Social Networking Frolics Put SME Brand Reputation At Risk

Brand reputation is rapidly becoming the ultimate decision maker, but many small businesses are putting their earning capacity at peril by treating social networks as just ‘places to hang out with friends’, according to reputation specialist Judith Germain.

In an internet-led world where consistency is essential and everything that is recorded there is of a permanent nature, Germain claims that many business owners are simply forgetting that social networking sites are places where reputation and credibility is established, maintained and developed, and are not just a place to ‘hang out with friends’.

“Many business owners take a relaxed and whimsical approach to how they network on places like Facebook, which can be quite detrimental to them. Others join business networks and then remain ‘invisible’ to the membership, ignoring the opportunity to enhance their reputation and find advocates for their service,” says Germain, MD of Dynamic Transitions and Vice President of the BlackStar Life Members Community on Ecademy.

In her recent article ‘How to have the right reputation for your business’, which is currently the most liked article on Ecademy, (and originally published in Better Business), Germain reveals that brand perception and delivery is becoming all important for the survival of the business. Although small business owners often have a habit of believing that this isn’t an issue for them, not realising that it can determine whether their business stands out from the crowd and whether they will secure business from the competition. She explains that when businesses have chosen to pursue a pull marketing strategy (especially on a social network) they need to ‘pass through’ a number of stages to ensure that they are building the right reputation to gain advocacy.

“People increasingly buy from those that they know, like and trust, especially where the purchase is service rather than product related. Being credible and having a good reputational (personal) brand is essential, enabling the buyer’s decision-making process to choose you over another business each and every time. Your business strategy needs to incorporate your personal brand, and how you intend to leverage it. Remembering that with pull marketing, people will buy from those that they trust, it is therefore important to create a brand that is trustworthy, and consistent no matter where it is encountered,” says Germain.

Whilst the current economic climate shows no signs of improving in the short term, Germain believes that the increased competition for reduced customer spend has meant that establishing and promoting your competitive advantage has never been so crucial.

“A good, strong and credible reputation is the one thing which can provide you with the superior and sustainable leverage you need to survive the credit crunch, whilst others around you fall by the wayside, and it will not cost you a penny,” says Germain.

Judith Germain is managing director and principal mentor of Dynamic Transitions.; a leadership company specialising in working with Troublesome Talent ® and improving business performance within organisations. You can download their free article ‘How to have the right reputation for your business’ at www.developing-leadership.com/whitepapers.html For more information visit www.developing-leadership.com or email jude@dynamic-transitions.co.uk

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Businesses advised to invest in their networking strategy for bottom line results

Having an effective networking strategy can make the difference in how quickly you can establish yourself as an expert, attract and retain loyal ‘followers’ and impact on your bottom line, according to reputation specialist Judith Germain.

Germain, MD of Dynamic Transitions and Vice President of The BlackStar LifeMembers Community on social business network Ecademy, suggests that for businesses providing services, it is particularly pertinent to be active on social networking sites where businesses are able to integrate into the community, develop a reputation and establish credibility.

“If your business (and/or yourself) has credibility and a good reputation, it is more likely to be trusted by your potential clients, therefore increasing your revenue and sustainability,” explains Germain, who has created Community Trust Systems™; a concept where products and services are exchanged on the basis of trust that has been conceived and conferred within a trusted community. Peer review and approval becomes the basis that services are bought and reputation is the determinant for selection.

“Many examples of Community Trust Systems™ already exist to buy and sell products, such as Ebay, Amazon and Ecademy. Social Networking sites, as an example of a thriving Services Community Trust System™, are now becoming essential places to establish your reputation and credibility. You cannot be active on these systems as a ‘broadcaster’, constantly talking about yourself or trying to sell your wares. To survive you will need to be having conversations with individuals (not push marketing), providing good quality content and aiming to help those that you are able,” explains Germain.

Germain says that to be an effective networker, you need to understand who is in your network and what relationship they are to you. In a Services Community Trust System™, your network is split into three sections:

# Inner Circle – these are your advocates and close contacts. This is a relatively small number.

# Middle Circle – these are your main referrers and people that you have conversations with. This number may extend into the hundreds.

