Kaya,
Often described as a financial sledgehammer, we all watch with curiosity every move the Reserve Bank of Australia makes regarding interest rates. As the lending of money becomes more expensive we see record low unemployment rates across our region and country. There are ongoing challenges for SME’s to attract and retain staff and the ‘Great Reshuffle’ is certainly playing out in our local market. We are all fishing from the same talent pool. With competition high for skilled resources, great staff are being lured away from roles with fancy perks and higher salaries. In certain circumstances this makes it difficult for some SME’s to compete. COVID conditions in the region are also exacerbating these conditions, only adding to the pressure many small businesses are experiencing. You only have to walk down Victoria Street in Bunbury and you can literally count the ‘Help Wanted” signs. Many businesses are having to close to accommodate their staff shortages. If the RBA’s current rate rises take their intended effect on inflation, it will be interesting to see the impact it will have on employment and retention figures across our many businesses.
Now, more than ever, building a great place to work is one of the only areas that SME’s can really compete to attract great people, and keep them around. A great place to work, a productive culture are what each business owner aspires to. I doubt there is anyone in business today who actively chooses to create a toxic work environment for their staff. There are new WHS laws now in place to protect the safety of staff, policies and conditions of Fair Work that must be upheld. But what differentiates a Good Culture from a Bad one?
In this month's edition of the Discoverer Leadership Newsletter the author Geoff Stewart– District Superintendent for the WA Police talks about Culture - good and bad and everything in between. What works for one team or organisation might not work with another. There are some guiding principles that I’ve synthesized below.
- Be true to who you are and your values, model the behaviors you want others to follow.
- Choose courage over comfort – be prepared to have the difficult conversations.
- Create psychologically safe workplaces – work on how you and your team can build these conditions and environment together.
- Pick the right team – based on values, skills, experience and diversity.
- Identify and support the change agents.
- Give others a voice and an opportunity to contribute and make their mark. Give control, don't take control. It's okay to let it go. Differing views can deepen your culture – allow people with a different perspective to contribute.
- Negativity can be draining, set clear boundaries and ensure that positivity and a up beat atmosphere is maintained.
- Communicate & listen.
The last one on the list really resonates for me at the moment. I watched a leadership video this morning on LinkedIn and one of the messages was about Leadership and espousing to an ‘Open Door Policy’. I have worked with managers that literally took their door off their office to demonstrate their commitment to this. The message in this video was slightly different. It said, stop saying you have an open-door policy and simply go and be with your team and listen to them. Get in their world and see things from their perspective. It made a good point. I often say my door is open, but spending time with my team getting to know them and what is important to them wont necessarily happen if they have to come to me. So even when I am busy, I will stop and check in and make sure they know I care. Even if I can’t change things or help, the point is I listen.
BGCCI recently coordinated the launch of the 2022/23 SW Leaders Program. This is a great program with over 146 of our regions established and future leaders embarking upon this 12 month journey. Over the 12 months we will be conducting many forums and events all aimed at making a fantastic contribution to the community in building our leaders of the Future for our region.
June this year also saw the launch of the WA Leaders Connect Program. The Connect Series program complements the Small Business Development Corporation’s (SBDC) existing statewide network of business advisers, Business Local, which offers free support, information and low cost business skills workshops from small business experts in regional communities. Within the Bunbury Geographe Region this service is supported by IPS. The WA Leaders Connect Program is now open for regional businesses seeking growth and innovation through an online membership program offering a pipeline to business expertise. The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) is offering a subsidy of $500 towards the total cost of the program to up to 90 regional small businesses. To find out more about the program and how to access your discount code here: https://lnkd.in/dWxsU-5S
There has been a lot of change within the BGCCI over recent months. With change comes the opportunity to do things differently. We are in the process of moving to a new accounting platform and implementing a new membership management software system. The process is going to take a couple of months and there may be a few wrinkles to iron out through the process. Please be patient with us as we work thorough the implementation. Once finished, the outcome will mean greater automation and flexibility for invoicing, payments and membership management.
Bunbury Senior High School (BSHS) hosted the July Business After Hours Event. Despite the crazy weather we had a great turnout with more than 70 people attending the event. Principal Mike Sinagra gave a great presentation and shared with us the broad range of programs and initiatives that BSHS are offering their students and delivering within the community. There was an autonomous vehicle on display and a presentation from Paul Reynolds, Program Coordinator for the Arts, who shared the journey of their latest mural masterpiece down at the new Bunbury Jetty Road.
If you would like any support or guidance during this time, please contact the BGCCI on 08 9791 2292.
