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One of the attractions of a start-up or smaller business is often the culture. It doesn’t feel like anywhere else because it has its own identity. It’s exactly this that attracts and convinces new starters to join. They feel they’ve found something special. And then, inevitably, growth happens and the organisation is fast on the way to being an SME. While that might always have been the plan, that special culture can get lost in transition. All of a sudden, founders are runni

Have you ever been inspired by, or demotivated by a line manager? Either way you’ll know the impact that relationship can have. In many ways, how we experience the organisations we work for is influenced by our line managers. Ask anyone what they think of the culture where they work, they’ll probably base their reply on the quality of that relationship. Not for nothing do we hear that phrase ‘well, I joined the organisation but left because of my line manager’. All of which m

We’ve all seen them. Some teams just work better together, achieve more and are nicer to be around. And it’s not necessarily about having the best talent. There is something bigger than the team itself and that’s a feeling of connection - to each other and to the organisation. If you don’t think this is as important as I do - consider the other side of the coin. Those organisations where, no matter how hard you tried, you just didn’t fit in. Maybe you felt like an outsider, a

At a recent networking event I introduced myself as a Fractional Chief People Officer. Someone at my table asked what does 'Fractional' mean? A good question, but most important of all, what are the benefits for the organisations that hire us?  ‘Fractional’ is a term appearing in front of a number of job titles. I’m sure you’ve noticed a big rise in LinkedIn profiles and mentions of ‘fractional’ leadership. All of a sudden, many of us have become ‘Fractional’ HR consultants,

Many organisations launch culture change with energy and flair: new values, striking slogans, glossy campaigns and roadshows. These efforts can create visibility, but rarely lasting change. That’s because culture isn’t built in slogans or slide decks. It lives in what people   experience : the way decisions are made, how systems reward behaviour, and above all, how leaders act when the dust settles. When leaders talk about culture but fail to change what they   do , employees

I'm often asked what's the magic formula for creating a successful and engaging culture? What's the fairy dust that needs to be...

Discover what a culture audit can tell you about levels of engagement and how you can translate that into action. Culture is becoming increasingly important to employees and therefore organisations too. To give this some context, a Glassdoor survey found 77% of respondents would consider a company’s culture when searching for a new job. If they don’t like what they hear from their network, or if what they experience isn’t what they were promised, they’ll walk. The growing imp

Why are some organisations more able to recruit and retain their people than others? And why do some people perform better, with stronger employee engagement and a willingness to go the extra mile? It’s often down to the culture of an organisation. Culture is becoming increasingly important to employees. If you need any convincing, consider this. A Glassdoor survey found 77% of respondents would consider a company’s culture when searching for a new job.  Is there a culture fo

Trust in organisations can take years to build and can be gone in an instant. And then you have to rebuild, if that’s even possible. As a culture and employee engagement specialist, I’ve helped organisations build passionate and engaged teams. This wouldn’t have been possible without high levels of trust. In this blog I’ll share what I believe trust looks like and why it’s THE most important component of your culture - and I’ll use some compelling stats to make my point. I’ll