# Outer Circle – these are people that are aware of your business and what you do personally. Introductions and some referrals take place with these individuals. This number may extend into the thousands.

“In a saturated and depressed marketplace where there appears to be many competitors selling the same service or product, having an effective networking strategy enables all businesses’ (particularly small businesses and consultants) services or products to be advocated. Enabling them to secure more referrals and for the business to cut their marketing costs, increasing their chances of survival,” adds Germain.

Judith Germain is managing director and principal mentor at Dynamic Transitions, a leadership company specialising in working with Troublesome Talent ® and improving business performance within organisations. You can download their free whitepaper ‘Having an effective Networking Strategy is essential for your future’ at

www.developing-leadership.com/whitepapers.html

For more information visit www.developing-leadership.com or email jude@dynamic-transitions.co.uk

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on 01603 283506 or Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk

CIPD Map sets strategic challenge for HR

The CIPD’s new ‘professional map’ has been welcomed by the MD of leadership development company Dynamic Transitions, who claims that HR professionals have no excuse now to start role modelling key behaviours that will underpin future business success.

Having come from a strong operations-focused HR background, Dynamic Transitions’ MD Judith Germain believes that the new ‘map’ should have a profound impact on the way HR is viewed in the business and will increase HR’s power to help the business align the management of people and processes with the needs of the business.

“HR has for a long time been accused of not understanding the business and concentrating too much on admin and transactional activities rather than focusing on what the business needs. This has led to CEOs discounting the value that HR can add and bypassing them when important decisions have to be made. Too often, HR Business Partnering means advising the business of HR’s objectives rather than helping the business meet and exceed its objectives.”

Germain believes that the CIPD is acknowledging that HR needs to be holistic in outlook and specialist in activity. It now recognises that HR needs to have a set of behavioural competencies including being curious, a decisive thinker, driven to deliver, collaborative, personally credible and being a role model.

Germain is delighted that the CIPD is taking a more business orientated approach and predicts that the move towards strategic-led HR will result in a tighter, more integrated approach to managing people across an organisation that will ultimately improve the quality of leadership in the process.

“It is exactly the attributes identified by the CIPD for HR that also make up good leaders. HR therefore, should set an example to the rest of the workforce, especially as it evolves into this more strategic role. By role modelling these key behaviours, HR can help the business move forward,” says Germain.

Judith Germain is managing director Dynamic Transitions a leadership company specialising in working with Troublesome Talent ® and improving leadership performance within organisations. Judith provides strategic mentoring for senior executives and business leaders and delivers innovative leadership programmes, leadership consultancy, training, coaching and mentoring to corporate clients. For more information visit www.developing-leadership.com or email jude@dynamic-transitions.co.uk

 

CEOs hindered by HR in the battle for ‘here and now’ talent management

HR managers adopting a strategic approach to talent management could be hindering the efforts of CEOs who want to implement more tactical, short-term measures to retain talent, according to Talent Management Consultancy Dynamic Transitions.

Despite challenges from the CIPD that CEOs are still as focused on talent management as they were before the recession, Dynamic Transitions’ MD Judith Germain claims that CEOs and HR managers need to focus on working together if they want to get the best out the ever-reducing talent pool.

“HR and CEOs are finally speaking the same language when it comes to talent management, although the dialect still remains distinctly different. Whilst both agree that in the recession talent management remains a key priority, CEOs want to look at talent management over the next year or so, whereas HR is keen to look further ahead. The danger is that the immediate needs of the business is ignored whilst both parties struggle to understand each other.”

With continuing debate on where talent management sits in the pecking order for HR Directors and CEOs, Germain argues that in the current climate, HRs need to ‘stop dancing around their handbags’ and take a tactical approach using a wide range of interventions like training, mentoring and Continuous Personal Development to develop, nurture and retain key talent.

