TimelessTime Articles

person_writing This page includes links to articles written by TimelessTime consultants addressing vogue people management issues. These are readible in your browser or provided in .pdf format and can be downloaded in full. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader this can be downloaded free from http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/. In most cases a new window will open.

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Article Title	Synopsis

Implementing ISO9001: when people meet systems	Firms implement the ISO-9001 quality standard generally for two reasons. The first is simply as a marketing activity where the key outcome needed is the ISO certifying organisation’s logo on headed notepaper and website. The second is as a vehicle to the general improvement of the business. This blog looks at the latter case – where a firm wants to evolve its systems into those that would comply with the standard and be good for the firm in general. It uses as a model a company that could by many standards already be considered a ‘quality firm’. It comes from a standpoint that the firm is not trying to use ISO-9001 to rescue it from demise. Indeed most firms that enjoy a modicum of success are most likely to be quality firms since they would not be satisfying their customers otherwise. ISO-9001 is about customer orientation and incremental improvement for future good. Read the full article in your browser.

Training and Development: Who pays?	Training is something that we do in order to develop our concepts, skills, attitudes, abilities and behaviours in some positive way in the hope of gaining some benefit. It’s a form of investment and by its definition, investment means spending money now in the hope of greater returns sometime in the future. Training beyond tertiary education for a typical employee over the course of their working lives could be as much as £40,000. If it’s even half that, it’s still a lot and we need to think about who pays. Who pays for the upkeep of employees’ competence? Read the full article in your browser.

So what type of firm are you?	The firm has a top line sales value, cost of goods sold, administration costs and profits and relies on its people to achieve its objectives and maximise these profits. But arguments rage about the best way to manage these human resources to achieve such objectives. Within such arguments we see a paradox: something that is apparently obvious and yet almost unachievable. Intuitively managers know that competitive advantage comes through the people in the firm (the obvious bit). But the Anglo-Saxon method of business management aims to always minimise cost and price and leaves no margin with which to develop the people (thereby creating the paradox). This article discusses this paradox, asking managers to ask "what type of firm are you?" Read the full article in your browser.

There is no such thing as 'best practice' human resource management	Our ideas of contemporary human resource management practices have foundations in the 1970s when in the United Kingdom we realised that we had to make our employment practices more flexible and our staff more competent in order to compete with the Japanese. Before the 1970s the function that dealt with people in a firm was known as ‘personnel’. The new title of ‘human resource management’ emphasised the idea of management and the concept of optimising the human resource in the firm to meet strategic objectives. But is there one form of HRM? Is the way managers deal with staff not dependent on teh firm and its strategy? This article discusses this point. Read the full article in your browser.

On corporate social responsibility	Corporate social responsibility is relevant to any business of any size. Having a CSR policy can be a prerequisite for business. Read this article to find out action TimelessTime has taken to discharge our CSR duty. Read the full article in your browser.

On transformational leadership	Where a firm appears to be failing there is a tendency for boards to parachute leaders in. This article discusses what type of leader might be put into an organisation and the benefit that gives. Read the full article in your browser.

Driving competitive advantage through people	Culture plays a fundamental role in every successful firm. Get the culture wrong and the firm fails, optimise the culture and the firm benefits.this article discusses the change management tool which can help to drive any business forward. Read the full article in your browser.

A simplified model of organisational change	change must happen in all firms. If there is no change, fairly results. This article provides a simplified model with which change can be thought about and planned. Read the full article in your browser.

Is compromise ever acceptable in recruitment?	We are used to news reports of hundreds of job applicants for ever vacancy. And yet many HR professionals, managers and recruiters see a different picture for skilled jobs. As soon as the skills, knowledge and experience tighten, the applicants fall away until often there are only a handful of viable applicants in the shortlist. Managers may be forced to compromise on their requirements in order to gain choice. Choice means greater chance of finding someone who fits in the firm. But is compromise ever acceptable in recruitment? Read the full article in your browser.

