1st November 2018 - LAR Consultancy Ltd

Need to make a career move?

Nov 30, 2018

In these trying times, with the uncertainty of Covid-19, Brexit and the demise of high street retailers, many jobs are being threatened. More people out of work means less buying power in the market place and increased knock-on effects for the whole economy.

So, what should you do if you think your job may become redundant? How can you turn a potentially highly upsetting period in your life into making redundancy positive? Here are some suggestions, some of which are also relevant to those contemplating a career move as a preemptive strike or for other reasons:

Seek legal advice

Seek legal advice and make sure the proceedings are fair. You may be able to get free advice via your home insurance policy. This will ensure the proceedings are fair and will pay off most of the time.

Have someone accompany you to redundancy meetings

If you are allowed to have someone whose advice you trust, accompany you to relevant meetings, make sure you take advantage of the offer. This will be an emotive time for you and you may not be at your best.

Update your CV

Update your CV if you have not done this in a while, go online and look at the most recent formats (like fashion, CV styles change). Make sure every detail on your CV is accurate, without typos, and that your contact details are clearly shown. Do not add hobbies just because they look good on paper. You may have heard the same horror stories as me, such as the instance of the interviewer having an acoustic guitar in his office and asking the candidate (who had much embellished his strumming skills) to play him something. Similarly, do not exaggerate language abilities. Once it is in currently acceptable format, tailor your CV according to the particular job for which you are applying. Always read the specifications and requirements carefully and emphasize your relevant experience accordingly.

Check your financial outgoings

Look at your financial outgoings. What can you reduce or cancel? What are the ‘must haves’ versus the ‘nice to haves’? There are luxuries that you can probably do without, or ‘must haves’ that you can potentially re-negotiate. Mortgage lenders may be sympathetic and offer a holiday period of up to six months.

Pause for thought

Pause for thought. Is now the time to finally do what you have always wanted to but were too afraid to try? Trying to find a job can be extremely time-consuming and frustrating, and increasingly competitive, often with hundreds applying for the same role. It is also distracting. So what if you took the time to make your dreams turn into a reality?

Start-up a business

If you are thinking of setting up your own business, do an internet search to see what help could be available from the council or ask at your local Job Centre for more information. If you are not sure what business you would like to set up, think about your hobbies and interests that could potentially be turned into a business? Imagine doing something you love and making money doing it? Is there something that you would love to learn that would then give you the skill-set to set up a business in that arena, such as plumbing, interior design, beautician, electrician, etc.? Are you under 30 years of age? Have you checked out the Princes Trust?

Network

You cannot do too much of this in this particular period. Talk to your peers, family, friends, Rabbi/Pastor. Who do they know that could help? Maybe you just need someone to talk to. Networking can lead to your next job – or a list of clients! There are a plethora of networking groups including BNI, linkedin groups, etc. You might want to visit your local Chamber of Commerce, for example, the London Chamber of Commerce…. Read our article on 10 Quick Ways to Raise Your Profile.

Remember, every challenge we meet often makes us stronger and wiser.

Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre

If you have an idea that is technology or innovation-led that could be commercialized and turned into a start-up company, the British Library have a Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre with lots of help, events and advice for innovative and technology-led businesses.

Be kind to yourself and others

Above all, although tempting, do not take your stress, anger, frustration and bitterness that you may very well be experiencing, out on your nearest and dearest. It is not their fault, or yours for that matter and is counter-productive. Recognize that your self-esteem has probably taken a knock. Give yourself time to lick your wounds, regroup, and get back out there. Seek counselling if you think it will help you. Be positive. Think of everything you have done well in life and focus on those things.

Need help with your start-up? Need help to figure out your next move? Why not contact us to see how we can help you? View our mentoring and business workshops pages too!

Lesley Anne Rubenstein-Pessok, MD of LAR Consultancy Ltd, has spent her whole career in executive roles, working with and training start-ups and SME businesses, helping them to become more efficient, increase turnover, improve profitability, cost effectiveness and create strategies that pay off. Her client testimonials say it all.

