Are you ready?

October seems to have flown by. Of course, today is Budget Day and there is real anticipation from both employers and employees to hear more from Rachel Reeves and better understand how she plans to grow the economy and ‘make work pay’. There have been quite a few leaks but I prefer not to indulge in speculation politics. I have picked up through conversations that business owners are in a sense of limbo, which doesn’t help planning for 2025, but as always it’s vital that we all put on our ‘Scouts mindset’ and be prepared! Tools such as SWOT may seem a little dated but the concept remains solid; regularly reviewing ‘what’s working well’ in your business (and how to do more of this) and where the ‘even better ifs’ (opportunities) are can help bring clarity and improve decision making.

I met up with a friend for lunch recently…he’s a successful business coach and he reckons that all any business needs to be successful are six key ingredients:

• A great vision
• Great systems and processes
• Great people
• Data based decision making
• Identifying and removing issues
• Discipline and accountability

It’s the kind of model that is encouraged by EOS Worldwide and one which many of my clients adopt to transition from good to great. People Puzzles sponsored the recent EOS Conference and it was heartening to meet many business owners who are gaining traction from adopting these core principles.

So are you ready for 2025?

Whatever the Budget brings today building a clear plan and defining goals will help you to navigate the uncertainty and stay on track to reach your targets. To make sure your people planning is baked into your overall business strategy, we’ve got a great tool called “The 10 Questions to Ask to Unlock your People Strategy” that we think will help you. Another tool that can also help with your planning is our Employment Rights Readiness Check. With the publication of the new Employment Rights Bill, now’s the time to take stock of where you are at and incorporate changes into your 2025 plans to make sure you’re prepared for the future. Our team of People Directors are working with clients to carry out audits and risk assessments, helping them understand where they stand.

Tailored support to transform your business

There are other areas to focus on to boost your business and I just wanted to make sure you are aware about all the ways that we can help. Our team has been working closely with clients on a range of practical, hands-on workshops and programmes designed to solve everyday problems while also setting you up for future success. These include:

• Leadership coaching: A particularly powerful way to develop both current and future leaders within your organisation. We get a get lot of positive feedback about these services – is it something you have considered or deployed in your business?
• Leadership development and management training workshops: Ideal for upskilling your managers and taking the operational load away from the leadership team to focus on the future direction of the business.
• Employee engagement sessions: Gallup’s latest report highlights, once again, that engaged employees are key to long-term success. Let’s keep your workforce motivated and aligned with your goals.
• Performance management tools: Whether you need a sharper approach to appraisals or clearer ways to track performance, we’ve got you covered.

These sessions are already making a big impact with our clients, and I’d recommend having a chat with your People Director to find out which workshops could benefit your team the most.

As always, if you need a little extra support or want to learn more about the toolkits we’re offering, feel free to reach out. Good luck in your planning and let's hope that whatever the Budget brings, we can play a part in helping to build a happier and more prosperous UK that goes from good to great!