Pinnacle Proactive

Failure – essential for building business resilience

Was your school the springboard for your success at work? Did it teach you valuable lessons such as that it is normal and acceptable not always to succeed?

Wimbledon High School for Girls, one of the country’s top independent schools, is holding a Failure Week this week, deliberately to expose the positive aspects of failure. And rightly so.

For every product that is launched and proves a success, there will be many more that did not make it beyond the drawing board. Some will have progressed to design stage, they might even have been launched, but then they flopped.

Behind every pitch that leads to new business are hours, even days, spent on proposals that were unsuccessful.

In hospitals, not every life will be saved. Firefighters will not always gain fast control of the flames. Paramedics in ambulances will not always reach an accident in time. Police will not solve every crime. Business profits will fall as well as rise.

Yet, in businesses where failure is not managed well, it can infiltrate the corporate culture increasing absenteeism and reducing confidence. It can lead to bad decision-making, affect leadership and compromise teams – or drive people to retreat, taking sickies to hide their stress or depression. It diminishes morale and affects performance. It can affect decision-makers and leaders just as much as ordinary employees. It can devastate sole-traders and others who are self-employed.

It need not be like that.

Working at peak performance, attaining success and satisfaction, must include an element of “daring to fail and daring to get it wrong”, as the school’s headmistress (a former management consultant) said. We see this clearly on the sports pitch and the tennis court – and in particular in media interviews afterwards, when most sports people respond by framing their failure in one match in a wider context – of the tournament or their overall performance during that sports year. There are lessons here for the world of work.

Businesses that invest in building resilience among their people – fostering a culture that encourages everyone to see the positives in the negatives and to consider failure a part of learning and refining – will be much better able to withstand the knocks that everyone, and every business, faces. By helping individuals, teams, leaders and decision-makers to see their failures differently - through coaching, training or counselling - businesses will be better able to expand their capacity for growth and success.

If you would like your people, at whatever level they are in your business, to build their resilience do get in touch.

07/02/2012 | Posted in Training, Team building, Success, Stress, Resilience, Presenteeism, Performance, Morale, Leadership, Feedback, Confidence, Coaching, Absenteeism,

Work-related stress: a hidden cost on your balance sheet

These statistics make stark reading. In Europe, the cost of lost productivity due to mental health disorders, including sick leave absenteeism, is €136 billion (over £113 billion). In the UK, over two thirds of organisations are unaware of the effectiveness of counselling in treating work-related stress or depression; and just under a quarter (24 per cent) had noticed an increase in stress-related absenteeism due to the economic downturn.

Not many businesses will record lost productivity in great financial detail. Even those that do fail to take account of other losses – invisible costs such as:

a change in team spirit and co-operation;
increased tension or resentment;
a reduction in creativity;
reduced enthusiasm when trying to win new business; and
the effect that any or all of these, and other hidden costs, can have on a business’s overall corporate image.

Sometimes, relatively small changes to working practices or training and coaching are all that is needed to have a significant impact on these hidden costs. Workplace counselling, for individuals or teams, also produces huge benefits. But it is often difficult for a company’s decision-makers to see what changes are needed to improve performance, and who could benefit from training or counselling.

Even if a chief executive or line-manager can identify needs and options, recommending them can be uncomfortable. Sometimes, junior staff know what is needed – but, if there is no forum for raising suggestions, or if the corporate culture is not conducive to doing so, their unspoken ideas become lost opportunities. Working with an outsider, a specialist in managing workplace stress, makes change possible. And it makes change happen.

The European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) has published a helpful guide to understanding the impact on business of workplace stress.

Every business operates differently; stresses in one workplace are likely to be very different from stresses in another. Success is measured differently, too. We work closely with our clients to develop strategies specific to their business and their people, providing each one with a detailed analysis of the causes of stress in their workplace, achievable recommendations for change, and support as they introduce those changes. If you would like strategic advice on how to reduce stress in your workplace – or if you have employees who are struggling with stress at work – do get in touch.

