Sparks HR

23/12/2021

Well, that was a year!

As I celebrate Sparks HR being in business for just over a year I have taken some time to reflect and focus on what I am grateful for during what has been a challenging, uncertain and at times downright frightening year for us all.

The people in my life top the list of gratitude for me, both personally and professionally, and it is these connections and relationships that really fill my cup and matter to me most.

I am grateful for all my awesome clients without whom Sparks HR would still just be a name and a (albeit rather fetching!) logo! I am truly appreciative for your business and the opportunity to work with you and your businesses. There are some amazing people out there doing great things everyday in their businesses to create positive employee relationships and cultures and I am grateful to be a part of it.

Without one person in particular however I may never have taken the leap to self-employment, thank you Natalie Tolhopf- Sell With Confidence Expert for your no BS support and guidance and for being there as part of my crew during this first year, I am truly grateful. As a recovering perfectionist I am embracing imperfect action!

I am grateful for all the positive connections I have made during this year, I have met some awesome inspirational, positive and supportive people and I have realized that having a support crew and reaching out is a strength, and not a weakness. The saying “it takes a village” applies to business too and this has been an important learning for me. Thank you for listening, for lifting me up when the chips were down, for celebrating the successes and more than a few laughs. You are all amazing, thank you!

My closest support crew is however my family, both here and the UK, who have been unfailingly encouraging and have backed me from the start, you rock!

Finally, some reflections on my year that was 2021:
⭐ Don’t wait until its perfect (spoiler alert…it never will be!) so give it a go – you may surprise yourself, I certainly have
⭐ Celebrate being YOU, you are enough and its ok that not everyone likes you (tough gig for a people pleaser!)
⭐ Believe in yourself and celebrate the successes no matter how small
⭐ When things get tough don’t go it alone, reach out for support.

So, here’s to the as yet unwritten script for 2022. I know that it will have its challenges, but it will also bring more connections, opportunities and growth. 2022 ,I am ready, bring it on!

Merry Christmas!

07/10/2021

My eye was caught by a Simon Sinek post today about "soft skills" and his view that there are no such thing as "soft skills" but that actually he views them as human skills and that they have a far greater importance for strong leadership and ultimately business performance than is often given to them (if you want to watch the video link is in the comments).

I have always struggled with the term "soft skills" as it seems to relegate them to second place after the all important "hard skills" which are the ones that are most often at the top of the value pile. "Soft skills" are often called "fluffy" and "touchy feely" (and not usually in a good way) which does absolutely nothing for their street cred. I get it, I think a lot of it stems from the fact that people know where they are with dealing with the "hard skills", the more technical nuts and bolts of a role and that its the "fluffy" stuff that scares them and so avoidance creeps in along with the denial that it will really have a fundamental impact on performance and stop the bus.......the bottom line!

But why is this?

In my experience there are usually 2 key questions:
❓ What are you actually measuring? What is the basis of 'how' you want your people to act and behave in pursuit of their goals?
❓ Working out how the heck you are going to measure success in this? Lets face it, its much easier to tell someone that they have to make 'x' number of widgets a week than to measure 'how' someone has been doing their job.

Whilst the fear inducing manager may get the job done, they will likely leave a trail of destruction in terms of how they have done it, resulting in disengaged team members and feelings of anxiety and distress.

I strongly believe in values based business (yes, even if you are a small business), and I don't mean the tick box effort of a poster on the wall that tells everyone what your values are scenario, I mean truly having values that have meaning and purpose, that provide a strong platform for your business and are woven into everything that that you do. Starting with some core values, a culture code, or whatever you want to call it, and using this to define how you want your people to behave will give you the solutions to both the what you are measuring and how you will measure it.

Business performance comes through engaged and motivated people, driven by leaders that empower and support a culture that underpins this. So whilst they might be termed "soft skills" they are actually anything but. They have the strength, power and ability to truly ignite your people & profit!

Keen to explore this more for your business? I would love to talk (I am very good at it 😂) so drop me a message or click below for a free 30 minute chat.

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21356892

26/07/2021

Do you find that sometimes you need to do less to do more?

