 Hiring the right person for you, first time, every time! Wouldn't that be great?
By the time you’ve read this blog, I want to have convinced you that it’s possible. Not only possible but pleasurable; that it’s an exciting opportunity to build your high-performing team and grow your business. I’ll go through the three steps to a great job advert and there’s a template too which you can download. I’m going to share with you my two golden rules for hiring and show how, if you embrace these, you will be well on the path to hiring a ‘keeper’. One of the questions I always ask my clients is ‘How many of your current team would you re-hire tomorrow if you were given the chance?’ So…how many would you re-hire? If you say all of them I’ll be delighted for you, and also a little surprised, as that's only happened to me once since I started asking the question. Most people have at least one person in their business who was never right, the rotten apple in the barrel. ‘Ugh John, what a pain’ or ‘It’s just Janet, she’s always miserable.’ You've put up with Janet and John for years rather than removing them from the team; knowing that neither should ever have been hired in the first place - they were never a good fit for you, your team or the business. So how to avoid this? I have two golden rules for hiring: Golden rule No. 1 Never, hire in a hurry. Why? Because anything you do in a hurry tends to be botched. You’re rushing to plug a gap; hiring somebody to make up the numbers. You hire in a hurry, you make mistakes. Golden rule No. 2 Always hire to your values. Think about why you’re hiring. You're not just hiring a body. You're not looking for someone who's going to clock on, park their brain at the door, and then clock off at the end of the day. You want somebody who is engaged. You want somebody who cares about what you care about - who buys into that goose bump-giving inspiring vision of yours; who has the same values as you. You’re hiring a mind and a heart, not a body. Things go wrong when you ignore the golden rules and only look at skills and experience; when you hire in a hurry cos it’s all just too much hassle; when you abdicate responsibility to a third party. Change your mindset around hiring - see it as an opportunity to add to your highly engaged, high performing team - invest time and energy in this crucial task…and get creative…even with your job ad. Think differently. So many people put out the job description as a job ad. ‘You will be responsible for, you will have so and so reporting to you, you must be able to do this, that and the other.’ Who's inspired by that sort of job ad? No-one. So when it comes to your job ad I want you to lead with three things.
So let’s recap. Take your time when you're hiring. Know your vision and values. Write your job ad to inspire your ideal candidates. And you will be well on your way to hiring the right person for you, first time. Of course, there’s more to it than just that, but all in good time! Do one thing: Download your job ad template here and use it for your next hire. ps Don’t miss out on the launch offer for my new book ‘Simple Logical Repeatable’ - only 99p for the kindle version on Amazon, 18th & 19th July. For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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 In the last few weeks we've created your inspiring business vision and we've begun work on your business planning, but even the most inspiring vision, and the smartest of SMART plans will be wasted, if you don't have an effective personal management system.
Your daily routine is the cornerstone of your personal management system, and should be crammed full of habits that will maximise your productivity, and move you closer to your big vision. Get into the habit of planning your day the evening before (and your week on a Sunday evening). At the end of the day, you’re usually very clear about what still needs to done, what the priorities are, what tomorrow’s frog* will be. Advanced planning like this makes sure that you hit the ground running. Chunk your work into 90 minute segments. This is a good timeframe for focus, and FOCUS is the key word - don’t multi-task - if you’re going to work on a sales letter, work on it for the full 90 minutes, or until it’s done, if you can do it within the 90. Work out which part of the day you’re at your peak - for me it’s first thing in the morning - and use that 90 minutes to ‘eat your frog’ - *do the thing that you don't necessarily want to do, but that’s weighing you down mentally, because you know you really need to get it done. Just get focused and eat the damn frog! It’s a really good success habit to get into. Set yourself mini deadlines - always good for those of us who like a bit of ‘last minute pressure’ - make them ‘drop-dead’-lines too! Absolute must delivers! Breaks are always a good deadline. Holidays are also excellent. Ever noticed how much more you get done in the days leading up to a holiday, or the minutes leading up to any deadline. Both breaks and holidays are essential for your long-term productivity too - refreshing and re-energising your mind and body. The most successful businessmen and women really get this, and have made breaks long and short, a habit they will always keep. Other daily routines and success habits that are good for your mind and body, include taking at least 30 minutes exercise a day - even if it’s just a walk down the road and back - and