Materialistic benefits such as expensive gym memberships, gift vouchers, all paid for dinners and drinks etc, these benefits are seen to be less important in regard to company culture. These benefits may seem beneficial, good, and exciting in the short term; however, they are less important when it comes to really thinking about your company’s culture.

Employee experience

Employee experience can really be broken down into three main factors; physical, technology and culture. When looking at these three components to you as an employee its important to think about if the company’s culture aligns with your own, do you have the appropriate space to work in the office or remotely? Do you have all the tools in order to do your job efficiently?

When employee experience aligns with the company’s culture and vice versa it makes for the best possible relationship between the two.

Our culture

When looking at our company as a whole (Brighter Directions), we make sure our company aligns with our intended culture. We make sure we keep what we stand for as a business at the forefront of our company’s culture, celebrating diversity and female led roles within our company. Physically we make sure our employees each have the appropriate space when working and ensure that each employee is given the necessary technology when working remotely. Employee experience is necessary when wanting to create a good work atmosphere, ensuring that your organisation reflects the cultures of that of its employees while supporting them.

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Constant learning

Leaders can’t keep their heads in the sand regarding the constant changes.  They need to pay attention the world around them.  There is so much available information through the news, the internet, and social media platforms.  Take time to explore current trends, including the use of videos and podcasts.

Communicate

Talk to the people around you, employees and peers.  Be open to new ideas.  Think about and ask what trends are being paid attention to in the world, why this might be and what implications these changes can have to the world of work now and in the future.

Connect with others

Being successful in leadership is rarely something that is achieved by someone on their own.  Joining groups is an advantage to discuss current and future changes in the workplace, either within a particular industry or expanding further.  Social media sites are a great way to do this with a wide variety of groups available.

Access a diverse network

While it is nice to be surrounded by people who are on the same wavelength, it is also beneficial to access the views and opinions of people who don’t believe in the same way.  Leaders should learn from listening to other people’s perspectives.

Help others

As leaders grow and develop themselves, they should pass that understanding of growth and development to the team around them.  Continuous learning and sharing develops a well-rounded team to support leaders to succeed and be ready for the next steps.

Leaders need to constantly evolve, and the Brighter Directions team is led by someone who is open and adaptable to any strategies which will help to succeed in the new world of work.

The post Strategies for leaders in the changing world of work appeared first on Brighter Directions.

Due to the last few years, certain principles have come to the forefront of what is necessary for employees to embrace and adapt to, and organisations to consider for future hires. The following are some of the relevant principles of the future employee:

Flexible working

Having the freedom of flexible working has become a high priority since the pandemic forced this way of work on us.  Employees have become used to the freedom of home working and aimed with the knowledge that the company needs can be met in this way, going back to full time office based jobs will not be an option for many.

Building your own career path

The traditional career path is no longer expected of the future employee. They will now be encouraged to look at their own way of progressing.  Building their own networks, sharing valuable ideas and utilising feedback will be encouraged and contributions will be recognised.  Showing leadership in this way can put employees on the path to becoming a future leader.

Information sharing

In the past employees have kept information to themselves in the hopes of getting ahead, now they freely share information with colleagues and collaborate on ideas together.  More organisations are moving to a structureless establishment to remove the hierarchy amongst peers, therefore encouraging employees to share ideas and information to work together for the benefit of each other and the business.

New ways to communicate and collaborate

Once relying only on emails and phone calls, future employees are embracing new technology and new ways to connect.  Zoom calls, Team meets and new apps for fast efficient communication are becoming the new normal.

Continuous learning

Future employees can no longer rely on just what they already know, to succeed employees will need to commit to lifelong learning.  Having the skills, ability and willingness to learn new things, how to access this information and how to apply it to their continuing work role is possibly one of the most valuable principles.  This links in to sharing information as companies don’t always have formal training programmes to adhere to.  Accessing online learning sessions, internal teaching and face to face interactions employees can share this information with others to teach and also learn from each other.

