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BusinessGrowth

Home / Blog / BusinessGrowth
27Feb

How a Critical Friend Service Can Transform Your Business Strategy

February 27, 2024 Melissa Business Growth, Advice, Business Strategy

The concept of a ‘critical friend’ service is gaining traction as a key resource for organisations aiming to enhance their strategic planning and operational efficiency. A critical friend acts as a mentor, offering expert advice, guidance, and support across various business functions such as strategy, planning, operations, HR, finance, and workforce management. This support system is designed to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within businesses.

A critical friend brings a wealth of experience and an unbiased view to the table, helping businesses navigate complex challenges and make informed decisions. This external expertise is invaluable for identifying blind spots in strategies, offering constructive feedback, and suggesting actionable solutions.

Enhancing Strategic Planning and Innovation

Strategic planning is crucial for business success. A critical friend can play a significant role in refining business strategies, ensuring they are robust, achievable, and aligned with the company’s long-term goals. This collaborative approach to strategy development can significantly enhance the effectiveness of planning processes.

A critical friend service also encourages the exchange of ideas, fostering a creative environment that nurtures innovation. Innovation is the lifeblood of competitive advantage, and by challenging assumptions and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking, critical friends can help businesses stay ahead of the curve.

Supporting Operational Insight, Workforce Management and Financial Health

A critical friend offers insights into optimising operations, streamlining processes, and improving overall efficiency, and this guidance can lead to significant cost savings and enhanced productivity. Operational efficiency is key to achieving business objectives.

Having this external support in place also provides advice on best practices, employee engagement strategies, and effective management techniques with regards to human resources and workforce management, helping to create a motivated and high-performing workforce.

Financial management is another area where a critical friend can add significant value. From budgeting and forecasting to financial planning and analysis, their expertise can help businesses improve their financial health and ensure sustainability.

Accessible Expert Advice

Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of a critical friend service is the accessibility of expert advice. Having a trusted advisor at the end of a phone can provide business leaders with the reassurance and support they need to tackle challenges confidently.

The benefits of using a ‘critical friend’ service are multifaceted, offering expert guidance, strategic insight, and practical support across all areas of business. By leveraging this service, businesses can enhance their strategic planning, foster innovation, improve operational efficiency, and achieve their goals more effectively. The value of having a trusted, experienced mentor cannot be overstated in today’s competitive business environment.

This comprehensive approach to business mentoring underscores the critical friend service’s role as an essential resource for companies looking to thrive and grow. Whether it’s through refining strategies, optimising operations, or fostering a culture of continuous improvement, a critical friend can be the catalyst for significant business transformation.

At Phil Collier Associates, our Critical Friend Service is designed to be your trusted partner, offering expert guidance, strategic insights, and a supportive ear whenever you need it.

By choosing us as your critical friend, you’re not just gaining access to a service; you’re choosing a partnership that’s committed to unlocking the full potential of your business.

Contact us today for a free consultation and to find out more.

nic@philcollierassociates.com

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01Aug

Navigating Long-Term Sickness and Mental Health in Small Businesses

August 1, 2023 Melissa Mental Health

Over recent years, there has been an increased recognition of the role that mental health plays in our overall well-being. In the UK workplace, particularly within the small business environment, this recognition is both crucial and challenging.

In this month’s blog, we explore the problem and impact of long-term sickness and mental health on UK small businesses, along with strategies for managing them and the role that HR providers play in supporting small businesses.

The Problem

In a report published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 2021/22, 1.8 million workers in the UK were found to be suffering from a work-related illness, either physical or mental, with 51% suffering from stress, depression or anxiety.

This has a significant impact on businesses, with around 38.8 million working days lost to ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries in the same year. These issues hit small businesses particularly hard. With limited resources, smaller staff numbers, and a lack of specialised HR departments, long-term employee sickness can pose substantial operational and financial challenges.

