International Men’s Day 2025: Supporting Men’s Wellbeing & Purpose

Did you know men account for three out of four suicides in the UK?

That’s a shocking statistic — and one we cannot ignore.

Why International Men’s Day Matters

International Men’s Day, held annually on 19 November, doesn’t yet receive the coverage it deserves, but awareness is growing. It’s important because men are often forgotten, misunderstood, or spoken about in negative ways.

Core Themes

There are three overarching themes:

  • Making a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys
  • Raising awareness and funds for charities supporting men and boys’ wellbeing
  • Promoting positive conversations about men, manhood, and masculinity

These themes aim to address issues such as:

  • The high male suicide rate
  • Challenges in education, work, re‑training, stress, redundancy, and unemployment
  • Boys growing up without positive male role models
  • Negative portrayals of men, boys, and fathers

(Source: UK Men’s Day, 2025)

Why We Should Care

Men make up a large proportion of society and the workforce. I’ve seen the impact of ignoring or belittling men, it’s not good! If we don’t look out for men, society and workplaces suffer. This isn’t just about individuals — it’s about the collective.

Breaking the Myth: “Men Don’t Talk”

It’s often said that men don’t talk. That’s not true. Men do talk — I’ve seen it across backgrounds from ex‑military to mechanics, HR professionals to academics. Some will talk the hind legs off a donkey if you enable them. What men need is an appropriate safe space and a safe, non-judgemental person to talk to.

A Message for Men

To the guys out there struggling, carrying the weight of burdens no one knows about: you have the strength to get through, keep going, and know that it’s OK to reach out for help.

To those guys thriving: take a moment to look out for your brothers.

Don’t take the men or boys in your life for granted. They may seem strong and stoic, but they may also be dealing with things they want to protect you from. Be there when they need you. Appreciate them. They want to feel safe, seen, heard, and valued too.

How Are You Recognising International Men’s Day?

Many companies are beginning to acknowledge the day, but more can be done. For now, let’s make today a reminder to check in, listen, and support the men (and boys) in our lives.

Find out more at: ukmensday.org.uk

What Employees Really Want

“Dear Recruiters: If you want talent, start with transparency”

Job hunting today feels like navigating a maze blindfolded. A mixture of vague job descriptions, key buzz words, and missing salary info, it’s no wonder candidates feel disillusioned. But that got me wondering, if the job of recruiters is to recruit, then why are they holding back from doing all they can to attract great people.

The Salary elephant in the room

I’ve been perusing job postings on LinkedIn. It’s infuriating. It’s not just LinkedIn, and I know recruiters have their reasons, but let’s start with the obvious – put the salary on the advert!

Recruitment is about attracting prospective candidates, you know what you’re willing to pay, so why the mystery? Transparency isn’t just respectful, it’s strategic. This could be the start of a long, successful relationship. 

All take and no give

I see huge list of demands you have of the individual who will fill this role and the experience you want them to bring to your company, but not telling us how much you’re prepared to pay for what you’re demanding is a missed opportunity and signal that something may be off. 

Applicants want, no, they need to be able to make informed decisions.

They need to know if the job will cover their living expenses.

If it doesn’t that’s not a deal-breaker, they may really want to work for you or do that type of work, but they need to consider if or how they can make it work.

Don’t waste their time and yours with application processes that come to a dead end once the reality becomes clear.

How perky are your perks?

Is it a perk, or PR?

Here’s how that list may land with potential candidates.

