouraged, demonstrated, and modelled by the leadership team themselves; it was a “test” environment that allowed them to see what worked and what did not.

 

The Smart Working Pledge

Glanbia’s Sue Sweem said of their Smart Working Model: “It is more change for both our leaders and employees but we want to retain our talent and be as flexible as possible. It will be important to continue to listen to our employees via survey feedback and react to their needs while also maintaining the needs of the business. In order to succeed, it will mean all groups working together to achieve the right balance.”

Leadership Development

How Your Leadership Will Impact on Company Development

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Effective leadership is one of the essential fundamentals to building excellent organisational cultures. A leader is someone who has authority or influence over an organisation, regardless of the title. Above all, they set the tone for organisational values and culture. 

Leaders can reinforce values while also holding people accountable. Their influence over others can either be good or bad, depending on their leadership style and how they execute strategies. However, both effective and ineffective leadership practices can directly impact company development. Leaders must be deliberate in creating a work culture where employees can thrive. Not having a strong corporate culture can negatively affect employees and the organisation as a whole. 

Here’s how leadership will impact company development.


1. Leading the Brand 

Strong leadership is an important steppingstone to propelling a business forward. A company with inadequate guidance is like a boat with no rudder that will get lost in an ocean full of competition, not to mention unpredictable market trends. Good leaders steer the organisation towards the right path, motivating everyone in the organisation to work together in attaining a common goal. Not only will this foster mutual trust and strong working relationships, but it also helps to create a healthy workplace culture where everyone feels connected and valued. More importantly, it instils positive values in the company and encourages employee engagement, which can benefit the organisation in many ways.

Research shows that highly engaged employees are more productive and are less likely to skip work. In addition, engaged workers are committed to attaining excellent performance and achieving high-quality results. They can make better decisions and work meticulously, from adhering to the right processes to ensuring workplace safety. In addition, these individuals have a better work-life balance, offer exceptional customer care, and are less likely to get stressed at work.

Indeed, having strong leadership can positively impact the organisation’s values and overall work culture. It has favourable effects on the organisation by encouraging and enhancing employee engagement. Therefore, leaders must know how to translate the company’s values into something that everyone will appreciate and can relate to.


2. Leading by Values 

Company values guide everything an organisation does, from talent acquisition to professional development, carrying out the mission and fulfilling the organisation’s vision. Essentially, company values guide leaders in making decisions and interacting with people within and outside the organisation. It’s the foundation of how the organisation emotionally connect with each other.

Values-based leadership is one that instils a standard set of values for all employees in the organisation, improving their willingness and cohesiveness to work together. Understanding that company leaders have similar beliefs often encourages employees to religiously follow instructions, which increases the chances of success in every organisation. In addition, it enhances employee engagement, performance, and retention, all of these foster profitability and growth. Values-based leaders possess specific traits and qualities that make them the best at everything they do.

Values-based leaders know how to look at situations from different points of view and integrate a diversity of thought from the team while also leveraging core values when making decisions. They understand the value of each team member, and therefore, leverages the team’s strengths in all situations. These leaders know how to lead and where to set directions. They are more effective at decentralising leadership, and decision-making since higher degrees of trust exist up and down in the chain of command.


3. Leading People 

One of the main responsibilities of a leader is to encourage the team to do the best they can for the benefit of the entire organisation. To achieve this, leaders must show employees the way and get them involved in the decision-making process. Above all, they should lead by example. For instance, a CEO might discourage unnecessary spending among employees to improve revenues. But if the CEO is very extravagant with his spending, the employees won’t be motivated to follow and will continue with unnecessary spending.

Sometimes, managers can become too busy providing directives and managing the team that they forget to listen to their followers. Thus, training managers to manage people better is essential. The leadership and management training will teach managers how to manage and lead the organisation into achieving and maintaining their best performance for the business.

A good leader must recognise that they don’t know everything and should consider learning something new from junior employees. Besides, most organisations hire staff according to their experience and skills in specific fields. Therefore, leaders should interact and listen to employees and learn something valuable from them. Although managers are meant to lead and give directions, they should not hesitate in getting involved in the actual work. For instance, he can accompany the marketing team on the field. Moreover, the leader should learn to pitch to clients in the same way that the marketing staff is doing, which helps boost the team’s overall morale. Aside from learning new skills, it’s a great way to establish a relationship and build trust with employees.


4. Leading in Recruitment

Recruiting leaders play one of the most critical roles in the company. They are among the most high-leverage leaders, and they partner with other leaders to shape their talent acquisition strategies and work to keep the bar high across the organisation. Recruiting leaders also have a significant impact on the diversity and culture of the company as they bring in new talents.

When leading in recruitment, you must know when to promote current staff or outsource using specialist recruiters. For instance, if the company needs to hire new electronics engineers, they can tap the services of electronics recruitment specialists in hiring experts in the field.

