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Category: Human Behaviour

  • Staff Evaluation and Appraisals

    Staff Evaluation and Appraisals

    Here at Friendlier Organics, we believe in the principles of marketing and all that it stands for. When considering marketing, we often reference the 4 Ps of marketing of which People is one of them.

    The following article is adapted from an Indeed article with our views on the importance of People to the success of your business. Without the right people for your business no amount of promotional marketing will offset the wrong people.

    Why do we measure employees’ performance? Why do we measure our business performance? To identify what we are doing well and what needs improvement. Besides real estate, your employees are one of your biggest assets and resource. You want to know they are working well for your company. If you have employees then you would benefit from a recruitment strategy, this strategy will include elements post hiring.

    Therefore measuring your employees’ performance is an essential tool to evaluate success and encourage improvement. A tool employers use is an evaluation/appraisal form, which they may refer to during an employee evaluation or performance review. Read on to learn what you should include in your employee appraisal forms and how to implement them with your team. We have included a few simple free templates for you to use. If you are uncomfortable carrying out performance reviews then please out for assistance. 

    What is an appraisal form?

    An appraisal form is a document that business owners, managers, and human resources staff use evaluate and track the performance of employees. The form should include goals, that are SMART and they often include ratings and room for comments on performance (both good and bad), this allows both parties to monitor progress and identify any trends. On an appraisal form, the employee’s direct supervisor keeps track of the employee’s achievements and contributions during a specific period. They also indicate the employees’ areas of strength and weakness. Resulting in a joint action plan to move forward. 

    Managers often use the performance appraisal form to guide them through an employee’s performance review by highlighting specific items to discuss. When going through the appraisal form, both the employee and manager can work together to create goals for the employee. It is important to note that the whole evaluation process is a win-win environment and not an excuse to browbeat employees. Any matters that may require disciplinary action should be carried out separately via the company’s disciplinary procedure. 

    How to create an appraisal form

    A well-made performance appraisal form might be a very simple document, it helps both you and the employee understand what the employee is doing well and how they can improve. Include relevant appraisal factors that break down the evaluation by different skills, knowledge, and qualities. Customize the form to fit your company’s goals and the metrics you want to track for your employees. 

    Here are some areas to consider when creating an appraisal form:
     

    1. A rating rubric

    Personally, I believe that all evaluations should include a measure to gain quantitative data. Think of the key objectives of an employee’s role and separate them into different categories. Then, rate how well they’re meeting each objective. A common rating system is the 5-point rating scale. Detail what each rating means to help managers in different departments rate employees consistently. Here’s an example of what each number signifies in this type of rating scale:

    • 1 = Poor (consistently fails to meet expectations)
    • 2 = Fair (frequently fails to meet expectations) 
    • 3 = Good (usually meets expectations)
    • 4 = Very Good (frequently surpasses expectations)
    • 5 = Excellent (consistently surpasses expectations)

    2. The employee’s achievements

    Most employers fill out a new appraisal form for each performance review. Highlight the employee’s greatest achievements during the review period. Include what projects the employee successfully completed or what they did well.

    3. What the employee can improve on

    Think about what areas the employee could improve on. For instance, an employee might not communicate well with the team or they might show up late frequently, hurting their productivity.

    4. Improvements since the last review

    If the employee has already had a performance review, note the things they have or haven’t improved since your last meeting. Detail what actions they took to meet their previous goals. By reflecting on what worked for them, they can use this insight for their new goals.

    5. The employee’s professional goals

    Help the employee create new professional goals for this next review period. Choose SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals so the employee is more likely to accomplish this goal in a set timeframe.

    6. Comments from the employee

    The employee comments section lets employees explain themselves in writing. Here they can include why their work isn’t meeting company standards, or they could express what they enjoy about their position.

    Performance appraisal template

    An appraisal form should help you thoroughly evaluate your employees. It’s a useful tool to keep track of their efforts and achievements. Feel free to copy and paste this into a word document.

    Here is a performance appraisal template you can use:

    Employee’s name:
    Position:
    Department:
    Supervisor’s name:
    Review period:
    Date of performance review:
     

    [Objective 1]: [rating]
     

    [Objective 2]: [rating]
     

    [Objective 3]: [rating]
     

    [Objective 4]: [rating]
     

    [Objective 5]: [rating]
     

    Overall rating: [number]/25
     

    Achievements:
     

    Areas of improvement:
     

    Actions the employee took to improve from their previous review:
     

    Professional goals:
     

    Employee’s comments:
     

    Appraisal form example

    Fully complete an employee’s appraisal form so they can learn how they’re doing in each aspect of their job.

