Not that type of execution…..actually getting things done……….that kind of execution! 

In order to continue to grow your business you need to have the right people, with the right skills and the right attitude in the right jobs.  It’s also true that your businesses performance is a direct result of how your staff act and behave.   We also know that in a labour market beginning to show the signs of returning to ‘full employment’, companies must work harder to attract and retain the best people.  So more that ever you must have a system of performance management that supports getting things done.  A system of feedback that is frequent, specific and simple.  And it should contain these four key elements.   

People need to know exactly what they are supposed to do.
People need to know ‘why’ and how they contribute
People need to know what behaviour gives the best results for all
People need to know how they are going.

Why?  Because you want to get a lot more out of your team – not just hours, but results.   A team who chooses to ‘give a damn’, will go that little bit extra, to perform to the highest standards, will think creatively about their work and be interested in seeing the company become successful: so they in turn can be successful.   Firstly who does what needs to be clearly spelled out: goals and objectives of each position, tasks, key performance indicators and a sense …

Benchstrength’s HR Help Desk Australia in conjunction with the Hills Shire Council are running a series of free HR seminars in Sydney for small and mid sized business leaders.  Register Now!

Practical solutions for navigating the Fair Work Act so you can stay focused on the real game!
8.30am, 1 June 2010.  The Hills Shire Council, Function Room, 129 Showground Rd, Castle Hill, 2154

How to get your team engaged so they deliver the kind of performance you really need!
6.00pm, 30 June 2010.  The Hills Shire Council, Function Room, 129 Showground Rd, Castle Hill, 2154

How to align your people with your business strategy
6.00pm, 27 July 2010.  The Hills Shire Council, Function Room, 129 Showground Rd, Castle Hill, 2154

Winning the war for talent!
8.30am, 18 August 2010.  The Hills Shire Council, Function Room, 129 Showground Rd, Castle Hill, 2154

A tradesman was dismissed after an onsite altercation with a number of the client’s employees who had entered the building site in an unsafe manner.   It was alleged the tradesman was abusive and used foul language and his employer sacked him for serious and wilful misconduct.  Fair Work Australia found that the tradesman was within his right to reprimand the client’s employees for not respecting the construction sites OH&S rules.  And that there was little evidence of abuse although everyone agreed that foul language was used.  The commissioner ruled that the circumstances and the use of foul language on a building site was not unusual and be seen against the backdrop of the safety breach.  The tradesman’s dismissal was found to have been harsh and it was ordered he be re-instated to the same job on the same site plus he was awarded back pay. 

In this case there is fault all around however a poor investigation without due care and attention to the circumstances resulted in a hasty and harsh dismissal.  Fair Work Australia has chosen to reinstate an employee into what must be an acrimonious atmosphere which could have been avoided with better procedures. 

A salesman after his 3 month probation, was given a sales target, which was a key component of his performance management.  Six months later the employee was summoned to the managers office and dismissed on the spot.  We aren’t seeing the numbers and we are going to have to let you go…..(SIC)   Fair Work Australia determined that there was no due process.  This particular employee was not provided with verbal or written warnings nor a reasonable time frame in which to respond.  The commissioner ruled that this was indeed unfair and ordered compensation for lost pay.  Reinstatement was not seen as a practical option but considered.

You must have a robust approach to your job descriptions and the performance based criteria you are holding your people accountable to.  You must have a procedure to provide feedback, warnings both verbal and written with an appropriate time frame for the employee to make adjustments.  Otherwise you have no grounds for termination. 

An employee at a paper mill in NSW was dismissed after repeatedly refusing to wear safety glasses while cleaning a piece of machinery during a plant shutdown.  According to the judgement Fair Work Australia determined that the safety breaches were indeed a serious misconduct however the employee’s personal and economic situation is such that the dismissal and the potential impact on the employee his family and their circumstances so adverse the dismissal was seen to be harsh.  The employee was reinstated and a portion of back pay awarded.

As an employer you must consider personal circumstances as they pertain to work when moving towards a termination.  You must be able to show that there was a well documented and followed performance management system including consequences for safety breaches.  If you as the business leader have not got strong feedback mechanisms and processes to correct poor performance and bad behaviours you are putting yourself at risk.   Think about the business owner in this case, other than the obvious consequence of having a potentially unsafe worker reinstated.  How much time and productivity has been lost defending what seems like a reasonable decision?  Under today’s new employment laws the definition of harsh, unreasonable or unjust will go against you if you cannot show a robust performance management process that is actually being followed.

Half of the Fair Work Act was made law back in July and the second stage becomes live in only two days on January 1 2010.  And its not a small collection of small changes: its an important piece of legislation and it changes everything.

If you lead people, and we all do, you have to be prepared so that the effects minimize the impact on your employees and your business.

There are plenty of options in becoming prepared.  You can ignore it for a short period of time but not knowing the detail will get you into trouble and then you will be scrambling, not a good leadership style.