  • Holidays: Thank you very much – anything over the bare minimum is appreciated, but please don’t try to make it sound better than it is by including bank holidays.
  • Pension: OK, thanks – that’a a legal requirement but good to know.
  • Employee Assistance Programme: Pretty standard these days as most business seem to want to outsource the care for their employees. My concern is, is working there going to mean I need to turn to the EAP?
  • Discounted shopping vouchers: Hmmm, I’m not really in to shopping, but sounds good for those that might be. I don’t know what the salary is so not sure I can even afford to utilise shopping vouchers. 
  • Hybrid working: 3 days in the office. That’s probably 3 days too many for most people these days but OK. I wonder, what work will I be doing on those three days that I can’t do remotely?
  • Annual Performance Review: Hmmm, is this related to a potential bonus?
  • Private Medical: Yes, Well done, very good. Happy with that.
  • Company fun days: Great – if they’re genuinely inclusive and not just a tickbox exercise.
  • Cycle scheme: Sounds good, but on those days I’m in the office I’ll be driving as it’s an hour commute.
  • Free parking – excellent. Mind you, if I work remotely, I don’t even need to put petrol in the car, I don’t even need a car! 

OK, I jest a little… that’s all well and good, some things will be more valuable to some than others.

What employees really want

In my leadership experience, I’ve seen firsthand what employees really want, what keeps them at your company, forget the beanbags and free coffee because it’s rarely found in a benefits list:

The tools to do the job

It’s the basics. Are your systems and processes fit for purpose? Do your employees have what they need to do their job efficiently and effectively?

Enough colleagues

Do you employ enough people to manage the work volumes appropriately? In a World that’s cutting staff and hoping AI will take over, until you have found a way to replace humans properly, your employees want to know there are enough of them to provide even the most basic service to your customers. This will support mental and physical wellbeing.

A genuinely supportive culture

Businesses talk about a lot about culture, but the reality can be very different. What really matters is how your employees feel on a Sunday evening…

Professional development opportunities

So easy to say but so hard to deliver for some. Stagnation and feeling stuck will force your best people to pursue greener pastures. Provide genuine development opportunities. Cost-cutting is no excuse, if you’re reducing headcount, even more reason to invest in your employees.

‘Proper’ flexible working

Not a token day working remotely. if you want employees on site, there has to be a genuine benefit to it.

Respect and appreciation

Regardless of the position in the hierarchy, you’re dealing with humans, and humans are entitled to feel respected and appreciated for the work they do for your company.

Safety

Emotional and physical. Are they safe to share their opinion, to make mistakes, to be themselves? 

If you’re hiring, ask yourself: Would you apply for your own job ad?

And if you’re job hunting—what are your non-negotiables?

Life Advice for Young Men: 20 Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth and Success

Real-Life Advice From A Real Life Lived

Let’s be honest: growing up as a young man today isn’t easy.

From falling behind in education to feeling lost in a World that doesn’t seem to want you, the challenges are real. Fewer boys are making it to university. The inclusivity practices of workplaces and services seem to forget to include males, and you’re criticised for your natural traits.

So how do you thrive in a world that’s not rooting for you?

I’ve been around long enough to know a thing or two, so here are 20 simple lessons I’ve learned—designed to help you build confidence, resilience, and purpose.

20 Life lessons for young men

1. Get off your phone

Your life isn’t in your phone. It’s happening all around you. Use your phone as a tool—not a time-waster. Try this: Put your phone away and only pick it up when you need to—calls, emails, directions. You’ll be amazed how much time you get back when you use your phone with intention.

2. Prioritise your health

Eat well. Move your body. Sleep enough. Health is wealth. I can’t stress this enough. Your body is your lifelong home—treat it with respect.

3. Be comfortable in your own skin

You’re the best at being you. Figure out what makes you feel like ‘you’. Don’t let jobs, relationships, or social pressures strip away your identity. Self-awareness is the foundation of everything.

4. Take care of your mind and spirit

Meditation, journaling, lifelong learning—these aren’t buzzwords, they’re tools for inner strength. Do something that lifts your soul. For me it’s riding motorbikes, but it could be as simple as dancing around your kitchen to your favourite song.

5. Avoid “Influencers”

If someone describes themselves as an “influencer,” run! Honestly, you don’t need that drama, ego, or noise in your life. Ask yourself: what are they really influencing?

