As a Coach The clients I work with are primarily focussed on either leadership development or mindset.

• Leadership | Empowering individuals to be the leader they want to be and empowering them to get there!
• Mindset | Developing confidence, challenging imposter syndrome and develop a positive mindset

I am purposeful on the questions I ask with a view to getting the client to really consider and challenge themselves.
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You set a goal, brimming with motivation, only to see your enthusiasm dwindle as weeks turn into months. Life gets busy, distractions abound, and suddenly that promotion or business plan review feels lightyears away.

Here's where the magic of accountability partners comes in.

What's an Accountability Partner?

An accountability partner is your personal cheerleader, nudge-giver, and progress tracker – all rolled into one. It's someone you share your goals with, who holds you accountable for your progress, and celebrates your victories (big and small).

Why Partner Up?

The benefits of having an accountability partner are numerous:

• Increased Commitment: Having someone invested in your success makes it harder to slack off. Knowing you'll have to report back keeps you motivated.
• Boosted Confidence: Regular check-ins and encouragement can do wonders for your self-belief.
• Overcoming Obstacles: An accountability partner can be a sounding board for challenges and offer support when you hit roadblocks.
• Staying On Track: Regular communication helps you stay focused and identify areas where you might need to adjust your approach.

Finding Your Perfect Match

The ideal accountability partner is someone you trust, respect, and who complements your goals. Consider someone with:

• Reliability: You need someone who will consistently follow through on check-ins and offer support.
• Positive Attitude: Optimism and encouragement are key in keeping you motivated.

Making it Work

Here are some tips for a successful accountability partnership:

• Set Clear Goals: Be specific and share measurable progress markers.
• Establish Communication Channels: Decide how often you'll check in (weekly, bi-weekly) and what method works best (calls, texts, video chats).
• Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge and celebrate achievements, big or small.
• Be Open and Honest: Don't shy away from sharing challenges and setbacks. Your partner is there to support you, not judge.

Ready to Find Your Partner in Progress?
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Then lets talk, this is a service we offer as we know how important it is to keep on track! https://calendly.com/julie-1tx0

With an accountability partner by your side, you'll be smashing those goals in no time.

Have you had experiences with accountability partners before? We'd love to hear about your experiences!

Two separate areas of major concern for me but all coming down to issues with communication with businesses! 
 
Quiet Quitting

• This is where individuals are slowly disengaging from their roles and responsibilities.  It might be they are working less hours than they used to, not achieving the level the previously had. 

 
Quiet Cutting

• Highlighted in an article by People Management quite cutting is a term now being applied to ‘silent sacking’ where employers try to get there workforces to resign either through changing or reducing their responsibilities…  whilst you may first think ‘why haven’t I thought about this’ this is riddled with risk and also ethical and morale issues.  

 
The fact that both of these have been given the word ‘quiet’ in front demonstrates that there is a concern that businesses and individuals are not communicating let alone potentially doing the legal, morale, ethical and generally right thing! 
 
Two-way communication has been bounded about as long as I can remember as a pivotal role within a business, the information goes up, down and sideways in a business hierarchy but what has potentially changed?

• Is this an impact of covid? 
• Of employees burning out?  We know that for many professions there is a serious concern of this, people not being able to get that life/work harmony in play.  Whether that’s because we are connected to the business world 24/7 through social media or for another reason maybe?

 

If this article resonates with you then please do make sure you contact Apiary Solutions as we can assist you to be as noisy as possible, but again without singing!  ​

 That’s not our forte! ​

​As we’ve survived pancake day and are now all about love we wanted to look at romance in the workplace… well we’ve decided this would cover:

• True love
• A peck in the stationery cupboard
• Fling near the filing cabinets

 
Any of these can bring their own challenges to the working environment as all HR professionals will have experienced when it comes to untangled the “web of wooing”.

The majority of individuals spend most of their time within a working environment so its only natural that this can be a breeding ground for romance however this does come with a few words of warning for the wise.  The words not only fall for those in the relationship but also leaders / business owners! 

Consider the hierarchy of the relationship, are those in the relationship on the same level or reporting into each other.  Best practice would be to separate those in the relationship so that leadership, expectations and fairness remain consistent for all employees. 
 