drinking plenty of water - two litres is the recommended amount isn’t it? I’m no scientist, but I can testify to the power of a lunchtime walk for clearing your head and setting you up for a productive afternoon. For successful business owners, there are two other personal management essentials: 1. An assistant or PA There are only so many things that you can be brilliant at, or that really get your juices flowing; for everything else, you need an assistant - someone who will keep you organised, do the really important, but really boring (to you) stuff that eats away at your time. A mentor of mine refers to the £10ph, £100ph and £1000ph tasks in your business. Which are you spending all of your precious time on? And talking of mentors, the second essential is 2. A mentor What I’ve learned from the mentors I’ve worked with, is that they get you to the next level faster; they get you to raise your game - to see things from a different viewpoint - they share their expertise to help you grow. Your mentor is a key member of your support team - the sounding board and advisor who speeds up your journey to the results you’re looking for. Your personal management system takes discipline and time to develop, but when you learn to manage yourself, the business will be a piece of cake! Do one thing: Spot that frog and eat it…Gulp… [This is an excerpt from Marianne’s new book, Simple, Logical, Repeatable, available now on Amazon at: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781332266] For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  ‘Keeping in touch with your values is a lifelong exercise.’
If your vision is your goose-bump-giving, inspiring, picture of your future, and your plans are the route map to take you there, then what are your values? The Dictionary defines values as… ‘principles or standards of behaviour; one's judgement of what is important in life’. For me, they are the compass that guides every decision, every action, and the way you behave every single day. We all have values whether we recognise them as such, or not, and our life is much easier when we understand what they are and align our plans, decisions and behaviours with them. For example, if you value family, but you work 70-hour weeks, you’ll feel internal stress and conflict. If you don't value financial risk, you’re unlikely to start your own business. Being clear about your values, helps you to make decisions and take actions that are fully aligned with them. When you’re in tune with your values, your gut will reflect them. Go against your gut and you might well be going against your values. As you move through life, your values may change. For example, when you start out, success – measured by money and status – might be a top priority. But as you get older, perhaps after you have a family, you may value work-life harmony more. Keeping in touch with your values is a lifelong exercise. When thinking about what your values are, ask yourself:
Decide what’s important to you and how you’ll demonstrate it in your business, because what you do is a megaphone for what you believe in. You may genuinely believe and therefore say, one thing, but your actions and behaviours may well be saying another. Let me give you an example from a private client I worked with a while ago.. and the feedback I gave them, which illustrates the point. ‘You say that you want a quality operation, but your team believe that you won’t pay enough to bring in quality people.’ ‘You say that you want a team that takes ownership for their role and how it is performed, but your team see you needing to be consulted on every decision, and keeping tight control.’ ‘You say that you want a fast-paced organisation that grows at speed, but you over-analyse everything and take forever to make decisions.’ ‘You make commitments - to have management team meetings, to install a reward scheme, and so on - but don’t stick to these commitments.’ ‘You say that you value your people - but you cancel training sessions and team events’ ‘You say that you value your clients and want them to have first class service - but you ignore customer feedback and seem accepting of failure to deliver on time.’ What you DO is a megaphone for what you believe in. So what do you believe in? What would your team say you Value? When asked this question, business owners will usually say things like honesty, integrity, customer focus, maybe fairness - clearly good values, but to be honest, these are standard principles that every business owner should live by. Business Values 101. The expected minimum. Your values are all about you and the personality of your business - you’re going to hire team members who share those values - you’re going to attract customers who love your values. You want these values to inspire, to attract, to hold everything together. A brand strategy business I know has the following as their values:
That’s who they are. That’s how they behave. Everything about their brand fits with these values. So? Who are you? Do one thing: Work that out. Then ask yourself, and your team, if your day to day behaviour reflects who you are and what you believe in. Taken from Marianne's new book Simple Logical Repeatable, coming soon to an Amazon near you! For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  I read an article the other day that got me a bit hot under the collar. In a nutshell it said that anyone following a process or a system was a ‘jobsworth’.
