The need for teamworking

Diligence undertakes quite a bit of teambuilding work with clients. Most organisations would do well to look at improving teamworking skills amongst staff and we are keen to help them develop a defined teamworking strategy.

Doing so, should help you to achieve a positive and more beneficial relationship between staff, particularly those from the geographically disparate parts of the organisation. Teamworking solutions can help build relationships amongst staff as well as acting as a motivational tool.

For any business unit, particularly those working to tight deadlines or seeking to achieve targets, the ability to work effectively as part of a team is an essential skill. The successful development and adoption of team skills will also enhance the knowledge base of the organisation and will encourage individual professional development.

Whilst we would always recommend that teamworking and teambuilding be a continuous process, we are also realistic to understand that it must take its place on the organisation’s priority list!

The key to the success of any teamworking exercise is that staff are made aware of the positive benefits of certain practices, agree to adopt them and are then made to assume responsibility for maintaining and advancing these practices within their respective teams.

The aim of such programmes is to convince staff of the need for team skills and of their own personal responsibility in applying them within their own team environments by:

· motivating staff and demonstrating the importance of effective teamworking
· providing practical examples of how teams should work together
· imposing responsibility for maintaining good team practices
· providing a reward structure to demonstrate the value of good team practices
· helping staff develop examples of good practice and tricks-of-the-trade

In addition, a successful teamworking strategy should assist the development of a real ‘family’ environment by:

· helping to improve communications within and outside of the organisation
· helping to improve the visibility of managers
· promoting staff recognition
· encouraging staff empowerment
· helping to improve workload management

If you'd like any help with developing an effective teamworking strategy, why not drop us a line?

Should I advertise?

We are sometimes asked by clients, "Do I need to advertise my business?"

For sure the process of advertising can be expensive and it can take up resources that may be better applied in other parts of the buisnes. So, we say, it's almost like converting to a new religion - only do it if you're absolutely sure it's right for you.

To help you, consider this question - who could use your services now?

1. People who’ve never heard of you.
2. People who use your competitors.
3. People who use your competitor, but have also used your services.

Everybody uses advertising – and not just in business life. We have all had to be deft practitioners in the art of advertising, be it to look for a job, buy or sell a home or find a car. We are exposed to hundreds of advertising images every day, promoting products or services or imparting information. Add to these images – some of them subliminal – the commercials we see, listen to and read, it’s easy to appreciate just how much advertising is such an integral part of our every day lives.

But it is one heck of a crowded environment and whilst we can usually recall some of these messages, the majority will just pass us by. That’s why communication through advertising is not as easy as the armchair advertiser would have you believe!

So, if you’ve decided that your business could benefit from advertising, what should your priorities be?

Well, you should begin your planning by deciding what it is you want to say and ensuring that you know exactly what you want your advertising to achieve. Your advertising needs to be tailored precisely to your audience – remember though that your message is unlikely to appeal to everybody who is exposed to it.

So, you might decide to create messages designed:

1. For those who don't know of you or your services. Your message should be designed to stimulate an initial interest
2. For existing clients to persuade them to buy more from you and less from a competitor. Your message should be designed to help develop their loyalty
3. For your competitors clients. Your message should be designed to help encouraging change
4. For existing clients to reassure them that they’ve made the right purchase decision. To the theorists, this is called cognitive dissonance – to the rest of us, it’s designed to encourage your customers to remain loyal!

So, we'd say to answer that 'should I advertise?' question - think about it carefully, think about what you want to achieve - and then talk it through with an expert!

Event accessibility

We came across this useful checklist for conference and event organisers looking to ensure that accessibility for disabled people meets acceptable standards.

Whilst facilities for disabled guests are infinitely better than they used to be, there's still an awful long way to go!If you'd like advice on ensuring your event meets standards, why not contact an experienced event management company for advice and help?

Transport

Does the venue provide accessible transport for disabled people or know where to obtain it?
If accessible transport is not readily available, can it be organised when asked for, or tell someone where to get it?

Parking

Does the venue have designated accessible parking and dropping off points?
Locate accessible spaces on the shortest possible safe route to an accessible building entrance, recommended 45m max.
If more than one entrance, distribute spaces among parking areas.

Approach

Is the approach leading to the venue accessible and easy to traverse?
An accessible approach is one that is clearly signed, well lit, without obstruction or uneven surface, and with a minimum width of 1800mm and distance to parking bay no greater than 45m.
If stepped, then a ramped approach must be available with handrails if required.