    Here is an example to get you started:

    Employee’s name: Lisa Nelson
    Position: Marketing specialist
    Department: Marketing
    Supervisor’s name: Jorge Diaz
    Review period: 7/1/19-1/1/20
    Date of performance review: 1/12/20
     

    Collaboration: 4
    Lisa participated actively in the team meetings for the latest marketing campaign. She collaborated well with the graphic designer on the campaign to ensure the graphics matched the campaign goals.
     

    Work ethic: 5
    Lisa has thrown herself into her new position and is putting in the effort to understand and excel at her new responsibilities.
     

    Problem-solving: 3
    Because she’s new in the position, Lisa tends to go to her supervisor immediately when she faces a problem. She’s slowly gaining more confidence in herself and learning how to work through problems when they arise.
     

    Decision making: 5
    Lisa shows good judgment when developing marketing materials. She consistently uses market research on customer trends to make decisions about marketing campaigns.
     

    Organization: 4
    Lisa usually arrives on time and is ready to start work immediately. On the two days she arrived late during this review period, she worked late to work her full shift. Her organizational skills allow her to work efficiently on her marketing campaigns.
     

    Overall rating: 21/25
     

    Achievements: During her review period, Lisa was promoted from marketing associate to marketing specialist. In this new role, she is working hard to prove that she is ready for more responsibilities. 
     

    Areas of improvement: Lisa could improve on trying to solve problems before seeking assistance.
     

    Actions the employee took to improve from their previous review: Her previous goal was to come to work on time more consistently. Lisa made great strides in achieving this goal. When she comes in late occasionally, she is sure to stay late to make up her time.
     

    Professional goals: During our review, Lisa expressed that she wants to be confident in her new role. She’s working toward this goal by trying to rely on herself to solve more problems. 
     

    Employee’s comments: This has been a busy review period for me. Now that I know my strengths and weaknesses, I look forward to working toward my new goals. 
     

    Frequently asked questions about appraisal forms

    Appraisal forms are a great way for employers can keep track of their employees’ performance and have documented open communication. The key is to make sure you’re consistently filling the form out with impactful appraisal comments so you can accurately rate your employees.

    Here are common questions employers ask about appraisal forms:

    Can employees have an appraisal form to fill out?

    Before your employee’s performance review, give them a self-evaluation form (with a how-to guide) to complete that has them identify their strengths and areas for improvement. This can help them reflect on their efforts and gives you or their manager a good idea of how the employee thinks they’re doing. This also helps you compare how you see them performing with their own point of view, which is often very different. You may find that inherent human nature takes over and they focus more on the negative.

    Why are appraisal forms important?

    They’re important because it helps the employer create an objective evaluation of an employee. When team members receive regular feedback, they can focus their attention on areas they need to improve and feel motivated by learning their strengths. It also protects the business should a relationship turn sour and requires parting ways. You have documented that journey.

    Should employers get appraisal forms?

    To learn how you’re doing as an employer, you could have your staff fill out an appraisal form to evaluate you. Employees may appreciate that you’re putting in the effort to be a better leader. Remember to put your ego to one side, and do not start a witch hunt.

    What is the best appraisal method?

    The best appraisal method can vary based on the industry, your evaluation goals, and your preferences. Using a numerical ranking system helps you quantify performance and make easy comparisons from one evaluation to the next. Combining the rankings with written statements and specific examples gives a well-rounded picture of the employee’s performance. A good balance between quantitative and qualitative data is ideal. Remember the appraisal methods needs to be a win-win for both employer and employee as it is a tool for both to grow.

    What is the difference between a performance appraisal and a performance evaluation?

    The terms performance appraisal and performance evaluation are often used interchangeably. They both describe the process of reviewing an employee’s work. A performance review is another common term used to describe the evaluation process. Your company can determine how often to conduct evaluations using the performance appraisal forms and how to implement them.

    How often should an evaluation be carried out?
    This depends on numerous factors, like the length of employment, is the company going through a pivot, has the employee recently taken on a new role. etc.

    To Summarize The Benefits of Using a Performance Evaluation Form

    • It can be used in measuring the overall performance of your employees.
    • It helps in identifying different areas of commendation and those that need remediation.
    • It makes it easy for an employer to rate his or her employees, dependent on their total percentage score.
    • Performance evaluation offers both positive and negative feedback, which the employee can use in improving his or her work skills.
    • Motivates employees, when supported by proper merit-based compensation systems.
    • It provides a structured process on how to approach the management when you want to identify problems and clarify the expectations and plans.
    • The collected detail can be used to measure and monitor the success of your business and the induction practices.
    • It makes it possible to identify under-performers and decide whether to keep them with hopes of improvement or let them go.
    • It makes it easy for record-keeping where you can review any changes at any time in the future.
    • The performance form has an important role, especially when deciding who to promote, reward, or transfer.

