Few phrases evoke such perfect imagery as 'the elephant in the room'. In a logical sense it’s an idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes un-addressed. The expression also applies to an clear issue or risk no one wants to discuss. It is based on the idea that an elephant in a room would be impossible to overlook; thus, people in the room who pretend the elephant is not there have chosen to avoid dealing with the looming big issue.

One of the most poignant stories I have of dealing with 'the elephant in the room' is not business related, but one that really demonstrates that if you cling onto your integrity, even in the face of the deepest adversity, then out of something negative will come something positive.

The story relates to a friend of mine who had just come through an exceptionally acrimonious divorce. Days after the final hearing, and after three years of intensive marketing of her home, she received an offer on her house. She was delighted not only because it would signal the end of a chapter in her life, but also because she simply could not afford to keep the house.

With renewed vigor she contacted her solicitor who promptly told her that as attractive as the buyer’s offer was, she would be unable to progress the sale of her home without the potential of a challenge from her ex-husband. He went on the explain that as the divorce settlement had been based on her remaining in the former marital home with her children, she would be obliged to stay as is for a minimum of six months to avert such a challenge. Needless to say she was beside herself with worry; the thought of losing her buyer after three years of trying to sell her house in a depressed and falling market. At this point my friend sought my guidance.

My advice to her was to deal with 'the elephant in the room'. She was more than likely to lose her buyer anyway, so why cover up the situation. I suggested that she contact the buyers and invite them over for tea and a chat with us. On behalf of my distraught friend, I explained the situation to the intrigued buyers, who, as I unravelled the story, started to smile in a sympathetic way.  As the conversation evolved, it transpired they were buying my friend’s house as their first home together. They too had been through divorces and said that they ‘understood the awful procedural processes’ and the limitations that individual settlements can place on divorcees.

Then, completely unexpectedly, dealing with 'the elephant in the room' resulted in honest pay-back!  The woman said that she really wanted the house. The man took a moment to digest all that had been said before announcing that they were renting at the present time and that he would be prepared to rent for a further six months if my friend agreed to take the house off the market, and sell it to them at the same price. His only concern was that his mortgage offer would run out, but that it would be worth dealing with in order to secure the house they both really wanted.

The story has a happy ending as contracts have since been exchanged and both parties are now living in their respective new homes. My friend, by her own admission, is not necessarily the best communicator and she readily acknowledges that she would have accepted her fate of losing her buyer. As I have said to her since there is a real and valuable lesson to be learnt from this, not only in terms of effective communication skills, but also in the power of being honest. Without being honest and equally as important, dealing with situation at hand, the chances of my friend having a successful outcome were very slim indeed. A real life’s lesson was learnt that day.

And so the morale of this story is that the more we encourage people to give honest opinions, and deal with 'the elephant', the more likely it is that accuracy and trust will increase and relationships; personal, business or otherwise, will deepen – all of which are great for a successful business and life.

Do you have any examples of the elephant being dealt with or not? What happened as a result?

You’ve carried out your appraisals, or, as we like to call them, reviews; spending time ensuring they are robust and provide achievable actions. So what do you do with the information obtained? Do you have a system in place that helps you collate and make sense of this? If so, do you share the overall results with your people? And would you share this with the outside world?

These are questions we regularly ask our clients. In fact they are questions we ask ourselves because we use our own talent toolbox ™ system to carry out all of our reviews.

We use, and created talent toolbox, for the reason that is simplifies the appraisal process. Not only does it ensure for a rich one-to-one conversation, it automatically generates various reports to provide us with valuable data which helps us shape our business strategy. And as this information is from our people, we make sure we share the results with all; acting on any feedback provided. We’re also very happy to share our results with you – how many other providers would say this?!

The most valuable information obtained through these reviews is the ‘happy score’. Simply put, this looks at how satisfied / engaged your people are. Individuals rate how happy they are in their job on a scale of one (not happy) to 10 (extremely happy). For people to feel truly engaged we believe that organisations should be aiming for a majority ‘happy score’ score of between eight to 10.

Despite the difficult economic conditions, 91% of our people achieved this score in 2011; up on our 2010 score of 81%. If you look at these figures in comparison to those seen in our ‘Review 2011’ report, where we reveal benchmark figures taken from 32,000 employees, sadly the same standards are not replicated across other organisations. Most score 57%, which, whilst slightly increased last year, has been dropping year on year since 2007 when it was 75%. It’s therefore no surprise that research indicates fewer than one in three employees worldwide are engaged; a disappointing statistic.