Are you disempowering your team?

Nov 22, 2018

Well, if you’re reading this journal, there is a good chance you suspect you may be disempowering your team or you know of someone else who is. And if you suspect that you are disempowering your team, then you most likely are doing so.

Hey, I’m not judging you – we’ve all been there, including yours truly!

Why do we disempower people?

Typically, we disempower people when we are under stress (yes, guilty as charged) but some of us do this more often than not – and that’s worrying. In an ideal world, it just wouldn’t happen because in such a world we would be looking to replace ourselves for when we leave our role. That entails creating leaders and looking out for emerging leaders.

What does disempowerment look like?

You delegate a task and an underling executes it, but not terribly well. The question is – how do you handle this situation? Especially if that person should be able to handle the task? Of course, it depends if the individual is consistently under-performing, or if this is a one off, or if this person used to perform well, and is only failing recently.

Let’s take the first scenario – consistent underperformance:

Ask yourself…

Is this person truly qualified for the role?

Is the task within their remit / job description (JD)?

Have they had the training required to perform this duty?

How were they interviewed / brought on board for the role?

Is there someone else in the team that has the know-how to perform the task successfully while the underperforming worker would benefit by undertaking a different role?

Would it be a good idea to examine the persons skill-sets to see if they have been set up to fail?

These questions are important because, ultimately, you are responsible and accountable for those who report to you. Pointing the finger won’t get you very far.

Let’s look at the second scenario –a one-off under-performance:

Dementoring

This is the easiest scenario because it probably points to a lack of training, or a misunderstanding, or the person isn’t at their best. Basically, it could be any of a number of factors.

How should you handle it? If you berate or humiliate them in front of their colleagues, they will become disengaged very quickly. If you make them feel bad about under-performing rather than discovering the underlying issue, you will not only be disempowering, you will be demotivating and indeed, in the words of the Harry Potter books, de-mentoring.

Now we come to the third scenario – used to perform well, but recently failing:

Your behaviour in all three scenarios will tell you much about your leadership style, and about your ability to empower and disempower.

What’s changed?

In all three scenarios, you need to talk to the person having difficulties, on a one-to-one basis, away from prying eyes and attentive ears, and in ‘safe’ environment. [A safe environment means – create a space where the person you are interviewing can feel free to express themselves without recrimination.]

The worst thing you can do is step in and do the task, unless it’s mission critical or deadline sensitive. Let’s face it – sometimes things need to get done and we do not have the bandwidth to train at that point in time. But those instances aside, I am discussing a pattern that you may identify with and, if so, helping you to see and, hopefully, break that pattern.

How do you look?

Do you step in and do it yourself, because you’ll do it right, because your team member(s) haven’t got a clue?

Do you make a big song and dance about it?

Think about it! If you keep stepping in to save the day, you look great, right? (You just saved the day!).

If you look great, how does your subordinate look?

How does your subordinate feel?

What is that doing to his/her confidence levels?

What are you trying to prove?

Why are you trying to prove anything and to whom?

You’re the boss – you most likely do know how to accomplish the task – but we create teams to achieve visions that are bigger than any individual is likely to realise.

The sum of the parts is bigger than the whole, or as the Germans coined it – teams create a ‘gestalt’.

Case study

I am highlighting this topic because it is dear to my heart. I recently encountered somebody who served in a highly specialised military unit – one that only the best of the best are invited to join having first passed vigorous intelligence tests. After their army service, many who served in this elite unit set up successful, cutting-edge technology start-ups.

This particular individual led a team and, on more than one occasion, stepped in to redo a task without involving the team, demonstrating to the boss how the task should be done.

This had two consequences: The first consequence expressed how clever they are while the second showed the boss was culpable for hiring incapable team members.

This resulted in demotivating the whole team and making the boss feel threatened. The fallout? The individual is moving on to another job. I have no doubt that instead of repeatedly demonstrating intelligence to the world, the team would have been better served by sharing that intelligence and experience. This way team members would be trained, nurtured and mentored. The team would build confidence and successful task performance would become second nature.

