Research into performance for small business owners.

Macquarie University is currently undertaking a research project on sustainable performance in the small business sector, particularly those small businesses involved in service industries, and is seeking the input of small business owners in a survey. The aim of the research is to improve the University's understanding of performance measurement practices in this area and highlight areas for improvement in terms of the development of relevant and unique performance measurement frameworks for small service businesses.

Most performance measurement tools have been developed using large corporations' data as sampling material, and this information is not always appropriate or applicable to small businesses. The survey will ask you about your current performance management practices. If you have up to 20 employees we encourage you to complete the survey, as the resultant research and findings may be of assistance to your business. A link to the survey will be sent out to all members shortly.

What works for big businesses doesn't always translate well to small ones. This research should come up with some very interesting results. Stay tuned!

New Years Goals for your Team

Happy New Year. We hope 2010 will be a happy, peaceful, and successful year for you.

Last year was a difficult year, especially with the GFC affecting many of us. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a crystal ball to tell us how this year will turn out?

We know that managers will continue to face many challenges, and one of the biggest challenges is retaining your people and helping them stay focused and motivated.

What we wish for in 2010 is that companies around the world will truly value their people and acknowledge how critical and valuable they are. Without them, your company is simply a piece of paper.

So, what goals have you set this year?
Cut Expenses?
Increase Sales?
Improve Quality?

Are these any different from last year – or the one before? How about thinking about what you want to achieve from your team?

Decrease turnover?
Increase employee engagement?
Improve communication?

So how do you do that? The best way, is to set goals. Not resolutions – GOALS!
Here’s some hints!
1. Set Specific Goals
2. Set Measurable Goals
3. Reward achievement
4. Learn from mistakes
5. Adjust goals along the way

We wish you all the best for 2010.

OH&S Guidance for singing festive songs

A little bit of levity to end the year...

Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow, In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go, Laughing all the way

A risk assessment must be submitted before an open sleigh is considered safe for members of the public to travel on. The risk assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly if passengers are of larger proportions. Please note, permission must be gained from landowners before entering their fields. To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we would request that laughter is moderate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance.

While Shepherds Watched
While shepherds watched their flocks by night, All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around

The union of Shepherd's has complained that it breaches health and safety regulations to insist that shepherds watch their flocks without appropriate seating arrangements being provided, therefore benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs are now available. Shepherds have also requested that due to the inclement weather conditions at this time of year that they should watch their flocks via cctv cameras from centrally heated shepherd observation huts.
Please note, the angel of the lord is reminded that before shining his / her glory all around she / he must ascertain that all shepherds have been issued with glasses capable of filtering out the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and Glory.

Little Donkey
Little donkey, little donkey on the dusty road
Got to keep on plodding onwards with your precious load

The RSPCA have issued strict guidelines with regard to how heavy a load that a donkey of small stature is permitted to carry, also included in the guidelines is guidance regarding how often to feed the donkey and how many rest breaks are required over a four hour plodding period. Please note that due to the increased risk of pollution from the dusty road, Mary and Joseph are required to wear face masks to prevent inhalation of any airborne particles. The donkey has expressed his discomfort at being labelled 'little' and would prefer just to be simply referred to as Mr. Donkey. To comment upon his height or lack thereof may be considered an infringement of his equine rights.

We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

Whilst the gift of gold is still considered acceptable - as it may be redeemed at a later date through such organisations as 'cash for gold' etc, gifts of frankincense and myrrh are not appropriate due to the potential risk of oils and fragrances causing allergic reactions. A suggested gift alternative would be to make a donation to a worthy cause in the recipients name or perhaps give a gift voucher.
We would not advise that the traversing kings rely on navigation by stars in order to reach their destinations and suggest the use of RAC routefinder or satellite navigation, which will provide the quickest route and advice regarding fuel consumption. Please note as per the guidelines from the RSPCA for Mr Donkey, the camels carrying the three kings of Orient will require regular food and rest breaks. Facemasks for the three kings are also advisable due to the likelihood of dust from the camels hooves.

The Rocking Song
Little Jesus, sweetly sleep, do not stir;
We will lend a coat of fur,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:

Fur is no longer appropriate wear for small infants, both due to risk of allergy to animal fur, and for ethical reasons. Therefore faux fur, a nice cellular blanket or perhaps micro-fleece material should be considered a suitable alternative.