6. Don’t chase everything

Be intentional. Not every opportunity is worth your energy. Choose wisely—you don’t want to get landed with something you’ll ultimately regret.

7. Practice money mindfulness

Before you splurge, ask: will this enrich my life in the long-term? Learn to invest, it beats impulse buying every time. That £150 designer t-shirt? It’s not worth it.

8. Value experience over stuff

Memories matter more than material things. Travel. Try new things. Spend your money on experiences that shape you and create lasting memories with the people that matter.

9. Slow down

Life isn’t a race. Pause. Breathe. Notice the small joys—they’re often the most meaningful. Appreciate the simple moments.

10. Learn the power of “no”

Learning to say “no” is a skill worth mastering. Protect your time and energy, it’s not selfish, it’s self-respect.

11. Define your own success

Forget comparison. Set your own standards and live by them. Success is personal, make it yours.

12. Be patient

Good things take time. Your journey is yours, don’t rush it, trust and enjoy the process.

13. You don’t need to be liked

Not everyone will like you. That’s okay. Be authentic. The right people will find you.

14. Let go of anger

Anger is heavy, but only on you. Learn to process it and release it. You’ll feel lighter and freer.

15. Seize the day

Yesterday’s gone. Tomorrow’s not promised. All you have is right here, right now. Make it count.

16. Keep learning

Stay curious. Life’s a classroom, never stop learning.

17. Stay open-minded

Listen. Learn. Grow. Your openness to different perspectives will make you a wiser, more rounded man.

18. Embrace opportunities

Even the scary ones. Especially the scary ones! Growth lives outside your comfort zone so say “yes” more often.

19. Accept the ups and downs

Nothing lasts forever. The highs, the lows, the good times, and the bad. They all come and go. Learn to ride the waves.

20. Enjoy life

This isn’t a dress rehearsal. Laugh. Love. Explore. You only get one shot so make it count.

Let’s talk…

Which of these lessons hit home for you? Are you working on any of them right now? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your story.

Is Social Media Still Social? A Wake-Up Call for the Scroll-Weary

Let’s just say it: there’s no such thing as good social media.

Sure, it can be useful—especially if you’ve got loved ones scattered across the globe or maybe if you’re stuck in hospital or at home recovering. Platforms like Facebook let you share holiday pics, keep people updated on the kids progress at school. But let’s be honest: is that really connection? Or just information?

Connection vs. Communication

You post. They ‘like’.

Is that meaningful interaction? I’d argue not.

Real connection happens in conversation, in togetherness.

Pick up the phone. If it’s worth sharing, tell the people who matter. Better yet, go see them. Show them the pictures in person. That’s what sticks. That’s what builds memories. Not the “Oh yeah, I saw the pics of your dolphin spotting trip on Instagram” kind of exchange.

The Rise of Virtue Signalling

It’s been this way for a while now I know but social media morphed into a self-absorbed, virtue-signalling circus—and for some reason, we’re still buying tickets.

LinkedIn: The Professional Echo Chamber

Once a hub for networking and career growth, LinkedIn now feels like the worst offender. It’s become a stage for humblebrags and corporate sainthood.

Hospital-bed hustle posts?

“No excuses, look at me, working through the pain.”

Come on!

Then there’s the endless stream of pseudo-wisdom:

“I burned my dinner—here’s what it taught me about leadership.”

“I tripped up in the park—here’s what it taught me about resilience.”

Surely no one takes this seriously?

And don’t get me started on the rants. Everyone’s suddenly a workplace reformer, preaching to the algorithm. It’s less about insight and more about venting under the guise of thought leadership.

Oh, and if you dare to let recruiters know you’re “open to work”?

That’s taboo now too and will do your job search more harm than good.

X (Formerly Twitter): A Legal Minefield?

In the UK, posting on X can land you in more trouble than committing a violent crime. That’s not hyperbole—it’s reality. Why risk it? The platform’s become a place where nuance goes to die and outrage thrives.