Managing Stress in the Workplace	There is a direct link between stress and long term sickness absence. Where someone is signed off with stress it normally becomes a long-term issue. All in all it’s a very problematic area that is difficult to solve simply. There is however a simple model that can be applied. This article introduces and defines stress and then sets out a simple procedure for managing employees suffering stress. Read the full article in your browser.

Employing Reservists: a huge benefit or simply a hit on profits?	So how does an SME principal manage part time soldiers in their workforce? This article goes on to discuss the business of employing reservists, looking first at the legal basis, then investigating the benefits and the problems of having reservists in a firm. It closes by recommending a practical strategy for their management. Read the full article in your browser.

Managing business when others go on strike	What do you do when your staff need to take time off to look after their children due to strike action which has nothing to do with your firm? This article provides advice for preparing for just such an event. Read the full article in your browser.

Guilt and Unfair Dismissal	Sharon Shoesmith: guilt and unfair dismissal are two different things. Where a firm chooses to ignore their own procedures, and the statutory requirement for making a dismissal, they run the risk of having to defend a tribunal claim. Read this article to find out why the proposed payout to Sharon Shoesmith is justified. Read the full article in your browser.

Employee Engagement	Employee engagement is good for business. This article discusses the concept and considers what action can be taken to promote employee engagement. Read the full article in your browser.

Neo-psycho Babble	Neo-psycho Babble, Mick Dundee and the Benefits of Management Coaching. We discuss the various types of coaching and explain the methods we use when working with clients. Read the full article in your browser.

Turnover down and profits squeezed? Innovate!	This paper offers a simple solution – innovation. It addresses how SME principals should organise their firm to stimulate innovation. Read the full article in your browser.

On Buisness Restructuring	This article discusses how to go about an incremental business restructure. It’s an SME principal’s obligation to restructure. This article tells how to do it painlessly. Read the full article in your browser.

Management in Action: Appraising staff performance	Two of the most obvious management functions are the combination of objective setting and the subsequent monitoring of the resulting performance and objectives achieved. It is surprising then that managers in firms so seldom engage with performance review or appraisal. Read the full article in your browser.

On culture, safety and corporate manslaughter	You are not immune from the act just because you a small firm. And every firm has risks. Often because they are least safety-aware, the ‘least dangerous’ firms are the ones where catastrophe strikes. Read the full article in your brower.

On the Differences in Approach	This article discusses the different approaches taken by Coaches and Consultants. Read the full article in your browser.

Competence and five tools to evolve your firm	This article takes five HRM (Human Resource Management) tools and links them through competence allowing the optimisation of employee engagement. Read the full article in your browser.

On Remuneration: a pay model for SMEs	This article sets out the main criteria which can be used to determine how much to pay your staff. It then sets out a pay model allowing these criteria to be met. By following the model a fair and appropriate pay structure can be developed. Read the full article in your browser.

Innovation and the Art of Coffee Making	Innovation in all firms is essential for competitive advantage. Read this article to learn how you can achieve an environment of continuous development. Read the full article in your browser

Recruiting in a Skills Shortage	The UK has a skills shortage. That’s both official and borne out wherever an SME principal tries to recruit specific trades. This article sets out some guidelines. It recommends departing from the normal recruitment-agency oriented methods and it suggests that a new, more assertive approach is needed. Read the full article in your browser

Frankfurt Airport, Fish-hooks and Job Design	Imagine the scene. Frankfurt airport was snowbound and closed all Thursday evening. It was Friday afternoon. Runways had just been cleared of snow. Flights had resumed at 2:00pm. The queues were huge. Two hundred people queued for the security check. Find out why job design impact the customer experience. Read the full article in your browser

On Duty of Care	Some cases where an employer has a duty of care to protect employees are clear cut. In activities like manual handling and working at heights it’s rather obvious that management must provide the appropriate training, tools and procedures. But in a host of other cases, we only hear about there being a duty of care when the case hits the headlines. How does the SME principal determine when to act and what to do to discharge this duty of care? Read the full article in your browser

