I am currently in Wales in the mountains, doing a bit of blue grey-sky thinking. I am here planning the next exciting stages of UKFast. Over the last few years I have been lucky enough to take advice from some extraordinary entrepreneurs. As a result I have helped catapult UKFast on to a very exciting stage in its development. We have grown year on year, not just in profits and turnover but in our resolve to make a difference. By rubbing shoulders with people playing at a higher level than you, you most certainly develop at a faster rate. We employ superstars. Are you in a position where you feel you have something extra special to offer? You maybe like me 20 something years ago…. Read the Rest »
“Why should I invest in my staff? I already pay them very well. I dont want to socialise with them, they work for me!” These are some of the common responses you hear from business people. And there lies the problem. The “them and us” philosophy. A manager is someone who manages and evaluates peoples KPI’s. Dross! If you are part of a well organised unit, a manager will know his or her team inside out and will be socialising with their team regularly. I don’t mean at a token Christmas Party, I mean a real togetherness. And yes when you do celebrate something together, do it in style. We had our UKFast 10 Year Anniversary and held it at the Palace Hotel, Manchester with a… Read the Rest »
Is there a recession? Was there ever a true recession like back in the 90′s? For me it seems very different. Back in the 90′s everyone was effected. I don’t remember anyone escaping the pain inflicted by the job losses and hiked interest rates. The recent recession which was announced by Tony Blair officially before we actually were in one has felt very different for me and a great many of my customers. Yes people do seem slightly more cautious. But this is partly to do with the fact we were told we were heading for recession. I remember backing out of a property deal after the Nothern Rock crisis. Thank goodness Gail and I plucked up the courage and pursued the deal, it was… Read the Rest »
Well its been an interesting week. I have lost a few staff who grew up in London and wanted to move closer to home. There is not really a lot you can do about that except wish them well and keep the door open. I used to hate losing valuable team members, but these days I take much more of a pragmatic approach. There are so many great people out there, losing someone is a massive opportunity to strengthen the team. If someone is leaving, it is fair to say they have been off their best for sometime. I have never met someone who has left at the top of their game. Even high achievers who leave with a big bang and a great final… Read the Rest »