Please note, only persons who have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check and have enhanced clearance will be permitted to rock baby Jesus. Persons must carry their CRB disclosure with them at all times and be prepared to provide three forms of identification before rocking commences.

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows.

You are advised that under the Equal Opportunities for All policy, it is inappropriate for persons to make comment with regard to the ruddiness of any part of Mr. R. Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr R Reindeer from the Reindeer Games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence. A full investigation will be implemented and sanctions - including suspension on full pay - will be considered whilst this investigation takes place.

Tips for the Festive Season

We are coming into the festive season, and with that, comes the responsibility for the health and safety of ourselves and our staff.

We need to be mindful of the effects of alcohol during the festive season and if being consumed at work-related functions, the impact this could have on the individual, the manager and the organisation.

Here are some tips to help you during this period.

1. Enjoy yourself, but remember to conduct yourself professionally. Someone will remember what you do or say on Monday.
2. Even though you may have an opportunity to “blow off steam” remember it is still a company function and you will need to face everyone again.
3. Dress appropriately - ensure you know the dress code and make an impression by dressing with style and good taste.
4. Ensure you behave appropriately. Harassment is still an issue at company functions.
5. Make sure you know how you are getting home. Getting stuck in a city is never fun.

Finally, ensure you have a good time, remain positive and festive and take care of your teammates.

Is effective communication happening in your business?

Successful businesses recognise the importance of effective communication. Communication is the number one driver of change, so how do you measure up? Are you able to implement change in your workplace through effective communication?

Below are some tips on how to improve the communication levels in your workplace.

1. Address the channels you use when communicating

Information should flow freely across the workplace: top down, bottom up and sideways and you should encourage it from employees, clients, customers, vendors, stakeholders – anyone that has access to your team.

Make sure you know information is flowing through the organisation. Assess regularly and avoid the common pitfall of people or departments becoming protective of information and forgetting the bigger business picture.

Remove any roadblocks that are preventing communication from happening effectively in your workplace.

2. Remove barriers to communication

Here are some of the more common ones:

• Lack of formal communication. Don’t’ let information get out via the water-cooler chat. This creates a breeding ground for gossip, mis-information, mistrust and is ultimately bad for your business. If you have an important message to deliver, ensure you use formal channels.

• Email. Has email has become the main channel of communication in your workplace? Your tone of voice and body language are important in communication. So take the time to meet, or at least phone someone, where necessary.

• Workplace Culture. Is your workplace inhibiting the flow of information? Are your employees involved in teamwork and decision making? When key changes are made, do you invite input from the team? Remember - actions speak louder than words. Make sure you are approachable and available to your team.

• Time Management. It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day work and “forget” to communicate. Make time for your team – block your calendar and make sure you spend time informally and formally to communicate and provide feedback.

3. Listening

Probably the most important communication tip. You can’t communicate well unless you are listening effectively, so make sure you are taking time to stop talking, hear, and fully understand what others are saying during every conversation.

Need help with your organisation - then contact MacPac HR who help you build better business.

Facebook and work

Andrew Bland of BlandsLaw (and also our Chairman) maintains an interesting and very readable employment law blog, and I noticed this post yesterday about employers and managers being friends on Facebook and the impact the knowledge of personal information via Facebook and other social networking sites has on the manager/employee relationship.

Given that social networking plays an increasing part in our business lives (heck, I've just joined RBF as well as myself up to Twitter...it all takes time out of the day) it makes very interesting reading and cause for consideration.

Unemployment up? What's your story?

Hmm... grim news today that in NSW unemployment is up compared to the rest of our lovely land. Reasons could be that more emigrants are choosing NSW as their new home and are having trouble getting work. The effects of the drought could be taking a tax on country employers. I haven't read the stats (don't have the time at the moment) so can't make a true comment. I can imagine that the next quarter's stats will show a higher unemployment rate as school leavers seek work for a gap year or teens who choose not to go to year 12 or get an apprenticeship look for a job.

What's your experience in your company? Are you employing more people as the GFC(TM) wears off?

And as an aside, if you ARE advertising for jobs, are you using social media as well as conventional methods? I'm noticing lots of jobs in Sydney advertised on Twitter. This is probably the basis of a post on its own realistically.

HR people, are you seeing more or less jobs going through your books? And is there one particular area of Sydney that is really attracting jobseekers?

North Ryde/Macquarie Park in particular in our region is growing exponentially. I'd love to hear from companies in that region about their experiences in filling positions. I have a hunch there are tons of jobs there being filled at a rate of knots.