On Keeping HR Records in an SME	No-one likes keeping records on staff. It’s a burden on the SME principal and yet it is one of the foundations of HR management. Indeed it’s one of the foundations of excellence in HR. Without records, there’s no data on which to manage staff in the firm. So what data do we need? And how much of it do we need to keep? Read the full article in your browser

On Daybooks	Daybooks really are a necessity for any manager. Find our why by reading this blog. Read the full article in your browser

On Job Descriptions	Job descriptions have three clear purposes in the firm: to guide recruitment (in concert with a Person Profile), give guidance to the principal on the relative value of that job against another, to guide the job holder should that ever be needed. Since there are such clear-cut purposes, it will come as no surprise that there is a very specific way of writing a Job Description such that these needs are satisfied. Read the full article in your browser

On ISO9001: Systematising the Firm	ISO9001 is the quality standard. Surely that means that it is the preserve of the quality manager in a firm? How then can it be anything to do with people? And more importantly how can it have anything to do with people management or HR? Read the full article in your browser

Tackling Alcohol Abuse	The problem begins with definition and description. What is it? It is abuse? Or alcoholism? And does it have to be at work? Can there be issues that spill from home to the workplace? Don’t people have the right to do what they want in their own time? The definition is not easy. Read the full article in your browser

Why does everyone hate HR?	The great value in reading widely is that you hear different opinions and these can change your own view for the better. From time to time though, it is just as refreshing to hear one’s own view reinforced. That was the case on reading Margaret Heffernan’s article “Why does everyone hate HR” published recently on the BNET site. Read the full article in your browser

Just Culture, Just Management	Two concepts desirable in a firm: ‘just management’ and a ‘just culture’. What on earth are they? Are they simply esoteric states that it’s fun to talk about but never achieve? Or are they something tangible that every principal of every SME should strive for? Read the full article in your browser

On Virtual Firms	What is there to consider when deciding whether to stay put, move the office location or become a virtual firm? There's perhaps more than you first thought. Read the full article in your browser

What's in a contract?	There are specific things the T’s and C’s must contain and the statement must be offered to the employee within 2 months of the start of the employment. But what’s in a contract? Why does a contract matter and is it really any more than a piece of paper that is only relied on when the parties fall out? We’ve been working with a number of organisations who are considering becoming registered under one or other of the various standards: OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001, ISO9001, ISO27001 and Lexcel for law firms. They’ve been surprised when we advised that we consult to get firms through these standards. “But this is quality management (or whatever), not people management. Surely we need a quality consultant. Read the full article in your browser

What makes health & safety, quality and information security management 'people issues'?	We’ve been working with a number of organisations who are considering becoming registered under one or other of the various standards: OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001, ISO9001, ISO27001 and Lexcel for law firms. They’ve been surprised when we advised that we consult to get firms through these standards. “But this is quality management (or whatever), not people management. Surely we need a quality consultant.” Read the full article in your browser

Moving mountains: re-skilling the firm Part II	A previous post on the subject of staff development discussed how to establish through gap analysis the competences that need improvement in the firm. This post disuses how the SME principal might go about bridging these gaps with planned development activity. It also discusses the levels of success that one might hope for in making large-scale staff development change – just how big a mountain can one move? Read the full article in your browser

Moving mountains: re-skilling the firm Part I	What does a firm do when the principal realises that the market has changed and his firm is not now best placed to meet the customer’s needs? What does a firm do to sustain competitive advantage through its people when those people as a whole are not up to par? Read the full article in your browser

Ready, steady, go for job seekers	Read the full article in your browser

Empower your managers: let them manage	This article discusses why it's important to allow your managers to manager. Empowerment affects your bottom line. Read the full article in your browser

Critical Actions During Ill-Health Dismissal	There are a number of points to note when dealing with ill-health dismissal. This article deal with key considerations. Read the full article in your browser