Instagram: The Shrine of Self

Instagram? Ah, the temple of self-indulgence.

Unless you’re selling something or building a brand, it’s mostly a time sink.

And let’s not even dive into the data privacy rabbit hole or the “you are the product” debate. We know that story by now.

So What’s the Point?

This isn’t a rant for the sake of it. I’m not saying it’s the devil and you must delete every app now and go live in a cave. Social media is here to stay. It’s about balance. About intentional engagement.

So next time you open that app, pause.

Ask yourself:

• “Is this worth my time?”

• “Does this help me connect with the people who really matter?”

• “Will I be glad I spent time on this?”

If the answer’s yes—carry on.

If not? Maybe it’s time to rethink the role of social media in your life.

If this resonates with you, and you’re exploring how to live more intentionally—especially in your work, relationships, or digital habits—I’d love to hear from you.

Should we be worried about men?

If you’re like me, you pay attention to what is happening in society, and more-so than ever these days, I focus on being present, observing what is happening around me. It seems that barely a day goes by without me hearing or seeing something that makes me feel really concerned for the male members of society.

I know what you’re thinking – ‘men blah blah…’, ‘no one cares’, ‘there are more important things’. That’s kind of my point. Very often when you express any concern about the wellbeing of men and boys, you’re met with disdain.

In workplaces, whilst out and about, in the media and online, I see and hear things that make me genuinely worry about the men of today, and fear even more for the men of tomorrow.

So what do I mean?

Well, based on my experience and people I know, it seems some workplaces have become quite toxic (not a word I use lightly) for men, with male colleagues basically given the message that they are not valued, appreciated, or even wanted within organisations (perhaps I’ll elaborate more another time).

I’ve seen men put down and diminished so much so that if they contribute to group conversations, workshops, or training discussions, they offer apologies for their ”male views” either before or after they’ve spoken. It saddens me that anyone should feel so beat down that they apologise for just being them.

“Two wrongs have never made a right”

I was on a training course a few months ago and witnesseed a well-educated man, contribute some valid points to the discussion, then apologise and dismiss the validity of his contribution because he’s “just a man”.

If you’re thinking ”men have been having this effect on others for years”, perhaps, I can’t speak for the men of the past, but here’s the thing, it wasn’t all men, and two wrongs have never made a right.

EDI

Does your business or employer have an EDI plan? Probably, otherwise how else would you know it’s an organisation that respects its employees? I’ve seen long detailed EDI plans of how organisations are going to make their workplaces ‘equitable and respectful’ places for all colleagues. However, when listing all the valuable ‘categories’ of colleagues, there’s one demographic rarely mentioned. I have to question the quality of an EDI plan if to acheive it, it means excluding a proportion of your employees.

I get the reasoning behind it, trust me, I do. The thing is though, this creates employees who feel unvalued, are demotivated, disengaged, and because men (rightly or wrongly) often place a lot of their identity on who they are at work, it has a major impact on mental health. It saddens me that I’ve seen men feel so broken by their employers that they just want to give up on life. How can that ever be right? 

International Men’s Day

Organisations take great pride in sharing on their social profiles how they support their employees, whether it’s Pride month, Black History Month, International Women’s Day, or pretty much any other “recognition” day you can think of, but I wait with baited breath each year to see how many acknowledge International Men’s Day (19 November if you’re wondering). Guess what, very few do. Perhaps it’s just an oversight – I’m not judging I swear!

In the media

In the media, the narrative around men and boys has become deplorable at times, I try to keep away now. TV adverts, an internet search, or pretty much any TV show these days, the way men are portrayed, if they’re even included, is often very sad to see. My concern, it’s sending the wrong messages to boys and young men, and society in general. I know the media have been doing it for years and are now trying to take ‘corrective action’ but as I said, two wrongs have never made a right.