“Right now the attracting, developing and retaining of key talent is essential during these turbulent times and it is important that HR and CEOs are able to work together to improve the business both tactically and strategically. HR needs to forget ‘best practice’ approaches and concentrate on providing a bespoke solution to the business. Mentoring of key leaders and innovative leadership programmes bespoke to the needs of the business will ensure greater success in the future,” says Germain.

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Social media ban in the workplace could affect customer confidence

Generation Y employees must be granted access to social media tools like Twitter and Facebook in the workplace, as developing work-based relationships online will increase customer confidence, says leadership expert Judith Germain.

The publication of a survey by BT Business reveals that thousands of employees are worried that they will lose clients if they do not get better at using Web 2.0 technologies to communicate with them. Dynamic Transitions’ MD Judith Germain is warning companies to reconsider their restriction policies on the use of social networking sites for business use, or risk losing valuable market share to competitors.

Germain says:

“Companies need to recognise the ease with which these tools can be used to improve customer relationships and to engage with them. Generation Y employees have highly advanced online communication skills developed over years of using social media as part of their daily lives. They have the ability to unlock the potential of social media for the benefit of the business, but only if managers take the lead, set the guidelines, and show them how to harness this talent most effectively.”

“Now more than ever, companies need to devise a social media marketing strategy that encompasses the needs of the employees and the needs of the business. It should be their number one priority as it is only by making a determined move into the 21st century, rethinking the status quo and actively integrating the customer and employee journey, that substantial leaps forward for the business can be made.”

The social media buck should not just be passed to HR says Germain, who is also Vice-President of the BlackStar Life Members Community on popular business networking site Ecademy. “It is not just the HR department’s responsibility to manage social media policies. Marketing, HR and Ops need to find a way of working together to devise an effective social media strategy that can work for the entire business. “

Judith Germain is founder and principle consultant of Dynamic Transitions Ltd, a leadership company specialising in managing Troublesome Talent® and improving leadership performance in companies. For further information or to find out more about Dynamic Transitions visit www.developing-leadership.com or telephone +44 (0) 208 288 0512.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk or 01603 283506

EU proposed maternity changes spells bad news for all

Radical EU plans which would see women entitled to full pay for the first 18 weeks of maternity have ‘little positive benefit’ for working women and could be the final straw for UK’s struggling small business, according to HR specialists at Dynamic Transitions.

The proposed changes, which could be enforced as early as this year, will have a profound impact on small businesses, especially those that are cash tight. Dynamic Transitions’ MD Judith Germain is concerned that many businesses will simply not be able to cope.

Germain says:

“This move may well be the final straw for small businesses as they struggle to pay bills at a time when resources are low and cash flow is at a premium. Particularly for businesses that employ only a handful of people, losing one member of staff can have a huge impact on the day to day business and this is just yet another added stress that is not needed in the current climate.”

Despite the fact that UK businesses would have two years to implement the new regulations, Germain has real concerns for the immediate impact on the employment opportunities for young women, as businesses feel less inclined to hire and retain women of childbearing age.

“We already know that the recession is bringing about a steep decline in graduate opportunities and moves like this will only serve to see yet more incredibly talented young women unable to secure work and lose out on opportunities to progress their career in a similar way to their male counterparts.”

“The short term financial gain of increased maternity pay for 18 weeks clearly does not outweigh the widespread long term effects on opportunities for women who want to work and have a family. In its attempt to encourage fairer working practices for men and women, Brussels is just pushing the divide further apart”.

Judith Germain is founder and principle consultant of Dynamic Transitions Ltd, a leadership company specialising in managing Troublesome Talent® and improving leadership performance in companies. For further information or to find out more about Dynamic Transitions visit www.developing-leadership.com or telephone +44 (0) 208 288 0512.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk or 01603 283506

Law firm deferrals are testing time for Graduates

Leadership consultancy Dynamic Transitions is warning City law firm trainees who have been paid to defer their training, to use their time sensibly or risk having their places withdrawn.

Further to news that a number of City law firms are offering trainees up to £10,000 to defer their training, Dynamic Transitions’ MD Judith Germain believes that many firms will be using the opportunity to see which graduates have stronger leadership tendencies by observing how productively they spend their free time.