25/01/2012 | Posted in Training, Team building, Success, Stress, Strategic advice, Productivity, Presenteeism, Performance, Counselling, Coaching, Analysis, Absenteeism,

Incident in Norway leaves a legacy of trauma and stress

While the world’s media focuses on the shocking activities of Anders Behring Breivik and their effect on the people who died, those who escaped, their families and friends, little is being said about the people who were directly involved in responding to the incident and rebuilding the country’s reputation: paramedics, police, decision-makers and leaders including Norway’s prime minister Jens Stoltenberg and the King and Queen of Norway.

What has been said has been extremely critical – specifically of the time it took the Norwegian police to arrive on Utoya, the island where so many young people were killed. Anger is a natural response to bereavement and, in dramatic and unpredictable incidents such as this, it is expected. It is essential, therefore, to be prepared for it – and to cope with that anger while you are also facing a trauma (finding and dealing with the bodies as well supporting and rescuing the distressed people who survived).

The same is true of the paramedics who were called to the scene. Their job means they are constantly under stress – ready to race to someone whose life is at risk, applying knowledge accurately at speed, making quick judgements, giving life-saving advice and treatment. And they face traumas day in and day out as they deal with the sad and tragic outcomes of their work.

Police and paramedics receive intensive training that includes building their resilience so they are better able to cope with stress and trauma. But it is impossible to predict whether an incident will prove too much to cope with and, if a person does reach their coping capacity, when it will happen. Offering support to people in stressful or trauma-filled jobs will reduce the time they are absent from work, help them return to peak performance, and rebuild their resilience.

People who cannot face returning to work might also need help to rebuild their confidence and self-esteem so they can find other work or cope with a life without work.

In addition, some people might be able to cope with the effects of stress and trauma while at work – but find that it is affecting their personal relationships and self-esteem or causing anxiety, addictions, eating disorders. And that could, in turn, begin to have an impact on their performance at work.

As for the prime minister and the king and queen, all leadership roles involve dealing with stress. Making decisions that impact on others, responding to crises, ordering actions or inaction, taking the responsibility and the flak – all require resilience. And they need to make these difficult decisions while remaining outwardly calm and in control. People in positions of authority at the top of organisations also need to build resilience so they can manage their stress, spot stress in others and minimise its impact on the business by offering training or support.

Finally, it isn’t only people who are connected with a traumatic incident who can be affected by it. People not there at the time might identify with aspects of it – or feel more vulnerable as a result. It is important for businesses to be aware of the potential psychological effects on others – and to offer them support and resilience training.

If you or your staff need to manage stress and cope with trauma, or are under-performing or absent because of the effects of stress or trauma, do consider providing courses that build resilience or professional psychotherapeutic support to bring them back up to peak performance. We provide training, coaching, mentoring and counselling specifically geared to people at work who face stress and trauma – including EMDR which is recognised by NICE as particularly effective for treating trauma. Do get in touch.

29/07/2011 | Posted in Trauma, Stress, Resilience, Presenteeism, Performance, Leadership, Counselling, Confidence, Coaching, Absenteeism,

Anger management counselling - to help individuals and businesses succeed

Picture the scene: it’s your regular office meeting; the agenda includes sensitive issues, discussions will be detailed and probably contentious; someone will blow their top. If they don’t explode with anger during the meeting, there are likely to be hot-headed discussions afterwards, whether between two protagonists or by drawing more people in support of, or against, the proposition.

Some of your colleagues will retreat, avoiding conflict at all costs; others will give in to unreasonable demands, for a quiet life; sparks will fly between some; sarcasm will spill from the quicker-witted or sharper-tongued; some might resort to swearing or shouting; doors might slam, desks might be thumped – and so might people; a few will shrug or laugh it off; one or two will deftly defuse the tricky situation using calm, diplomatic words and finding amicable solutions.