Setting clear expectations in recruiter performance is another vital role that recruiting leaders play. As a leader, you need to think about qualitative and quantitative measurements and, most importantly, connect them to the outcomes and behaviours you want. But take note that not all performance metrics are created the same. For instance, if you over-focus on the number of hires per month, you could end up emphasizing short-term thinking and overlook diversity, quality, and candidate experience.

Real Estate

Intelligent Real Estate

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

CEO, Sean McCauley founded The Devmark Group in June 2018, with Richard Aybar, his founding partner and the company managing director, with a vision to offer the real estate market a unique approach to strategic insight, positioning, marketing and sales for developers and investors.

In light of his pioneering vision, hard work and leadership, Sean has been recognised as CEO of the Year 2021 – United Arab Emirates by CEO Monthly. Join us as we profile Sean’s career and his company.

The Devmark Group serves developers and investors behind some of the world’s most iconic buildings. It approaches them based on its entirely unique model to consulting with and advising leadership teams to relook their positioning, their plans, their marketing, and even their amenities to truly meet the demand. The Devmark Group’s unique selling point is not only its viewpoint (it is not driven by broker KPIs or goals) and its experience, which, combined, is 60+ years among the leadership team, but also its financially compelling partnership model.

It is a consultancy and not an estate agency and in that shift, Sean and co. have created a challenging and fast-growing model for the market. This approach has seen the company grow its client base by 161% in under three years and has led it to winning skyline-changing towers across the city and the world. Its approach to business has led it to stand out and revolutionise how developers are working with consultants and agencies. It has been a market changing journey.

Sean, along with like-minded partners, recognised the gap in a true real estate development consultancy model within the UAE region, and indeed globally, and set out to establish a business that has strategic and impartial intelligence as its core values to driving ROI and success for developers’ projects. The Devmark Group was born with the commitment to truly putting the developers’ project goals at the core of all decision making – connected to sales, but not driven by sales teams alone.

The Devmark Group team plays a pivotal role given that it is a consultancy-based business. The whole group is only as good as its team members, and Sean has spent an inordinate amount of time selecting the best talent for each role as the company grew. Much of what The Devmark Group does today is centred around intellectual property, career long skills and personal track records, and therefore, Sean’s people reflect his handshake – his commitment to excellence from the group.

Speaking about how he leads his team, Sean said, “My leadership style is very much about giving people the confidence and autonomy to make decisions themselves whilst lending my support, guidance and assistance in parallel. I have always where possible created an intrapreneurship environment within the organisation so as not to stifle one’s growth potential. Whilst easy in theory and very difficult to adopt in practice, I have evolved more into an “output-based” leader than an “input-based” leader when it comes to measurement.”

Meanwhile, times are exciting for Sean and The Devmark Group, with core plans for the company including adding further products, services and technologies (including a brand new app) across the property developer value chain thereby creating more of a diversified real estate ecosystem, as well as implementing systems and resources to allow for scalability of the business and geographic expansion.

Sean and co. are also launching their very own market leading advertising and marketing agency this summer which will see a very powerful step taken into a subsidiary area of expertise and enhance and widen their work in the space. With top talent from around the world, this is an extension of The Devmark Group with an adapted approach to strategic and creative solutions in the market.

For further information please contact Sean McCauley via email at [email protected] or visit www.thedevmarkgroup.com

Marketing

Marvellous Marketing Mover!

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

The world of marketing has changed significantly over the years, requiring a management approach that is flexible and driven in equal measure. Few CEOs display these qualities as well as Loay Almagushi, of First Mover, a company committed to brand management on behalf of numerous organizations. Now named CEO of the Year, 2021 – Saudi Arabia in CEO Monthly’s rolling series of CEO of the Year awards, we thought it time to dig a little deeper into the secrets of Mr. Almagushi’s success.

Running a business for the modern marketplace is very different from running one just twenty years ago. The world has moved on incredibly quickly, and it’s essential that businesses are able to catch up. When First Mover first opened its doors in 2016, the challenge was finding a place for the project to succeed. The original team quickly fell apart, thanks to the frustrations of the industry. Its current CEO, Loay Almagushi, is the only one of the original team still in the company and he has seen the agency grow to its current impressive achievements.

The lessons that Loay learned during that first difficult year have guided his leadership for the last four. The plan had always been to create a modern marketing company, but it was the challenges of creating such a business during that first year that taught him how to do it. The firm has used these teething troubles to support other businesses, and has earned its motto of “Backing You Up”. The support it is able to provide allows other companies to avoid the mistakes made by First Mover in its early days and has been intrinsic to the team becoming the 360-services agency that it now is.

Under Loay’s leadership, the agency has grown to a size where it is able to support all of the services that an organization might need, including brand development, management of social media presence, building marketing and digital strategy, digital marketing, event management, and media production.