    Useful templates to download for free.

    New Employee Performance Review Form

    Employee Evaluation Form

    Basic Staff Evaluation Form

  • 5 tips to hire staff 

    5 tips to hire staff 

    Attracting employees to your company has the same principles as marketing your business. The difference is a change of audience, a change of message, and perhaps a change of the medium.

    What is the difference between recruiting and business development? Here at Friendlier Organics, they go hand in hand, most businesses will need to recruit and hire staff to achieve business development, even if you are a gig economy company such as Uber etc.

    Every time you put your company ‘out there, whether you are running a promo or posting a job, people form an impression of you. With recruitment, you have to convince your audience that what you are communicating and selling—a place in your company—is right for them.

    Currently, it seems like everyone is hiring, so how do you cut through a noisy job marketplace and draw the best candidates to your business?

    Read these five tips to successfully build your team.

    1. Know what you want

    know what you want

    Start with clearly identifying what the business needs. For most businesses, this is a great opportunity to carry out a gap analysis and find the right person for a job rather than just replace. What a specific job role means to you will be different from what it means to someone else. It is not just about skills and qualifications but also a good fit for your existing team, and other qualities. If you run a window-washing service, your top candidate might be “efficient and quick` mover”; if you are bringing on board a customer service representative, a “good listener and quick thinker” may be more of what you need.

    It is good to avoid hiring someone just because you think they are like you. Certain differences can be a good thing and a source of fresh ideas. What’s key is for the candidate to fit the role, and not to change the role to fit the employee.

    2. Search the right places

    Once you are clear on your needs for an employee, you have to figure out where to look for it, this is where you will need to think outside the existing box, of indeed. If you’re seeking a recent graduate you’ll want to contact local universities or colleges. LinkedIn can be a great source for a wide range of professionals. Depending on who you’re looking for, you may need to try different channels. Your customer base could be an exceptional resource.

    3. Set yourself apart

    When you’re posting a position, aim to communicate what differentiates you from your competitors. As with marketing carry out a competitor analysis and base, it on their job adverts. When it comes to writing a posting, rather than give a laundry list of duties (the old, “the successful candidate will…”) try to paint a picture of what working in your business will be like. How does a typical day go for someone in that role? What will they start doing and where could they end up six months from now? Create a story in the mind of any potential candidates.

    4. Let your employees be your ambassadors

    No job board will sell your company as your employees can! If you really want your people to spread the word to their networks, you can even offer incentives for references. It can be worth it: Candidates referred by your own staff are more likely to be better employees and stay longer than random applicants.

    5. Tailor your pitch to the person

    When you’re ready to talk to a candidate, be sure to listen for what they’re looking for career-wise. Top performers don’t just want a job—they usually have career goals of their own and want to know how you can help them achieve their objectives.

    Don’t be afraid to promote what your company has to offer, but at the same time be honest. There’s no point promising something you can’t provide, because they’ll find out sooner or later and may choose to move on when they do.

    Approaching top talent on social media

    A lot of companies post jobs on various social media platforms, such as Linkedin, Facebook, etc. However, you can also turn the search around and use social media to find people who would be good for your company.

    If you’re approaching someone on social media, let them know why you’re contacting them, e.g.: “I saw on your LinkedIn profile you have lots of experience building apps for the construction industry. My company develops software for the sector and I wondered if you’d be interested in talking…”

    And remember—you’re marketing yourself! Even if the person isn’t interested, thank them for their time and ask if they might know someone. Reaching out this way builds both your network and your brand.

    Finally, a good strategy is to be always recruiting, what I mean, share your successes and team efforts, when you are ready to hire, potential clients will have been watching.

    Do you need some help with your recruitment strategies? Then please reach out for a free consultation.

  • What is Business Coaching?

    What is Business Coaching?

    What is business coaching?

    Business coaching is a sharing of expertise, mentoring, support, accountability, planning, and implementation. The right coach for you will add value to your business by setting and reviewing goals and helping the businesses focus on what is most important. Additionally, a coach will help you look at why you are in business and identify areas of business that possibly you were not aware of to achieve success. You don’t know what you need to know until you become aware.

    The aim of business coaching is to help you and your business develop successfully in the way that you want. Business coaching can teach the skills needed to grow your business, the ability to raise targets and focus time and attention on what really matters. You will get independent and objective advice to help you make decisions.

    Supporting business growth

    What are the options for business coaching?

    You are in control; you may need to consult with a few coaches to identify what are your specific needs and find a coach you can identify with and like their approach. You can have one to one coaching, coaching workshops or virtual coaching. These sessions can be weekly, fortnightly, by video, phone, or email, or whatever you agree with your needs. It is important to remember it is about your solutions.

