by admin | Apr 15, 2020 | Business Tips
As we know, the makeup of teams has changed with COVID19. We’ve got more people working remotely—working from home or in other offices, working with split shifts with half the team working in other offices—to try and minimise the ongoing impact of COVID19. Basically, it means more disruption and less face-to-face communication.
Working remotely is a very different thing. Remote workers usually have lots of distraction, limited time constraints (“work when I want”), less formality, no dress code, and none of the normal rituals they’re used to going through at work (coffee, lunch, social stuff, meetings).
There’s a lot less connection with peers so communication is deliberate and not accidental. There are no water cooler conversations, coffee or tea breaks, lunches, and isolation can be very challenging for some.
Some remote workers also find they have limited IT systems and internet speeds, and this may affect their productivity i.e. where they’re used to having 2 or 3 screens at work, they’re now limited to 1 screen through VPN, and internet speeds could be significantly lower.
Another thing to think about is that “Present is not productive.” For them to sit in front of the computer 8 hours a day is not necessarily productive. I’ve put together some productivity hacks for remote workers that is worthwhile communicating with your staff to give them some ideas on how they can be a bit more productive. You can find them here – https://shifft.com.au/business-tips/working-at-home/
Remote team management for me is around 4 things:
1. Support by a strong foundation of good leadership
In these difficult times, you can never underestimate the need for strong leadership. So, what is your “Personal Brand” as a leader? If you haven’t taken the time to develop it, now is a great time to do so. As a leader, you’ll need to be clear on what it is you stand for and how you want to be perceived by your team. We have discussed your Personal Brand in previous blogs. Watch this short video for some insights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI3X5LwPs4A
It is also important to monitor the mental health of your team. Be in touch with them regularly and encourage them to seek assistance, if required, and maintain contact. It’s times like these when people can come really “undone”. There’s lots of negativity in the media that they’re exposed to now and that’s going to knock some of your team around.
2. Effective communication
In these times, there should be more communication, not less. Ramp up the level of communication in your organisation. Have regular meetings at consistent times to put some regularity and consistency back into people’s days.
What “meetings” should we have?
Daily “Zoom” huddles – for teams and/or organisations with a lot of people working remotely
Daily Transactional Meetings with direct reports – to set clear expectations
Weekly “Zoom” meetings for organisations
Frequent Leadership meetings
Be available. This is not a good time to be occupied with other things. Make sure you’re available and there to support your team. Some businesses have a large proportion of their staff on reduced hours, and it will be challenging to keep them motivated and engaged with your organisation so that they are ready for when things turn around.
Make meetings fun. Try and make meetings a bit more engaging particularly when they’re a bit dry over their computer.
Make everyone feel part of the team. Think of what you can do to have some regular team events. Encourage virtual social events such as virtual morning teas, virtual lunches, etc. I ran a virtual drinks event over Easter, and though it wasn’t as fun as being together with everybody, at least we all got a chance to connect and talk.
3. Managing productivity
In an office environment, it’s easy to see and monitor what people are doing. But when they’re away, it’s much harder so have some systems in place.
Set clear expectations on “Performance”. There are two sets of expectations – global and individual. Global expectations are for everyone. What are your basic requirements? How would you like them to respond on things like: dress code, work times and effort, communication (response times, etiquette), confidentiality and productivity? On the other hand, individual expectations are set based on a person’s role (leadership, supervisory, etc.) Remember, DO NOT verbalise expectations – write them down!
Define productivity. What is productivity to you? What measures are you currently using? What measures should you be using? It’s often easier to define productivity via outcomes or tasks that you want teams or individuals to tick off that are linked to overall profitability and strategy. Build an Objectives and Key Results (“OKR”) framework for a more structured way of measuring productivity that cascades down from your strategies and plans.
Also, a video well worth watching on this topic is David Marquet’s Empowerment “Turn the Ship Around”. It’s a fantastic video about engaging with our people in terms of their output and their productivity, and the way we want them to get things done. Watch the video here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqmdLcyES_Q
Document roles and responsibilities. Too often, we don’t take the time to sit down and document what we expect of people in their role: what their responsibilities are, what levels of authority for decision-making will they have. There are great templates for this so make sure you take the time to document their roles and responsibilities particularly in productivity and performance.
Task Management. How will you allocate, communicate and manage tasks? This is where electronic systems like Trello can be invaluable. It is a system that I use for communication and for managing tasks. It allows full visibility, things don’t slip off the grid, you can have specific conversations with your team, and it stops a million emails from going back and forth.