We always recommend asking teams and individuals ‘what would make it a 10’ for them. This creates an opportunity for a rich discussion, plus suggestions for any improvements; ensuring you can move your people up the happy scale and have an engaged, motivated and productive workforce.

Another area of particular interest for us is culture and values. People make or break a business, therefore creating the right culture, with values that everyone can believe in, is paramount to business success. This, however, can only be achieved if everyone has a clear vision of what the organisation is about, ‘how things are done around here’ and adopts its core values.

In order to measure ourselves on this front we ask ‘How Purple are you?’ It’s an easy way to calculate engagement, and also reveal whether our people are truly living and breathing our culture and values.

Reviews also provide a great opportunity to obtain feedback from your people as to how they think you’re doing as a business. The results then help check you’re aligned with your overall mission; and gives a chance to acknowledge and celebrate successes. On the flip side, it also uncovers any issues which could be lowering your scores. The important thing to remember is to listen and take action; otherwise next time you ask for their honest opinion they probably won’t bother.

So whilst hearing about ‘improvement’ areas may be difficult, it’s vital for growth and profitability. Embrace your employees opinions; ensuring they feel safe to share this information without any negative recourse. Openly discuss their challenges and how they could be overcome; how to avoid next time. This is your opportunity to learn and grow, making your workplace the best it can be. 64% of our people admitted to facing difficulties in 2011, however we listened and supported; ensuring actions were taken so the challenge wasn’t experienced again.

I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to share this information with your people. They too take the time to provide their feedback, answering honestly and expecting action to be taken to the comments made. Ignoring this contribution and keeping the results within the senior management ‘bubble’ is counter-productive. The benefits for letting your people know the honest situation far outweigh the negatives and include:

• Creates an open culture and dialogue,
• Shows you listen to and value your people,
• Employees recognise their opinion counts,
• Acknowledging that you are prepared to act on their feedback, adapt and improve things for the benefit of your people and organisation,
• Given a clear and honest picture of how the business is doing,
• Demonstrates that the review process isn’t just a tick box exercise.

So whilst you may conduct reviews, can you say you share the results with all of your employees? If not, start now...

Evolutions is the largest, independent, full-service post-production company in the UK. Based in central London, the company post produces television programmes including The Apprentice, Top Gear, The Only Way is Essex and One Born Every Minute, ensuring that they are edited, coloured and dubbed ready to feature on our TV screens.

2. How did you become the Head of HR there?

I joined Evolutions in 2011 to cover maternity leave; my permanent move to the company and as Head of HR came earlier this year. I’ve always had a career in HR and mainly in the media. Prior to this role, I worked for the BBC and also the Moving Picture Company.

3. What was your first ever job?

I was a Saturday girl at my local butchery before moving to work in Boots. I really enjoyed these jobs as I learnt a lot of life skills through them. Understanding things like how to work with others, deal with customers, communication, being independent and earning my own money early on helped me advance through education and my career.

4. What advice would you give to people aspiring to work in media?

For industry I would say from day one get to know the business you are applying to or recruited into. Find out what they really do, who their clients are, what makes them tick and really important, what their values are.

In the media, for a lot of people the entry point is as a runner; I’d say grab the opportunity that you’re given with both hands. Absorb as much information as you can, learn and develop because you can advance your career. Evolutions is a prime example of this – we have a number of highly successful editors who started out as runners.

5. What are the key characteristics that Evolutions looks for in the people it brings on board?

Our number one is company fit. Do they match our culture, display a positive attitude and a desire to succeed. We offer our employees an opportunity to develop and grow within our business. We give them access to the best editors and dubbing mixers so they can gain hands on experience. If there isn’t a positive attitude from the start then this opportunity will be lost.

6. Could you share some of your life lessons with us? 

Treat others as you wish to be treated. For me this is above everything else. Being honest, open and treating people with respect has gone along way for me in life.

7. What are you reading at the moment?

I love fiction novels so am reading ‘Isobel’s Wedding’ by Sheila O’Flanagan at the moment. I’ve also recently finished Purple Your People by Jane Sunley. I normally don’t read business books because I find them too heavy; however this book is snappy, to the point, simple and filled with achievable tips.