    What are the benefits of coaching? 

    Business coaching will help you achieve your goals and identify any specific needs; however, both of these may increase with coaching.  Accountability is a major benefit, many of us need support to remain focused and not to procrastinate. Coaching will unleash both you and the company’s potential and bring about changes, growth, and long-lasting business results. Coaching can help a new business or transform and improve an existing business. The right business coach can help you develop staff, enhance performance, improve productivity, and work-life balance, and generally help overcome obstacles and challenges. Business coaching can also help you develop a business plan, a sales and marketing strategy, develop confidence and interpersonal, time management and organizational skills as well as improve overall performance, productivity, and effectiveness. 

    business growth

    How does it work?

    By focusing on your specific needs, which often change over time. Business coaches take an impartial look at your business, its strengths, and weaknesses and work with you to get the most out of the business. Depending on your needs, you may agree a time period or have an open-ended agreement. The depth of support required, and the time frame will dictate the frequency of the sessions. This helps keep a tight focus, generates more commitment, and encourages you to take the action necessary between sessions. Knowing you will be talking to your coach on a regular basis is a real motivator to make changes. You should become more focused, organized, and structured.

    Why does coaching work?

    Coaching is effective because you have the coach on your side to help you focus on what matters most to you.  Because you agree to regular sessions you focus and commit, become more organized and structured.  Coaching is personal; it is about you as well as your business. It will develop your personal needs and strengths as well as those of your business.

    Business growth is possible

    What is the difference between business coaching and business consultancy?

    Business coaching will help you to clarify the most important goals and aims for your business, helping you take and keep control. It can teach you techniques and skills to make the right decisions.

    Business consulting on the other hand is much narrower and will focus on business aims, objectives and targets and how to achieve them. The business will be analyzed to see how it operates and you will get advice how to improve profits or run it better. It can be particularly useful for specific projects, rather than ongoing business support.

    We combine the two to give you maximum support to remove any barriers to business growth.

    What type of coaching models are there?

    There are a few different coaching models. Many coaches follow what is known as the GROW model. The GROW model is applied to many forms of coaching, whether it be in a business, life or sport. You work through the GROW model and continually review your progress towards achieving your goals, which are often surpassed by further goals.

    G – goal
    Your coach will ask you lots of questions to establish specifically what it is that you want to achieve.

    R – reality
    Identify where you are right now in terms of meeting your goals, the progress you’ve made so far and any obstacles that might be getting in the way.

    O – options
    You will be challenged to look at all the options open to you. You will look at things that you could do, but not necessarily should do.

    W – will or way forward
    You turn your ideas into action points. You will agree with your coach what you will do and when you will do it by. This will be reviewed at your next session.

    Do you think you would benefit from a business coach supporting you with the sustainable growth of your business?

    Book an initial free chat to see if we match.

    Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Instagram

  • How to Thrive When Everything Feels Terrible?

    How to Thrive When Everything Feels Terrible?

    How to Thrive When Everything Feels Terrible

    I realized some time ago that one of my overriding life values is to support others, handy when you consider that is my business. When I look at sole proprietors and entrepreneurs businesses in terms of business growth, often one of the hurdles to business growth is not their marketing, it is not their processes but it is their people, especially if they are the only person in the business. I thought I would some reading I have been doing and give you an insight into potentially why you and your staff might be a barrier to the success of your business.

    For some reason (another conversation), many humans thrive on negative energy and enterprises such as news media use that energy to sell their wares. The news we read, social media we peruse, and conversations we have and overhear. We absorb stress from our family, friends, and coworkers. It all takes its toll even if we don’t subscribe to their beliefs.

    mindfullness on the beach

    The Mighty ( I am still exploring it), a community platform that provides health information and brings people together around specific health issues. It recently surveyed more than 70,000 readers and community members around their awareness, perceptions, and experience with the coronavirus crisis. Interestingly respondents reported their top three emotions were frustration, worry, and anger. No sign of hope or other positive emotions.  

    Negativity can have toxic effects. I read some recent research that identified that we falter when exposed to negativity or rudeness.


    Do you have coping strategies to reduce the amount of exposure?
    Share your strategies with our conversation on Facebook!

    Witnessing rudeness interferes with our working memory and decreases our performance. Mere exposure to rude words reduces our ability to process and recall information. We tend to shut down, stop communicating, and cease being helpful to others. Dysfunctional and aggressive thoughts (and sometimes actions) skyrocket.

    Think positive

    Fortunately, there is a productive way to counter those effects. It’s called thriving — the psychological state in which people experience a sense of both vitality and learning. Thriving individuals are growing, developing, and energized rather than feeling stagnated or depleted.