The effect of anger – and the effect of anticipating it – can have far-reaching ramifications, seriously affecting people at work, reducing their morale, performance and effectiveness (driving them home or to drink or drugs, or into eating disorders or addiction) and affecting the success of the business.

How do you manage anger, whether you are the one who is dishing it out or if you are on the receiving end? What’s the best course of action in either case – and how do you achieve it?

Anger has its ramifications but it would be wrong to see it only as a cause. It is a symptom. There is always a reason why anger is triggered – long-standing disappointments or resentments; frustration; grief (of a person, or loss of a job or status); stress (from having too much to do, or not enough); being held back or unsupported; promotion to an unmanageable level; unachievable demands. It can also be a side-effect of drugs, or of medical or physical conditions such as depression, pre-menstrual tension or the menopause. Exploring the route that leads to the root of its cause is essential if it is to be managed successfully to reduce its impact on the performance of individuals and teams as well as on the organisation and business.

Anger management counselling is increasingly used at work – one to one and in groups, for individuals or teams. Exploring the reasons for the anger, helping individuals deal with their angry feelings in a constructive, rather than destructive, way, or showing how anger can be useful when it is channelled towards a positive outcome can help reduce the occurrence of anger and its effects.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) can be a particularly effective form of anger management counselling. It helps individuals recognise the thoughts that trigger the anger and, because it is a practical therapy, learn to change their thinking patterns and therefore their behaviour. It might also be necessary to use other therapies – providing what is best for each individual or depending on the situation.

If you would like advice on how to minimise the effects of anger in your workplace, do get in touch. We will help you identify what is needed, for individuals and for the business; advise you on practices and policies to adopt for the longer term; and provide the most appropriate professional support and guidance for each individual or situation.

16/05/2011 | Posted in Absenteeism, Conflict, Counselling, Morale, Performance, Stress, Success,

When work doesn’t work any more

With employment news hitting the headlines again it is appropriate to reflect on how people are affected when their jobs are at risk or when relationships – usually between those in charge and those who work for them – break down.

Today, the army has told 38 people their jobs will end in 12 months’ time – and it has done so by email. The army’s assistant general chief of staff and the government have apologised for the unacceptable way in which they broke the news to the long-serving soldiers.
This week, the RAF announced that about 50 of its trainee pilots could face redundancy and that it will not take any new students next year, ending the careers of people whose hopes seemed built on strong foundations, and disappointing others who had seen a positive future.
Throughout this month, widespread media coverage has been given to the fact that the future of our libraries is at risk, potentially putting thousands of librarians out of work.
And, again this month, the long-running dispute at British Airways filled more column inches when its recent ballot was declared unlawful, creating more uncertainties for cabin crew whose jobs are under threat.

These high profile cases have attracted sympathy from the public; there is a collective understanding of the disappointment, frustrations and irritations those affected must feel. But, for most people whose jobs are unsatisfactory or at risk, or whose relationships at work have deteriorated, there is no guarantee of understanding from anyone; their bosses, colleagues, family, friends might be too preoccupied by their own work or home lives to provide support.

At work, the highs and lows reverse: when morale dips and motivation wanes, production falls and absenteeism rises. Diffidence increases, tensions heighten, commitment slumps. Managers might not be equipped to manage these new situations or ask for help; respect for them dissipates; their achievements come under closer scrutiny – they, too, struggle to keep up the pace.

The private lives of the people whose jobs are at risk might also fall apart creating tensions, conflict, stress, a withdrawal from normal life and perhaps a drift into risky behaviour.

Professional advice – coaching, counselling, mentoring, mediation, training – can help individuals, individually or in teams, by building confidence, inspiring people, reducing conflict. It can also create a business shift – providing strategic advice on workplace policies, building skills for handling difficult situations or people, devising policies and practices that engender focus, build confidence, strengthen leadership and reshape the corporate culture

In all four examples highlighted above, professional support could create huge positive shifts for the people – and for the organisations – involved.

