A valued position

It is now two years since I have been in the honoured position as Employee Director for Essex. And what a great experience it has been and continues to be.  I feel it has enabled me to help all employees. We at 'First Bus' are fortunate in that we have employees on the board to aid in the corporate and local decisions, at a leadership level.  This level of employee involvement  provides invaluable information which could be over looked if this were not the case. I see the role growing and greatly impacting upon all colleagues working lives.

One only has to look at how employee disengagement amongst other companies has sometimes resulted in serious problems.  Appointing a staff representative to break down the divisions and resentment, that has been building over time, can be a critical move in keeping a team operating and highlighting areas that hold the most challenges.  Even Theresa May is a fan and the ED role has been brought to the attention of MPs who clearly wish to see the model developed in other UK companies

This was my manifesto back in April 2014:

If I am nominated for Employee Director I will do my very best to consider the needs of all staff and promote a healthier and more positive
work environment.

 As a driver and cover inspector I have the opportunity to understand the running and delivery of the transport service, which will enable me to deliver fair subjective decisions to benefit all.

Here are some areas I would consider to ensure success:

·         Safety of drivers/vehicles/modernisation

·         Areas of improvement

·         Communication amongst staff

·         That all employees are important

·         To be a good listener

·         To promote benefits to the company

·         To ensure employees feel confident

·         To work negatives into positives

·         To ensure the success of First 

·         Honesty

   I am satisfied I have helped to achieve all of the above, and have seen huge changes in 'First' via investment and the way we operate our businesses.  The one aspect that still stands out strong for me is that we all can play a part in business progression, without every single one of us working towards a collective goal full success cannot be achieved. More of us now are, within our own roles, ensuring success by using key values.  for example, safety awareness, team work and showing good listening skills, along with other core values.  "We succeed through teamwork" look at the recent Baton competition  for some fine examples to back this up. 

    I will continue to have 'safety' at the forefront of my mind and listen and represent colleagues at all levels. 
    In late October, I shall be attending the 'Employee Director Forum' if you wish to ask a question to Tim O'Toole, Giles Fearnley or Adrian Jones then please let me know.

   Please feel free to contact me through the normal channels where feedback is always valued.

How to notice a notice board !

Notice boards are often overlooked as communication tools.  Questions like, how many will see it and is it in a populated position? Should always be considered.  On my Essex travels I have seen some positive points of displays and some that have good basics which would very much benefit from some extra input. After all, how many of us have looked at a noticeboard and just seen a blur of images.all of us!

How to make your notice board be an effective communication tool:

·         keep it simple
·         Encourage use of expiry dates, if not up-dated employees will not bother looking
·         Creative repetition can be an important thing when trying to embed an important message
·         Use interaction which can create a sense of being in a community-something you don’t get through email.

How we communicate can have dramatic effects on work performance and once up, remains a free source of communication.  Although, remember to up-date.  Notices that reflect upon employee progress can motivate and encourage employees to strive and accomplish their goals.

When I look at a notice board I want to be clear with what’s new and what is coming up.  I like to be in the know with current policies and up-dated when something has changed.  Those of you that know me , know that I like to be busy and in the loop.  A canteen is an excellent area for a notice board as most employees use this facility at some point during their shift.

Busy notice boards can lose their power of communication:  Human brains take less in if something is visually too chaotic.  We have to look at information and do something with it for the information to transfer from our short term to long term memory.  By doing something I mean, ask a question, go over it, jot it down or even have a conversation with someone else. For those notice boards that have cobwebs on, dust off and make a cuppa, then recycle and up-date.

Don't leave it this long!

Next week I will be available in Chelmsford on Thursday and Friday and contactable via the usual channels.