    In studies conducted across a range of industries, it has been found that people who experience a state of thriving are healthier, more resilient, and more able to focus on their work. Here are some top tips to thrive. When people feel even an inkling of thriving, it tends to buffer them from distractions, stress, and negativity. In a study of six organizations across six different industries, employees characterized as highly thriving demonstrated 1.2 times less burnout compared with their peers. An additional benefit is that it provides confidence in themselves and their ability to take control. They were far less likely to have negativity drag them into distraction or self-doubt.

    Mind full or mindful

    So how do you increase your thriving especially when it feels like you’re drowning in negativity?

    Avoid negativity. Pay attention to what you’re ingesting: what information you chose to read, the media you consume, the music you listen to, the people you choose to spend time with, and the people you look up to. Negativity seeps into our pores through these sources. So make simple choices away from negativity and toward positivity.

    Watch out for what you say out loud. Negative language is particularly insidious and potent. Be mindful of what you’re thinking and saying. Yes, those around you influence you and your mood, but we have more control over our thoughts and feelings than anyone else. And what we say out loud also carries significant weight. It’s ten times more damaging to our sense of thriving if we verbalize a thought than if we just think it.

    So, think twice about how you’re framing and speaking about a situation. Instead of saying,  “This is the worst I’ve ever seen,” or “It’s catastrophic,” (or “devastating” or “terrible”), tweak your language to be more neutral. You might say, “This situation is challenging,” which recognizes the opportunity for growth or learning. You can — and should — acknowledge the truth, while minimizing its power to drag you down.

    Adopt a neutral mindset. Negative thoughts and worries take us off track. We’re more likely to struggle on basic tasks. Long term, repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. It also hurts others because they are then exposed to our negativity. Of course, it’s all too easy to dwell on toxic people or situations. We might play the blame game, ruminate, or overanalyze the situation. It’s far better to adopt a proactive mindset, focusing on what we can control and what we should do next.

    Use neutral thinking — a nonjudgmental, nonreactive way of assessing problems and analyzing crises. This includes staying in the moment, reacting to each moment as it unfolds, and keeping your focus on how you can influence your next action. Don’t get sucked into analyzing past failures or hijacked by future fears or thoughts. Take one play at a time.

    Practice gratitude consistently. There is lots to be said about the benefits of gratitude. Gratitude reduces our stress, makes us happier, and helps us reach our goals. Routinely feeling grateful increases the social support we receive, which further reduces stress and its negative effects. It’s especially powerful when practiced alongside neutral thinking.

    Take care by managing your energy. You can also increase your resilience in the face of negativity and encourage thriving by exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep — all things we know we’re supposed to do but we often fail to when we’re bombarded with negativity. When we exercise, our muscles pump “hope molecules” into our bodily systems that are good for our mental and physical health. You can amplify these effects by exercising outside, with others, or to music.

    Healthy eating also helps you stave off negativity. How well do you respond to frustration when you’re hungry? We lack the self-control required to respond patiently. Sleep is also important. A lack of it impairs self-regulation and self-control, which can produce more negativity. Research has linked poor sleep to frustration, impatience, hostility, anxiety, low levels of joviality, lower levels of trust, workplace deviance, and unethical behavior. Sleep deprivation also hurts the relationship between leaders and their followers, and diminishes how much help people provide to others.

    Seek out positive relationships — inside and outside of work.  Research has found that de-energizing relationships — in which one person possesses an enduring, recurring set of negative judgments, feelings, and intentions toward another person — have four to seven times greater impact on an employee’s sense of thriving than energizing, positive relationships. To offset these effects, surround yourself and spend more time with energizers — the people in your life who make you smile and laugh, and lift your spirits.

    You may not be able to stop the flow of negativity in your life, especially right now, but you can resist its toxic effects by making smart choices about who and what you surround yourself with, the mindset you adopt, and the information you consume. Not only will you be better off because of these choices — those around you will too.

    New mindset

    If you would like us to review the people within your organisation or support with implementation of processes that support positivity connect with us today.

  • How important is humour for a quality life?

    How important is humour for a quality life?

    During this time, I have been reading up on how different things can impact on your life and make a particular situation better. One of the areas I explored was humor and how it makes us more resilient, creative, and resourceful, skills we particularly need at this moment in time.

    Let’s look at social media posts and what is popular. Humour is popular for numerous reasons. Consider the increase in Facebook groups that are covid based humour, look at all the parody’s on YouTube, there is a reason for the increase. Those that are ahead of the curve, know why people look for content that will make them feel good or laugh. You will find businesses creating and sharing humorous marketing content to encourage audiences to engage in their brands.

    Although not a huge user of twitter, I found my feed populated with memes – loo roll, home educating and overeating featured heavily. Of course, for some humour has a darker side, which is whereas a business you need to be very aware of your audience’s tastes in humour and your brand values.