To state the obvious, growing your team’s know-how and confidence, on an individual and team-level, will serve you, your bosses, and your organisation far better than disruptive behaviour and demonstrating whatever the chip on your shoulder is pushing you to prove.

Imagine how powerful you would be if you constantly looked at ways to ‘grow’ people, to bring out the best in individuals so they can self-actualise and achieve their goals. Now imagine if those goals could be aligned with those of the organisation?

I will leave you with that thought.

Need help with team building? Need to improve your leadership skills? Why not contact us to see how we can help you to empower your team? View our business workshops page too!

5 Reasons why you need a good mentor

Nov 12, 2018

A mentor is a ‘must have’

Apart from hand-holding, plausibility checking and providing a shoulder to cry on when the going gets tough, a mentor will help you take ideas from concept to commercialisation, or move from start-up to scale-up, and everything in-between. Mentors draw from their vast experience to prevent you from making the same mistakes they made during their career. Why ‘reinvent the wheel’ when all you need is to discuss the issue with someone who will understand and offer sound advice. After weighing up suggestions and examining options, you will be able to action what works best for your business and fits your company ethos.

Why you need a good mentor

If you were to ask my clients why they choose to work with me as a mentor, chances are you would receive a different answer from each, because each client is distinct and unique. That is not to say I do not see similar issues occurring in completely unrelated businesses and industrial sectors, but personalities differ; and ethos, personal ambitions and visions vary from company to company. Even different sessions with the same client differ as a diverse range of issues are covered and discussed over time, new issues emerge, and key lessons are learned.

So why work with a mentor? Here are some of the things we have worked on with clients past and present, to illustrate how powerful mentoring can be and what it takes to be a good mentee:

If you were to ask my clients why they choose to work with me as a mentor, chances are you would receive a different answer from each, because each client is distinct and unique.

1. Launching a new product or service

Let’s take the example of developing and launching a new product. You may not be sure of the best strategy to get the product to market, or which partners might prove the most useful and beneficial. You have several thoughts and ideas but would prefer to run them by someone experienced who has a track record of creating partnerships.

Our client was working with a local university to develop a new platform technology and had engaged a subcontractor to develop the software platform. In this instance, the entrepreneurs were extremely savvy. All we needed to do was to listen, understand key issues, take on board their concerns and fears, discuss pros and cons, ask questions and then advise.

We suggested several strategies to overcome various issues and saved a lot of stress and sleepless nights. We also affected key introductions in the industrial sector. This is a great example of how discussing ideas and thoughts with a mentor can be extremely valuable, as well as tapping into their network to meet key movers and shakers.

This was a classic mentoring situation where the company did not know about certain key issues because no-one had asked the questions we typically ask.

2. Implementing new business systems

Companies that have been in business for several years can become vulnerable by believing they have all the right systems and controls in place when this may not be the case, and indeed it often isn’t. The problem is, you do not know what you don’t know! Think about that! You know what you know, you know there are subjects you know nothing or very little about (for example, how to pole vault), but there are areas of which you have little awareness as you have not encountered them or nobody asked a key question alerting you to your obliviousness.

To illustrate, I met with a new client for the first time. In that initial meeting, the client stated that she wanted help to launch a new product. It soon became clear, however, that variable costs were not being measured. The company was most likely making a profit on some projects, breaking-even on others, and potentially losing money on other projects, even though the company was profitable overall.

The original reason for engaging with us went on hold – there was no point in launching a new product if the company was losing money and potentially could go out of business if it became involved in several large projects.

3. Sounding board

Having your own business often means sleepless nights. Only when you leave full-time employment do you fully comprehend the risks that you have taken. There is no income unless you create it. Simple as that.