I’ve put a video on how to use Trello on the website that you might find useful – https://shifft.com.au/videos/#oArrfgSv-gQ
Measure productivity. You can either have a manual-based or electronic-based process to collect data to measure productivity. Both processes are input-based but the electronic “harvested” data is probably the place to get to as it makes it easier for reporting. With measurements, it’s important to think about how you are going to report and who has access to that information. Universal access is not necessarily the right thing, although, individuals will need to see their data because measures are all about giving them something they can actually take control of and change.
Review performance. In my experience, it’s better to have a monthly circuit breaker discussion. It’s useful particularly in a time like this where teams are distributed, where you’re not going to have regular catch-ups. It’s good to have 10 or 15 minutes with each person once a month. For information on running Circuit Breaker sessions – https://shifft.com.au/circuit-breaker/
4. Having the right tools
Internet speeds. If you’re going to have people working from home or in different environments, it’s important that they have the fastest internet speeds available. Upgrade to faster NBN, upgrade download limits to “unlimited”, and consider subsidising for individuals particularly those on significantly reduced salaries and having to work from home.
Video conferencing. Make sure you’re using Zoom, Microsoft Team, or GoToMeeting for your distributed team meetings. Invest on better cameras and microphones particularly if you’re talking to clients, customers and suppliers. If you’re using Zoom, we’ve put some resources on the website that you might find useful – https://shifft.com.au/using-zoom/
Video messages rather than email. It’s easy to do and is far more productive. Video messages will take you 2 or 3 minutes to get you through what usually takes 10 or 15 minutes to type. Just remember that you need to plan your response so it’s not a ramble but rather a structured conversation. Record short videos and email them to your team and/or clients. Some tools you can use for this are: Snagit, Loom, Camtasia, Screenflow or simply use your smartphone and take a video.
More complex systems for larger teams. If you’ve got a larger team, you might want to think about more complex communication systems to get rid of email. You will want more of a chat-style product which Slack or Microsoft Teams allows you to do. I find Trello for small teams is just about all you need.
Now that you’ve got stuff sorted on managing your remote team, some next steps are:
- Access the COVID19 Business Guide. There are heaps of business resources there that you can use to help manage your team and do things a lot better than you currently are – https://shifft.com.au/covid19-business-resources/
- Sign up for our FREE Online Business Training. If you’re interested in getting some training for some of your staff/team members, colleagues/associates, we’re offering 2 free online training courses. There are 25 courses to pick from—they’re normally $200 each— but there’s a limit of 2 per person. We’re doing that as our way of helping people build their skills in these difficult times. Sign up here – https://shifft.com.au/free-online-business-training-programs/
- Book a call with Russ. If I can help you at all, please give me a call. I’m happy to have a 30-minute to 60-minute call with you at no charge just to help you get through this difficult time. We’re all in it together so I’m more than happy for you to book a call with me through this link – https://calendly.com/russellcummings/30-minute-call or simply pick up the phone and give me call on my mobile 0414 929 585.
If you’ve got any questions, please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone or flick me an email. Hopefully we can get through this mess in the shortest period possible.
Stay safe,
Russ
by admin | Apr 12, 2020 | Business Tips
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all businesses in one way or another. With no clear end to this crisis in sight, business owners are becoming increasingly anxious as to how to best handle their employees. We have already seen in Australia large corporations forced to implement mass stand downs of employees. However, whether or not standing down employees is the right step for your business will vary on a case by case basis.
We have helped some of our clients navigate these challenges. Below are the main options available to business owners.
If you need help identifying the best option for you and your business, please contact Quest Legal at info@questlegal.com.au.
Decreasing or modifying your employees’ hours
It may be possible for you to decrease the regular hours for some or all of your employees. This not only allows you to manage your wage costs, but also allows you to ensure that your employees are treated fairly. However, whether or not you can reduce hours will depend on the employee’s employment agreement, the National Employment Standards and the relevant industrial award.
Importantly, in most cases any change to an employee’s hours of work (whether that be achieved via the reduction of days worked or through the use of annual leave etc) must be agreed upon by both parties.
In the event that you alter an employee’s hours of work without their consent, you may be found to be in breach of the employment agreement or the National Employment Standards.
Standing down
Another option is to stand down an employee. “Standing down” means that your employee does not come to work, and you do not pay them a salary, however their employment has not been terminated.
Many employers, including large businesses such as QANTAS have stood down employees as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
Section 524 of the Fair Work Act allows a business to stand down an employee without pay during a period in which the employee cannot be usefully employed because of:
- Industrial action;
- A breakdown in machinery or equipment; or
- A stoppage of work for any cause for which the employer cannot reasonably be held responsible.
