Managing performance is about achieving results through people, and line managers need a strong capability in “getting the best from people” and creating a high-performance culture within their teams. It is critical therefore that the frontline managers have the skills and development support needed to make this happen. This requires building line management capability at both team and individual level to develop these skills - and to deploy them effectively. It is important that line managers regard ongoing performance management as an integral part of their role rather than an additional “bolt-on” to their job, or indeed something that only kicks in where underperformance becomes a problem

A Quick Recap The unprecedented shock to the Irish economy from Covid-19 has impacted on all aspects of Irish society. Whole swathes of business activity shuddered to a halt, with a collapse in employment levels, when the lock-down commenced on 28th March and is only now beginning to reemerge as part of the Governments Roadmap for the Reopening of the Economy. The July Stimulus package was designed to help get Ireland’s businesses back on their feet and get as many people as possible back to work quickly. It is now clear that public policy is not to subsidise low-productivity employment where demand has permanently shifted and that the focus of Government is to provide supports to enable wor

Introduction We have all heard the phrase “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. The phrase is widely accredited to Peter Drucker and apparently was a guiding principle of Mark Fields, who was the President of Ford from 2014 - 2017. The simple logic being that any organisation that disconnects strategy from organisational culture is setting itself up for failure! Organisation Culture There are many excellent books on organisation culture by leading academics and practitioners that offer varying definitions, including models for diagnosing an organisations culture to varying models on how to change an organisations culture to align to the organisation’s strategy. This article will not attempt

Introduction Why do the best sports people in the world have psychological coaches? How is it that people perform differently on different occasions? If the talent and competence has not changed between one occasion and the next why is it that we do not all perform to our potential every time? The answer is that – it’s all in the mind. Our thinking and mood determine our performance on the day. Top coaches help people to manage and control their thinking so that they can perform to their potential more consistently. It is the responsibility of everyone to be aware of their thinking and exercise control over it. It is the responsibility of coaches (in business we call them leaders) to underst

New Measures to Support New Ways of Working The Irish Government has committed in its Programme for Government to bringing forward proposals on a right to disconnect and will consider a role for the Workplace Relations Commission in drawing up a code in this area. This is part of a range of measures to support new ways of working and to facilitate and support remote working. The hard-won boundary between work and home life is becoming blurred, putting intense pressure on physical and mental health amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Excessive working hours can of course put a strain on health and productivity and therefore should be discouraged. Over recent months, campaigns are being supported by s

In September the Public Sector Unions and Senior Public Servants from Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DEPER) and the Department of Finance will commence discussions on a successor agreement to the Public Service Stability Agreement. (PSSA) This forthcoming engagement on ‘Public Sector Pay’ should commence with an initial focus on : · a shared analysis and understanding of the critical condition of our public finances. · a full assessment of the extent of delivery of existing commitments on productivity and change, which were included in previous agreements. · an examination of whether all existing pay and benefits obligations can be met including the proposed 2% pay adjustment f

Start with the end in mind… Whenever an organisation is contemplating any decision in respect of an employee, consideration must be given to where this could end up and what the likely outcome of a third-party hearing will be. The potential for claims exists with regard to all employment rights legislation (Payment of Wages, Equality and Unfair Dismissals in particular), the law of contract and injunctive relief, as well as Industrial Relations legislation (usually a voluntary process with non-enforceable recommendations). We are in times of very significant change, with social distancing and a recession requiring most organisations to re-assess their business model in order to “right size”

The experience of many workers of working from home during the Covid-19 crisis has led to a greater interest in remote working arrangements generally. Many expect that the proportion of people working from home on a regular basis once the crisis is over will increase significantly compared to before the pandemic. For some the return to their 'office' environment, will come as a welcome relief, where for others, the experience has awakened a serious interest in having more flexible work location arrangements. Remote working will remain a significant feature of work organisation but will not be for all. Indeed, even where it continues, a range of blended solutions involving periods of attendan

A Quick Recap The unprecedented shock to the Irish economy from Covid-19 has impacted on all aspects of Irish society. Whole swathes of business activity shuddered to a halt, with a collapse in employment levels, when the lock-down commenced on 28th March and is only now beginning to reemerge as part of the Governments Roadmap for the Reopening of the Economy. The July Stimulus package was designed to help get Ireland’s businesses back on their feet and get as many people as possible back to work quickly. It is now clear that public policy is not to subsidise low-productivity employment where demand has permanently shifted and that the focus of Government is to provide supports to enable wor