The article had different animals depicting the different types of people who followed a system and their reasons for doing so. What got my goat (not one of the animals depicted) was that they were all negative. What the article didn’t say was that the real problem is not the following of a system - McDonald’s for one have built a global empire on the back of people following systems - the real problem is following the wrong system; a system that makes life more difficult. The only reason systems exist is to make life easier - yours, your team’s, your customer’s. The wrong system - the one that makes everyone’s life more difficult, that has either your team or your customer jumping through hoops - that’s the one the jobsworth loves. I’ll give you an example… A friend of mine was shopping in her local Waitrose the other day, and had forgotten her Waitrose card. She’d never seen the person serving her before, but she explained that she was a regular, that she had forgotten her card (which entitles her to a free coffee) and wondered if she could still have her cup of coffee, as she could really do with it. No, she couldn’t, was the answer. So, was the person serving my friend a jobsworth, following a bad system? If Waitrose was your business, what would you have wanted the till person to do in this situation? What would your system be? Think about it…what was the worst that could have happened had the server given her the benefit of the doubt? If my friend was pulling a fast one, Waitrose would be one cup of coffee down. If she was genuine, they’d have one hacked off Customer, as it proved. The system in this instance needed to allow and encourage the server to use their discretion; it needed to ensure that they were not a jobsworth. All good systems are simple, logical and repeatable; they make life easier…for you, your team and your customers. Do one thing: Check the systems along your customer journey- are you creating jobsworths in your team? For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  When I worked for McDonald’s I learned that planning is a team sport; most effective when it involves the people it affects as well as those who’ll deliver on it.
I learned that you listen to those with the skills and experience, but you also consider the new and the different; that it’s ok to re-visit that might once have been considered crazy or just plain wrong for the business, as things change, and the ‘right time’ comes along. Just like every other area of the business, I learned that you have a system for planning that makes it routine, regular, consistent; that keeps you focused on the end goal, even when you need to adapt, or change your route. A robust planning system keeps everyone in the business, focused and on track. Because everyone knows where you’re all headed, there’s less stress, and less chaos, which also saves you time and money. And it gives you the opportunity to celebrate with your team when you reach your milestone markers along the way. Planning is a team sport at McDonald’s - they invest an awful lot of time and money, in bringing together people from all areas of the business - Operations, Support, Franchisees, Suppliers - with the aim of developing challenging plans and goals that everyone buys into. They want everyone engaged in the business Vision, the direction of travel, and the route map that’s going to take them there. They want to be able to celebrate milestones, achievements big and small, and then, when the tough times come, they want everyone to see the fight as theirs, to work together to turn things back round. The investment in their Planning system delivers a huge return. It’s a foundation system that they would not be without. Many business owners don’t see Planning that way.
Many business owners are missing a trick. But the fact that you’re even reading this tells me you’re not going to be one of the many. Your team are never going to be heard asking ‘are we there yet?’ Your team are going to know exactly where they’re going, how they’re going to get there, and when they’ve arrived. And then you’re going to celebrate...big style! Your Planning system is the first of 4 Foundations that will underpin your future success. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to help you get ready for the coming year, by sharing The McFreedom System blueprint for planning. Do one thing: Come back next week for the next instalment. For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  Drive on the left. Give way from the right. Don’t hog the middle lane.