Entrances

Are all entrances to the venue accessible and easy to use?
Is the call entry system easy to locate and use?
Is the entrance signed and well lit?
Does the entrance have a minimum width of 800mm with a flat threshold?
Are there clear 'push' and 'pull' signs or symbols on doors?

Reception

Is the reception accessible and easy to use by a disabled person?
Is the reception desk usable by a wheelchair user?
Can a wheelchair user turn around in the reception lobby?
Is the call for assistance facility accessible?

Corridors

Are corridors accessible and easy for disabled people to move around the building?
Corridors require a minimum width of 1200mm with passing places of 1800mm. They should be clear of obstruction, well lit and signed.
Visual, auditory and tactile guides assist movement and orientation, e.g. colour schemes, decor, tactile floor changes, handrails.

Doorways

Are doors and doorways accessible to disabled people?
Doorways should be a minimum of 800mm with flush threshold.
The door furniture must be easy to use and in contrast to the door.
Doorways and doors should be colour contrasted to the surrounding floor and walls.

Signs

Are functional and directional signs accessible and usable by disabled people?
People need clear information about the purpose and layout of buildings.
Often visual information is reinforced by audible and tactile information.
Effectiveness is determined by: location, layout, height, font size, colour and finished surfaces of materials.

Stairs

Are stairs or steps usable by disabled people?
Stairs & steps require contrasting nosing with handrails that guide and assist disabled users.

Lifts

Are accessible lifts provided for upper floor access?
Accessible lifts require: minimum of 1700mm by 1700mm clear floor space outside lifts to aid wheelchair manoeuvrability.
Lift doors should be highlighted and stay open for a minimum of 20 seconds.
The lift car should be a minimum 1100mm wide and 1400mm deep with a mirror on rear wall.
Lift doors should have minimum clear opening 800mm.
Controls should be at usable height, tactile and with audible announcements.

Ramps

Are ramps provided for changes in level or where there is a stepped approach and no alternative access?
It is preferable to have both steps and ramp.
The gradient for the ramp should be 1 in 20 up to 10m.
Shorter distances of under 2m can be 1 in 12.Toilets
Do you provide accessible toilet facilities?
Accessible toilets require space to turn around and transfer (min 1500mm by 2200mm), which can be from the right or left.
If two accessible toilets are provided then both options can be provided.
Grab rails, emergency cords and doors that open outwards with accessible handles are required.

Refreshments

Is the provision of refreshments accessible?
Refectory, dining rooms, sandwich bars, coffee areas, vending machines all need to be accessible.
Alternative dietary requirements need to be catered for.

Telephones

Are the telephones accessible?
Public telephone should be angled and located between 750 mm and 1000 mm above the floor.
A clear space of at least 1350 mm x 1200 mm should be provided within a telephone booth.
Handsets require large buttons, amplified earpiece and able to work with induction loop.

Procedures

Are procedures in place to ensure the safe egress of all users?
Procedures must be in place to assist disabled people who are not familiar with the building and require assistance to leave the building.
Fire procedures must be available in alternate formats, and included in introduction to event.

Alarms

Are there visual, auditory and vibrating alarms?
In areas where disabled people may be alone, such as toilets, flashing fire alarm beacons connected to the fire alarm system should be installed.
For some people with no auditory access, the installation of a vibrating fire pager is recommended.

Exits

Are emergency exits accessible to disabled people?
Are exit routes clearly signed, unlocked and free of obstacles?
Do exit doors open outwards with minimum of 900mm clear passage width and flat/ramped egress to Fire Assembly Points?

Refuges

Are accessible refuges provided for disabled people in an emergency?
Refuges are fire-protected areas providing sufficient space to enable people to wait in safety.
Refuges are primarily designed for people who are unable to use stairs or experience difficulty leaving buildings in an emergency without assistance.

Access Technology

Does the venue provide access technology and equipment so disabled people can take part fully in the training?
Equipment such as: thick black pens for signing or writing, different coloured paper, magnifier, clipboard, CCTV, Induction loops.
Access technology such as: voice synthesiser software, large print screen software, voice recognition software, laptops.

Environment

Is the environment supportive to disabled clients taking part in your service? E.g. noise reduction - low background noise, floor coverings, curtains - controllable temperature and ventilation, good natural and artificial light, adjustable blinds, and suitable colour schemes?

