Blog: Company success entirely depends on your culture
Recognise This! – Company culture is ignored to the peril of the organisation as a whole. Yesterday I wrote about my passion for employee recognition in the workplace. Another topic I’m passionate about is company culture. Too many leaders think company culture is something that “just happens” and is beyond their control. Or perhaps a […]
HRD Insight: Paul Duncan on managing change at Swissport
When I joined Swissport International as interim HR director in December 2008, the UK arm of the €1.3bn airport ground services business was in the initial stages of a turnaround. This activity was being led by chief executive Mark Faulkner, who had arrived two months earlier from another company in the Ferrovial group, which was […]
Outsourcing and shared services will get bobbies back on beat, claims report
A programme of shared services and outsourcing could help the British Police save millions of pounds by moving officers out of back offices and into frontline roles, according to a provocative report. The Home Office should provide incentives for police forces to move to outsourcing, according to the study by the Policy Exchange entitled ‘The […]
Simple steps to help women reach the top
Gender equality remains a problem at the top of UK business. While there is a general consensus that Lord Davies’ call for more of it at board level is a good thing to aim at, many people believe the road to that particular promised land will be much longer and far more arduous than first […]
Book Review: Suddenly in Charge by Roberta Chinsky Matuson
Title: Suddenly in Charge Author: Roberta Chinsky Matuson It’s been a while since I read a management book from cover to cover. What I normally do is pick one up, select a chapter and read the elements that I think I will find most useful – I work in the NHS and deliver […]
Blog: Apple loses Jobs – so what does it mean for the people?
When one of the world’s most celebrated business leaders announces plans to make a move, the focus is all too often on shares and customer impact, but little is mentioned about the impact it will have on the people within the organisation. When Steve Jobs announced he is standing down as chief executive at Apple, […]
Encouraging green employee action can help cut costs
By understanding and complying with environmental regulations, you can not only save the planet, but also cut costs in your organisation. Ellie Dart, senior communications officer at NetRegs.gov.uk, explains how. Your workplace environmentRecent estimates say that UK businesses generate over a third of the UK’s CO2 emissions. So how are they doing it? Energy and […]
Emotional intelligence is key to exceptional leadership
This article, first published by our sister site www.TrainingZone.co.uk, provides a glimpse into discoveries made by Seven Suphi, founder and MD of Odyssey Solutions Ltd, following more than ten years of behavioural change work with business leaders. His aim is to inform and inspire curiosity because he believes that being curious is the foundation of […]
Change – is it all in the mind?
Anyone who has worked in organisations long enough will be familiar with the concept of the change programme. Whether in response to a crisis, such as a turnaround situation, or a growth opportunity as with a corporate takeover, the change process is well established. A classic change management plan might look like this: make it […]
Driving behavioural change
Organisational change requires people to do things differently – to change their existing behaviour patterns. This is not an easy task and attempts to change behaviour often have poor success rates. Change initiators seldom take into consideration the fact that people have to change behaviour that has been successful for them for years. Over the […]
Women to wait for pension in fast track age change plans
The coalition government has refused to amend plans to fast-track changes to the pension age, which mean that 500,000 women in their 50s will have to wait up to two years to collect their state pension. But in the second reading of the Pension Bill yesterday, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan […]
Creating calm after the storm: employee engagement best practice following major organisational change
A disenfranchised workforce poses a significant problem to an organisation. In the HR industry it has been widely recognised that employees who are no longer engaged in an organisation are less likely to be flexible, work overtime or take on additional work or responsibilities. This can then have a knock-on effect on an organisation’s overall […]
All change for 2011: change managers, social media and retention
As projects continue to become more complex and teams more virtual over the coming year, developing the leadership skills of project managers will become increasing crucial to success, experts have warned. But according to Informa’s ESI International, a project management training and consultancy house, a key challenge for organisations will be to clearly define what […]
CIPD: HR must be at the centre of public service change
The coalition government’s plans to reform public services are at risk of failing to deliver any lasting benefits unless HR is placed at the heart of the change process, according to a study. A joint report entitled ‘Boosting HR performance in the public sector’ published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and […]
All on board?
Clare Roberts, managing consultant at PA Consulting, discusses how to assess the responsiveness to change in your organisation. One of the challenges of delivering significant organisational change in today’s climate of economic uncertainty is the way in which people are engaged through the process of change. It is widely understood that transformational change needs the […]
Seize the moment: Embrace change and strengthen HR
Dan Ferrandino discusses why the current tough trading conditions present an ideal opportunity to embrace change and reinforce the business relevance of the HR function. 2009 will go down as a year of unprecedented change – from a new political agenda in the US to the global economic crisis. As Barack Obama said: "The world […]
Make change sustainable with ‘change champions’
Often projects are started enthusiastically but fail at implementation or post-implementation stage. The role of the change champion can be invaluable in involving the right people, getting commitment to the change and embedding it, says Bettina Pickering. Change is ever-present in organisations but often important projects which start with enthusiasm, fail to implement sustainable change. The […]
Tanith Dodge interview: Managing change at M&S
The recession demands change from all organisations, but how do you galvanise your employees at one of the biggest businesses on the high street? Marks & Spencer’s group HR director Tanith Dodge speaks to Neil Davey about the secrets to her success. Marks & Spencer is a high street behemoth with a remarkable heritage, having recently […]
Effective change management: Interims in the driving seat
In these difficult times, businesses need as much help as possible to ensure they are best placed to weather the economic storm, says Paul Botting. The recession has emphasised the need for organisations across the public and private sector to take a fresh look at their inner workings and indeed, their HR policies. There can […]
Legislation update: Climate change and philosophical beliefs
Richard White discusses a recent case in which the employment tribunal held that an employee’s belief in climate change could be considered a religious belief, rather than an opinion. In the recent case of Nicholson v Grainger PLC and others, the employment tribunal held that Mr Nicholson’s belief in climate change could […]