8. What is the importance you place on learning and development?

We strongly believe in our people and so place a high importance on learning and development – after all they are the reason we have become a success and why clients come back to us. We run company information sessions every month which can be accessed by anyone who wishes to learn more about what we do as a business. We also provide people with tailored development depending on their role.

9. What is your philosophy on leadership/ recipe for success?  

That you should recognise skills in others and give them the confidence to deliver outcomes.

And last but not least…

10. Can you share your experience of working with learnpurple so far?

It’s been really good. Sally Brand has been our main connection and from the first moment we met she’s been very patient with us! We loved the ideas put forward by learnpurple however business constraints meant we couldn’t take forward all of them. Unlike other companies we have worked with, we haven’t been bombarded with the hard sell; instead learnpurple offered different options and solutions which would work for us. We’ve since had an away day with James Marshall which inspired us to keep up the momentum and keep developing our people. We also attended the Purple Breakfast Club and again left feeling motivated without the products and services being ‘rammed down your throat’.

Funky Business by Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjelle Nordstrom

‘Funky Business’ by Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjelle Nordstrom takes a look at the way the world of funky business works. It particularly focuses on how important change is to the business sector and how organisations need to view the world in order to keep up with the current climate and changing customer needs.

With Nordstrom a highly successful individual, qualified with a PhD and sitting on the board of directors at numerous companies; and Ridderstrale equally as academic, holding a doctorate and working as an advisor, lecturer and consultant to a range of international companies; both are credible authors of this entertaining book.

Although billed as a ‘self help book’ it certainly isn’t in the traditional sense. For a start it’s an easy read, jam-packed with great stories, examples and jokes from the two Swedes.  Secondly the authors pre-emept any misconceptions on what the book is all about by being very clear in the foreword:  ‘rather than telling people what to think, it is an invitation to think about the changes that are currently reshaping our societies, industries, companies, jobs and indeed, our personal lives’. Essentially in ‘Funky Business’ the authors are trying to relay and set a light-bulb off inside the audience– that the future of business is already here and whilst things will never be the same again, one thing which doesn’t change in the evolving business world, is the talents of people; especially the innovative ideas that drive companies on, ensuring success for the future. 

Whilst both Ridderstrale and Nordstrom offer many interesting ideas and understandable concepts, at times it is repetitive and so you do have to sift the wheat from the chaff occasionally. You also have to bear in mind that this was written twelve years ago and so it does very much outline the way society was back then, and predicting the future i.e. our modern day. As a result some of the examples used, such as Nokia and Microsoft, are no longer relevant.

This does not mean, however, that the book is not worth a read. Rather than consultative, it provides in-depth knowledge, some attempts to shock, and will make you think differently about business. I’d highly recommend as a dip-in, dip-out book; one which can give you that little bit of inspiration or energy when needed.

A pre-warning though, if you like comfortable reads this isn’t the book for you. It will encourage risk taking and rule breaking in order to drive towards your vision and ensure your business is a success now and in the foreseeable future.

This article originally appeared in HR Magazine, to read in full click here.

This article originally appeared in HR Magazine. To read in full click here.

This article originally appeared in HR Magazine. To read in full click here.

Helen Flint, Learning and Development Director of learnpurple, explains how to keep your staff engaged through training and development.

For those who read my blogs regularly, on here and the hotcatUK networking forum site, you’ll know that I love inspirational companies like Apple, Virgin, SouthWest Airlines and since my visit at the weekend, Lush.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the concept of Lush, although I’m pretty sure most people would recognise the distinctive smell wafting across the high street, they produce fresh, natural handmade cosmetics with vegetarian products and are headquartered in Poole, Dorset – that’s big tick number one, British business retaining it roots. Since its creation in 1995 from the tiny Poole branch, the company has grown and now has more than 600 shops in 43 countries. Aside from creating exciting products, they also fight tirelessly against animal testing (as a result none of their products or ingredients are tested on animals; suppliers have to sign up to this agreement as well), for animal protection, human rights and environmental issues (that’s another few ticks).

You may now be agreeing that they are clearly a good company, yet wondering how they rank aside the businesses of Steve Jobs and Richard Branson, in my mind, after just one visit. Quite simply, they wowed me with their customer experience. For me this is made up of three core areas:

• their values; what they stand for,
• their marketing,
• their ‘selling’ skills. 