Imagine either working for your partner on a good day or after a full on barny on the way to work!  Also what about when one of the people in the relationship ask for ‘favours’ to leave early –  do other team members get the same treatment? How does this impact the rest of the team in terms of their engagement, productivity and willingness to go the extra mile?
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​If the relationship is new, whether its long term or short – what will the impact be to their personal brand?   Will colleagues be positive, will they gossip, will the professional relationships change?
 
It is likely that there will be an impact and as a leader or business owner, how will you address that?  
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​Is there a conflict when it comes to confidentiality and this is something that I have witnessed again and again when having to protect the data and decisions within the business.  Within any relationship there may be that time when ‘pillow talk’ focusses on work / their roles etc what is the risk that confidential information maybe shared during that time?  Do you need to have a conversation with both individuals to remind them of their obligations to their employer?  
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​Whilst no one wants to consider this, what will be the impact to their roles / employment should it go wrong?  It could be that the impact is:

• A resignation
• Request to move to a different site 
• A grievance  - if there is a relationship breakdown especially if there are hierarchical reporting lines in place 
• An atmosphere

 
Consider how you will navigate the business or team through these times, as it can really impact the business.   Of course you have the added challenge that if it does go wrong there will be an impact to the team dynamics as well as gossip / personal brand and so on! 

TO SUPPORT YOURSELF? YOUR TEAM? YOUR BUSINESS? 
 

• Have clear guidelines in place as to relationships within the workplace.  It sounds ‘over the top’ I know but having those in place will make the process far easier should it happen. 
• Ensure that reporting lines are adapted if possible so there isn’t a risk of confidentiality being broken or hierarchy favouritism
• Whilst setting clear expectations make sure you steer away from just ‘pushing it under the carpet’.  It is a fine balance of knowing about relationships and protecting the business but keep an open mind and clear communication with the parties.  That way they are more than likely to let you know should something change in their status.

 
In conclusion there is often a delicate balance between the workplace and relationships however by making sure you have the right awareness, processes and communication in place it can really take the ‘heat’ out of the moment!
 
Also working with your HR partner can really help you when navigating the web of wooing and the chances are we will have dealt with something similar in the past so if you need us we are here.  Feel free to book a free 30 minute consultation with us through emailing [email protected] 

This year we have seen Rishi Sunak state that there will be changes to the apprenticeships and more exams in schools to ensure everyone has the same base qualifications. However, is this where the world of business is heading towards or away from?
 
If we consider the Forbes article on the top ten HR trends for 2023 it anticipates that in 2026 companies will focus on people having:

• Personal learning and mastery
• Achievement focus
• Cultural and social intelligence.

 
How does that correlate with the increase in exams and set qualifications and as a business, where are you at ensuring your business strategy and workforce are also working towards this?
 
If we look back at the pandemic businesses really felt a shift in the power of relationships, being able to interact with customers or other employees, the importance of the relationships and how those human skills are a necessity.  We are continuing on that journey and empowering those skills further in the future.   So whilst this is great, what does that mean?
 
Your customers:
Will look for an expert or a subject matter expert in their field.  They will seek the in-depth human relationship with you and your company and seek reassurance from your expertise.
 
Your employees:
Whilst cross training staff to be more productive and responsive can be a real benefit to teams and businesses, do you continue to have subject matter experts who can be relied upon to provide the added value of the service your business offers?
 
You:
How can you ensure that you are meeting your customer expectations, being the expert in what you do.  Will you sharing your achievements, and what achievements are considered worthwhile sharing?    What about sharing the achievements of your team? 
 
It could be if you work in customer services that you look to become ITIL qualified so that you understand the importance of the ‘flow’ of the business and customer experience, or as a project manager so you become Prince Qualified and complete a Six Sigma course?  Only you will be able to identify what is right for you.
 
Afterall human connections and relationships can’t be added into a CRM or automated, although some may argue that they can, for a successful future we will need to ensure that we all have these skills and abilities going forward.
 
So where does that leave me?  Well whilst I’ve reached my expertise in Human Resource, I will now start my journey to increase my mastery in coaching and work to become accredited by
​the International Coaching Federation.
 
As they say, every day is a school day! 