The Impact

Long-term sickness absence, whether due to physical illness or mental health issues, can cripple small businesses. Each absent employee represents a gap in skills, productivity, and output.

Financially, there’s the cost of sick pay, potentially hiring temporary workers, and potentially increased insurance premiums. In addition, employees’ long-term absence could contribute to low morale amongst the remaining staff, particularly if they must shoulder additional responsibilities or workload.

Mental health issues have emerged as a leading cause of long-term sickness. According to the Centre for Mental Health, mental health problems in the UK workforce cost employers up to £45 billion each year.

For small businesses operating on tight margins, these costs can be significant.

The Response

Given the potential impacts, it’s important for small businesses to create a supportive environment for employees and have processes in place to manage long-term sickness. Here are a few strategies that can help:

Early Intervention: One of the best ways to manage long-term sickness is to intervene early. Encourage employees to report when they are feeling unwell and develop a work culture where seeking help is not stigmatised. Engaging with Occupational Health Services can be beneficial in identifying potential issues and implementing preventive measures.

Robust Policy: Establish a comprehensive sickness management policy that’s clear, compassionate, and fair. It should outline processes to follow when an employee becomes sick, how to handle gradual returns to work, and potential accommodations for those with disabilities. Ensure the policy is accessible and communicated to all staff.

Mental Health Support: Offering mental health support is essential in today’s workplace. This could be through providing access to counselling services, promoting mental health awareness, or creating a psychologically safe and inclusive environment. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training can equip staff with the skills to spot early signs of mental health problems and provide initial support.

Flexible Working: Implementing flexible working can be a proactive way to manage sickness absence. Flexible hours or remote working can help employees balance work with their health needs, reducing the likelihood of long-term absences.

Insurance and External Support: Small businesses should consider income protection insurance, which can provide financial support when an employee is unable to work due to sickness. Access to Work, a government initiative, may also provide support for those with a disability or health condition.

The Role of HR Providers

Human Resource (HR) providers can play an indispensable role in navigating long-term sickness and mental health issues in the workplace. For small businesses that may not have an in-house HR department or sufficient expertise, enlisting the help of an external HR provider can provide much-needed support and resources.

Expert Guidance: HR providers can provide expert guidance on how to handle long-term sickness absences, from understanding employment law and rights to supporting the business through complex situations. They can help ensure your business remains compliant with the law, while also supporting your staff compassionately.

Developing Policies: Crafting a well-defined sickness management policy can be daunting. HR providers have the expertise to create robust, comprehensive, and legally sound policies that are tailor-made for your business, covering everything from sick pay to return-to-work plans. They can also help communicate these policies effectively across the organisation.

Training and Development: HR providers often offer training programmes that can help businesses better manage sickness and mental health issues. These might include Mental Health First Aid training, stress management workshops, or management training on how to handle sickness absences.

Mental Health Support: Many HR providers now offer mental health support services, which can be an invaluable resource for small businesses. This could involve providing access to counselling or therapeutic services, setting up employee assistance programmes, or giving advice on how to create a more mentally healthy workplace.

Return-to-Work Support: Managing the return-to-work process after a long-term absence can be a sensitive task. HR providers can provide guidance on how to facilitate this process smoothly, considering both the needs of the business and the welfare of the returning employee.

Ultimately, the objective of any HR intervention should be to create a supportive and understanding workplace culture that can accommodate the realities of long-term sickness and mental health issues. The expert support provided by HR providers can greatly assist small businesses in achieving this goal.

While an investment, the benefits of engaging an HR provider – from improved staff well-being and morale to reduced sickness absence and legal compliance – are significant and have far-reaching positive effects on the overall health of the business.

Conclusion

The issue of long-term sickness and mental health in the UK workplace is complex and multi-faceted, particularly within small businesses. However, by understanding the impacts, creating a supportive work culture, and having robust policies in place, small businesses can not only effectively manage these challenges but also turn them into opportunities to show their commitment to employee well-being, enhancing their appeal to current and potential employees alike.

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