As for social media, well that’s a beast on its own, it’s not a happy healthy place, and I would encourage most people to stay away from it, especially men – it is NOT doing you any good! 

It’s ok to be a man

I could talk about this subject and some of the things I see happening all day long, and I dare say I’ll come back to it, but for now, just a quick message to anyone that needs it – “It’s OK to be a man. It’s OK to be masculine, it’s OK to be you!”

I hope you have a positive male role model in your life. If you do, great, you’re lucky.

If you don’t, do some research about what it really means to be a man and put the work in to being a good man. Or, find one – but be careful, there are some bad guys out there that will make themselves look like they’re ’the man’, but remember, masculinity has nothing to do with disrespecting others, treating people poorly, or being angry or violent.

Conclusion

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not all bitter or anything, I just see what is happening and think it’s creating avoidable issues.

It takes all of us to make the World go round. I’ve been fortunate to work with so many great people of all different demographics, but what I see happening today, is the negative impact on men, more than any anyone else.

There’s a lot of divisiveness in the World these days, yet people will preach about kindness and tolerance. I’m not suggesting we need to prioritise men or give them favourable treatment, but I do believe in justice so all I’m saying is, we should stop ignoring their needs.

Have your say…

What are your thoughts on the expeirence of men in the workplace, online, and in the media?

Embracing Balance: Lessons in Life

It’s funny how things work out. You have an idea in your head, you’ve ruminated on it for some time, and eventually you pull the pin and make it happen. Then, for various reasons, momentum is lost, leaving you wondering what to do next.

I started Think Can Will as I wanted to share lessons from my leadership experience to help people in their work by encouraging them to believe in themselves more, to help them grow as individuals, to learn tips and tricks they can implement in their daily lives, and ultimately, achieve their potential.

I’ve been doing it professionally for some time, and, if I may so, I’m quite good at it.

But…

Then I realised, I’m not just Steve, the operational leader, coach, mentor, and all the other things listed on my CV. I’m more than that. I’m Steve, the man, the human being. I’ve experienced the highs and lows life has to offer and actually, on top of my work, I’ve got a lot of life experience which may be useful for others. Anyway, why would I want to limit myself and my small section of the internet to be so one-sided, just talking about work? I’m more than that! 

You see, I like to help people. I like to be of service, and I found that trying to limit myself to just professional updates, was actually very limiting for me. 

On top of this I know a lot of people today are struggling with so many different facets of life. If by opening myself up to talk about, well, pretty much anything, then if anything I write is of use to someone, at some time, in some way, that’s a satisfactory result for me.

I don’t know exactly what is going to flow… but, from now on, I’m thinking that Think Can Will will be a bit of an outlet for me and will cover whatever it is that I feel I need or want to share, professional or personal.

Sure, I can and will still talk about work and careers, but this shift means I can also talk about other things life chucks at us, like, bereavement, illness, poor mental health, poor physical health, relationships, and more. Plus, sometimes I may just want to comment on the World, have my say on something, or maybe just share something random I’ve created.

Life is busy, working, studying, and having a life, but from now on, Think Can Will is open for broader content, by bringing my whole self, I’m hoping it’ll make it easier to post more regularly.

We’ll see how it goes!

The One Thing I Can’t Stand…

I remember being at primary school, about five or six years old, I saw a group of kids gathered around in a circle, lots of noise, so I went over to see what was going on.

As you might expect, there was bit of a ‘scrap’ going on. Kid A picking on Kid B, and everyone seemed to be cheering for Kid A. No idea why, whether anything had happened, but I thought “this ain’t right, this isn’t fair!”

So, I stepped in. Against what everyone else was doing, I stepped in to protect Kid B. I helped get him out of that situation and when we spoke about it afterwards, I seem to recall it was because of his clothes, because he wasn’t dressed in whatever it was six year olds wanted to wear back then! (all I remember is I loved wearing my He-Man t-shirt and Mr. T digital watch!)