​As this week comes to a close and after celebrating achieving a Diploma in Corporate Coaching and becoming a Fellow of the CIPD  (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development), I came across an article from People Management magazine which is produced by the CIPD regarding the final days of the dreaded CV.

CVs or Curriculum Vitae / Resumes I believe are a dreaded part of the process when going for promotion, or looking for a new role as all of a sudden we have to spend time collating our skills, experience and qualifications to make sure that we can be assessed by a piece of paper.  
 
As an HR Practitioner, I have always said that a CV is worth its weight on paper, whilst it's great to see someone’s achievements, interests and their career journey that’s all it tells me.  It doesn’t tell me about who they are, what skills they have and how they can flex their style to be adaptable to meet the needs of the role, their team or the business.  
 
The other challenges I am always aware of with CVs are that:

• Candidates can ‘egg up’ their achievements or be creative and not many organisations, depending on the sector, will spend time checking the accuracy of qualifications or experience.  
• Coaching can occur in preparation for interviews.   Depending on the candidate and the role, the candidate may opt to be coached on their interview skill to ensure that they are the best of the best during the interview.  Whilst this is a great option and shows initiative, just because the candidate is great at an interview it doesn’t mean that they have the skills to be successful in the role they are applying for.

 
So what is the answer?
 
To me the answer is straightforward however, the concept of ‘doing’ can be more complex.  It is about skill-based assessments and questions.   The interview or assessment should be focussed on what is required for the role and the practicalities rather than a piece of paper and a 30-minute conversation to see if ‘you like them’ or if they are a 'good fit'.  After all do we not tend to add in unconscious bias in these situations, where we like people who are like us?  
 
Forbes Leadership identified that by 2026 businesses will be hiring candidates based on the below additional skills:

1. Personal Learning & Mastery
2. Achievement focus
3. Culture and Social Intelligence 

 
As the world of work drives further flexibility and adaptability businesses need to ensure they are hiring the right talent for the right reasons.  By skills-based assessments, you are also driving inclusivity further within the business.  Consider a candidate who is going to be a tradesperson, you need to see their skill rather than them providing a technical insight into a kit or talking through the repairing of equipment, that they might have just read or watched on the internet.   
 
The concept of the ‘doing’ I consider to be more complex purely because you need to find time to review what it is you are looking for in their skill and how you will be able to assess it.  You need to continue to ensure that you are being fair and offering reasonable adjustments where possible but it could be simple assessments such as:

• A receptionist answering several calls and putting people through
• An administrator organising a series of complex meetings and working through time management challenges 
• An electrician rewiring a test system promptly

 
By doing this, you may be able to get an insight into their customer service skills, their actual skill and the level of knowledge they have.  All of this will then enable you to decide whether they are the right person for the role and therefore will have a positive impact on your business.
 
My ask is that you take time out to consider your interview process, how you feel about CVs and whether you need to adapt your processes. The suggestion is that this is done before the next time you need to hire, the reason for this is so that it doesn’t delay your recruitment time and cause an impact on your business.
 
If you need support with this then of course, please contact Be You. 

We are here to empower success through people solutions.

Julie Marsh 
Chartered Fellow CIPD 

• Should it be?

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• Do you just not have time?

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• To busy trying to take on the world?

​Did you know journaling can help you achieve your goals?  

Journaling is a great way to empower reflection time within your daily, weekly or monthly routine. There are so many different options to journaling and if you find another way that works for you then that is fantastic! Just make sure you share it with others so they can benefit from your knowledge too!

What’s the point?

In todays’ world we spend so much time focussing on the next action, the next deadline and rushing to achieve the majority of individuals have mislaid their routine in reflecting on the day, week or month without the intention of doing so.
Remember (for some) those days where you left your computer at work, as it was attached to the desk and there was no Facebook, google or meta verse whilst that whole concept makes me feel quite old, the majority of people were able to disconnect because there was no mobile connection. That enabled people to take the time to think about their day, what went well, what didn’t, what could be changed, what we wanted to achieve.

These days the majority of us are constantly connected and because we react to the connect we don’t get that downtime. Therefore for me journaling because a necessity as we proactively plan time to reflect, a way to consider what we are doing and why we are doing it

What are they different ways to journal?

