Do you ever get the feeling you are trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole when it comes to your team?

It’s not that people are doing a bad job, or underperforming, but simply that the skills they have no longer suit the business, or that the business has changed and needs new skills.

All businesses face these challenges as they grow and evolve. The skills that were once critical to your service delivery perhaps are now obsolete, technology has absorbed tasks or customers have changed how they do business with you.

When we need to grow what we tend to do, often out of uncertainty and desperation is just to ‘tack on’ a new role, where we think the gap is, without any strategic thought or forward planning.

The problem with this approach is you end up creating a team structure that’s clunky, anything but streamlined and usually isn’t the most efficient and productive structure for your business.

This is why I...

This is one of the topics I most often get asked about.

I see business owners, leaders and managers struggling with this one all the time: tackling difficult conversations with staff. Usually this comes after a period of avoiding that difficult conversation which is what we’re going to spend a bit of time today looking at in depth.

If you’re anything like me, conflict is not something you run headfirst toward with arms wide open to embrace - that’s exactly why tough conversations are hard.

That dreaded feeling in the pit of your stomach, sleepless nights, anxiety, avoiding the staff member and putting off THAT conversation, if not avoiding it entirely.

You are absolutely not alone.

Even with my experience, I don’t like having these conversations either. I never have, and while I’m definitely better at tackling these tough conversations, it doesn’t mean I like it any more than I did before - I just developed the ...

In my view, leadership is one of, if not the most critical attribute in successful organisations. Businesses who can not only survive, but thrive in tough environments, and continue to exist beyond the lifetimes of their founders and their original dream team, must, by their nature have great leaders., without that they are surviving in spite of themselves and will ultimately fail to continue.

Importantly, leadership is not a position, or term of rank within any business. Great leaders can be found at any level, in any role. Leadership is not a title. Put simply, leadership is the ‘art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal’ it could be directing, but that’s really managing, for me leading is about inspiring others to take action, by setting the example and the tone for ‘how things are done around here’. Great leaders have people follow them not because they have to, but because they want to, not because of what they do...

What could you achieve with a highly motivated team?

Motivating your staff is one of the most important tasks you face as a leader. After all, your employees are the lifeblood of your business. Without their hard work and dedication, your business simply can't thrive.

But what’s the key to motivating them – and keeping them motivated for the long haul?

Unfortunately, there are plenty of roadblocks that can get in the way of your success. If you're struggling to keep your team engaged and motivated, it could be due to one of three big issues.

1. Clarity The first roadblock is failing to provide clear goals and expectations. When your employees don't know what they're working towards or how their work contributes to the success of the business, it can be demotivating.

2. Micromanaging The second roadblock is micromanaging. When you micromanage your team, it sends a message that you don't trust their abilities.

3. Rewards The third and...

How would you feel leading a motivated and high performing team?

Learning how to transform your team from good to great requires understanding the foundations of motivation, supporting bottom-up problem-solving, and building a culture of trust, vision, and belonging.

It sounds simple, right?

But if it was that simple you probably wouldn’t be reading this.

As a leader, it’s invaluable to invest in your own strategic professional development as well as that of your team.

What would your business or organisation look like if you were leading a motivated and high performing team? Would you and your team feel more sense of purpose, achievement, and solidarity? Would your bottom lines and KPIs be easier to meet because there are less obstacles and resistance in the way?

At People Powered HR we identified 3 key areas that are crucial to level up average or low performing teams to motivated and high performing teams – but it...

Understanding how to motivate your team can be one of the biggest challenges business owners, managers and leaders face. Finding the right people for your business is just the first step, once you have the players in place, getting the most out of them, motivating them and pushing for greater productivity and motivation is an ongoing pain point which can often feel like some sort of secret witchcraft.

For many managers, when thinking of ways to motivate staff, our automatic default is to entice them with some form of incentive, or show them recognition with some sort of gift, reward or show of gratitude. Some people even think that the bigger the gesture, the more expensive the gift or reward, the higher the motivation should be.

Then, after outlaying the money, expecting a huge return on their investment by achieving high motivation across the team, they are disappointed, frustrated and resentful that their efforts have had no direct impact, and in fact can sometimes...

Why is it so important for leaders to master their mindset?

"Your mindset matters. It affects everything – from the business decisions you make to the way you lead your team." - Carol Dweck, author of ‘Mindset: The New Psychology of Success’

Nowhere is this more true than for a leader.

As a boss, you are a leader and mastering your mindset is crucial to your success.

It allows you to approach challenges with clarity and confidence, make better decisions, and inspire and motivate your team. By developing a growth mindset and cultivating resilience, you can become a more effective leader and navigate the ups and downs of running a business with more ease.

Don't underestimate the power of your mindset - invest in your personal growth and see the positive impact it has on your business.  

The mental game of being a boss can be the most challenging part, requiring resilience and knowing when to have tough...

What is the ‘Great Resignation’?

The "Great Resignation" refers to the surge of employees leaving their jobs in search of better opportunities, work-life balance, and job satisfaction driven by the COVID-19 pandemic that kicked off in 2020.

This global event precipitated the shift towards remote work which gave many employees the freedom to reevaluate their priorities and pursue new career paths.

The term was originally coined in the US by organisational psychologist Anthony Klotz in May 2021 to describe the spike in resignations that appeared post-pandemic.

As a result, many employers around the world faced a significant talent crunch, as employees left in search of more fulfilling roles. Companies were scrambling to find ways to retain their top talent, and invested in initiatives such as flexible work arrangements, employee wellness programs, and increased benefits to keep their employees happy and engaged.

The Great Resignation made...

When managing staff tests your grip on reality

Put a group of strangers together in a room. Give them some constraints and take away certainty. See what happens.

This is essentially the plot device of many a story by the master of meditating on human nature, Stephen King. It also happens in many workplaces where strangers haven’t been nurtured into a team cohesively and consistently. Leave a dysfunctional team alone for long enough and you might eventually think you’re living one of King’s horror stories as things get toxic.

This is why leaders are so important in the workplace. |The role and responsibility of leaders are to nurture their team members. It’s also to catch any issues that start out as weeds before they take firm root in company soil.

But how do you know when you, the leader, are the problem?

As leaders, it’s easy to absolve ourselves immediately and look outward for the issue. And sometimes it is an...

Compliance Update – Paid Family & Domestic Violence Leave

Are you up to date?

When the government changes, so do a range of things including compliance. At the end of 2022, we had a look at the first round of Industrial Relations Reforms that were announced and what we could expect in 2023.

Short answer: a lot.

In February 2023, significant changes were made to the Domestic Family & Domestic Violence Leave.

The major difference is that it used to be unpaid leave and is now paid leave. The Labor Government also pledged $153 million to end Family and Domestic Violence so this is a top priority on their agenda while they’re in office.

We dive deeper further below into the specific changes to this leave entitlement and what you need to be on top of as an employer.

What’s becoming clear, however, with the current government is that pleading ignorance around compliance obligations isn’t going to cut the mustard anymore and...