The team’s mission to be one of the leading creative agencies in the country has become solid reality over the last few years, having seen accomplishments such as the establishment of a significant client base which includes more than 11 government bodies and mega-size enterprises in KSA. The revenue of the company from the first and second quarters have covered the entire revenue created during 2020. Even with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has still been a record year for the company, as the team saw revenue increases of 80% when compared to 2019. Moreover, in 2021, First Mover became a member of the International Association of Exhibition and Events, the global authority on standards and criteria of the events industry, enabling First Mover to expand its own presence and standing in the events management sector of Saudi Arabia.

In short, therefore, the leadership of the firm, and the success of that leadership has been one of the key factors behind the business’s success. Loay has been a major part of establishing the tone and feel of the company, guiding from the front at all times. His approach of “my team is my family” has been at the heart of his management style since the beginning, earning him incredible loyalty from his workforce. To ensure that he knows everything that is happening in the company, Loay has an office space in the heart of the team’s desks, always close to what is happening on the ground. This perspective allows him to make rapid changes where necessarily to create the best results, while also providing a friendly face to the management team.

The nature of a business like First Mover means that Loay is always in the thick of a project, acting as a consultant to businesses in the government sector, as well as large and medium sized companies. He leads by example, putting the benefits of a choice to the client first and making sure that they are always comfortable with the decisions being made. It’s not enough for him to find options for a company to take. First Mover achieves its best work by ensuring that everyone is on board with the project.

The name “First Mover” refers to what Loay calls his incredible team. They have been built up over the years to become success makers in every respect. The people behind the company have been hired and inspired to act as passionate people who want to reflect the creativity they see in their minds as works of art for clients. This passion is driven by the fact that the team are not forced to take on projects. Instead, Loay has developed a highly selective system where only those companies to whom the team can make a real difference are taken on as clients. By ensuring satisfaction on both sides, it’s possible to create a business with real drive to achieve as the team know that they are always pushing to make a real difference.

The value of marketing is one which organizations around the world are still yet to fully uncover. Thanks to teams like those at First Mover, under the care and guidance of leaders such as Loay, they are able to reach their full potential.

Company: First Mover

Name: Loay Almagushi

Email: [email protected]

Web Address: https://firstmover.com.sa/

Fine Hygiene

Shining Star of Arab Hygiene Goods

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH) is one of the world’s leading wellness groups and the MENA’s leading manufacturer of hygienic products. The company offers a diverse array of products including sterilised hygienic paper products such as facial tissues, napkins, kitchen towels, toilet paper, nappies, adult briefs, jumbo rolls, as well as away-from-home products to accommodate all types of private and public institutions, in addition to innovative personal protective equipment (PPE), long-term germ protection solutions and a varied line of health supplements.

In 2018, James Michael Lafferty became CEO of FHH and he comes to work each day seeking to re-earn his position and his pay, constantly on his A-game and refusing to live off his past victories. He is always looking to set a new personal best. It is because of this that CEO Monthly has recognised him as CEO of the Year 2021 – The United Arab Emirates. Join us as we take a closer look at his career and company.

FHH believes in doing the right thing. Always. This means doing business with a sense of integrity and commitment to excellence that extends throughout every aspect of its operation. In line with this commitment and the company’s mission to improve the wellness of the world, it has tailored its approach to best service its customers, employees, shareholders and its communities, underscored by its vision to become the shining star of the Arab fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business world.

Since its establishment in 1958, FHH has been committed to creating products that go the extra mile in terms of hygiene, quality and value for consumers – its uniquely sterilised tissues are just one example of this. FHH is the only company that takes the time and effort to sterilise its tissues and paper products, and it does it because its customers deserve nothing less than the best.

FHH is, and will always be a customer-centric company, adhering to the highest global standards in everything it does. Every product it produces has been engineered to cater to its customers’ needs and wants, and it constantly seeks to innovate new products as those needs evolve over time, as it did in 2020 with the Fine Guard line of PPE in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And its efforts have not gone unnoticed – it not only receives testimonials from its individual consumers and business clients, but also from all of its stakeholders.

Before he entered the corporate world, James Michael Lafferty was a professional track and fitness coach. In 1984, he was initially hired as a fitness instructor for Proctor & Gamble, then later entered its brand management programme. Eventually, he went on to become a brand manager and later was transferred into an international career that took him to Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. In 2015, he joined FHH as a board member, and then he became CEO in 2018.

As a track and fitness coach, he worked with extremely talented and disciplined athletes, and there’s one particular attribute they all share – a willingness to win and a refusal to rest on former glories. That mindset is what separates the repeat winners, the champions from the occasional winners, and that attitude is needed in business.