Typically, significant reductions in business because of COVID-19 would fall into the third category.
However, the case Re Carpenters and Joiners Award established that you cannot stand down an employee if there is useful work available that is within the terms of the employee’s contract of employment. The work available need not be the work that the employee normally carries out.
The onus is on the employer to show that the employee could not be usefully employed. A right to stand down an employee will not exist simply because the employer can no longer afford to pay the employee.
Therefore, the right to stand down employees must be exercised with both caution and diligence.
Termination (without redundancy)
Another option available for employers is to terminate the employee’s employment contract.
In order to terminate the contract a business owner must show:
- There was a valid reason for the dismissal related to the employee’s capacity or conduct;
- The employee is notified of this reason, and given an opportunity to respond; and
- The employee had previously been warned that their performance was unsatisfactory.
Termination in this way could lead to an employee claiming unfair dismissal. An employee can only bring an action for unfair dismissal if they have been employed for more than 12 months by a small business (less than 15 employees) or for more than 6 months for a large business (15 or more employees). An application for unfair dismissal must be lodged with the Fair Work Commission within 21 days of the date of termination.
In the event that an application for unfair dismissal is successful, then the employer can be liable to pay damages to the employee up to an amount equivalent to 6 months of their base salary.
For this reason, a business owner must be careful when terminating an employee to ensure they have followed the required steps to dismiss the employee and are in compliance with the employment contract and the Fair Work Act.
Redundancy
Employers can also assess whether an employee’s role is now redundant.
In order for a redundancy to be classified as a genuine redundancy for the purposes of the Fair Work Act, the employer must no longer require the role performed by that employee to be performed by anyone. That is, the role itself becomes redundant, rather than the individual.
Common reasons for making a role redundant include a corporate restructure, economic hardship or slow down due to lower sales or production.
When a role is made redundant then the employee will be entitled to notice of termination and redundancy pay (the amount is determined under the employment contract, relevant award or National Employment Standards).
Again, a business owner must be careful when determining that a role is redundant to ensure it is a genuine redundancy and to ensure compliance with the employment contract and the Fair Work Act.
Government support
The Government has begun rolling out incentives to help businesses retain their employees.
Importantly, we note that the Job Keeper payments are not available in respect to employees who have already been terminated or made redundant. However, they are available in respect to employees who have been stood down or had their hours reduced.
Please see the below helpful links to information on the Government incentives which we recommend you carefully review.
JobKeeper Incentive: https://www.ato.gov.au/Job-keeper-payment/
Boosting Cash Flow for Employers Incentive: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Business-activity-statements-(BAS)/In-detail/Boosting-cash-flow-for-employers/
Instant Asset Write-Off for Eligible Businesses: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Depreciation-and-capital-expenses-and-allowances/Simpler-depreciation-for-small-business/Instant-asset-write-off/
Backing Business Investment – Accelerated Depreciation: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Depreciation-and-capital-expenses-and-allowances/Backing-business-investment—accelerated-depreciation/
If you need help with any employment related matter please contact Quest Legal at info@questlegal.com.au.
Regards
Juan Perez
p | 02 9431 5307 and 1300 279 500
w | www.questlegal.com.au
a | 133 Alexander Street | Crows Nest | Sydney | NSW | 2065
by admin | Mar 23, 2020 | Business Tips
I hope the pressure of the COVID19 situation is not getting you down. The impact of the virus will vary widely across businesses and as a result there is no “1 size fits all” solution. Some businesses will prosper and others will take a hit during the following months.
However, I do believe that being proactive rather than reactive is the key.
To help you with this, I have compiled a “COVID19 Business Survival Guide” that outlines 25 tasks you should consider implementing across your business in the very near future. I will continue to update this with new tasks and resources on a regular basis.
I’m happy to help you tailor your responses to each task using a Zoom video conference – prudent in the current environment.
To book a Zoom/phone call with me, use this link then it will take you to my diary and you can find a time that suits you for a call. It will book an hour call but its ok if we don’t need to use all that time. 60 min Call – https://calendly.com/russellcummings/60-minute-call
If you would rather just have a quick chat then simply call me on 0414 929 585 – I’d be happy to take your call.
Take care
Russ
by admin | Dec 19, 2019 | Business Tips
2019 is almost over and we’re in the last minute sprint to the Christmas break and some holidays. However, it’s also a great time to stop, prop and reflect on the year that has been.