There is an old story of a man riding very fast on a horse. As he rides past his friend standing on the side of the road, the friend yells, “Where are you going?” The rider turns toward his friend and yells, “I don’t know, ask the horse!”

I love this as it’s a great analogy for what often happens to us not only at work but in life in general. How often do we feel as though we are no longer in control of what is happening?

As business owners and leaders surrounding ourselves by all that we need/should be doing can very easily muddy the waters and not only dilute the impact of our own performance but also that of our people as inevitably we are less likely to be able to clearly articulate goals and objectives for them when we ourselves are unable to see the wood for the trees.

Ensuring that your people have a clear purpose and understand your expectations is key to increasing productivity and engagement. If we do not have this clarity then how can we expect our people to thrive and perform?

When things start to feel a bit wobbly it is worth taking a step back and really assessing, or reassessing, what you want to achieve and more importantly WHY this needs to be achieved.

Take a breath
Getting the horse back under control means being able to take a step back, taking a breath and focusing so that you can bring it to a safe stop before assessing things and the moving off again at a more steady pace knowing where you are going and why!

Stop multitasking!
Women in particular often seem to wear this as a badge of honour but really multitasking actually dilutes and divides our attention so that we end up stretching ourselves too thin leading to inefficiency and frustration instead of what we think will happen which is that we will nail everything!

Delegate
This can be hard to do, especially as a small business owner when you are used to being in control of everything BUT remember, its why you hired your people (or if you haven’t done so it may be the time to start thinking about it)! Being clear on where your focus lies so that you can then pass on clear expectations and work for your people is key to moving your business forward.

Remember that it will not only be you that sometimes feels like the man on the horse, but your people will too so it’s important to create an environment where they too can do less to do more 😀

11/06/2021

I recently attended an event hosted by Tauranga Chamber of Commerce through the Business Women's Network where I was fortunate enough to hear four truly inspirational women talk. What linked all the speakers was their understanding and belief in their WHY, their ability to tell us the story behind what they do. They talked about the fact that "people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it", a great quote by Simon Sinek (worth looking him up if you are not familiar with him).

This struck a chord with me and reinforced my belief in having a values based business from which everything else is informed. Its easy for us to focus on what we are doing i.e the widget we are selling or the service we are providing, but the connection that your people and customers have is what makes the difference between you and someone else.

Without a fundamental "why" for your business your people will to struggle to become truly connected and involved with what they are doing to the level which really creates a place from where they want to do their best because they believe in what you stand for, as well as the core product or service you are providing.

Often times people believe that having defined why & values based on this is just for bigger businesses. I would challenge that and turn it on its head. By starting with your why and being able to clearly define this through values on which you base everything that you do you will not only create a stronger connection with your clients but more importantly with your people (because lets face it, without them not a lot of business is going to happen!).

What is your why? What is the story behind what you do?

13/05/2021

Excited to be asked to contribute to the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce through the latest Business Women's Network newsletter and be able to talk about one of my biggest passions, igniting your people and profit through engaging and empowering your employees 😍

If this resonates with you and you want to know more lets chat https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21356892

https://www.tauranga.org.nz/news-and-updates/employee-engagement-your-secret-sauce-to-business-success/?utm_source=Tauranga+Chamber+of+Commerce+Newsletters+Group&utm_campaign=460e8926b7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_BWN_MAY2021&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6d5a23ca2e-460e8926b7-198819130

Lindsay Kernohan, from Sparks HR, talks us through employee engagement – what is it, how can you increase it and what benefits goes it have?

07/05/2021

Nobody likes a headache, and when they are recurring it can really put the handbrake on and stop you moving forward.

Sorting out a simple but effective "pain management" system for those headaches means that you will be re-energized and able to focus on what matters.

Having good processes in place, setting clear expectations and providing effective, ongoing management of these is really important to minimize the headaches recurring. When a business is small and grows organically it can feel overwhelming having to deal with all the HR and people related “things”. Even if there are only a few employees it is important to have some form of framework as these not only manage the headaches but set up the right environment for your people to engage and perform. Getting things “right” can seem frustrating and time consuming but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Through conversations and understanding your business’s pain points, I can help you manage the overwhelm to create a simple, practical pain management plan that works in the context of your business.

Ready to deal with those headaches and move forward? Jump on a free discovery call with me now!
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21356892

16/04/2021

Red onions and your people (oh and a free gardening tip, you’re welcome!)

What the heck have red onions got to do with your people?

Well, it turns out quite a lot as I realised that planting red onion seedlings was a great analogy for understanding the importance of engaging and empowering your people. Read my latest blog to find out why...

https://www.sparkshr.co.nz/red-onions-your-people-oh-and-a-free-gardening-tip-youre-welcome/

01/04/2021

Permission to kick back....granted!

As we head into the long Easter weekend its important to remember to take time for ourselves, to relax and re-energise.

Do something you love with those that you love. Get outside, meet with friends, have a laugh, take time to breathe.

I love the fact that practically nothing is open on Good Friday as I think it gives us permission to not be constantly on the go and instead to kick back a bit and enjoy some more simple things.

I appreciate that not everyone gets this luxury and that there are still many people working but perhaps the next day you do get off treat that as your “Good Friday” if possible and truly give yourself a break. The pressure to be constantly “doing” something is immense and our ever present connection with the world via technology means that many of us rarely properly switch off. However, as we know, taking time for ourselves to rest and recharge is SO important for both our physical, but more importantly our mental health.

Being in business is hard and if I have learned anything since stepping out on my own its that I need to take a holistic approach to my business, prioritising ME 😍 and what I need just as much as all the other things that go with it. The old adage of getting your own oxygen mask sorted out first so then you are able to help others is well worth remembering!

So this Easter weekend, take some time for you. Relax, re-energise and I hope that you get a visit from the Easter bunny! 🐰

11/03/2021

Not truly engaging your people is like missing out the secret sauce in your signature dish, nobody is going to be very impressed and they probably won't be back for more!

Read my blog to find out about the key ingredients to creating effective employee engagement and why I am so passionate about you getting it right in your business.

Are you ready to unleash your secret sauce?
https://www.sparkshr.co.nz/why-employee-engagement-is-the-secret-sauce/

I talk a lot about employee engagement, and I wanted to explain why I am so passionate about it and why it’s not just a buzz word to be flung around but really is the secret sauce to igniting your people and profit!

01/03/2021

Does this resonate with you?

I know that its been doing the rounds but I think its such a powerful, yet simple, visual and a great platform to really think about how you engage and empower your people to enable them to truly thrive and succeed.

Given what is happening right now with the current lockdowns, peoples' resilience is once again being put to the test. How resilient are you and your people feeling? Is there anything here that may be missing in your business that could help to support this not only now but as we ride this new norm of uncertainty and change?

Credit to https://www.lizandmollie.com/ for the visual 👍

19/02/2021

After what has been a pretty unsettled and tough week for those in the Auckland region its important to remember that energized employees are engaged employees, and engaged employees will ride the waves of change and uncertainty much more effectively and easily than those that are not.

Keeping your people energized when times are tough can be hard but you will reap the rewards of a more resilient, adaptable and engaged team who are willing to weather the storm with you.

So, as we head into the weekend why not take the opportunity to think about whether your people are energized?

Are you creating an environment based on positive interactions? How do you ensure that you are building high quality connections? Do your people feel psychologically safe?
Is there a sense of meaningfulness in your business?

If you are keen to explore this more why not book a free discovery call with me?
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21356892

14/02/2021

Whilst its not what any of us want, hopefully the latest lockdowns will be short and sweet and provide the confidence that there is not an ongoing chain of community transmission. Once the cat is out of the bag its a whole lot harder to try and get it back in again.

Lockdowns are tough and its really important that businesses keep focused on employee engagement and an eye on the mental health of both themselves and their employees. It will affect people in different ways and making sure that the communication is open and there is understanding of different reactions is really important.

The link below has lots of great information and resources for helping support you and your business's mental wellbeing.

Continuing to cope with COVID-19 COVID-19 is back in the community and it is a wake-up call to all of us. New Zealand worked hard to stop the transmission of COVID-19 before, and we can do it again. As a result, levels of lockdown are being implemented across Aotearoa.What businesses need to doIt’...