Speaking about his leadership approach, James says, “As a leader in today’s world, you must always be seeking knowledge and working to broaden your horizons beyond the scope of your industry. I take on new challenges regularly, try new things and take on new assignments, because I know that growth happens when you get out of your comfort zone. As a result, my team sees me taking courses and trying new things to better myself and broaden my horizons, and this culture cascades down and helps the entire organisation grow.”

Approaching 60 years old and in the apex of his career, James’ focus is on legacy at this point. He has long desires to have a positive impact on this world, to make the world a better place and leave this earth better off than how he entered it.

He says, “I am extremely proud to be working on the products and projects that we have today in FHH. To be able to offer breakthrough disinfecting technology with Fine Guard. To be able to offer clinically-proven products like Motiva Supplements and Eon Longevity Tea, shown in research to dramatically improve life by fighting modern-day scourges such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, MS, Parkinson’s, among many others. It is incredibly gratifying.

“FHH has transformed from being a company that offers great products, to one that improves life and saves lives. There is no more noble purpose in life than to help others and preserve human life. I am proud to be part of this transformation.”

For fruther information, please contact James Michael Lafferty of visit www.finehh.com

Ovarro

Connecting Technologies

Posted on | by Patrick Doherty

Some 40 years ago, Ovarro started through its people collectively working together, sharing knowledge and ideas to create solutions that would solve problems for its customers through engineering ingenuity. Ovarro CEO, David Frost has been recognised by CEO Monthly as CEO of the Year 2021 – Leicestershire for his success with the company. Join us as we find out how he did it.

Ovarro’s ethos of innovation is what makes it so successful and has created a global business, providing critical technology that is working 24/7 behind the scenes to ensure people and businesses can get on with their daily lives through intelligently managing assets across critical and national infrastructure.

The company serves the industrial IoT marketplace globally. Wherever there is a need to monitor and control a remote asset, Ovarro has a role to play. It particularly focuses on demanding applications within the utility sector (water, power, oil and gas, general process industries) as well as the infrastructure within broadcast, telecoms and transport.

It serves its markets through both a direct and indirect sales model, working with Approved Ovarro Partners (AOPs) in most countries around the world. The UK is Ovarro’s home market where it looks to serve the major utility companies through a direct sales model.

At Ovarro, the number one company value is ‘one team’. The success of the business is as a result of every single team member understanding what the company is aiming to achieve in support of its customers and knowing their roles in order to help it get there. Ovarro continues to invest heavily into the development of its people, most recently launching ‘Ovarro Academy’ and an ‘Ovarro way’ of leading supported by a comprehensive leadership model applicable to all team members.

The world in which Ovarro operates is data rich and information hungry. And the pandemic has helped its customers accelerate the move to the digital world, and the demands of its products and services is increasing as a result. As the pandemic hit the world, Ovarro moved quickly and decisively to set up 80% of its global population to work remotely, protecting the remaining 20% working in its factories in as safe as an environment as it could make it.

Thankfully, Ovarro end markets have demonstrated tremendous resilience to all the pandemic has thrown at it and has remained fully operational throughout. To that end, its staff are now benefitting from a better balance of work / life as the company considers returning post-pandemic and creating an environment for its teams to thrive within.

Ovarro’s primary focus is to help its customers turn data into actionable insight into the performance of their assets. This requires it to continue to invest in the latest technology for monitoring, controlling and communicating data form remote assets. Ovarro has launched a new family of data loggers, capable of simple pressure and flow monitoring through to transient pressure event logging and acoustic noise detecting for pinpointing leaks on water networks.

The company is now turning its attention to developing a suite of applications to help interpret data for its customers. It is applying advanced data analytics tools alongside its application know-how to present its customers with full managed service offerings that provide true insight into their operations.

Prior to joining Ovarro as CEO, David Frost enjoyed a career of over 20 years working with the larger industrial automation giants such as GE, Honeywell and the Eaton Corporation. He progressed through product line leadership roles before spending the last 10 years of his career in general management in both the UK and US.

Joining Ovarro was a fantastic opportunity for him to truly deploy all of his learnings and experiences of Corporate America to a business hungry for change, investment and leadership through a rapid growth chapter of its history.

By far the biggest challenge since David joined Ovarro has been the pandemic. He said, “When faced with a situation for which there is no rule book, your leadership experiences are truly tested, a moment that truly defines you as a leader and as an organisation.”

“I am very proud of everyone at Ovarro in the way they have responded so positively in the face of adversity. It set us a true test to see if we do live our values every day and provided us all with many opportunities. I can confidently say we are meeting the test so far!”

Indeed, the last three years have been the best of David’s career to date, without question. He and the team have achieved so much together, learning and leading in the ‘Ovarro way’! Long may it continue!

 

Contact Details 

Company: Ovarro Ltd

Contact: David Frost

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.ovarro.com