I work with a wide range of business across many sectors and industries and I am finding that the pace of change is increasing rapidly – competition, regulation, technology, people, marketing, business models… every facet is under the pressure of disruption and change. I’m sure you’ve noticed it in your business…
As we move into a new decade (wasn’t 2020 where all the science fiction books from my childhood were positioned? …and now we are here!), it’s worthwhile taking the time to evaluate and set up a clear plan for 2020.
So here are my Top 5 Tips (including Resources) for Setting your Business up for a great 2020:
1. Take the time to evaluate where you are now…
This seems relatively straightforward but so many businesses just give a cursory glance to the NOW. At a minimum, sit down with your Accountant or Advisor and review your finances and the year that has been. You can also complete a simple business diagnostic to identify strengths and weaknesses or if you have undertaken a major change initiative use our Change Success Diagnostic to try and work out what you could’ve done better.
TIP: Think about the immediate issues but also the future issues that will impact your industry and your business in the next 3 to 5 years.
2. What’s happening in your industry?
Again, most people say “I know what’s happening” and fail to see the real issues. Take the time to review – I like to use a simple Supply Chain Model for this: that looks at what is happening for our Suppliers, Our Competitors, Our channels to market and our Consumers. Watch the video for more information on this process.
TIP: Think about the immediate issues but also the future issues that will impact your industry and your business in the next 3 to 5 years. Watch some TED Talks and YouTube clips of conference speakers. Look for people who are talking about disruption and change in your industry (or related industries) as the pace of change is far quicker than you think. Be Visionary not a “nay-sayer”.
3. Develop Innovative Strategies…
This is harder than it sounds but is critical to your success. Too many people have set up “copy cat” businesses that are exactly like the competition… Our products are similar, our pricing is similar, our marketing is similar – we are just slightly different versions of the same vanilla business. So, take the time to really understand your business, industry and target market, develop your competitive advantage and build a business that is truly different. Often small changes can be enough to carve a new niche for you. Look to innovators in your field and related fields – check out their websites, social media, products, etc.
TIP 1: Don’t just look at whole businesses – look at components of your business. For example: if you have a bricks and mortar business supported by an online business, then look at what leaders in online are doing irrespective of the sector and glean insights that you can apply to your business. Don’t copy blindly but modify and adapt concepts to meet the unique needs of your business and customers.
TIP 2: Take the time to understand the target market for your services and products. Do the simple exercise outlined in this video and see what innovative ideas flow from understanding your client’s key frustrations, fears, wants and aspirations.
4. Build a clear plan for 2020…
Once you have worked through the first 3 Tips, then step back and take the time to build a clear Annual Operating Plan (“AOP”) for 2020. An AOP is a simple structured plan for the next 12 months in your business. It should be focused in the high level strategic actions (or “Big Rocks”) that you MUST implement in the coming year if you are to be on target for your 3-5 year plans. It’s not a complex process and it’s highlighted in this short video (with template).
TIP 1: Once you have created your 2020 plan run it through our Change Success Diagnostic to see what actions you need to take to improve your chances of success -https://shifft.com.au/change-success-diagnostic/
TIP 2: Use the Personal Change success Diagnostic to determine what you might need to focus on personally to make significant changes – https://shifft.com.au/personal-change-success/
5. Focus on YOU…
This is the most critical tip of all… In our modern, high pressure world, as Business Owners and Managers, we put ourselves under increasing pressure to perform… and we often have unrealistic expectations of what is achievable. We then “beat ourselves up” for not meeting these aggressive “stretch targets”, when in reality our performance has often been stellar. This propensity to create unrealistic expectations also flows from our personal lives, where we are constantly comparing ourselves to the “unicorns” and icons of social media, society and business. These factors mean that over 33% of the population suffer from depression, anxiety and stress disorders and my personal experience is that in the business world this can be even higher… this is a tsunami of pain and pressure that can no longer be swept under the carpet. So what can you do about this as we move into 2020?
TIP 1: The first step is to understand that these pressures (perceived and real) pervade all aspects of our lives and impact us all. Mental health is a critical component of business success so take the time to address it. Get help in the form of counselling, hypnosis and training. Learn to understand your personal stressors and trigger points and develop strategies to stop them blossoming into larger issues. Consider taking up practices that make you more mindful and balanced like yoga, martial arts and/or meditation. Make sure that you have a “balanced”, fulfilling life away from work and there is time for YOU.
TIP 2: Set realistic targets for the next 12 months… I’m not suggesting that you don’t set ambitious targets… but make sure that they are realistic and achievable with the skills, capabilities and resources that you have available.
