Category Archives: Business Management

Is the tail wagging the dog?

Prioritising workloads is a basic managerial process, but one we sometimes overlook until all of a sudden the systems are running you rather than you driving them. This is a quick lesson to give the dog back its smile, and ability to wag. Enjoy.

‘Priority’. Look up the meaning and we get this:

the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than others.

As  those of you who follow this newsletter know (and thank you for your encouraging support), we follow the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and other operational support techniques taken from the book Traction (more HERE).

One of the EOS features is to identify and discuss ‘issues’ at our fortnightly Leadership Team Meetings. It is a magic system. We address issues as they arise, and deal with them – job done.

Except, dealing with lateral issues may mean that particular job is done but at the expense of our individual daily functions, of which there are many.

The system begins to dominate and shift our attention in the wrong direction. Instead of the dog wagging its tail, the issues (tail) begins to wag the dog (us).

This in itself is an issue, an overriding issue. We were accumulating time-consuming ‘issues’ without prioritising them. Which are the essential operational issues and which are peripheral ideals … you know the sort of thing – in an ideal world this would be a nice nut to crack, but it can be put on hold until the world actual does become ideal.

In a busy Electrical Installation & Maintenance business, tomorrow’s utopian existence will have to wait until we deliver the 30 new POs that have just come in; or converted 20 more to POs from last week’s quotes; or pointed out a potential operational problem to a client that might arise if A doesn’t join up to Z, leading to (potentially) unacceptable power-outs (and of course to yet more quotes, approvals and urgent action to be taken to support them as a result).

So, what do we do?

EOS has shaped our management system massively, but we are letting it take control of us rather than use it as a  tool to support us.

We have re-packaged the issues and actions, grouped by the individual with reporting responsibility in the sector they affect. Within each of these groups, we have prioritised those needing action now(ish) and those that can wait.

We are all highly responsible individuals in the Leadership Team, perfectly capable of ranking the tasks and affecting positive change as and when essential daily priorities allow.

We all have more than enough work to do, without creating more and more work to polish the brass on HMS Utopia, as opposed to sailing The Good Ship JGF and her crew away from choppy waters, to the exciting challenges of tomorrow.

Team JGF – ‘more than just cables and cutters’.

Sometimes looking back strengthens your resource to move forward, to continue your journey with renewed vigour.

It’s a great exercise and the perfect time of the year to try it.

In positioning JGF, we took advice, well we listened to ideas, read books and looked more closely into the thoughts that seemed to fit best.

Top three books?

The e myth. This has been regarded as ‘an instant classic’. It looks into and dispels the myths about starting your own business. Michael E. Gerber speaks with honesty about his own experiences to illustrate how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.

Profit First. The strap line says it all – Mike Michalowicz suggests it will ‘Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine’. Its lofty promises boil down into digestible, more realistic slices of goodness that have helped us in the early days. Now, ten years on (plus), we have appointed new accountants whose advice helps us transform JGF’s growth potential – managing it rather than having it manage us.

Traction. I’ve spoken about this at length previously (more HERE). If you look at these three in order, the first drives structural and market development; the middle on counts the beans; and the third, Traction, helps formulate organisational strength.

This week, in our Fortnightly Focus, the Leadership Team Meeting took a slightly different turn. We invited another review, looking back at one of the presentations that me sit up and think when I first saw it several years ago.

WHY.

Simon Sinek’s ‘Start with WHY’ was introduced to us way back and re-presented yesterday by a member of the Leadership Team, Rodney Bashford. If you have forgotten it or have never seen it, lock the door, put the phone on re-direct, open your mind, listen, and watch Simon’s TED Talk video: HERE.

The message is simple, the effects, astonishing.

Every company knows WHAT they do. Most know HOW they do it, what makes them different from suppliers of the same or similar goods or services. But, very few know WHY.

Your WHY is what drives you; it’s the belief that sits at the core of the business; it’s the reason you exist and behave as you do; it’s the reason you get up in the morning.

It’s not PROFIT, it’s PASSION.

This form was handed out to myself and four others on the team to jot down first thoughts on our WHAT, our HOW and, ultimately, our WHY.

This is a summary of the results:

WHAT

All five said: We deliver high quality electrical installations.

HOW

• Being efficient on and off site.
• Visiting customers to review their needs and priorities.
• Following Processes, exceeding standards, recruiting competent staff.
• Training, upskilling, product development, competence.
• High standards, great level of service / compliant.
• So, five superb variations on the theme of excellence throughout.

WHY

• I, (the MD) said – creating bespoke solutions in close, longstanding relations that deliver your goals.
• Caela (Finance Director) suggested – creating a sustainable business through a team that loves doing what they do.
• Leila (Opps Director) opted for – Building the Brand / Recruiting, training, promoting staff and seeing them succeed.
• Michelle (H&S Practitioner) – to provide the best service possible for all our clients.
• Nick (Senior Project Manager) – knowing we will provide 100% service, dedication, honesty. Enjoying what we do as a great team.

Well, there is no right answer, but I’m pretty proud of the ones the team have given here.

To understand more about the thought process behind the scenes of Team JGF, take a look at our Storyboard HERE

You will have seen a lot of LinkedIn posting from happy members of Team JGF, genuinely excited by the recent office move.

Why the move, and what does it mean for staff and clients?

Moving to Unit 18, Optima Park (just off the Thames Road for anyone who knows the area) was timely and much needed. Growth, both through BDM effort and organic expansion to satisfy existing client demand, comes with challenges.

We have been expanding steadily in the background, replicating teams of supervisory / senior / qualified / and apprentice electricians taking JGF expertise and organisational support on the road to service increasing demand.