This is our ‘system’ for driving in the UK, or ‘the way we drive round here’. Despite having a system, there are still plenty of holdups what with accidents, roadworks and sheer volume of traffic, but just imagine what it would be like if everyone did their own thing. Total chaos. We all have systems. They form part of our everyday lives - our set way of doing things like getting ready for work in the morning, doing the weekly shop, driving the same route to the in-laws. Our same way of doing things; our best way of doing things, save us time; they mean we can do them without thinking; they free us up to focus on those things that we can’t do in a systemised way - those things we have to think about. I often have people say to me, ‘oh we don’t do systems, we’re all about being creative, free-flowing, innovative’. And there’s an assumption in there, that systems are a block to creativity; that they constrict us in some way. Not true, in fact quite the reverse in fact. Systems keep the nuts and bolts of your business - your invoicing, purchasing, marketing - moving, and form a platform for the creative people to ‘do their stuff’. Think of a jazz band. You would never say that jazz musicians are not creative, or that in any piece of jazz music there isn’t plenty of room for improvisation and individuality. But as a band, they all have to play in the same key, they all have to maintain the overall rhythm, and stick to the same beat. If jazz doesn’t do it for you, think of a baker. A baker will follow tried and tested methodology for baking the cake to free up their time to try new flavours or to focus on decorating their showstopper. It just makes sense. Following the system for the basics frees up time for the fun stuff. Think back to your summer holiday; I bet you went to pack, looked at your suitcase and thought ‘where do I start?’. Now imagine that you had a list of what you packed last year for your two weeks in the sun. Imagine how much time you’d have saved and how little you’d have forgotten. Imagine if, on your return, you went to your list and deleted things you hadn’t needed and added things you did need. Imagine how simple next year’s packing would be. But of course, all too often we lose interest after we’ve done something until it comes round again… It’s the same with work. Think back to the last time you said to yourself, ‘Now, how did I do this last time?’ Oh if only you could prepare a How To guide for yourself, or someone else you wanted to delegate to - a step by step guide to the best way to get the job done to your high standard? Wouldn’t it be great if you could record yourself doing an online task, that you or someone you wanted to delegate to could follow easily, to do the job to your high standard next time? If only you could do that, eh?! How much time would that save you to get on with the fun stuff? Making the way you do things in your business simple, logical and repeatable, gives you consistency and frees up your time to focus on growing your business. Do one thing: Pick one routine task in your business and write or record a How To guide for it. Then let me know how you got on. For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  I was attacked by a wasp the other day. My lovely walk in the country was suddenly interrupted by a severe burning pain in my arm - the little beggar having sunk his stinger into me with no provocation whatsoever.
On my way home, accompanied by what felt like a hundred pixies stabbing my arm with tiny sharp daggers, I pondered on the purpose of a wasp. Wondering if their role in life was simply to cause pain, annoyance and allergic reactions. Why do they exist? So next day, faced with some serious work to do… I googled ‘What purpose do wasps serve?’ and was amazed to discover that they actually do serve some purpose as pollinators, though not as efficient as their cousin, the bee. To be honest, it kind of ruined the blog I was going to write about the wasps in your business that serve no purpose:
But now I know that the pesky wasp actually does some good, it got me thinking that perhaps we shouldn’t rush to judgement, or take things, particularly people, at face value. Maybe that person you think has struggled since day one, just hasn’t been trained properly, or maybe they would blossom in a different role, or maybe they’ve been doing something quietly, behind the scenes, adding value to your business and just not making a song and dance about it. Perhaps this person will never be a bee but they make a very effective wasp! Have you ever employed anyone like this; someone who you doubted who turned out to be a revelation for all the right reasons? (Think of Richard Branson at school and where he is now.) Do one thing: Think about your people and for each of them write down what you believe their main strength to be: then ask them what they think. Finally ask yourself, am I playing to and challenging their strengths?(Okay; that's three things...but do it anyway) For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  It’s that time again, new beginnings. For some their first day at a new school or college. For others their first day in a new role or a new job; maybe their first ever job?
