Dear Ted Series 40 to 49

This is the full set of Dear Ted numbers 40 to 49, written as an article so they are easy to find (the original posts are ephemeral and disappear from LinkedIn over time)

Dear Ted 40: My company has all the right Equal Opps policies and yet….

From our chat it sounds like you’ve been ahead of the curve in having written policies, but there is no traction.

In my experience you need clear best practice guidelines and the senior execs leading by example

In other words a policy statement means nothing if people don’t understand what is actually required in day to day work and best practice fails if the top team avoid or skirt around it

Search for Diversity & Inclusion Best Practice to find lots of good stuff. Some companies, for example, insist that no interview panel or candidate shortlist will lack diversity, that pay and bonuses will be scrutinised by independent experts, that promotions will be approved by diverse peers, that new publications will be accessible by people with sight impairment, that audio based media will be transcribed, that mobility access will be retrofitted (rather than awaiting a building refurb), that gender neutral toilets will be assigned…. 

These are just a few .... please could readers add their own in comments below?

BUT they only work when the senior team adopt them and make sure their teams do so as well

Dear Ted 41: Would you recommend a search firm for the HE Sector?

In 1999 the answer would be no, just advertise in the Times Higher Ed Supplement (THE) or the Guardian

In the year 2019 readership has dropped, media usage has changed and senior people are harder to reach. So yes.

And the next question is who? Several of the larger search firms have an HE lead consultant, which you can find through the internet, and they will have a large team of researchers who can find candidates for you, but they can be quite impersonal and most have to keep an eye on the number of assignments they fill to make their bonuses or partner profit share, so ruthless with it. When using them I’ve often felt that I am just one client amongst many.

I’ve therefore found that the smaller boutique search firms that specialise in one sector, know the people over many many years, and work alongside a small number of specialist researchers are often way better.  An example is Minerva Executive Search, who I have known for a long time, which is run by two passionate co-founders with a small in-house team who have specialised in really getting to know the HE Sector and understand the importance of term deadlines and building diversity into their longlists.

Meet a few firms, get them to pitch their methodology and then go for it, remembering that for VC appointments you will be led strongly by the Chair of Governors (or Court etc)

Dear Ted 42: My promotion interview didn’t go well....

From our chat it sounds like you may have another chance, given that it’s being readvertised

Many times internal candidates don’t make the right impression simply because they are too conservative in their approach and/or assume that their bosses know everything about them. Whilst it is important to acknowledge the success of the previous incumbent in the role, the key is not to labour this but to start to take the area forward and get the interviewers excited about the future

So a good formula is along these lines: great work by my predecessor, good foundation but now need to be bold, if given the opportunity I would .... (add in a big challenge, eg create a centre of excellence, restructure team, new equipment, software change, win an award)

By hitting them early with a big goal you will change the interview. They will want to find out more rather than pursue their own questions and they will get a feel for your passion

Even though you’ve worked with them for many years you also need to remind them what you’ve achieved. Pretend you’re an outside candidate if that helps! Another trick is to ask some senior people around you for a chat. Tell them what you’re planning and get their ideas. They may even lobby for you

Dear Ted 43: I have a work colleague with mental health issues, what should I do?

Sadly you don’t have mental health first aiders, so I asked Natasha Gordon MHRM CIPD 7 to help with a response, given this is her area of project expertise and she said....

If you notice a change in someone’s behaviour enough to have concerns, and this is certainly not limited to friends, but colleagues too, it is always worth asking if they would like to go for a coffee and asking if they are ok because you’ve noticed X,Y and/or Z. A very simple question, but asked with sincerity and time to listen to the response can change someone’s life.

Does your workplace have OH, PMI, EAP? Signpost to them, offer to help them make the first step, or their GP. If it’s affecting their work suggest they speak with their line manager/HR. You can go with them if you and they want. The key here is that if they are not OK, reaching out is so important and letting them know that that’s perfectly ok and they are not alone.

If you feel your organisation might be interested in investing in mental wellbeing support,it might be worth arranging a chat with the appropriate person (Head of HR, H&S etc) to discuss how the right training for staff can really improve sickness absence, retention and productivity!

Dear Ted 44: I can't hire enough good employees

This is something I have heard often in my human resources career. It has raised it's head again recently as Europeans leave the UK, and it has several aspects

Sometimes it is about a lack of experienced people, and often the only fix is the long term one of hiring, training and developing, possibly using interim experts or consultants to fill the gap (if you do, then write into their contract the need to identify and train a successor!)

There is, of course, no point in running this process if the trained people then leave, so you will need to think about all the aspects of retaining the best: including pay levels, benefits, flexibility, further growth opportunities etc

Mostly though it is about the lack of recognition of the talents of people working inside the organsation. So start by looking at the people you already have. Do you really know them, what they are capable of, what their aspirations are? Do you run complex annual appraisals and then never read what they have said? Can you see if they are capable of more?

Give them more responsibilities, try them out with a tricky project, or offer to train them rather than a new recruit. Get this right and retention will be so much easier.

Dear Ted 45: can you recommend any books on Leadership?

Most of the books that I have started to read, I have got bored with and given up on. But there are three exceptions and all are very readable

“Maverick” by Ricardo Semler is the story about how he transformed the fortunes of a family factory in Brazil by genuinely being innovative and truly inclusive, getting staff to choose their own leaders and set their own pay

“And the leader is.....” by Gareth Chick is exceptional because it is written by a guy who has actually been there and done it as a CEO. He explores corporate emotional intelligence in a way that had me hooked. He offers very real practical examples for the reader to follow

“The Prince” by Machiavelli will help you understand that the modern use of the word Machiavellian is quite unfair. This guy understood real leadership strategies and means of getting stuff done hundreds of years ago. What makes these authors different? They aren’t professors of management schools needing to prove their worth academically.

They have actually practiced what they preach :-)

Dear Ted 46: My new boss is very controlling, what can I do?

A controlling boss to one person is often loved for the support they give by another. It may be that your boss doesn’t realise that you perceive them in this way. The key is to try to understand the motives for their behaviour.

As a new boss they may be quite nervous about making a good impression to their director, and are simply trying too hard to ensure that everything is just how they want it. Maybe they have had a bad experience in the past, or that they don’t want you to fail, or that they are concerned about the customers who demand perfection, or it maybe a power play to keep you in your place! It’s a new relationship, so as trust develops things will improve.

Try going to them with “I’ve just completed this report, are you OK for me to send it out?” or “I’d like to be able to send these out as soon as they are ready, what are your criteria for success”.

Similarly with projects, list what you’re doing and the rough time allocation for each and then ask if that is appropriate. Once you get the green light the need for control will diminish.

So, give things a little bit of time to settle, try to discuss your concerns and negotiate a way forward at your next private face to face meeting.

Dear Ted 47: I'm an introvert, I hate Networking!

Events where you enter a room, get a name badge and then have to chat to people aren't everyone's cup of tea

Networking can be very simple. You have a network of people you went to school with, another network if you went to college or university, a network at places you have worked and another at the school gate or club or church or whatever activity you get involved in

Find any of those people that you haven't spoken to in a while, and might be relevant to your current search, in places like Facebook and LinkedIn. Send them a note such as "Hi xxxxx, it's awhile since we last spoke, how are you doing?"

Some won't answer, but some will. Offer to buy them a tea or coffee near where they work or live and arrange a chat. If things feel right then raise your issue

If it's someone you respect and admire and would love to be mentored by, then don't scare them by asking them to be a mentor, instead say things like "I'm thinking about this, do you have any advice?"

Don't overstay, follow up later with a message saying how valuable the chat was and would a repeat be possible in 3/6 months time

Repeat a few times and you will soon have a useful network!

Dear Ted 48: I have issues with several Unions trying to take over my team

In the past few years new unions have sprung up in the cleaning, catering and machine sewing trades (in particular). They have emerged as a consequence of the growth in the number of overseas and local staff being exploited by companies forever driving down the costs of contracts

Often the best way around the problem is to face it head on. Talk to one or more of the established trade unions that are a part of the TUC. Tell them about the problem and ask them for a proposal

A possible solution is that you enter into a formal recognition agreement with them and recomend to your staff that they join that one union In that way you will have a unified dispute resolution process and no infighting between staff and unions

Dear Ted 49: Do I have to sign a gagging order to get my redundancy pay?

No, but you’ll probably only get statutory redundancy pay if you don’t. Let me explain!

Lots of companies ask employees to sign a Settlement Agreement (SA). It’s a legal document that has to be approved by an independent employment lawyer (at the company’s expense). It confirms that you won’t complain about the company at a tribunal, or in a court, nor make a public issue about leaving (eg go to the press). In essence you agree to close your relationship with them for extra money

Sometimes you can negotiate other things to be given to you when being made redundant. These can all go into the SA and might include the transfer of your mobile number, pay in lieu of notice, an extra few months of healthcare, your laptop and/or the wording they will use in a reference

Dear Ted is a series of posts in LinkedIn that feature questions asked of me by my mentees or others who ask me for advice. Please add your comments below, especially where you have an alternative answer or an additional tip :-)

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