More engineers need more vans and the kit to fit out those vans; more training; more H&S induction and supervision, more PPE; more LOTO kits; more personalised tablets linked to JGF OMS (operational management systems) more fun on Team events for that matter.

Organisationally, simPRO easily replicates its OMS. Once trained, new staff readily transfer their work ethos, from anything they have previously experienced (bad habits ‘n all), to our way, Team JGF way.

All of the above means more quotes and more POs.

More POs mean more materials.

More materials need more room to receive it, store it, sort it, allocate it by job, distribute it, collect it and use it.

We seriously needed – MORE SPACE

Stacey, who so spectacularly oversees materials movement has the biggest smile of us all. What she managed achieved from total office space of 650 sqft including opps, meetings and storage was amazing.

What Stacey and team will be able to achieve with 4,000 sqft is already and will continue to grow astronomically.

We have the space to create so many more advantages to pass on to clients. Purchasing and storing core catalogue items across all jobs / disciplines supports competitive pricing options on the one hand, and fast turnaround for quick response services on the other.

For quick reaction quotes / POs, we already have the material priced and mostly in stock, ready for one of our vans to back in, load up and head to the task in hand.

SPACE – perhaps not the FINAL frontier, but we value…

THE SPACE TO THINK

THE SPACE TO DELIVER

Sitting with a beer in the reception area of Dartford’s Holiday Inn Express, it’s interesting to watch them check in. Various degrees of branded work gear, high vis, the odd hard hat, tools / no tools. It was about 4.00, and liveried vans were finding their spots in the car park.

Some were clearly well-versed in safe parking techniques, parking tightly back-to-back or top and tailed side to side for side loaders, in plain view and full sight on CCTV.

Back inside, reception is getting busier and again you can tell those new to the game of ‘working away’ and those for whom it was as natural as night and day.

Check-in for newbies can be quite stressful. After working a full-on day in unfamiliar territory – ‘next’ … now what?

Create a clear Travel Policy

…and educate your employees.

When sending your guys away, make sure their travel, work, stay and subsistence rules are carefully explained and well-coordinated with the hotel they’re staying at. Booking confirmation with clear pre-payment and subsistence approval should be clear to both the receptionist and your employees.

Have you pre-arranged meals and cost limits with the hotel or are your guys paying and reclaiming? Do you have alcohol limits, or perhaps you prefer a ‘dry ship’ for engineers on tour?

Have you briefed them what their limits are and to keep their receipts to make re-claims easy for all?

The last column applies to overnighting staff.

What is a Subsistence Allowance?

Subsistence allowance is the money given to employees to cover business expenses incurred as a result of performing their work duties. This includes meals and drinks, accommodation, car parking charges and more. Put simply, subsistence refers to the cost of sustaining an employee when they’re travelling for business.

The main stipulations required to claim meal expenses are:

• The cost of food or drink must be incurred after the business trip has started
• The trip must be beyond their usual commute and be done as part of official business
• The journey must take the employee away from their normal place of work for 5 hours or more.

As of April 2019, HMRC no longer requires businesses to provide receipts for every cost incurred as part of a business journey. This means a lot less reimbursement paperwork for business owners, finance teams and claimants.

Now businesses can claim a set amount for each day of travel and only need to demonstrate that an employee has incurred some kind of expense during their business trip. So, if an employee on a business trip eats three meals, they only need to provide proof (a receipt) for the evening meal, for example.

JGF – Working Away

We take all of these factors into account.

Feedback from the away teams helps refine the process. The two main things they appreciate are:

• A good briefing on the location and check-in process.
• A well-briefed hotel or accommodation reception.
• Yes, a third did pop up in a tongue-in-cheek question – Do we need to check our passports north of Watford?!!!

Not at the time of writing, but there are so many other things to consider. There is no bigger question than … do the guys want to work away?

This may not have been an issue at the time of their employment into the growing, hard-working, skilled JGF Team. Now, the question is clearly asked as part of new recruitment policy.

We will not schedule staff to work away if it doesn’t suit their personal lives. Some have young families to think of – is that a factor for being first in the queue though, or for staying at home.

Anything for a good night’s sleep.

Accommodation

All of the main ‘budget’ chains have good working relations with companies who regularly manage engineering teams working away. Some can be more ‘user friendly’ than others but all do have clear policy guidelines. Group discounts do vary chain to chain and of course for the size of the budget associated with corporate guests.

Let’s look at other options too:

Airbnb For Contractors

They say: “You can use us for business trips, too. Mark a booking as a business trip by selecting Is this a work trip? during checkout. This way, you can add trip notes that’ll be sent to the person who manages your company’s travel. You’ll also get a receipt from us in your work inbox.”

Trade Stays

They provide “…serviced accommodation for contractors with a hotel suite experience at excellent prices. This extremely flexible accommodation service offers complete properties for contractors to stay in, that are frequently cleaned, serviced and maintained, allowing your team a far more comfortable, content and spacious experience in comparison to your standard hotel.

They allow the perfect environment for your teams to wind down after a hard day’s work, in addition to allowing the team to bond far more effectively in their own space. The fully fitted kitchen offers your team a range of flexibility in their catering choices, in comparison to relying on the local pub or restaurant meals, ultimately leading to fewer expenses.” Video:

Beds for Builders

Is another web hub providing advertising opportunity to bed and breakfast, houses, pubs, hotels, guest houses and serviced apartments to help release different types of non-chain accommodation into the contractor network.

The way they recruit accommodation reflects to possible benefits to businesses, like ours, who are now in demand further afield – watch the video: