Eloise’s June 2019 News – Employee Feedback, Marathon Challenge and Recruiting for Team Vanilla
Hello and welcome to June
We’re into the final month of the second quarter of 2019. That’s almost half way through the whole year. I emphasise this point because as usual the year is charging on at pace. Writing this blog to mark each new month further highlights to me just how short each month is, and how much we need to make each one count! June for me is about reflection and reinvigoration.
Employee feedback
As managers, we set goals and make plans for things we want to achieve during the year and in the blink of an eye those deadlines are upon us. Hence why, at this point in the year I sit down with my whole team, one by one, and conduct a thorough appraisal. What’s been achieved in the first half of the year? What hasn’t worked? What things we’ve learnt? What we’ve maybe been afraid of and what things we’ve excelled at?
The benefits of good feedback and discussion should never be overlooked. It’s powerful to understand our own strengths and weaknesses and to be able to talk about them and work out what self-imposed blockers are standing in our way. And, to put a plan in place to help people overcome their personal blockers.
It is important to remember that success usually comes after failure. As great as it is to build people up concentrating on their positives and wins, it’s the knowledge that failure gives us that makes way for future successes. We should not be afraid of talking through failure or of learning from it.
In essence, creating a business where open, human conversations about work are regular occurrences and considered the norm, allows your business to be more successful. It will also create a supportive environment of happy, successful and loyal employees.
This is always my aim. I don’t always get it right and I am very open to feedback from my team to help me too!
Have you reviewed how you deliver feedback or conduct your appraisals recently? Are you having open, human conversations? Or, are you going through the motions and focussing on a tick list of targets? I’m always happy to talk through my methods with you if you ever need a chat or a sounding board.
Marathon of a challenge
Last week, whilst on a family holiday in the sun over half term, I embarked on my second training run in preparation for the Bamboozle Marathon Team Relay in Leicester later this month. After climbing out of the ground floor apartment window at 6AM (so I didn’t wake my children), I set off with an aim to run 6 miles.
After 1 mile of running along a beautiful rocky beach front, I went over on my ankle (ouch!). After getting over the initial pain, shock and embarrassment of it all, I thought I was okay to carry on and amazingly I managed another 4 miles. (The pic below shows the offending rocks on the left and on the right the beautiful view I had while I sat and recovered).
But, oh my word, I then spent the last few days of my holiday with a very swollen ankle, limping around gingerly, all in the name of fund raising for Bamboozle.
With this in mind, painting a picture for you of the efforts we are going to, we have come up with an easy way for you and your business to support us, Bamboozle and get something for yourself too…
We really need your help if you can get involved…
We’re looking for businesses or individuals to sponsor one of our 26 marathon miles. We are looking for a £50 minimum donation (but please feel free to sponsor more) and in return you will receive:
- As many social media name checks, links and mentions on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter from our Vanilla accounts that we can realistically give you. We will share as much as we can (without inundating people) 🙂
- Your company logo to appear on a banner for photos on the day for social media and PR use.
- Mentions in any local press activity we do plus any follow up social media and PR use.
All this for just £50! There are very few ways you could buy that much advertising for £50 these days 🙂
This will not only be amazing for Bamboozle, but the Team Vanilla Runners will also get a boost of encouragement that all the effort is worth it, and, your business gets some lovely positive PR.
To get involved or for more info please give any of our team a call on 01858 898 058 or click below to book your mile now…
To book your mile CLICK HERE…
If you can’t sponsor a mile there are other ways to get involved including a simple donation if you can. Click here to see the other ways you can help or donate directly by hitting the button below.
We are recruiting and looking for the next star to join Team Vanilla
The recruitment shoe is well and truly on the other foot at the moment. I am looking for at least one new member for my recruitment team and to be part of #teamvanilla.
Do you know anyone looking for a new challenge? We are on the hunt for someone with a sales and account management background. They’ll need to have excellent communication skills both written and verbally, be tenacious and be a ‘can do’ person who doesn’t give up.
If you know anyone who might be interested, please point them in my direction.
Read more details about working for Vanilla on our ‘Work for Us’ page.
Have a great month and I’ll hopefully see some of you (or even run with some of you) at the Bamboozle Marathon on the 22nd June!
We recruit throughout the East Midlands covering Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Rutland and the surrounding areas, especially Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Leicester, Corby and Kettering. We help people find their perfect job and match suitable jobseekers with businesses looking to hire the best candidates across our five specialisms – Sales, Marketing, Accountancy & Finance, HR and Office.