15/02/2011 | Posted in Training, Strategic advice, Productivity, Policy development, Performance, Morale, Mediation, Leadership, Counselling, Conflict, Confidence, Commitment, Coaching, Absenteeism,

Mutiny in the ranks

The news from Egypt – people power at perhaps its most effective – provides several lessons for business.

Many organisations will be looking at the way the Israeli people have managed to turn round the political situation of their country – and, ultimately, to force a bigger change of government than was expected – while wondering what might happen if a similar situation were to arise at their workplace. Even organisations that are not unionised are at risk from disruption by staff who decide to take action, however slight (relatively) that action might be.

No business can ever know how few disaffected voices it takes to galvanise others into action. But businesses do need to be alert to the fact that there almost always will be some – and that they could lead to conflict. Leaders, at every level within a business, need to be alert to dissatisfaction and take pre-emptive action.

People who take drastic steps – and they are almost always drastic – usually do so because they feel they do not have a voice. Although they might speak using words – making disgruntled asides to colleagues by the photocopier or kettle; raising issues with a sympathetic but ineffectual boss; going to the HR department; being uncomfortably vocal in meetings; writing strongly worded emails or letters – there are some for whom finding the words is difficult.

Instead, their disquiet is played out by their absence (taking sickies or going on sickness leave); their inactive presence (they come in but don’t do much, paralysed into inaction, lacking confidence and commitment); their lack of morale (leading to reduced performance, lower productivity and, often, dragging others down with them).

In all cases, it is the response that matters most. And, typically, responding is the hardest part for many businesses.

Line managers might feel unable to act, or to pass on comments or give feedback, for fear of their own futures. Department heads might have no power to influence change even if they risk nothing personally – obduracy from above might prevent them from speaking out. Leaders might worry about appearing weak if the corporate culture decrees that negotiation is seen as giving in. The reasons are varied and complex – but they are solvable.

If the root cause of a problem is lack of effective communication because of conflicts of interest, for example, using a mediator could provide the conduit to an effective change of views. If it is because of weak policies, using an outside specialist to audit and analyse processes could bring clarity and a new direction. Often the cause is the threat (as many see it) of change – or the inappropriate introduction of change (without consultation or adequate explanation, for example). Strategic advice, looking at the barriers to change and how they can be overcome, could be the answer.

Whatever the situation – and whatever level of impact it has on your business – avoiding mutiny in your ranks is essential. If there are rumblings of dissatisfaction in your organisation, taking swift action and using outside specialist help could ensure your own, and your business’s, future success.

31/01/2011 | Posted in Success, Strategic advice, Productivity, Presenteeism, Policy development, Performance, Morale, Mediation, Leadership, Feedback, Conflict, Confidence, Communication, Commitment, Change, Audit, Analysis, Absenteeism,

Building pride and commitment at work: taking lessons from sport

With England riding high in The Ashes, a collective sense of pride seems to be sweeping through the nation. Even people whose knowledge of cricket extends no further than knowing it is played in whites on village greens have been caught up in following our team’s success, even if only in passing. At the same time we learned the disappointing news that Britain had failed to be chosen to host the football world cup in 2018.

Both events offer lessons about building pride and commitment at work.

With The Ashes, sports commentators convey the news enthusiastically on every medium – television, radio, print, the Internet – praising individual cricketers’ achievements and the team’s approach. There is no doubt that the team is pulling together and praise is being given to all as well as to each team player separately.

With the world cup announcement, all three leaders (prime minister David Cameron, HRH Prince William, David Beckham) spoke separately, but similarly, about the decision – praising the team who had put together an exemplary bid, criticising no one for their efforts. The overall message was everyone had done more than their bit; no one person was to blame; everyone was in this together.

These leadership approaches – giving praise where praise is due, shouldering the responsibility when things go wrong, communicating clearly to team members and beyond – specifically to build morale, commitment, loyalty, dedication and pride are typical in sport. They are less typical in organisations and businesses – though they are needed there just as much.

