OUR STORY 

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The Spark of an Idea

 

Grow Team Spirit was founded in 2014 when there was a unique convergence of circumstances:​

 

• I received a draft proposal from an HR management team for a ‘behavioural framework’ for managers and staff.  The framework was largely guidance on good conduct and best practice on one side of A4 paper.  Although it was a weak document, and never progressed by the HR team, the core idea was sound.  

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• ​Myself and other policy experts attended a series of training courses at the Cranfield School of Management, including instruction from the CEO of Pixar on how to create a highly successful company.

 

The HR management team had identified a weakness in how their employees were operating, but failed to follow through with their ‘behavioural framework’ because it needed more work.  As is often the case in companies, senior management did not have the time and focus to follow through with a possible solution.

 

Background

 

The above convergence of information fell into fertile soil.  ​

 

• Myself and colleagues had lots of previous experiences of good and bad practice in different companies​

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• ​We knew that part of the answer to improving performance and increasing employee satisfaction was through better use of company policies that can, when written properly, clarify the best ways of working.

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• We were currently working with one of the Sunday Times ‘Best 500 Companies in the UK’.  The CEO had been communicating to staff with religious fervour on company objectives and was honing his messages at every opportunity.  The company was expanding and becoming stronger month by month.

 

Good and Bad Experiences

 

We started drawing on our previous experiences of the solutions we had implemented in other organisations:​

 

• Re-organising and streamlining the stockroom operations of one of the UK’s largest retail companies.  As a consequence of the work, stock was able to pass through the stockroom more efficiently.  The same streamlining approach was then applied to the ‘shop floor’.  Sales increased.  But, in this case, the new streamlined approach was not codified in policy documents, and was not replicated across the group.  The company later encountered financial difficulties and was broken up.

 

• ​​Encountering operational problems within a government department that was processing applications from companies seeking tax relief.  New policy guidance was produced to clarify the best way of working.  This enabled quicker, smoother processing of the applications.  Problems were addressed and eliminated in a structured manner, drawing on the knowledge and strengths of the staff involved.  But now captured in clear instructions for everyone to follow.

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• ​Reviewing the 'repair and maintenance standards' for a large housing association.  Clarifying the housing and living standards required.  Identifying wasteful, unnecessary work.  Producing the necessary policy documents and leaflets to communicate the new approach to employees and residents.  Cutting costs, speeding up repairs.​

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• Encountering a large private sector organisation with minimal policy instructions.  The few policies that existed were often badly written, out-of-date, and of no practical value.  Work began on providing a clear suite of company standards on a range of subjects to provide clarity to managers and employees. 

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Research & Development

 

We knew there was a better way of working.  We knew that part of the problem was a lack of clarity and communication on ‘how best to operate’ in terms of the relationship between managers and employees.  We knew that policy instructions were a key tool, but often not used properly.  We knew that senior management often did not have enough time to engage with policy instructions.  The key documents were often ‘missing’ or being delivered in a haphazard manner by junior, inexperienced staff.  Sometimes they were being written by consultants, or legal teams, who were not focussed on the essential importance of the employee/ manager relationship.

 

Grow Team Spirit set about delivering the policy guidance that senior management teams needed as the foundation of their communications with their employees.

 

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Craig McFarlane

Founder

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