    I read a study by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas. They have spent five years studying the power of humour: watching hours of standup; interviewing comedians; training in the world’s best comedy institutions and teaching it at Stanford University. The main findings are that humour is an unappreciated, underused superpower.

    They have found that laughter triggers the ‘happy hormones’ and suppresses cortisol, the stress hormone.

    Of course, some people think the current situation is too serious to laugh, but Bagdonas, claims now is the time we need humor more than ever. Due to the global pandemic, the shift to remote working, loneliness, and depression rising precipitously, many of us have never felt so disconnected. When we laugh with someone – whether through a screen or 2m apart – we get this cocktail of hormones that strengthen our emotional bonds in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. I found that additional studies showed it makes us more resilient, creative, and resourceful.

    I found digging into various research on the benefits both to the mind and the body very interesting. Do you agree that humour is good for the mind and body? How do you feel when you laugh so hard you can hardly breath and crying with laughter?

    What I learned from that was that finding ways to laugh through hardship reminds us that we’re in control of our heart and mind, whatever darkness lies behind the door. And that’s a triumph.

  • How to Network from a Home Office

    How to Network from a Home Office

    Team meetings and industry conventions have moved online, the pandemic has opened as many doors as it has closed. Consider how much the geographical limitations that have been lifted.

    For many the thought of physically networking at the office or striking up a conversation over a boxed lunch at a convention will have filled them with fear and dread, but after half a year working inside their own four walls, has provided an opportunity to network and have the internet as a physical and mental barrier.

    Expand Your Network

    When looking at your networking objectives consider every facet of your life, including your civic, school and social groups. They can also be discovered in new settings, perhaps on the neighbourhood walks you take to break up the work-from-home day. People you reach out to maybe more open to connecting now, because they are no longer commuting or taking business trips, and have more time to talk.

    If the people already in your network are much like you in their education, race, geography and industry, focus on diversifying will be key to growing your network. It’s also acceptable to join groups that are not for you, you main gain insight into a new perspective and network connections.

    Consider diversifying your network by aiming for more “cognitive friction” — connecting with people who have different ways of approaching problems and getting things done or have different priorities or values, however, keep an open mind to their opinions. Consider why they do what they do?

    Go Beyond Geography

    For many businesses the pandemic has leveled the playing field, people aren’t bound by location, personal obligations or financial circumstance that had prevented them from being able to attend conferences or join after-work events. Your product/service portfolio might be able to take advantage of this situation?

    Networking from home can even offer higher-quality interactions because you are reaching out to someone intentionally, someone you’ve done a little research on in advance, not just striking up a conversation with whoever you run into at a conference.

    Introductions

    One of the true benefits of business networking is a warm introduction to someone is via a mutual connection. Prior to engaging with that person, consider engaging in mutual discussions on social media. Of course, if relevant to your business the world is your oyster for introductions.

    First (Online) Impressions Count

    I cannot express the importance of making a great first impression online, most people will do a little digging prior to any connection being made, even when recommended by a mutual person. Are you representing yourself and your business correctly online?

    The goal is to share what you and your business are proud of and “inspire the person to want to meet with you and get to know you better, and potentially do business with you. Include aspects of yourself that shows your human side.

    Think About What You Can Offer

    Look at relationship marketing rather than transactional marketing, consider how you can offer advice and knowledge to pull people into your influence rather than pushing your services from the word go. When you have a terrific conversation with some or all let them know, the thank you culture is popular for a reason. It is also an excellent way of continuing dialogue.

    Review and Amend

    Start perhaps with a goal of reaching out to one new person each week, even if you feel satisfied with your existing contacts. In fact, the time to invest in your network is when you least need it, so by the time you do require assistance, you have created a strong support system.

    Remember there are several ways to network from home and you need to regularly review the effectiveness against your business growth objectives.

    As always if you need support in maximising your business growth through networking then please reach out.

    Connect for a chat
  • How to drive your own accountability

    How to drive your own accountability

    How do you make yourself more accountable as a driven business person?

    Entrepreneurs and business owners spend hours motivating and supporting team members and holding them accountable, in order to achieve success. However, who hold you accountable if you have no shareholders?

    I want to share some ideas and concepts that I have come across over the years and would be extremely grateful if via the comments you want to add ideas and suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of any that are listed below.

    Write everything down

    As a visual person this comes as second nature, but I can appreciate that many may find this difficult. It also acts as a huge stimulus and a reminder. Writing down everything, from short term action plans, long-term goals, reflective jottings just works for me and my clients. I like to refer to them regularly, which gives me order, focus and motivation.