Can you remember back to one of your first days? We’ve all had at least one. So what was it like? Were you over-awed, bored or just completely bewildered? Did you take in every word that was said, or did you go home on a caffeine-high with a numb bum? I’d love to think you had a great day and came away buzzing with drive and energy dying to tell your other half, mum or dad what a great day you had and how excited you were about the future. That’s what you want for the individuals joining YOUR team, but is that what happens? A new recruit’s First Day is your opportunity to make a great first impression. It’s your chance to get a new team member excited about their future with you, to understand what’s expected of them, and get a feel for what’s possible. First impressions count, and that applies to your team members too. Usually the focus is on giving lots of information, when what’s really important is to give heaps of inspiration. Yes, there are some very basic things you have to get across to them - where the toilets are, the fire procedure, where everyone goes for lunch maybe, but keep these as brief and to the point as possible. The things that are going to inspire them are:
Think about splitting your day into 3 short sections:
Your aim should be for that first day to reflect what you and your business are all about. I’m not talking a song and dance routine, but you want it to be full of high energy, passion and creativity, and as interactive as you can make it. Do one thing: Download our Simple System ‘How to Make a First Day Memorable’ for free here. [ps If you’d like to know more about transforming your business and your team by establishing simple, repeatable ways of working, then why not join us for a practical, interactive and inspiring day. Click here for more information.] For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  ‘The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it.’ Mal Pancoast
‘Get moving’ programmes have got many people up and active, improving their lives through exercise. With obesity and heart disease on the rise we’re being encouraged to walk up stairs, hop off the bus early or park well away from the supermarket door. Many of us have started to use watches and fitbits to measure our activity and keep us focused on our daily steps target. Research has shown we can get so hooked on our target that we’ll (literally) keep going that extra mile, to ensure we achieve it. So are targets good or bad for business? Well it really depends on the target. Did you hear the one about the train driver that went straight through every station to ensure he kept to his timetable! There can be real dangers in target setting. But equally great rewards. So what makes a good target? Firstly, a good target will always take you towards your business vision - so you need to be clear about that for starters. It will be holistic - in the best interests of both your Customer and your business. You can’t set targets just to improve profit - you’ll probably succeed in the short term, but what will the long-term cost be if you’ve achieved your target by cutting corners on quality? Equally, you can set targets aimed at driving Customer satisfaction above everything else, but this could cause big problems if you ignore the needs of your business profit. You want productivity – but if you focus on productivity without any thought for quality, customer focus or value for money, you’ll end up being very productive doing all the wrong things. You get the gist. Targets, like your SMART goals, will be challenging, but achievable. You’ll be able to measure them, and celebrate their achievement with the team. The individuals in your team will have personal targets which lead to the achievement of the bigger team/ business target. A good target will be a key performance indicator for both business and individual performance - an essential element in both your Planning and your Performance Management Systems. The very best targets drive your people and your business to excel and give everyone a real sense of achievement - just like your fitbit! Do one thing: Review your business plans and ask yourself - are my plans a route map to my business vision/ my destination? Do I have targets as key milestones along the way? Is my whole team involved in their achievement? For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk  ‘Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.’
The other day someone asked me where they could get help to implement ‘Investors in People’. I replied with a question of my own, ‘What are you trying to achieve?’ ‘A plaque on the wall? Ratification that your people practices meet their standard? Or a highly engaged, high performing team?’ Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big supporter of any organisation that’s focused on improving how people lead and develop their people, but the end in mind should always be the highly engaged team…and better results for the business. That’s what effective training and development will deliver for you - individual and team growth, which builds a high performing team, which delivers business growth. That’s the only way you can truly judge the effectiveness of your 3 essential People systems - hiring, training and performance management. Yes, there can be indirect measurements like fewer days off sick, a better atmosphere in the team, less time spent re-doing their work, but these aren’t ends in themselves. It’s all about the bottom line - that’s why you’re in business. [For those who struggle with that concept, remember that the more money you make, the more people you can employ and develop, the more people you can help - so it’s not all about your bank account!] And the good news is, it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to train your people. Yes, some training will need to be done sheep dip /classroom style, to the whole team, maybe even outsourced, but the most effective training & development can be done by you - everyday - on the job. Here are my magnificent seven ways to develop your team: *Catch them doing something right and praise them publicly - development by positive reinforcement *See someone doing something wrong and show them how to do it to your standard, giving them the reasons why you want it done that way - teaching them how to get it right first time, next time *Share your vision and your story so far with new team members - so they buy-in to your goals *Involve team members in your planning process - they learn the ‘why’ as well as the ‘what’ improving ownership and commitment *Ask the team to agree, the most simple, logical and repeatable way of doing what you do, to serve the customer - teaching them the importance of consistency and customer service *Take team members out to meet Customers and suppliers - they learn how their work adds value and fits into the bigger picture *Ask your team members for their opinions on how you can improve your customer experience - shows them that you value their opinion Do one thing: Pick just one of the seven today (or the next day you’re with the team and try it out), maybe one you have never tried before, and watch for the improvement in the engagement of your team. For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk |
AuthorMarianne is the author of three books, and is currently working on her fourth, whilst regularly writing her blog, we hope you enjoy it :-) Archives
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