So today the requisite number of Conservative MPs called for a vote of confidence in their leader. 

 

While we don’t usually get to have a vote of confidence in our leaders or managers at work, the last few weeks and months do hold a lot of lessons for Accidental Managers – see how many you recognise.  

Why, exactly, does your team exist? What value do they add to the business, or if you prefer, what would happen if the team didn’t exist? We underestimate people’s need to find purpose in their work. Studies repeatedly show that those who have a clear sense of purpose are more engaged, less stressed, stay longer in their roles, and work more productively than their colleagues. So make sure your team understand why they matter to the business, and how they make your business better just by being there. 

Managers often ask me what the secret is to improving employee performance. Usually, I imagine, in the hope that there is something about the employee that can be "fixed". Sometimes those managers are surprised to find out that the answer may be a bit closer to home! Here are 5 mistakes people managers regularly make, that can have a serious impact on employee motivation and performance. 

2016 was definitely an eventful year. The UK had its EU referendum, and the associated political fall-out afterwards, while the USA elected a new President with perhaps equally unexpected results. Leicester City produced a miracle, the Olympics brought even more medals back to the UK than expected, and every month seemed to bring us news of another much-loved celebrity's departure. 

Five months after the UK voted to leave the European Union, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was all a bit of a storm in a teacup. For many businesses, so far there has been very little change. We have been told that “Brexit means Brexit”, but we still don’t know what Brexit will actually look and feel like when – or if – it ever happens. 

Joe’s wife has cancer. She has frequent hospital appointments and days when she feels so ill she needs someone at home to care for her, change her clothes and bedding, and help her stay clean and hydrated. Joe has no idea whether the treatment will be successful, or how he will support his wife and children if he loses his job. 

 

What makes the difference between a workplace you want to stay in, and a workplace you can’t wait to leave? 

 

You might think that money and perks can make a bad job bearable, but most motivation theories tell us that financial benefits are only a short-term motivator. 

Does your organisation have a long hours culture? According to the TUC, the number of workers in the East Midlands who are regularly working more than 48 hours a week has risen by 18% since 2010. And this week the CIPD issued their 2015 Absence Management Survey which found that 31% of employers (and particularly those with long hours cultures) have seen an increase in ‘presenteeism’ - people coming to work when they are genuinely unwell due to fear their job may be at risk if they take time off. 

How does your workforce measure up when it comes to soft skills? Research commissioned by the Backing Soft Skills Campaign estimates that by 2020, over half a million UK workers will be significantly held back by their lack of soft skills, at a cost of around £8.4bn to the UK economy.