    Although I am a huge fan and advocate of technology, I still write down my daily action plan. Depending on your mindset and process you could consider writing down which goal any given task is helping you achieve.

    However, it is also important to be reflective if you do not always achieve that days goals. Look at the why(insert link to why blog) and adjust accordingly.

    Create milestones

    Any great business will have recognisable milestones that are responsible for their successful growth strategies. When you identify several smaller goals, and commit to hitting each one, it keeps you accountable in terms of the overall success of the end goal.

    Reward your accomplishments and milestones

    It is in many of us to look at the negative when it comes to self reflection. As an entrepreneur and business owner it is vital to have true reflection and look at both the good and the bad. It critical to the success of both you as an individual and your business to be objective with your reflections. Rewarding yourself for your accomplishments and milestones will recharge and motivate you to continue.

    Review your performance

    As an entrepreneur, it’s important that you are brutally honest with yourself. In the end, it’s you that is responsible for your success or failure. I’m am constantly reflecting on my performance to identify why things went both well and less well.

    If you really want to be held accountable, consistent reflection is the key. Either via yourself, an outside impartial stakeholder or internal staff. A business owner that blames others is destined to fail, because he or she would rather point fingers rather than review their own performance.

    Removing the fear for business success

    Remove the fear.

    Never be afraid to ask for help, support. Using the “oh I could not do that as I did not know” will not cut it when being accountable. There is always someone out there that can help you to achieve success. A barrier to being successful is accepting that you don’t always know what you need to know (add link) to be successful and removing the fear and sometimes ego is critical to success.

    Ask Questions

    Smart successful people ask questions because they know it’s the best way to get to the true heart of a matter.

    When you say you were too busy to work out this week, what are you really saying?

    Chances are you had time to watch Netflix or go out for drinks, so what really held you back? Maybe you were nervous about walking into a new gym.

    By asking great questions, you and your accountability coach/specialist can break through invisible barriers.

    Be accountable to someone

    This person must be someone that won’t fall for your tricks and doesn’t care about your excuses. The problem with picking a good friend for this is that they are typically your friend because they agree with you. Which is why whoever you are accountable to, must be somebody who is no-nonsense. This is a huge aspect of what we do. Clients comment on the knowledge and support we give and that it made them accountable for their actions and behaviours.

    Mentors and coaches

    As a coach and mentor I also have an individual I rely on to support me with my goals and desires. During my 30yrs plus of supporting people in business and education. I have found having a person to turn to can save both time and money to resolve a situation and return the focus and motivation.

    Do you agree with all of these, do you have any that you would be kind enough to share?

  • Parasocial Interactions good for business.

    Parasocial Interactions good for business.

    Parasocial Interaction is it important to the sustainability of your business?

    If you are like many, you look at certain celebrities and Politicians and wonder why are they so popular?

    Has society gone mad or is there a reason for their popularity? I mean in terms of their ability to create perceived intimate relationships with their fans, rather than actually being successful at their chosen careers.

    This is Parasocial interaction in action. Now what is Parasocial Interaction and more importantly how can it help provide sustainability for a business.

    The theory was first developed by Horton and Wohl in 1956, in its simplest terms it is the refers to the psychological perceived closeness and friendship people feel with a celebrity of fictional figure, despite having no physical interactions.

    In the study that coined Parasocial interaction by Horton and Wohl, they describe what is known as the “Persona”, or the person who creates that intimate connection – in today’s world, that’s likely to be a celebrity or an influencer who we admire or look up to or it can be a business or brand (Apple adopted this principle when they first started with their branding).

    The persona can create a sense intimacy with millions of strangers all at the same time. Above all, they offer a continuing relationship with fans, in that they’re dependable and integrated into the routines of daily life.

    The new age of social media gives audiences the illusion of a face-to-face relationship with the person.

    Of course, the relationship is one-sided. Take radio DJ’s, we can’t just respond to questions they asks, however how often have you answered the question in your head or out loud, this is because it feels like a real-life, face-to-face relationship because they’re speaking to us like we’re a friend in the same room as them.

    Why is Parasocial Interaction important for your business?

    Advertising is everywhere, if you look at some of the stats, now the average person gets hit 20-40 a day with an advert of some description. Humans have become the dominant species because they are excellent at learning and adapting, therefore we have become excellent at what I call marketing blindness and tuning out adverts and looking behind the advert, hence why Facebook offers recommendations and Google offers reviews.

    With the popular figures of the community, they have intentionally (with help) created a story that makes them feel like a friend to their fans, so when they share a product with us (that they’re inevitably getting paid to promote), we don’t see it as an advert; we see it as a recommendation.

    Horton and Wohl researched and created the term “personality” programs, which are basically the celeb-driven, authentic marketing campaigns of today. During these campaigns (or programs), the Persona is required to create an illusion of intimacy with their audience.