When morale is low, commitment, loyalty, dedication and pride plummet; absenteeism increases. Productivity and profits fall which puts jobs at risk, further depressing morale. Meanwhile, managers may be forced to focus on short-term targets, leaving staff to manage on their own, often in a communication vacuum.

This is when businesses need to adopt tactics used routinely in the sporting world – using experts (the equivalent of a team coach) not only to help devise ways of rebuilding individual morale and a collective team spirit but also to provide the hands-on effort needed to work with the team’s members and communicate with staff. We regularly act as team coach for the businesses we work with, rebuilding morale so staff and managers find it easier to work at peak performance.

07/12/2010 | Posted in Team building, Success, Productivity, Performance, Morale, Communication, Commitment, Absenteeism,

Stress at work

Today is Stress Awareness Day and MIND (a leading mental health charity) has just released research showing that millions of people take sickies to cope with stress at work – and that they lie to their bosses about the reasons for those sickies. I suspect that most of us have been in this position at some stage during our working life.

Taking a day off might help to some degree – giving you a chance to wind down, or up, or both, whichever is right for you – but it doesn’t solve the problem for the long term. The same pressures will continue; it takes corporate, not individual, action to change the level of stress at work.

For many organisations, facing up to the fact that stress is an issue can be hugely counter-cultural and intimidating. It is often the case that the people creating stress for others are under stress themselves – and they can be as reluctant to be honest about this to their bosses, as their staff are about being honest to them. The merry-go-round of stress goes merrily round with people at every level unable to stop and get off.

It doesn’t have to be like this. While a certain degree of stress is good for each of us – it drives us on, inspires us, encourages achievement, helps us aim high – an unmanageable level of stress can adversely affect individual and corporate morale and performance. At the very least, it increases the number of sickies we take.

More and more organisations realise that they need policies to manage stress in the workplace. Some policies might be relatively easy to introduce (reducing noise, for example) but others require greater corporate effort (training leaders to recognise stress in themselves and others, and how to minimise or overcome it). Getting outside help, including to formulate and implement those policies, is one way for business leaders to reduce their own stress (delegating is an important stress-reliever) as well as the stress their staff feel – so everyone can concentrate on their own, and the business’s, success.

How did you cope on Stress Awareness Day?

13/11/2010 | Posted in Success, Stress, Performance, Morale, Leadership, Absenteeism,

Company alternative treatment plans

Many businesses are coming round to the idea of alternative treatments and recognising that, although they do not replace conventional medicine or seeing your GP, they can have beneficial effects and are useful in many aspects of health and wellbeing.

Over the last few years, employers have started to add healthcare programmes to their benefits packages - and many include alternative treatments as standard policy. Employers benefit from healthier, happy employee and a lower sickness or absence rate. Employees gain access to alternative treatments, or faster health treatments, than they may otherwise have done.

One such company is Avanta which specialises in providing office space to small and medium sized businesses. It has introduced a range of improvements to its staff benefits since it reviewed its entire benefits structure earlier this year.

Amongst new benefits such as salary sacrifice pension contributions, increases to maternity and paternity pay, and medical insurance, is an innovative offer to help its staff to quit smoking. For any member of staff who wants to stop smoking, Avanta is offering an incentive to reimburse them on aids to quitting, and this includes any hypnotherapy treatment.

Not all companies recognise alternative therapies in programmes such as this, but those that do know it is worthwhile - not least because hypnotherapy, for example, is recognised by the NHS as being a valuable aid for treating people with addictions or habits or who find it hard to cope with stress.

25/10/2010 | Posted in Policy development, Absenteeism,

We also provide Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), Counselling, Eye movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional freedom technique (EFT), Existential counselling, Gestalt therapy, Humanistic psychotherapy, Hypno-birthing, Hypnotherapy, Integrative counselling, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Person-centred counselling, Psychotherapy, Psychoanalytical therapy, Psychodynamic therapy and Sensorimotor psychotherapy services.

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