• Have a journal that captures the weeks ahead and what you plan to achieve over a set period and then gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you did achieved and how it felt.
• Journal but only when it suits you - this is for those that like the freedom to decide when they use their reflection time rather than having a specific time or day to reflect, if you do this and find it empowering then that’s fantastic I know for many colleagues it works wonders but for me, if its not on my ‘list’ then I will struggle to action it.
• Jar journaling. I have managed to do this one for a whole year as part of a self finding project - the idea is that you get a jar, large enough to keep all your notes and then either on a set day or as an ‘as and when’ basis write short sentences on note paper and place it in the jar. The idea is to reflect and read through all your notes at the end of the year. When I tried this it was really freeing to see at the end of the year the types of reflections I’d made though some where just too short to make any sense of!
• Free-writing. This is where you don’t think about what you are going to write and you don’t take the pen off the paper you just write whatever comes into your mind, it doesn’t need to make sense, be formatted etc and the contents once finished may not be a reflection on the week but I imagine your mind will feel clearer and reflection will have occurred - whether you know that or not.
• Overwriting. This is similar to free writing in the sense that you just write what comes into your head however with overwriting instead of writing down the page, you continually write over what you have already written. Yes it will ineligible when you are finished and its probably best not to try and read it but its good way

But Why?

Well as mentioned it’s a great way to ensure you reflect whether that is on your emotions, relationships, experiences, skills or all you see, hear and do. After all every day we are having new experiences which shape how we see and understand the world around us. As quoted in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming):
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​If you find journaling or reflecting a challenge, keep with it as it can take time to form a new habit, just the same as when you sign up at the gym - if you don’t keep going you lose the pace and slowly find yourself stopping! 

At Be You Consultancy & Coaching we can support you by developing a coaching or mentoring program tailored to your needs, after all its your journey!  

If this is something of interest then please contact us to find out more! 

​If you consider that traditionally leaders/managers were ‘one style fits all’ and the employees had to flex to meet their leaders style rather than the other way round this is quite a change. 

For some leaders situational leadership will be a ‘new world’ approach.  I imagine traditional managers could find a transition to this ‘new world’ a challenge.  
 
Situational leadership was developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in their 1969 book Management of Organisational Behaviour, initially, it was called the “life cycle theory of leadership” then during the mid-1970s it was renamed to “Situational Leadership Theory”. It was then adapted further when Hersey and Blanchard went on to create their own models;
 
Hersey created the “Situational Leadership Theory”
Blanchard et al created the “Situational Leadership II Model’.
The fundamentals of the models were that

1. There was no single “best” style of leadership
2. Effective leadership is “task-relevant”
3. Most successful leaders are those who adapt their style to the “performance readiness (ability and willingness) of the individual/group and the task that needs to be accomplished”

 
After reading the above you may be thinking... if it was introduced in 1969 initially why isn’t this necessarily a common practice amongst leaders?
 
Good Question!!! 
 
My thoughts are that for leaders to adopt this style they need to be confident in their abilities and have the necessary skills to adapt. It takes a leap of faith to be able to adapt your style, going from what you have experienced yourself and how you can transition and apply your learnings, knowledge and leadership to any situation.

​What are the pros and cons? 

What skills are required?
 
According to Martin Luenendonk situational leaders require the:

• Ability to diagnose both the task at hand as well as who in the team is most suitable to work on the task.  This includes both their developmental opportunity as well as their readiness to complete the task successfully.  
• Adaptation of your skill set in leadership.  Adaptation can be improved by your experience and knowledge but also your energy.  This means its important to ask questions and listen to hear, not listen to respond!   
  • Remember that your team are always watching you and they will, usually without being consciously aware, mirror your behaviour, language and tone.  
• Communication If you are adapting your leadership style in orfder to retain the engagement of your team you must have advanced communication skills that are tailored to the needs of the team.  You will need to use your skill in order for your team to join you on the journey whilst you are showing empathy, authority and clarity but driving engagement and motivation
• Ability to advance  Successful leaders, no matter their style have the ability to advance work to ensure completion however this is essential when working within situational leadership as you will need to consider at each stage which leadership style is the best to ensure the project/work is advanced!

 
​How do you decide which leadership style is the best for the situation?
 