    How a business can make the most Parasocial Interaction.

    The part that really interests you, however for this interaction to really work, you must read and understand the introduction to the theory above.

    How can you advertise your own products and run intimate campaigns that connect with your audience – because, at its very core, that’s precisely what Parasocial interaction does?

    It creates a community where the audience feel a part of something, like they are connected to the brand or business who is advertising. There are numerous studies by brands and independent agencies that show there is a direct correlation between brand love and loyalty and Parasocial interaction with that brand.

    So, to that effect, the intimate relationship can be tied to a brand as a whole.

    Create the Illusion of Face-to-Face

    You hopefully know by now that talking at your audience won’t do you any favours, nor will creating fictional stories that are highly polished by your marketing team.

    Instead, you want to be creating campaigns that feel like they’re raw and connective, kind of like a face-to-face conversation.

    In Horton and Wohl’s report, they suggested this could be achieved by maintaining a flow of small talk which gives the impression that the Persona (or brand) is responding to a conversation.

    How does this transfer to marketing?

    1. Speak Directly To Your Audience

    Speak to your audience, like you are talking to them directly. In your copy, use words like “you” and “us” to create a sense of belonging, and in your social campaigns, tell real stories and chat as if someone was on the other end.

    2. Use Real Stories

    Creating a connection and a relationship with your audience is all about storytelling (why do you think Facebook and Instagram developed stories?). People connect with stories and are more likely to feel a bond with someone or a brand if they resonate with the story they’re telling.

    User Generated Content (UGC) is perfect for sharing connective stories from people who are just like your audience. You’re creating a “brand persona” via your customers who can create an intimate relationship with your audience by sharing their first-hand stories and experiences, almost like an extended family member.

    3. Mingle With Your Audience

    This makes your business more real to the audience and makes them appear on the same level – you are just like me and I am just like you.

    Find out where your audience hangs out and hang out there with them. Create connections by becoming part of the group instead of essentially shouting at them from afar.

    4. Create an Idealized Version of What Your Audience Want

    This means the Brand becomes a kind of magic mirror that reflects back to the audience what they want to see, does drinking a coke really make you that happy, being part of the apple community make you more connected?

    In marketing you can use your brand to reflect the Persona your audience want to be or, at least, want to have in their lives. Consider the emotive benefits why your customers want to be associated with you rather than physical solution.

    5. Become a Part of Everyday Life

    This is content marketing at its finest. You want your audience to become blind to the fact that your brand is not a part of their “real life”.

    In order to recreate this with your marketing, you need to be consistent and show up in your audience’s’ lives every single day, whether that’s through social sharing, interacting with them via photographic platforms, or by hanging out where they are. By becoming a part of their everyday, you become an important fixture. You become less of a brand that’s selling them something, and more like a figural part of their lives.

    The switch might go unnoticed, but once it happens, you’ll find you have a raving community of loyal followers who treat you like one of their own.

  • How Brands influence our life

    How Brands influence our life

    What is a brand? If you are asked that question, how do you respond? Do you describe a logo and designated colours? Maybe you talk about it in terms of descriptive adjectives, similar to how you’d describe a friend or trusted colleague? Or maybe you reply with the purpose of that particular brand?

    Large multinational businesses spend millions on developing a brands values, and personality, they are hoping that you describe a brand in terms of descriptive adjectives. Did you know Coke brand values is happiness?

    Branding as a verb. Is this the ultimate measurement of the success of a brand in terms of awareness?

    You don’t search the internet, you google it.

    You fedex your packages, instead of shipping them.

    You xerox your notes, versus making photocopies.

    You photoshop an image rather than edit the image.

    You hoover your home rather than vacuuming.

    You make an announcement over the tannoy rather than the PA system.

    I am sure you can come up with loads of your own.

    Successful companies create successful brands, and never the other way around. Unless you count buying a brand.

    However, look at Apple it’s the most valuable brand in the world, but we don’t use “Apple” as a verb. The same is true with Amazon, Facebook, and Disney. These companies are wildly successful household names, but we don’t use their brand names as verbs. Why?

    Why do companies use brands and branding?

    Branding is absolutely critical to a business because of the overall impact it makes on a target audience. Branding can change how people percept your brand, it can drive new business and increase brand awareness, probably more important it keeps customers.

    Companies are constantly sending you marketing communications to keep you engaged with their brand as they want you to look at them as if they have a personality.

    Ultimately a brand aim is for you to need them not want them. I am sure we all know of teenagers who need a smart phone otherwise their life is not worth living.

    What are your thoughts on branding? Does it work? Do we really make free will choices now or are we steered into a choice due to brand communications?