“Many graduates may be drawn into seeing this as a free ticket to a year of ‘loafing’ before they start their training, but in reality they need to realise that they are also being tested to see how self-motivated they can be when left to their own devices. Law firms are making the decision to defer start dates because they feel they need to in the current climate. This doesn’t mean they will not be watching to see how their trainees use their time,” says Germain.

Despite claims by some firms that there is no stipulation on how trainees spend the time or money, Germain urges trainees not to take this at face value, or be too complacent about their job prospects next year.

“The fact that some firms have gone as far as telling trainees that they need to do ‘something useful’ in the year, suggests that there is likely to be consequences for those that don’t. I predict that this time will be used to assess from a distance how these individuals use their time and those who don’t take it seriously may end up finding their places withdrawn next year, which may actually hurt their future career prospects.”

“Graduates should use the time to ‘round off’ their experience by doing relevant work or by enrolling in further education. Employers will be more impressed with those that use their time well,” says Germain.

Notes to Editor
Judith Germain is Founder and Lead Consultant of Dynamic Transitions Ltd, a leadership company specialising in working with Troublesome Talent® and improving the leadership performance within organisations. They provide strategic mentoring for senior executives and business leaders/owners and delivers innovative leadership programmes, training, coaching and consultancy to corporate clients.

For more information visit www.developing-leadership.com or email jude@dynamic-transitions.co.uk

Baby boomers set to bail our rather than ride the recession

Baby boomers facing the choice of either early retirement on good pension plans or struggling through a recession where they are not appreciated or valued by their younger bosses; are likely to take the initiative and leave employment now. Thus leaving a huge skills gap in an already unstable market, warns talent management specialists at Dynamic Transitions.

According to Dynamic Transitions MD Judith Germain, organisations are increasingly realising that younger managers lack the experience and skills to effectively guide their staff through a recession, causing disgruntled baby boomers, who don’t see any benefit in working harder than they have to, opting to leave the workforce completely. Germain warns that this will leave a glaring hole in key positions across core business functions and predicts that many companies will now be facing the prospect of suddenly losing expertise and strategic direction at a time when it is needed the most.

“Younger managers and employees who face working in a recession for the first time can suffer from a lack of confidence and the key skills required to enable their employers to succeed. The reality is that this isn’t likely to be a short recession and there will be ripple effect across the industry for several years at least. These managers may have been more than capable in good times but now the pressure is on, many are finding that they simply don’t have the knowledge and experience to effectively manage and guide an increasingly unnerved workforce and experience shows that the best staff tend to be the first to jump ship if not managed effectively”, says Germain.

Germain argues that the need for effective Talent Management is becoming the most critical requirement for companies who wish to remain in business during the recession, as the lack of short term financial rewards and benefits diminishes, placing a greater emphasis on job satisfaction and a feeling of value. Germain also believes that the implementation of longer-term reward packages would help retain senior talent, a view mirrored by CIPD president Vicky Wright at yesterday’s CIPD Annual Conference.

“Companies need to invest in effective talent management programmes and leadership initiatives that are innovative and creative for the current times and encourage more experienced and senior staff to sign up for the long haul. Those that can achieve this are more likely to succeed and retain the key talent necessary to remain robust in these difficult times”, says Germain.

Judith Germain is founder of Dynamic Transitions Ltd, a leadership company specialising in managing Troublesome Talent®. For further information or to find out more about Dynamic Transitions visit www.developing-leadership.com or telephone +44 (0) 208 288 0512.

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Facebook slurs highlight need to tame unruly Generation Y’s

Generation X employees need to educate unruly generation Y employees on the appropriateness of using social networking  sites in light of revelations that employees at Waitrose and Tesco have been publicly posting insulting comments about their customers on social networking site Facebook, says Talent Management specialist Judith Germain.

