I work with

CEOs and managers - in both the private and public sectors.

They are typically good at what they do,
but seek to achieve greater value from the people they recruit and the teams they lead.

Common questions they confront include,

• How can I improve the way we recruit and retain better people?
  
• How can I identify what good performers do more of, or differently, to average performers?
• How do I ensure that we are all working in the same direction with the same goals in mind?
• How can I prepare my team for the challenges we are facing?
• How can I get better performance from a team with such varied backgrounds and personalities?

Do some of these situations seem familiar to you?

• "We need an adviser who understands business and the marketplace but equally the personalities of the Directors: we want a clear outline of the people issues we face. What options do we have?  We need someone who speaks frankly, commercially and quickly…”
• A government agency operates in a difficult political environment awash with competitive, complex demands from an array of stakeholders. It needs leading strategy, smart tactics to influence, team leadership to inspire, and HR procedures that don’t get in the way!
• Outstanding commercial growth has easily outstripped this company’s under-resourced HR team: insufficient skilled staff, no time to write out strategy, few policies and procedures written down - the commercial side of business in no mood for "bureaucratic" HR policies.         What matters most? What to do first? What procedures are sufficient?
• A new CEO and management team for a well-known lobby group with a history of tradition and influence.  A team run off its feet with activities called ‘what we’ve always done…’ No rules of how to work as a united senior team; issues of trust, departmental rivalries are real… No surprises on the outcome if the CEO lets it stay that way…
• "The performance review/bonus process was a disaster!”  “The impact on morale has been the exact opposite of what we wanted. And don’t ask how we calculated the bonuses."
• “We recruit the same sorts of people who can deal with today’s problems. What about recruiting the skills we need for tomorrow? I know it’s not rocket science yet we keep repeating ourselves.”
• No one questions the ROI made by this leanest of Human Resource functions: this is an experienced HR Manager who believes it is important to seek another point of view on evolving issues, as well as having a trusted, informed resource to help meet the unexpected.
• An industry association facing severe financial constraints, overworked staff that stagger from crisis to crisis… additional staff is out of the question. What options does the Board have?

Clients have greatest success working with us when …

There is a commitment to consider and act.
Something changes, quickly or overtime, with people, performance, or culture.  The issue cannot be ignored.  

Objectivity is valued and sought: you want a different point of view, and importantly, someone with whom you can debate and disagree.

You want commercially pragmatic solutions to issues that need addressing: seems obvious but this means

• not blindly ‘following a fad’ or implementing an academic theory,
• nor compulsive knee-jerk reactions to what is making the most noise …

Integrity and communication with staff: Motivation for any action we take is abundantly and transparently clear to all staff as they are involved whenever possible - their input is valuable, it generates good communication and commitment to changes as they’re made.

These are some of the situations my clients face.

Next, learn more about how I work with my clients to help resolve these issues.