TIP 3: Find an activity for YOU. Get a hobby, interest, sport that is something for you (no… drinking beer is fun but its not the sort of hobby I was thinking of). I love riding my motorcycle (its fun, relaxing and a mindful activity for me) and I make sure that I have at least one decent 2-300km ride every week (not commuting – a ride for me!). Since taking the time to do this regularly, my productivity and revenue have improved despite me “working” less hours… remember “present is not necessarily productive”…what is an activity that you want to do – just for you?
For many of my clients, 2020 looks like a promising year full of opportunities and I’m sure it will be for you. Rather than charging headlong into the fray… stop, prop, reflect and plan your approach so that you are proactive rather than reactive… you will reap the rewards from this small investment in time.
Work through my Top 5 tips and the resources and apply them to your business… I’d be interested in your feedback on how you approached 2020 and am happy to have a 20 minute chat with you (no obligation… no sales pitch) to discuss any issues/challenges these processes may have raised for you and help you find a solution. Click the link below to book a quick call.
https://calendly.com/russellcummings/20-minute-with-russ
I wish you every success in 2020.
Russ
by admin | Nov 19, 2018 | Business Tips
In many businesses, particularly in service businesses, clients often cannot tell whether you are any good at what you do – there are no benchmarks.
Consumers often only find out how poor a supplier has been when they finally change to another provider. For example: the new accountant picks up a heap of errors the previous accountant had made.
Now, there is no substitute for doing really good quality work – great service and products – but it’s often not enough to be “technically excellent” as many of our clients do not have the skills or expertise to assess your technical competence.
So how do our clients determine whether we are any good at what we do? How do they determine your “relative competence” compared to other professionals in your field?
Because they are often unable to judge the “technical elements” of what we do, our clients will usually focus on the things they do understand – the little things. (We all do this as we are all someone else’s client). We will make illogical connections between elements to determine our assessment of relative competence. For example: your clients will pick up cues from how you present yourself, your attention to detail with emails and contracts and generally how you “treat them” to determine whether you’re a good accountant, lawyer, stock broker, consultant, surveyor, etc.
Making seemingly small errors, like misspelling a name, poor grammar and spelling in communications, sloppy dress standards, tardy response times, etc. can often have your client doubting the overall quality of your work. The logic is that if they can’t get the “small things” right, then how can they be trusted to get the “big things” right. Likewise getting the small things right often equates to a higher validation of your technical skills.
What can we do to ensure that we are always seen in a positive light by our clients? I believe that the factors are defined by a subset of the Trust Equation promoted by David Maister.
The Trust Equation traits, that I see as important are: Credibility, Reliability and Intimacy. “Self Interest” is an important part of building trust but I think that the top 3 elements of the equation are more powerful in determining our relative competence.
Credibility: this is all about being convincing and believable. Qualifications, associations, connections, awards, website and track record are all important here. This is where your LinkedIn profile can be a great adjunct to your business website and CV. It’s also about being confident in the delivery of your technical information/products. Your website should also demonstrate your capability with video and articles that show you know your stuff” – this is very powerful. I think of “credibility” as being the baseline in helping clients to decide on the quality of what you do.
Reliability: this is where the “rubber hits the road” and where your customers will get many of their cues from about the quality of your services. Reliability is “doing what you said you were going to do” and in my experience is a critical factor for perceived customer value. The logic is that if you do the “little things” well that your customers will often perceive that you do the “big things” well. Reliability is a critical element of relative capability.
Intimacy: This is having a deep understanding of your customer and their industry and business. Take the time to do your research and understand your clients. Use systems like CRMs to record the knowledge so that it can be shared across your organisation. Do your preparation before meetings – read your clients last few social media posts, check their website for changes, update yourself on industry issues and trends, google your clients and their business for latest news stories, etc. This is not about being “creepy” but about being informed. I see “intimacy” as the glue that binds deeper business relationships.
I rank “Reliability” as the primary driver for helping clients to see you as a quality supplier with “Intimacy” and “Credibility” providing a great support act. However, without the simple things that make you reliable – attention to detail and delivering on your promises – you can have all the credibility and intimacy in the world, but they will still discount your relative competence.
So, in summary, understanding relative competence (or “are you any good at what you do?”) is about doing great work, delivering excellent products and services – there is no substitute for that. But it’s often not enough to be technically excellent as the majority of your clients are unable to determine the extent of your technical skill and will rely on a variety of seemingly unrelated factors to determine your relative competence. Focus on being “reliable” as a key platform to building relative competence supporting with credibility and intimacy building strategies.
For more information on growing your business – visit https://shifft.com.au
Russell Cummings
Business Coach and Advisor