As Waitrose becomes the latest high street chain to fall victim to the widespread visibility of their disgruntled employees via their unreserved comments on Facebook. Dynamic Transitions MD Judith Germain believes that Generation Y employees aren’t intentionally trying to tarnish the brand’s reputation, but simply don’t realise the consequences of their actions online, which for many, is an integral part of their day to day lives.

“Whilst Generation X and Baby Boomers know instinctively that conversations in public forums that involve their employers is a bad idea, Generation Y do not have that belief and struggle to understand the effect on their employer’s brand and the consequences that their actions may bring to their careers”, explains Germain, who specialises in managing Troublesome Talent® in the workplace.

Germain believes that employers must act now by educating their Generation Y employees on how to behave appropriately online and by providing ‘safe havens’ for them to express their views and vent frustrations in a controlled environment and away from the public eye, if they want to maintain staff loyalty and customer satisfaction during a particularly difficult trading period.

“Organisations should consider providing a place internally where staff can have ‘conversations’ with each other in a social networking environment which is away from public scrutiny, however, these kind of solutions must be thought through carefully in terms of how they are implemented and how much intervention or moderation they want to provide. The legal implications of getting it wrong can be quite adverse to a business, although getting it right can bring radical results”, adds Germain.

Dynamic Transitions is a leadership company specialising in managing Troublesome Talent®. You can download their free whitepaper ‘Harnessing Maverick Talents’ at www.developing-leadership.com/whitepapers.html For further information or to find out more about Dynamic Transitions visit www.developing-leadership.com or telephone +44 (0) 208 288 0512.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on 01603 283 503 or email rebecca@mediajems.co.uk

Lazy Gen Y Graduates must fight to prove their worth as jobs diminish

A shortage in graduate positions this summer means that newly qualified graduates must break the ‘Lazy Generation Y Stereotype’ and fight to prove their worth in a rapidly shrinking graduate job market, warns leadership specialists at Dynamic Transitions.

Following on from reports that many students may end up graduating and going straight onto the dole queue due to a lack of available jobs, Dynamic Transitions’ MD Judith Germain is urging graduates to wake up to the fact that they need to radically revise their approach to job applications and interviews if they are to stand a chance of gaining employment in the current economic climate.

“Graduates need to be realistic in the jobs that they seek, as they already face scepticism in their ability to achieve by employers who believe that they only have academic knowledge and little experience. There is also a long standing belief that graduates academic knowledge is inferior to previous years and that graduates are lazy, under skilled and difficult to manage”, explains Germain.

Germain, a specialist in the differences between Generation X and Generation Y workers, believes that new graduates will fall victim to the negative connotations associated with Generation Y employees, which is why they need to work harder to prove their worth and their value to the business.

“There is a distinct clash of culture between the X & Y generations. At the moment ‘Y’ are generally ‘the workforce’, with ‘X’ or ‘Baby Boomers’ being ‘the managers’. Managers, especially ‘Baby Boomers’ think employees should do long hours at work and put the needs of the business above all else. Generation Y employees believe that their work can be done without spending hours at work and at a time that is convenient to them. Generation Y are used to studying whilst accessing digital or social media technology like IPods, Facebook, Instant Messaging and multiple ‘windows’ on their computers in the name of multi tasking. This leads them to believe that it’s essential to do many things at once in order to concentrate and therefore complete tasks. For example, Generation Y employees cannot understand why they can’t sit at their desk listening to their Ipod whilst they work, but to attempt to do this will lead to disciplinary action by the typical Baby Boomer or Generation X manager”, explains Germain.

“Things are moving faster and more dynamically than in the past and the cycle of change in business is nearer two years than the ten years that it used to be. Graduates need to show future employers that they are flexible, willing to work their way up and are good potential employees. They need to show employers that they are more interested in the business than they are in themselves”, adds Germain.

Judith Germain is founder of Dynamic Transitions Ltd, a leadership company specialising in dealing with Mavericks in the workplace and Troublesome Talent®. For more information visit www.developing-leadership.com.

For press enquiries, please contact Rebecca King on 01603 283 506 or email rebecca@mediajems.co.uk
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