Bank Holiday Dates 2012	Bank Holiday dates 2012 - England and Wales Read the full article in your browser Download

Making reasonable adjustment	Are you aware that if you employ a disabled person there is an onus on you to make ‘reasonable adjustments’? Find out what you need to do by reading this article. Download

Bank Holidays 2011	Bank Holiday dates 2011 - England and Wales Download

Legal Update: National Minimum Wage 2010	Current rates of national minimum wage effective 1st October 2010 Download

Stealing at Work	For some managers stealing in the workplace is black and white. This article tries to define stealing and looks at the issue from both employer and employee viewpoint. It ends by giving some practical recommendations to managers to control the issue. Download

Health and Safety	Studies over the years have shown that over 70% of workplace accidents occur as a result of human error or the failure of management and management systems. It’s easy to see therefore that Health and Safety at Work management and People Management coincide. Accidents reduce when the right culture is in place in the firm. Download

Managing Staff During Special Events	Football World Cup frenzy is nearly upon us. How do you manage your staff during this period to ensure you don’t have increased absence? Indeed, have you even considered the implications to your business? This article suggests some options available to you. Download

Tackling staff issues	This is a reprint of a TimelessTime article published in South East Business April 2010. It is all too easy to avoid dealing with performance issues when they first arise. There are many reasons for lack of action. These include not knowing what to do; assuming the problem will go away and a genuine concern that the wrong course of action may be taken. Sound familiar? This article explores what can be done to manage underperformance. Download

Fit notes replace sick notes	From 6th April 2010 General Practitioners will issue ‘fit notes’ instead of ‘sick notes’. The new certificate will be called a ‘Statement of Fitness to Work’ and will generally be referred to as a ‘fit note’. It has been designed to help employees return to work more quickly. Where an employee has been absent due to sickness, or is likely to be absent, for over seven days, the GP will now suggest the grounds on which an employee may be able to return to work. Download

People ecosystem	This is a reprint of a TimelessTime article published in South East Business March 2010. It discusses the importance of matching your people ecosystem to your business strategy. Strategy guides firms in the long term. There is no prescriptive methodology for developing a business strategy. Every strategy is unique to the firm. It provides a business framework for future operations. Strategy means choice and making the optimum choices to ensure the future of the firm. This article considers how the people ecosystem can be managed to the best advantage of the firm and how optimising the people ecosystem leads to improved bottom line result. Download

Competence Gap	This is a reprint of a TimelessTime article published in South East Business February 2010. It explores effective management development suggesting a simple but effective competency framework model which can be used by firms of any size and complexity. To assist senior managers implement effective staff development TimelessTime has created a Staff Developer tool. A mini version of the tool is available to use on the web site. Once you have read the article why not visit the download area and try out the tool for yourself. Download

Managing redundancy	It happens to all of us. At some stage the market we are active in recedes and profits decline. We can cope with the downturn for a while in an effort to keep our skill base intact but the loss of profits threatens the continued employment of all staff and perhaps the very existence of the organisation. So what can be done when shedding staff become inevitable? This article explains how to manage this difficult issue. Download

Adding to the bottom line	This is a reprint of a TimelessTime article published in South East Business January 2010. It explores the aspects of HR which add value to any business. To help senior managers assess how their management team is doing, TimelessTime has developed a free HR Contribution Assessor tool allowing you to estimate how much your HR practices are currently adding to your bottom line and how much they might add if you make some simple changes. Download

Adverse Weather	Adverse weather such as snow causing transport problems and school closures can affect a business. By taking some simple steps many businesses can maintain a good level of service. Read the full article in your browser Download

Dignity at work	Dignity at work is a phrase which has become vogue over the last few years. But what does it actually mean? Dignity at work is about having the right to be treated with respect whilst at work. This means an employee can carry out their duties without risk of harassment or bullying. Download

Legal update: national minimum wage 2009	The current rate (effective from 1st October 2009) for the national minimum wage. Download

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