At Brighter Directions we pride ourselves on already having these principles as part of our company’s culture, if you would like to work as part of a supportive, friendly and empowered team then please contact us to discuss what vacancies we have available.

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Today, February 17^th, is Random Acts of Kindness Day.  The day was started by The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, a non-profit organisation that began in the 1990s in Colorado, USA.

Kindness

Kindness has been scientifically proven to have positive benefits to our health.  It has been shown to decrease pain. stress, anxiety, blood pressure and depression.   And to increase our energy, happiness, oxytocin & serotonin levels and even our lifespan.

The idea behind the day is to pass on feelings of kindness and brighten up someone’s day.

As it says in our name, here at Brighter Directions we always aim to achieve brightening someone’s day And we find that being kind is at the forefront of our work ethos.

Support

From the smallest thing of complimenting each other to bigger acts of support when times are busy and tough.  Being kind is conducive to having the best atmosphere for a healthy work environment.

In truth, compliments are not small things. They inspire a better work ethic and increase productivity, and they take the least amount of effort!

We are a small team here and without supporting each other we would struggle to achieve our goals.  We start small with making cups of tea without being asked, but more importantly we help each other and take on work to relieve each other’s workload as necessary.

Without kindness we would not be able to work as the fantastic team we are!

#RandomActsOfKindnessDay  #MakeKindnessTheNorm

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Before the global pandemic, social media was being labelled as an addiction to millennials. The media was filled with ‘social media detox’ tips, telling consumers it is bad for their mental and physical health and is to blame for the depression rates rising. However, in 2020 everything changed for social media (just one of the many ways Covid-19 has affected society). This was the year we all turned back to technology rather than ‘detoxing’ to stay up-to-date with current events, be entertained, and most importantly, keep connected to our friends and family.

During the early days of the pandemic, we utilised social media for the quickest source of information as TV broadcasts and newspapers could not compare with the speed news can spread in the online world. The demand for information on anything to do with Coronavirus was unprecedented to what the media had seen before. Social media not only got the latest news stories out the quickest, but they were also the most accessible.

With the national lockdowns and restrictions altering our lives drastically, we sought entertainment from social media more than ever trying to fill all our newly found spare time. There were booms in fitness trends, recipes, home improvement videos, crafting, dancing, and anything else to escape from the doom and gloom of the pandemic. This not only gave us the feeling of being united but helped reduce the sense of loneliness from being isolated. More people were finding their voice on social media, including a demographic that had not been the main consumer before, the elderly.

Throughout 2020 there was a huge growth in the 70 to 90 demographic on social platforms. All around the world, older generations were signing up and creating accounts to be able to communicate with their friends and family. Likewise, companies and brands that were not based online and some who did not use social media were now being pressured into creating an online presence to compete with those who had already captured their audience.

As our lives completely moved to be through computer screens, we as consumers searched for the feeling of the ‘real world’ online. We want to see real people with real lives to who we want to connect. This has led to the biggest increase in influencer marketing on social media. We seek inspiration for everything through these influencers as we want to feel a part of a community and find the socialisation that we now lack in person.

A reason influencer marketing is becoming more successful is due to the ability of the influencer to communicate with their audience through likes, replying to comments, Instagram lives, Q&A stories, etc. Through these outlets, they can establish and build relationships with their followers.

Brands need to acknowledge the changes 2020 has bought to the social media landscape and ensure they create community management and develop a strategy that incorporates having dialogues with their customers online. They must organise their values and develop a brand personality that their audience can relate to.

As people are not currently able to visit stores and experience customer service, they need to form that relationship elsewhere. By brands showing support for issues around the world that they believe in, it helps to make a positive impact on growing their personality and thus making them more attractive to the consumer. Utilising tools such as Facebook and Instagram lives makes the brand more authentic and personable and not just an online company. The ‘new normal’ for social media means that brands have to learn to embrace this new social aspect of the online community and develop their own personality.

If you are unsure how to increase engagement with your audience, why not start with our three top tips?