Furniture

Is the furniture provided at venue usable by disabled people, e.g. desks, tables and seating?
Suitable means variable height, adjustable back and arm support.
Desks and tables for wheelchair users should be at a height of 725 - 750mm with a minimum knee space under the desk of 800mm wide, 500mm deep (630mm preferred) & 700mm high (720mm preferred).

Layout

Is the layout and organisation of the training rooms suitable for disabled people?
Can someone who uses walking sticks or a frame, or is a wheelchair user move around freely and without hindrance?
Can the layout of the seating and presentation equipment be arranged to maximise disabled people's participation?

Accommodation

Is the accommodation accessible and usable by disabled people?
Consider the journey, for example: getting to the room, getting in and out, moving around inside, using the facilities (such as telephone, tea-making, television, bathroom), and getting out in an emergency.

Access requirements

Does the venue or training provider check out delegates for access requirements before event and at start of event?
Are access requirements of delegates asked for and acted upon by training provider and venue provider before the event?
Adjustments include: timing, frequency of breaks, alternative format materials, alternative seating, place and method of delivery, the amount and complexity of information.

Assistance

Are venue staff confident and competent to assist disabled people?
Such as 'spotting when assistance is really required', 'establishing the access required', 'enabling independent use of service', and knowing when to say 'no'

Feedback

Do you monitor satisfaction of your service and research the reasons why disabled delegates are dissatisfied?
By monitoring the service provided to disabled people by the venue, there will be an opportunity to increase inclusion at three critical points: a) at promotion - your promotional material is not accessible or available, b) at first contact - delegates' first experience of the venue and training puts them off, and c) after bad experience - something happens that makes them feel excluded or not welcome.

Blogging for business

Blogs have quickly become the latest online marketing tool.

They help raise your profile, give you an added presence on all the major search engines – and they can help drive traffic to your website.

The beauty of Blogs is their adaptability, flexibility and ease of use. For instance, the Blog you're reading now can be updated, amended or added to in seconds. The problem, of course, is finding content - and then the resources - to maintain the site so that it stays fresh, attracts regular visitors and continues to help drive traffic to other sites.

Even the experts sometimes suffer from a lack of time, resources and more pressing priorities (slap on wrist for The Marketing Manager!). That's why Nice Work and Pixel Puppet have decided to establish a dedicated blogging service to help organisations establish and maintain blogs for the benefit of their businesses. We research and source new content - and make sure the Blog always contains contemporary and interesting content.

Blogs are also an ideal first step on the Internet if you’re unsure about websites.

One of the big advantages is that they are extremely cost-effective. Nice Work/Pixel Puppet can provide you with a fully functional Blog, together with weekly or two-weekly updates for a very low initial cost - much lower than the cost of a new website). We can also maintain your Blog, keeping it fesh and up to date for a nominal monthly fee.

Why not get in touch and find out more?

In the meantime, check out some of these Blogs we have produced:

http://www.blogger.com/www.followthatlotus.blogspot.com
http://www.themushroomman.blogspot.com/
http://www.gardenexpert.blogspot.com/
http://www.ronhillsalterego.blogspot.com/
http://www.waddiesontheweb.blogspot.com/

Passionate about teambuilding

We are passionate about encouraging teamworking and developing teambuilding skills.

We have undertaken team building assignments for many clients over the last fifteen years but one of our regrets is that the phrase 'teambuilding' has been hijacked and, to many, means a day away from the office with a spot of go-karting!

Teambuilding is much more than a day behind the wheel of a vehicle - and a good job too, with the prices of these corporate days now making a serious dent in budgets. We much prefer to concentrate on helping our clients achieve a positive and more beneficial relationship between staff, particularly those from the geographically disparate parts of the organisation - without the need to spend thousands. But that's not to say our teambuilding exercises are not fun!

For any business unit, particularly those working to tight deadlines or seeking to achieve targets, the ability to work effectively as part of a team is an essential skill. The successful development and adoption of team skills will also enhance the knowledge base of the organisation and will encourage individual professional development.The key to the success of any teamworking exercises is that staff are made aware of the positive benefits of certain practices, agree to adopt them and are then made to assume responsibility for maintaining and advancing these practices within their respective teams.