No-one pays your pension, car allowance, sick pay, holidays or even weekends! If you’re a professional, you may have many unbillable hours. Not every day counts if you’re doing your admin. or in meetings with potential clients that do not convert into business. Similarly, attending networking events when you are not on a salary is precarious if you are not networking in a network that will lead to leads that convert.

I recall sitting in a café soon after starting up LAR Consultancy, waiting for my pooch who was undergoing cancer surgery, when that realisation hit home. When I was gainfully employed, I had never worried about fuel increases, mortgage payments or going on shopping sprees, not that I was ever big on shopping, but it was nice to not think too much about it when I did!

It is very true when they say it is lonely at the top. Having someone experienced to talk to can be a great comfort. Discussing issues that are concerning you and hearing how mentors solved similar in the past, saves time, stress and often, costs. This in turn improves your bottom line. More profit means more dividends. Contacting a mentor will allow you to access advice on your concerns, issues and help you to create a long-term strategy to achieve your vision.

A couple of years ago we worked with two founding partners / directors who have very different personalities, as is often the case. If not managed carefully, companies can dissolve because the founding partners do not get on. It certainly impacts not only the day-to-day atmosphere in the office, but also the chance of raising investment. As a company grows, especially technology and innovation led firms, it will need to raise several rounds of investment. Investors are not stupid and will detect the level of engagement between key executives and will be deterred from investing if they do not like what they see.

In this case, our mentees comprised the CEO, and the ‘Brains’ – the inventor/engineer. Both were extremely well connected and networked, having worked in the industrial sector for many years. Our sessions focused mainly on being a sounding board, understanding the stress the CEO was under due to communication problems with his business partner. There was nothing ‘wrong’ with either of them, except for not being able to communicate effectively. They pushed each other’s ‘buttons’, making it hard to conserve energy to overcome the hurdles to becoming a huge success. By being a sounding board, understanding how the communication breakdowns were being caused, we improved the team work and reduced stress levels.

4. Asking ‘difficult’ questions

Mentors know what questions to ask to help you to focus on key issues. They can help you prioritize, so you do not waste time on the less important issues. The questions will provoke thought, possibly about things you may not have considered for some time, if at all, which could inspire epiphanies.

To illustrate this point, let me tell you about a company that had been in business for eight years and initially, used to work with medium to large size clients. These clients were not as price sensitive as the smaller customers and demanded top quality. This was exactly the kind of work my client loved to produce, because it forced them to be creative, and to be the best that they could possibly be. There is nothing better, when you are in business, than delivering above and beyond anything your client could have hoped for. It is gratifying. It is wholly rewarding. It’s what it’s all about!

But over the years, by running after the money, they increasingly engaged with lower end, price-sensitive work for smaller clients who argued on price and did not appreciate the talented and creative results of my client’s endeavours. This resulted in my client losing their ‘mojo’. My mentee was finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning (sound familiar?!).

At this point we were brought on board. By working with the MD on the company ethos, energy levels increased, marketing messages became strong and focused, and attracted the higher-end, less price and more quality sensitive clients – exactly the kind of customers my client wanted to work with and for, as they had in the past. Result? A very happy mentee doing extremely rewarding work, so we were buzzing too!

5. Focus

This is a big one! Focus! Entrepreneurs are typically a gregarious, creative and risk-taking bunch and we love them for it. Unfortunately, the flip side is they have so much energy they often find it hard to focus. ‘Grounding’ them and bringing them back to ‘planet earth’, helping them to achieve their goals without too much distraction and wasted energy, is absolutely crucial.

If the head of the company is the inventor/engineer, there is a danger s/he will become too focused on the engineering and not release a product to market until it is perfect, not understanding that the product doesn’t have to have all of the functionality to be of use to the end-user. Version 2 will improve on version 1, version 3 will improve on version 2, and so on. Getting a product to market within a time frame is crucial.

Everything in moderation… A good mentor will help the client to understand the importance of focus.