1. Create a content plan for your social media to post once or twice a week. Posting consistently is key. Ensure you including captions, graphics, and relevant hashtags in your plan. Then you don’t have to worry about planning a post last minute.
2. Arrange a Q&A session with your audience on your Facebook or Instagram story. Decide on a topic, for example, a new launch or customer service, and ask your audience for questions. Prepare your answers beforehand and post as a story or host a Facebook or Instagram live.
3. Organise a competition or giveaway. This is a great way to increase your followers, your engagement, and appeal to a wider audience. You can either host this as an individual or team up with another brand or influencer.

If you would like to hear more about how to develop your social media and engage your audience, we’d love to help. Contact us via socialmedia@brighterdirections.co.uk to discuss your business.

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There’s little doubt that we need to create cultural and social norms that give women the connections and context they need to succeed in all commercial environments. There are still not enough women in leadership roles (nowhere near enough) however, by networking and conversing with likeminded and driven women, to gain/share advice and learn to avoid the mistakes they made. Networking is a beneficial skill. It improves your ability to not only learn from others experiences but to also discover new passion and spark from fellow professionals.

It’s proven that women are some of the most motivational and positive communicators and influencers. A fact we have appreciated first-hand through the many campaigns we’ve been a part of, such as Women In Sales Awards, Enterprising Women and Women In Business celebrations and the tremendous talent showed year on year emerging from businesses, yet, these are still a minority.

Influence is power and power can be gained through asking questions and participation in senior situations. Research shows that men are the loudest in the business meetings, men ask the most questions and men are confident with their communication. In comparison, findings show that women, regardless if more qualified, knowledgeable or experienced across a subject matter, are the ones that take a back seat, and this needs to change.

Women are born communicators. Some insights state that women are more emotional, but instead of this being a negative statement, we need to realise that’s logically the reason why we find it easier to converse at multiple levels, and the ‘emotional’ part of our communication style is used to gain authority and influence, such as inviting others for contribution, using empathy to solidify relationships with colleagues, clients and stakeholders, and bridging the gap between commercial strategy and the people that drive those agendas forward. All of which are significant senior skills.

I’m often asked why we promote ‘women’ so much as an organisation – we are founded by a woman, we are a female-dominated team, we are passionate about the development of women in senior roles, not only across our own organisation but as a wider goal – why?

The answer is simple, because we believe that women (and men) are capable of amazing work, we just don’t shout about it enough, or have the confidence to elevate each other, and quite frankly, we don’t have enough peer support through c-suite to drive this strategy.

One of my many mantras is ‘building others up doesn’t dampen your own success” and this statement is incredibly ardent for women in business.

I was incredibly lucky, that throughout my corporate career, in a very male-dominated environment, I had tremendous backing from incredible female (and male) leaders, manages and colleagues who worked together to achieve common goals and support one another, both in the commercial role and to drive my career progression. A methodology I hope that I have carried through to my business and one that I’m passionate about continuing to push across my industry.

International Women’s Day shouldn’t be about bashing men, (although I admit, sometimes they deserve it!), or putting stoke on the fire to the ‘poor women’ topic – it should be about celebrating diversity and understanding that women do have different challenges and experiences across their careers, but the key is being aware of those and inspiring the females in your organisation to excel and rise, which is as simple as recognising this fact and putting equality at the heart of a business, in reality, it should be an easy fix… but the figures still speak for themselves.

So, instead of the traditional ‘women are great’ posts that will no doubt flood our timelines this week, let’s celebrate by recognising and appreciating the superb women we have across our businesses – shout about how and why they are great, what their achievements have been, what its meant to the business and bottom line – and why we, as business owners are better businesses culturally and financially as a result of being a diverse organisation.

Claire Curzon

MD – Brighter Directions

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Our men may be small in numbers, but they make up for it in skill, talent, and daily enthusiasm – let’s be honest, the boys have a hard time (boo for them), working with us crazy ladies day in and day out, but they take it with elegance and in all honesty, we think they wouldn’t have it any other way!

When our men are not dealing with the daily trauma of working with us, they are absolutely dedicated within their own roles, sitting across PR & Media comms, Content and Website digital management, the boys support a range of our clients, delivering effective ongoing retainer solutions and project campaigns.