The aim of our teambuilding programmes is to convince staff of the need for team skills and of their own personal responsibility in applying them within their own team environments by:

1. Motivating staff and demonstrating the importance of effective teamworking

2. Providing practical examples of how teams should work together

3. Imposing responsibility for maintaining good team practices

4. Providing a reward structure to demonstrate the value of good team practices

5. Helping staff develop examples of good practice and tricks-of-the-trade

The heart of a teamworking initiative is an attempt to encourage staff to take pride in what they do by focusing not just on their own individual performance but, primarily, on the needs of their customers and others who may be affected by their work performance – such as colleagues in other sections/departments.

We have developed a series of unique teambuilding exercises that focus on performance - by incorporating drama and theatre. Teams are set an assignment to produce a short ‘corporate’ film to show to prospective new business clients - a film that reflects not just the needs of the organisation – but also its strengths and its ethos.

Few parameters are set for teams – but those that are set are vital components and are crucial both to the delivery of the finished film and to how the film is judged. these include:

1. A strict limit on the length of the film – no more than ten minutes

2. A theme. Each team is allocated a theme or genre and the finished product must reflect this. The genre could be generational so that films would reflect changing values and habits. One team could therefore look to produce a Silent Movie; a second team look at producing a film in the style of the 1950’s; a third look at producing a film reflecting modern day attitudes; and a fourth team look to produce a film set in the future. An alternative would be for films to be produced in the style of particular genres – so we could, for instance, have a Spaghetti Western, a James Bond, a Simpsons, a West End Musical or a Humphrey Bogart theme! A third alternative would be to encourage teams to reflect the theatrical nature of their surroundings and look to produce from a particular theatrical style such as Shakespeare or Pantomime.3. A need to incorporate certain core messages in the film.

The exercise should have as its core objective a desire to promote the values of the organisation underpinned with a need to consider the overall business objectives. The initial – and probably most important – part of the exercise is the planning, with teams encouraged to fully document the content of their film, the objectives and the logistics (scripting etc) of the production. We encourage a formal approach using techniques such as storyboards to allow all team members input into the creative process.

Teams are encouraged to be as creative as possible and include traditional cinema or theatrical techniques such as props, location, music and scripts to produce an entertaining end-product.

We acknowledge that not everybody is comfortable 'performing' which is why there are key roles to play in these exercises for the 'behind camera' crew - direction, production, props, scripting and so on. So there really is a role to play for all team members.

Feedback and comment on the finished product is by way of an Oscar ceremony with all team members present - preferably in a social environment - with a screening of the videos and awards being presented not just for Best Film but for Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Music, Best Costume etc.

We supply some props and all the necessary Oscar paraphernalia – including a red carpet for that photo opportunity – with delegates encouraged to dress for the Oscars!

We've used these exercises with great success with a large number of clients - and the feedback has always been excellent.

Effective, fun and rewarding team-building - and team building that fits all budgets!

Get in touch if yo'd like to know more!

Marketing your website

If you want people to find your website, try turning the problem around. How would you find your website if you didn’t know it existed? What words would you type into the ‘Search’ box?

And remember to be realistic about your chances! If you simply type ‘Investment’ into the search, you are likely to find millions of websites – and the chances of your being ahead of those companies with multi-million pound web marketing budgets are slim. That’s why you need to be clever with your key phrases. Look for key words or phrases that are relevant to your business.

Some research using your own key phrases will also help you identify who your competitors are – so what are they doing on their sites to make them visible? The beauty of the internet is that you can carry out most of your research from your desk – and your only investment will be in time.

To get a website effectively optimised will also almost certainly require some specialised assistance - that’s because the keys to success are contained within the coding used to drive your website. Techniques such as giving each of your pages a unique title – by using the exact key phrase you want to describe the page – will help ensure that people looking for your services end up on the relevant pages within your site.

Beyond the page titles your page content will become the focus of attention for the search engines. The engines like web pages that are well structured and contain classic pages - one that contains a title, a paragraph of text and a sub heading that represents the paragraph. A good tip is to start a paragraph of text with a key phrase.

The importance of links

Hyperlinks are what you use to navigate your way around the internet. And they are also what search engines use to find their way around – which is why links are a crucial part of any web marketing campaign.

Search engines such as Google and Yahoo will help rank a website by assessing how many other websites are linked to it. Links may be one-way inbound links – or they may be two way, or reciprocal, links. In short the more websites that are linked to yours, the more important the search engines think your site is. That’s why it makes good business sense to try and establish these links with complementary websites. Don’t make the mistake though of simply aiming for volume – there are many directory sites that will quite happily accept a link to your site. However, the major search engines are highly sophisticated and will look to ensure that links are relevant and that your links are with ‘ranked’ or popular sites. They have devices that can spot so-called ‘handshakes’ sites ensure there is a relevance to links.

