When it comes to buying or selling property the mantra is “Location, Location, Location”.  When it comes to managing change (at any time) it is “Communication, Communication, Communication”.

It is vital during a period of change to communicate with staff and involve them in the development of corporate plans.  Employers have a legal duty to communicate and consult with staff when planning changes that include redundancies, transfer of undertakings, re-structuring and amending terms and conditions of employment.  By involving staff in the process it should improve their understanding of the challenges facing the company; help to identify and address their concerns and provide an opportunity for them to offer their own solutions to the problem(s) the employer faces.

Failure to get this right could have serious implications for an employer.  Not only could it lead to – potentially costly – industrial disputes and employment tribunal claims, it could also mean reduced productivity, lowering of morale amongst those that remain following the changes and negative perceptions on the part of customers, clients and suppliers.

So, what can employers do to ensure that the negative impact of changes is minimized?

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Twelve months ago with a reported 400 million plus users worldwide and over 23 million in the UK, Facebook was, and probably still is, the most well known social networking site.  Increasingly over the past few years companies have been making use of Social Media “Web 2.0” (a term which covers networking sites, like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn and other online communities, such as Twitter and You Tube) as a recruitment tool; with more than a third of UK employers using this to find new recruits.  Employees meanwhile were using social media to problem solve, share knowledge and for their own personal development.

If that is the case then why would I question whether Social Media is now off-trend?

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No.  This blog isn’t going to be a discourse on elocution (speaking proper like).  What I’d like to focus upon is learning styles.

Peter Honey and Alan Mumford (1986) identified 4 main learning style preferences.  Knowing your preferred learning style can help you develop strategies to cope with any situation and make the most of your strengths.  If you are able to employ your natural style in a developmental situation it is likely that you will find learning much easier and quicker.  You will also find that rather than being locked into one style of learning you will tend to move between them, depending upon the circumstances you find yourself in and your level of experience.

For trainers and coaches it is also important, as an understanding that participants have different learning preferences can influence the way a subject is to be delivered.  Any training or developmental course should therefore take into account content and goals, followed by learner styles and preferences which will impact on the delivery methods.

So what are the 4 learning styles that Honey and Mumford identified?

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Last Friday it was evident that millions around the world found happiness in the events that unfolded in London.  The following day the newspapers were full of pictures of smiling, happy people and the feel good factor continued throughout that weekend.  The wedding of two people dispelled, at least temporarily, the gloom of everyday life in these austere times.

This raises the question of exactly what makes us happy.

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At MMA we have extensive experience of providing pre-retirement support to employers.  By now you may have heard that from this month (April 2011) the UK Government is to phase out the default retirement age (DRA).  So what does this mean for you the employer?

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Every household in the UK will have received a Census 2011 questionnaire to complete recently.  The results of this exercise are meant to help the government to plan and fund services for the community we live in.

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In 2005 I wrote an article proclaiming that ‘For many, working long hours has become the norm.  The effects of this are plain, with increasing incidences of stress, or even depression, being reported.’  So what has changed in past 6 years?

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From April 2011 the UK Government is phasing out the default retirement age.  So what does this mean for both employers and employees

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It is widely accepted that no-one is born lacking in confidence; it is something we develop through our interactions with people, particularly one’s parents.

The foundations of confidence may have been laid down in childhood; however, there is no reason why someone who wants to and is motivated by the need to change cannot (re)build their self-confidence.

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Interviews and presentations can be two of the most stressful things that an applicant will undergo during a recruitment process.  As the time draws nearer the anxiety level seems to build and once confident people can be reduced to a state of nervous exhaustion.

Do not fear however, help is at hand.  Here is my 5 second cure for anxiety.

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