Say hello to our amazing male team members, Ryan, Mark & Dan who let’s face it, deserve a little credit…

The post Celebrating our men (for a change) appeared first on Brighter Directions.

From our own internal culture to external support and dedication – women in business is something that we, as a company and individuals, take very seriously. We support and drive a number of initiatives from the European Women In Sales Awards, where our M.D. Claire has been a judge at for the past few years, encouraging and rewarding talented women in a dominant sales environment, and dedicated national mentor for Women Entrepreneurs, through to driving the strategy for a small regional non-profit project Futures of helping women from all environments and ages enter meaningful and sustainable careers.

#BusinessWomensWeek is a celebration by NBWW to raise awareness of the value that women I business bring to the table. It isn’t just an acronym to burn bras (although you could if you really wanted to), this week is about celebrating the talent and extraordinary skill women bring into the workplace across the globe and the contribution to businesswomen have made over time.

So, what better time to celebrate the superb talented women we have at Brighter Directions and give you a small insight into the fabulous women behind the smiles!

To read more about our amazing team, why not visit our blog here, where you can choose by topic, date or even which member of our team you want to read!

Let’s continue to support our fabulous women in business and the diversity it brings into the workplace.

The post Celebrating National Business Women’s Week – Honouring OUR women! appeared first on Brighter Directions.

It is my third year judging, each and every year I think the level can’t get higher, and each year I’m blown away! The day consisted of tremendously high caliber, passion and skill – you ladies sure know how to make it hard for us judges! I can honestly say that every person we saw, met and engaged with are all truly inspirational. All the finalists are absolutely deserving winners! So congratulations to each and every one of you!

We look forward to celebrating with you all on the 5th for the awards ceremony – whatever the results you can rest assured that you are deserving and recognised for your fantastic contribution to sales and your company – please be very proud of yourselves!

The photos are now live too, take a peek: https://lnkd.in/g-aSXDA 

Lastly, I would like to say thank you to all the other judges I met again, and new friends made on the day. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet other women, and men who have a high standard and passion for the sales industry and I look forward to building relationships more in the future with you wonderful lot.

See you on the 5th and again thank you for my involvement, I look forward to this event each year!

Love, Claire

x

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Meet Angie…

Angie first started working with Brighter Directions on a freelance/ contracted role back in 2013 where she provided creative expertise to a range of our clients, and our love for her has grown from there – we simply will not let her away from our little claws now!

Angie is a true creative Queen, she is not only graphic and creatively design experienced and trained, but she’s also a fabulous qualified and experience illustration, fine art and is also a painter and photographer too – a very rare quality in design she bridges the gap between modern creatives and traditional standards!

Her role;

Angie runs the creative division for Brighter Directions, she not only manages hundreds of our client creative and visual brand campaigns, but also supervises and mentors our newest designer Diana, who loves working with Angie under her creative leadership and skill.

About Angie;

Angie is a very sweet, nurturing and genuine person with a ‘wicked’ sense of humor and a laugh that makes the office stop dead. She is always the first to offer out hugs when needed and often makes us laugh with her little giggles from the creative corner of the office!

Outside of work, she now resides between our offices in Chesterfield and Scotland… (you read right, she moved for love!), in her beautiful country home with Stephen and her kitties who often plaque her life with fun (ruined carpets) and laughter.

Some things you may not know…

Angie is a genuine and incredibly creative person who often surprises us all with how she takes our scraps of drawings and notes and turns them into branded perfection!

As well as keeping busy with work, Angie is also incredibly passionate about charity, Cancer Research who she works with all over the country with her partner to create fundraising inclusive events such as Halloween walks, fun-runs and more. (She’s also amazing at baking cakes!)

In her spare time she is often found out enjoying the countryside or with a hot cup of chocolate (or coffee, crikey this girl loves her coffee!) in front of a warm fire…. bliss!

You can read more about Angie on our MEET THE TEAM PAGE – as well as learning about our other incredible team.

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