Your decision will likely be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to:

• Your knowledge
• Your experience 
• Whether the task is straightforward or complex
• Stakeholders involved
• Risk v Return
• Relationship with the team
• Readiness of the team and their developmental opportunities  

Did you know that Be You Consultancy and Coaching offers a program to individuals including leaders on situational coaching.  The purpose of this is to develop a mindset around situations, and to prepare the client to get the most out of each situation!   If this sounds like something that could be of benefit to you then please contact us. 

Are you missing out on some amazing people as they aren’t your ‘normal hire?’

Returning Workers.. ​Who are they?

​These amazing individuals are people who have decided that they are either returning to work or coming to work for the first time, but they aren’t 16-30.

These are people that potentially:

• Have had a ‘life change’.
• Need to return or start working due to financial pressures.
• Have taken a break from their working life and are now ready for their next challenge.
• Have a completely different story.

Watching your business grow and develop is an amazing experience, after all a lot of time, emotion, and hard work will have been put into your business by you, your family and your friends over the weeks, months and years in order for today to be what today is.

I ask that you take a moment to reflect on the power of what you’ve achieved.

Is your business at a point where you need to start partnering with a HR company, that can offer you support, guidance and additional development growth?

It’s always a challenging investment in terms of balancing the need against the cost. At Be You Consultancy we want to ensure that you have the best information to make an informed choice after all your business is our business. 


HR Considerations
 
Number of Employees.

• Do you have employees? If the answer is yes, then I would recommend making contact with a HR company so that they can support you should you have the need. This may be on a low-level retainer, but you never know when you might have the need for them I.e., needing to; performance management, dismiss, support a pregnant employee or having someone on long-term sick.

Paperwork / Systems

• Legally you are required to give all your staff their contract of employment within 2 months of them joining your business.
• Do you have a handbook in place, I.e., what policies or procedures do you follow? How do your staff know what you expect from them?
• What is your method of recording holiday, sickness, staff information and are you compliant with GDPR?

Reassurance / Support.

• We all read in the papers of employers being taken to an employment tribunal for failing to do x, y, or z. Do you have someone that you can talk through your plans with? Make sure that you are legally compliant or are you relying on a ‘mate down the pub’? How dependable is that source if you were to receive an ET1 inviting you to respond to an employment tribunal claim?

Whilst it is never my intention to worry you, it is important that you are covered within these areas. That way it’s another risk that is being managed by the professionals who know what they are doing.

What else might you want to consider?

The Partnership.

• how would you like to work together with the HR company? Frequent or irregular catch-ups? Will you have one contact, or will it be dependent on what time you call as to who you speak to?
• Will they visit you on-site? Get to know you and your employees or it will be over-the-phone support?
• Will you get regular updates from them or just as and when you call?

Services

• What other services do they offer and are these included in the package?
• What services do you need? Is it contracts, policies, employee relations and change management support or could it be an overall package you need?
• Will you get support with engagement, training, and coaching as well as part of your package?

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Time

• will you need a set number of hours a week/month or year?
• What times will you need someone to be available? Do you have staff working 24/7 or just 9-5 and what days? Monday to Friday or Monday to Sunday?

You may also need to consider the length of the contract being offered, the experience of the team you are working with and then their insurance/indemnity cover.

Why am I sharing my thoughts with you?

There are some fantastic local HR companies that are available for partnering with and Be You Consultancy & Coaching is one of them, of course!

At Be You, we provide HR consultancy, training and coaching and for our retainer customers they have the option within their contract to choose how they wish their hours to be used, it may be that they just want to opt for consultancy and general HR support, or it could be that they want to run a management course or offer coaching to their teams! It is important to us that you and your teams have the options and freedom to flex when needed. Applying over 24 years of HR experience, 15 of leadership and over 9 years as a senior leader responsible for the UK as part of an international company there isn’t much that I haven’t come across but always up for a challenge and my aim is to support local businesses to support them to meet their goals by applying my experience to create an unstoppable partnership!

We also offer a range of services depending on your business need, length of the contract as well as the option to carry forward some of the services month on month for the length of the contract - the aim is to provide as much flexibility as possible to our customers as we appreciate some months will be busier than others, no matter what service you provide! Below is the breakdown and for costs please contact me.