Once again it is worth looking at your competitors to see what kind of links they have. The ones that are successful will have good key phrases a good ranking and relevant inbound links.

Refresh your site

One of the big turn-offs for website visitors is an out of date website. That’s why you need to work on your website on a regular basis – making sure your site is up to date and that it contains modern and relevant information. For instance, if you have a ‘News’ section make sure that you are posting new stories to the site so that visitors know that it is up to date. Remember too that your website is equivalent to a high street shop window. Your favourite store will probably change its window display on a regular basis to continue to attract visitors – your website requires exactly the same attention. If you fail to refresh your website you’ll turn off repeat visitors. Always give visitors a reason to re-visit your site - for instance why not consider publishing articles you have written on to your website?

Make it easy!

Marketing is about making it as easy as possible for your customer to do business with you. Remember that each barrier you put in place, each irritation your customer finds with your service is a potential block to a sale.

So why not review the customer experience? Try to put yourself in their shoes.

For instance:

· how easy is it for your clients to contact you?
· how easy is your billing system - do you offer different ways of paying?
· do you review your customer needs on a formal basis?
· do you tailor your products or services to match different customer needs?
· is your literature jargon-free?
· are your opening hours convenient for your customers?
· do you offer an on-line service?

Marketing shouldn’t cause a revolution in your business. If you think ‘common sense’ you should be on the right track!

But it’s quite easy to fall into routines and easier still to work around what is easy and convenient for you – rather than what is easy and convenient for your customers.
So, why not carry out a ‘Make it Easy’ review? Ask your customer to tell you what they think of your service, what they like about it – and then what irritates them. You might also want to consider some mystery shopping to really test the customer experience.

It might help you to modify the way you operate and improve your customer service by making the buying experience more endurable and enjoyable.

If you’d like to discuss making it easy for your customers, why not talk to the Marketing Manager? You can contact us here

Creating the right image

The one person most interested in your business is probably …. you! And as much as you’d like to believe that what you do is of interest to the population at large, the truth is, it probably isn’t!

However, and regardless of our impressions, public relations is not just for publicity-conscious corporations, fading celebrities and desperate politicians. PR is also for you! You have a case to make. You want others to appreciate your point of view. You need your voice to be heard. You want people to know that you’re there!

You need PR!

But before you start talking to the press or local radio stations, it’s worth spending a little time in planning a campaign of action.

If you open a new office and let the local newspaper know, the subsequent press coverage may well be good. But, if you’re honest, what you would really prefer is quite simple – you’d like to secure more qualified prospects and sell more business. Anything else you can get from it is icing on the cake.

That’s why you should use PR to support your sales efforts – but don’t expect it to replace them.

So, consider your real objectives, for instance is it:

To raise your profile within your working community
To let people know where you are
To generate new customers
To increase sales
To tell prospects how to find you?

If public relations is to support these objectives, common sense says it must help to get coverage in your target media – be that in your local newspaper, appropriate trade publication or local radio station. It will then allow your prospects to form an opinion about you and your new products.

The problem is that many of us are too tied-up in our own world to really look objectively at our businesses and find a newsworthy story angle that could lead to free publicity. To do so, you need to be able to separate real news about your company from promotional puffery. You need to be able to deliver a sharp and contemporary news story that will be of genuine interest to the audience. And you need to be able to deliver this story in a professional, courteous way.
For instance, you may consider having your press releases checked over by a friendly journalist first – ask him if, in his opinion, the release is likely to be of interest to a local newspaper. The style of your press release is important. If the newspaper can use the words you have used it will save them having to re-write the story. And anything that can save them time will be welcomed.

When you design your public relations campaign, think about the news angles, develop your media materials and begin contacting the press or radio, always think:

"What can I do that will make this more useful to a journalist?"

That means you need to look at developing your story angles from their perspective, not your own. You need to step away from your business and view it as a reporter looking for an interesting story. Remember, he's looking for a story that will satisfy his editor and his readers or listeners. He's not interested in promoting you, only in crafting a story that will make readers stop and say "Now there's something I didn’t know."

If you're looking to raise the profile of your organisation, why not talk to the Marketing Manager? You can contact us here