Anyway, that’s how it started, that’s when I first experienced, and developed my intolerance for bullies.

Throughout my childhood, and teenage years, there are many stories where I stepped in to help other kids that were on the receiving end of bullying. Having changed schools, having learned martial arts to be able to defend myself, I had more confidence to tackle the bullies. Don’t get my wrong, I don’t like fighting, but I knew how to if I needed, and I wasn’t afraid of standing up for the right thing.

Fast forward to today, I’m older, much older, but the one thing I still can’t stand and do not tolerate, is bullying, of any kind.

Bullying in the workplace exists. Amazing considering workplaces are full of grown adults. I hope it’s not commonplace where you work, but it happens. It doesn’t (usually) take the form of punch ups and scraps surrounded by co-workers but tends to be more vindictive, aggressive, manipulative, and deliberate.

I had the misfortune recently to come across a bullying incident. I won’t go in to details but basically discovered a senior leader and their ‘associates’ bullying a junior member member of staff. It was all very verbal, and intimidating behaviour – no physical violence.

I did what I’ve always done. Stepped in. Confronted them to find out what was happening. They’d completely misunderstood a situation, and had a real issue with the organisation involved so were already feeling more angry about things. Their fury was taken out on the junior member of staff. I challenged them. Told them they were out of order, had misunderstood what was going on, and their behaviour was not appreciated in the situation were we in. I asked them (politely) to leave. They refused. Honestly, this individual was crazed. They ended up screaming at me and in full finger wagging mode!

After the event, I reported what had happened. I don’t expect anything to really be done about it, but thought the organisation needs to know that it happened.

The easy thing would be for me to ignore it. The safest thing would be to walk away and not worry about it. Not my problem after all. Whilst they were rude to me, I don’t need to see them again. So why care?

But here’s the thing. This was a senior leader. As such, they have responsibility for other people. How many others have been subjected to the abuse this person dishes out? I don’t know. Hopefully no one and hope hopefully they were having a bad day. But I had to do the right thing. I had to report it, for all I know, there could be a long list of reported bullying.

I will never, ever tolerate bullying.

If you see bullying of any kind, for any reason, I urge you not to take the easy option and turn your head, do the right thing and take action.

The Directionless Director

Work, for most of us, it’s a necessity that allows us to earn money to provide for ourselves and our loved ones. Working does of course have its challenges. Have you ever found yourself working somewhere where the senior management of the organisation seem vacant, almost invisible, and fail to provide any direction?

If you have, you know the impact it can have on you and your colleagues.

You spend your time busily working in one direction, only to then have to pivot and move in a different direction when they’ve changed their mind, again! A little while after that, you’re fighting another fire and pivoting again. You feel like you’re on a merry-go-round, going round in circles but getting nowhere fast.

The root cause of the issue may be… a Directionless Director!

The Director’s role is to manage all the resources available to them (including people) to lead the business or activity in the appropriate direction.

If you’re in a role as a Director, congratulations. You’ve probably worked really hard to get there, but remember, the fundamental thing your people are looking for from you is to set the direction you want and need people to move in to achieve success.

It can be daunting, challenging, it’s not easy, especially if you’re new to the role and level of responsibility. It can take time to ‘find your feet’ and that’s okay. As long as you communicate effectively, people will understand, and they will keep the show-on-the-road until you provide a specific plan.

If communication isn’t your ‘thing’, or you’re not comfortable with people, you need to learn to get comfortable. As a minimum, you need to feel those nerves, but do it anyway.  

The perils of inactivity or self-interest

If you’re the kind that likes sitting back, saying little, keeping a distance from the ‘workers’, or worse, spending your time satisfying your own interests, you may find your leadership challenged before too long.

