Karen J Hewitt - Employee Confidence: The new rules of Engagement

Employee Confidence

First published in 2018 by

Panoma Press Ltd

48 St Vincent Drive, St Albans, Herts, AL1 5SJ, UK

www.panomapress.com

Book layout by Neil Coe.

Printed on acid-free paper from managed forests.

ISBN 978-1-784523-36-7

The right of Karen J Hewitt to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for the copyright holders written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publishers.

This book is available online and in bookstores.

Copyright 2017 Karen J Hewitt

You cant solve a problem on the same level it was created.

You have to rise above it to the next level.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

Dedication

For My Mum

Who supported everything I ever wanted to do

For David

Whose quiet strength created the environment for this book to be written

For Paul

Who always believed in my writing

Writing this book took months. Thinking about writing it was a phase that lasted a whole lot longer!

A chance meeting with Mindy Gibbins-Klein turned the procrastination into inspiration and this book is the outcome. Thank you Mindy, for your process, your positivity, your humour and your belief.

No good book is the work of just one person and I couldnt have written it without the inspirational insights of a special few. Thank you Andrew Lytheer, Mark Holland, David Roshier, Paul Hewitt and Gill McLearnon for your time, your interest and your exceptional feedback when my book was just a work in progress.

Big achievements dont happen by themselves they require practical assistance and the support of a community. Maidenhead Business Girls is that community, and thank you Amanda Ayres, Sarah Gadeke and Tabitha Beaven for your practical support and advice.

Starting to write and keeping it going takes a colossal effort, and I found myself spending many an early morning, evening and weekend in coffee shops, clattering away on my keyboard as others chattered around me. Writing is a lonely existence and I found great comfort in the wonderfully friendly staff of Starbucks and Costa Coffee who always had a smile for me and took a genuine interest in my writing.

The contents of this book come from years of business experience and some exceptional training. Thank you to David Shephard, Kirsty Mac and Donald McIver for teaching me to think big and follow my dreams.

Writing is full of emotional ups and downs, and I am grateful to all my friends and family for their constant cheerleading it made a real difference.

And finally, writing takes momentum. In life we never know how and when we inspire people, and thank you Naomi Riches MBE for that story you told me one day because it was that story that inspired my thousand words a day diet!

I am a product of the amazing people around me. Thank you!

This book is about Employee Confidence a whole new way of looking at company culture and how we engage employees. I am writing it for companies, and ultimately for employees, because Employee Confidence will make workplaces happier, more comfortable and less stressful places to be. Anyone who has ever been an employee in a large company, particularly at managerial level, will understand that the corporate workplace can be a pressure cooker, a stress inducer and a joy zapper.

And the problems dont end there. Even in the workplaces of the worlds top employers we see situations that put people or the business at risk, and make employees feel uncomfortable. They know they need to speak out but something stops them from doing what they know to be right. Usually these situations are related to strategic issues with the potential to make or break a companys reputation and its bottom line. Whether its Health, Safety, Security, Ethics, Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility or Quality, a lack of it will seriously impact employees and make the headlines, for all the wrong reasons. You need your people to speak out to ensure compliance and reduce risk, but this requires confidence, both in themselves and the company.

For this we need the right culture, and when we have it, it will drive company performance because both business and personal risk will be reduced. Research studies evidence the importance of culture to performance, and major disaster reports show what happens when an unhealthy culture exists. When we need to address strategic issues in the workplace, such as those cited above, a special type of leadership change leadership is required from all employees to build a culture strong enough to drive performance, and Employee Confidence has a major role to play.

Employee Confidence is a win-win for employees and companies. If you have a stake and an interest in People, Culture and Behaviours, then this book is for you. Its neither academic nor theoretical; its a practical account of how to take a whole new look at your company. For a wholesale approach to implementing Employee Confidence in your company, read the book from start to finish, and then return to the Employee Confidence Rules to help you to put the approach into practice. If simply intrigued to understand what Employee Confidence is, dip into the chapter that most appeals. And if youd like to discover confidence for influence, for you or your team, go straight to and read that first.

The value you create through wholesale implementation of Employee Confidence will help you retain and grow the very best talent, and attract clients and partners to you. You will create human capital robust enough to weather the winds of change, and confident enough to lead change and speak out when required. Employee Confidence is an approach to and evidence of culture change, giving you human capital that delivers value far beyond your expectations.

Employee Confidence when all employees trust themselves and their employer, exhibit change leadership behaviours and fulfil their potential

Human Capital when employees skills, knowledge and attributes enable them to deliver economic value and combine to become an intangible asset of the company

Potential is only realised when employees feel confident, and is limitless when we inspire them with a big vision, teach them the right mindset and discover the values that motivate them. Todays companies are only operating at a fraction of their potential because they are not working to develop the potential of all their employees, focusing only on the high potentials. Both company and employee need to become agile changing course quickly when feedback suggests a better path. They need to learn and grow to reach full potential, removing any barriers in their way and ensuring both paths align. Potential plus confidence means potential realised and performance.