In Summary

A mentor has many roles, but the key role is helping you, the client, make the right decisions at the right time. Note, you are always in the driving seat, and ultimately, you are the one who is responsible and accountable. But it is very lonely at the top. Who do you turn to when you need advice or a plausibility or feasibility check? Who do you talk to when you have difficult issues to resolve and cannot figure them out by yourself, or have several options but are not sure which is the best and wish to discuss pros and cons with someone who will understand?

There is, however, a caveat. Our clients also have a key role to play. What do you think is needed to derive the full benefits of working with a mentor? Let me answer that for you.

You need to be coachable – meaning you need to trust the mentor, have chemistry with your mentor, and above all – put your ‘active listening’ skills into gear before and during each session. That does not mean you take all the mentor’s advice on board – but you should certainly examine this guidance to see if it makes sense to you and discuss any issues in partnership with your mentor. A good mentor will help you to be more successful and reach your vision sooner, while reducing your stress levels along the way.

So now that you’re convinced that you would love help from an highly experienced mentor (right?!), why not contact us to see how we can help you to improve your business?

6 Tips for productive team meetings

Nov 6, 2018

‘There’s always one!’

….. is a common exclamation in the United Kingdom, used in a variety of circumstances, from someone spilling a glass of red wine at the Christmas party to someone at odds with fellow team members. Typically, that person won’t be popular because we are programmed to want everyone to agree with us and feel threatened when they don’t.

Returning to the UK after many years abroad, while working in the public sector, I will never forget how I would come out of a team meeting and wonder what was the point of the meeting, if any action points had come out of it and why there was very little discussion going on. In fact, I noticed more animated debate by the coffee/tea table after the meeting. I was so clueless, I asked a colleague to accompany me to meetings in the first month, so I could gauge the discussions through their more experienced eyes.

Based on what I have observed and encountered, read on to see how these tips for productive team meetings will work for you!

So-called ‘difficult’ people

In a team situation, we may be tempted to label the person not in agreement with the rest of the group as ‘difficult’ – or worse! By being a part of the majority, we feel validated in our thinking and, consequently, good about ourselves. Stress levels stay on an even keel, and decisions are made with confidence.

Sycophantic ‘yes’ people

But what if that ‘difficult’ person is right to challenge and the others are simply ‘yes’ people, agreeing with the team leader or peers because they are intimidated by authority or intimidating personalities? Are group members worried about looking stupid in front of their peers and/or boss? Concerned about the consequences of showing dissent, or simply reluctant to stand out from the crowd? What if the organisational culture does not lend itself to free thinkers, or people voicing their true opinions?

Now ask yourself about the meetings you participate in:

a) In meetings, do people almost always agree with you?

b) Are decisions debated?

c) Is there eye contact between members?

d) What does the body language of team members look like? Are they engaged or disenfranchised?

e) In one-on-ones, do people argue with you?

f) Who’s doing most of the talking?

g) Are you apt to take on board criticism?

If you answered these questions honestly, you may conclude that the meetings are not as productive as you may have thought. What is the point of holding an important decision-making meeting if it is merely to autocratically rubber stamp decisions?

Here are 6 tips for productive team meetings

Don’t label anyone! Don’t be judgemental. Value your fellow team members.
Rotate the team meeting leader (with advanced notice and not as a chore). This promotes greater participation and produces insights into how the meetings may be better run.
Embrace disagreement – encourage free thinking and voicing of opinions. Discourage ‘yes’ people. Valuing differing opinions encourages debate and innovative ideas. Remember, there is no single truth or right answer.
The group should appoint a ‘devil’s advocate’ if there isn’t a member with this inclination.
Read body language to see who is engaged and more importantly, who isn’t. Bring disengaged people back into the meeting.
Above all, group members should listen more than they speak.

About the author

Lesley Anne Rubenstein-Pessok, MD of LAR Consultancy Ltd, has spent her whole career in executive roles, working with start-ups and SME businesses, helping them to become more efficient, increase turnover, improve profitability, cost effectiveness and create strategies that pay off. Her client testimonials say it all. The material for this article is taken from her workshop on ‘Effective Leadership’.