There are plenty of articles on line and in print most simply regurgitate the Fair Work Act and provide some generic hints tips and clues on getting ready.  Pawing over the changes personally may not be the best use of your time nor is following a generic set of tips a strategy.   The real challenge is to put together a people strategy that is compliant with the law,  that is aligned with your overall business strategy and supports your goals.  Each business, each leader is unique as are your people and your strategy needs to reflect your own unique circumstances.   There’s the law and then there is managing your business and your people. 

An approach many of our clients have chosen is to invite us into their business, to understand their goals, their structure, their people and the issues that need resolving.  They have let us sort through the detail of the Fair Work Act and the implications for their business.  Then we build a plan tailored for them and their own unique circumstances.  That way they remain in control, stay out of the detail and are focused on leading: now thats a strong leadership style…….

Too many businesses are blissfully unaware that in only a couple of days the new industrial laws will come into effect changing how they run their businesses.  On New Years Day new National Employment Standards and Modern Awards will be introduced and businesses could be in for a rude shock if they ignore the changes especially the flexibility clause contained in each award as one of the 10 new Standards.  

There are 10 National Employment Standards 6 of which apply to different forms of leave entitlements, 1 to maximum hours of work, another to a notice of termination and redundancy and one covering off the right to request flexible working arrangements.  As well each new employee must be provided with a Fair Work information statement which outlines rights and responsibilities.  

Under the new laws, any employee who is a parent of a preschool child or a carer of a child with a disability under the age of 18 can request flexible working arrangements, which may include changes to hours, days worked or maybe even location.  Employees can extend to 24 months unpaid parental leave and the definition of defacto partners now includes same sex couples.  Employees can be entitled to redundacy depending on how long the person has worked for you and the size of your business.

On top of the new standards comes the New Modern Awards.  The government has consolidated nearly 2500 awards down into 120.  Each business will need to understand which new award they are under and they conditions contained within.  What you might find is that you have some employees who have entitlements like penalty rates, shift loading and other benefits you are unaware of and potentially liable for.

The laws are complex as are your people.  They will confound you one minute and astound you the next.  Our counsel to all business is to get help.  With all the industrial relations changes from July 1 last year to those about to hit you January 1 the devil is in the detail.    We can help you get a clear picture of what you need to do to stay on top of the legislation, manage your employees and stay focused on the real game which is making sales and profits….remember them!

and may be sitting at your table!

We help leaders plan details like hiring, firing, counselling, mentoring, defining structure, roles, responsibilities and managing performance: all the components that go to make up a business.  Helping you assemble these components and handling the detail is a job we do very well.

With human nature being what it is, employees will astound one minute and confound the next: testing and acting “creatively” in workplace situations.  And sometimes when faced with a personnel challenge you need help to make sure a small issue doesn’t become a devil of a problem! Make the right move and call some strength off the bench.

        ·         Real-time guidance from Human Resources professionals you can trust.

        ·         Detailed answers to your toughest HR questions, tailored to your situation

 A reliable sounding board for new human resources and employee-related ideas and initiatives.

We can provide project by project consulting or if you prefer outsource your Human Resources needs to us.  It is a small investment that can pay large dividends in increased productivity and minimized litigation.

Visit our website to find out what outsourcing is …

Here’s what you need to know about workplace relations from July 1

Whatever your business and whatever kind of agreements you have, the rules have changed.  So any change in employee conditions in your workplace must be carefully managed and documented.

Who is affected?   Everybody…. even if your employees are on individual contracts these new laws are relevant and important to you.    

Here is a snapshot of the changes that impact you: 

The right to sue for unfair dismissal is back.

There is a new definition of “genuine redundancy”

The unions have new rights to enter your premises.

The onus of proof is on the employer in the case of an anti-discrimination claim.

There are new employee safety nets, new modern awards, new employment standards and more. 

80% of SME’s are not ready for these changes.   As a business leader you need to answer these critical questions; 

Do you have written employment contracts and are they up to date?
Are your job descriptions current and contain performance indicators and outcomes expected?
Is your performance management process planned and well documented?
Do you have a good understanding of the skills and capabilities of every employee in your business? 

If you answered No, or even hesitated for an instant, your business is potentially at risk.  Call us now on (02) 8860 9181 so that we can help you assess your readiness and make the right moves to ensure your industrial relations strategy supports your goals and doesn’t put them at risk.

“ Time and time again we see business owners who have acted for perfectly legitimate reason…

Particularily in a recession!

Because in a recession a great deal hangs on every move!

But of course we weren’t trying to communicate that meaning of execution.  We mean execution of the business strategy you’ve so painstakingly built and that you need now more than ever.

Now is the time to take advantage of the opportunities that come when the vulnerable do not respond quickly and decisively in tough times.  To do that you need to have your people, planning and systems spot-on.  And then execute with ruthless precision.

If you need to make a few right moves the first one is to call some strength off the bench.  Check out the material on our website and that will tell you why this will be a profitable and no-risk move.  Can we politely suggest you don’t hang about!

There are only two reasons to be in business - success
and satisfaction - and you can’t have either without a
coherent business strategy and precise execution.