Values

Aside from the fantastic bath bombs, face masks and shampoo bars, they are probably one of the most value-centric organisations I have come across. Like the companies I have already mentioned, they have a very clear set of values which everyone lives and breathes every day.

Values include making fresh, organic products, no animal testing, use no or recycled packaging, should make a profit and the customer is always right.

When it comes to Lush you can see these values everywhere. On the paper bags you take home, across the website and in their newsletter. The main place though is in their people. They talk about their values when engaging in conversation with you. And they aren’t doing so to pay lip service, each and every employee really believes in the Lush culture and values and wants you to be part of it as well. This passion enhances the customer experience and so won ‘wow’ point number one.

Marketing

My visit to Lush was, in reality, a mystery shop. I am currently studying the company as part of my marketing course and wanted to know how they speak to their target audience. It surprised me that actually, in comparison to their competitors, they spend very little on marketing. Instead they rely on in-store communications, word of mouth, PR and their website.

It’s the in-store marketing which secured ‘wow’ point number two. They create a powerful experience through your senses. First there is the aroma; you know when you are near a Lush shop because you can smell it – one of their most powerful marketing tools. This entices customers into an environment which is brightly coloured with products laid out like food, on wooden trays, ice, even leaves! Each product is brightly coloured and without packaging you are encouraged to look, pick up and feel the texture; smelling the individual scent. It’s a very clever concept, and one which brings customers back time and time again.

‘Selling’

I write selling in inverted commas because for me they didn’t sell. Although I ended up walking out spending more money than I had planned to, I did not feel ‘sold to’. And this is what achieved ‘wow’ point number three and made sure I would return again.

Lush recruit their people on values and cultural fit, that much is obvious. They then develop their people in the art of selling. For them, what is most important is recognising the customer need and solving it. So instead of being met with a barrage of products and a shop assistant telling me I needed this, that and the other, I had an interesting and insightful conversation which lasted well over 25 minutes.

My helper asked lots of questions about my beauty regime and the issues I was having. He asked about products I’d previously used and the experiences I’d had with them. Then he led me towards the demonstration area where he advised I had a range of options which would ‘benefit my regime and resolve my issues’. He took time to test the products on me, explaining the benefits of each and the outcomes I would see as a result. He threw in personal stories about how he and his family use the products, he talked about the freshness, organic nature of the product and how it isn’t tested on animals (referring back to the values). And cleverly along the way managed to upsell, so instead of purchasing just the face mask I wanted, I left with a moisturiser, cleanser and toner...

This for me is the future of selling – relationship selling. Where the aim is not for the customer to walk out having spent large sums of money, instead to develop a relationship based on that individual’s needs, offering them the best advice, best solution and ensuring they will return. It’s about the long-term gain rather than the short-term goals. The best companies do it – Apple, Virgin, SouthWest, learnpurple (!)– and that is why Lush, for me, sits on the same mantel.

What do you do to make your values live every day? Is there anything you could learn from these inspirational companies?

Opinion:

As CEOs, I believe it is our responsibility to help young people into the workplace. Mike Sunley

In a climate where the rate of unemployed 16-24-year-old stands at 22%, I can’t help thinking that if, as the leaders of UK business, we all did our bit, we could pull together to significantly improve the outlook for Britain’s young talent. 

I don't want to enter into a rant about the education system; but I will say how disheartened I am when schools focus too heavily on grade bands and university applications and not enough on ensuring pupils have the essentials to succeed in the employment world: skills such as time management, decision-making, communication and empathy.

As a growing contract caterer, a key concern of ours was to develop a pipeline for chef talent. We sought a solution that would be sustainable for the long term, which would help encourage school-leavers into the workplace, offer them development and help us give something back to the community. Last September, the 'Lex School of Talent' was born.

Partnering with the University of West London, as well as hospitality charity Springboard UK, we designed a two-year apprenticeship programme. This offered four 16-year-olds access to the skills, knowledge and experience of our top chefs (many of whom have enjoyed Michelin-starred careers before joining us), as well as the opportunity to qualify in NVQ levels 1, 2 and 3. They join on a starting salary of £16,000, with all the benefits of a full-time employee, something we are very proud of. Compare this with the £15,000 salary of the 23-year-old son of a friend, who has worked in retail for seven years. Seven years from now, our apprentices could be earning many times that amount...

To read in full click here.