Establishing a vision

What’s your vision? People, especially in teams, need direction. Their job is to do the necessary to reach a destination, so you need to make sure they know where you want them to go. Commonly referred to as a ‘vision,’ if you don’t have a vision for where you want to take your business, you can’t share that vision, and no one will know what you’re trying to achieve. Worse still, without a vision, you can’t even start to form a strategy. If you don’t know where you want to go, you definitely can’t work out how you are going to get there!

Consequences of poor communication

You might think you don’t need to. People will just carry on doing the job they’ve always done. Maybe. Maybe you’ll get away with this for a short while, but it’s not a long-term strategy by any means. A failure to communicate effectively the vision, the strategy, the direction you are taking the team, department, organisation, or any form of activity, may result in some or all of the following consequences:

1. Lack of progress

If you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t take the necessary steps to get you there, it really is that simple. How can you achieve anything if you don’t know what it is you’re trying to achieve?

2. Busy going nowhere

People will busy themselves with what they think they should be doing, or what they want to be doing. Whilst this can produce some results, it’s not a coordinated effort. It’s like lots of cogs are turning but they’re not connected so nothing really happens.

3. Dissatisfaction, and loss of trust and confidence

People like to feel that what they do is worthwhile and appreciated. If it’s not clear that what they’re doing is what is required, or they do not receive appreciation for it, dissatisfaction sets in. A failure to be clear with what is needed, and to appreciate the work people are doing, trust and confidence in you will be eroded.

4. High staff turnover

All of the above adds up to job/role dissatisfaction, and when people feel like this, they look to leave. The debate will always rumble on as to whether people leave bad jobs or bad managers, and I’ll cover that another time but, spoiler alert, the manager is usually the main contributor for people choosing to leave.

Setting and communicating direction

As a Director, YOU set the direction. Once people know the direction you want to head, they’ll use their skills and capabilities to make it happen. Think of it like this: if everyone is spinning around in circles and you direct them to head North, they’ll stop spinning and will start to head North. If you don’t, they’ll either do their own thing and choose their own direction, or they’ll just stop spinning and leave.

I’ve talked before about the difference between managers and leaders. Just remember, your position in the hierarchy does not make you a leader. It’s your ability to inspire others to follow you that does.

Conclusion

If any of this applies to you, take some time to think about where you want to take your business, department, or team, and start preparing to communicate this. If you don’t, you’ll find everyone is ‘busy,’ but you’re going nowhere.

 

What do you think? Have you worked for someone that lacked direction? How did it make you feel? Are you struggling to provide the direction your people need?

Let us know in the comments.

The impact of asking employees to do MORE with LESS

Photo provided by Pexels

The new year is only just underway but, many people I’m speaking to have a similar story when it comes to work – “we’re being asked to do more, with less”.

Maybe you’re fortunate and not in that situation, but the common theme in business discussions now is around organisations putting more demands on an already pressurised workforce, and people are struggling.

For some, organisations have implemented severance schemes with employees being released in an attempt to make the balance sheet look a little healthier.

Others are seeing compulsory redundancies where valuable team members are being lost from their teams.

However it is that the staff numbers are being reduced, the workloads certainly aren’t reducing, in many cases, they are continuing to increase.

For others, it’s the challenge brought on by gaining new business and workloads increasing significantly as a result, but, the workforce has remained the same. The same size workforce that was in place when the business was new and growing is certainly not resourced for the scale of business now being experienced.

Businesses are facing many challenges in this modern World, especially when it comes to finances, and I recognise that addressing the salary budget is a seemingly obvious step, however, this decision should not be made solely as a financial one.

When you make the decision to cut staffing levels as a cost-saving option, you send a message to ALL employees that you see them as nothing more than a business expense, and there are consequences for this.

1. You’ve confirmed they are ‘just a number’

No one likes to feel like ‘just a number’ when it comes to work but this approach, gives that exact message, “you are a number on a spreadsheet with a cost attached and we no longer want those costs”. Whilst that may be true, it’s not a good message to put out there.

Worse still, is the impact on the people left to pick up the pieces and keep delivering for your customers.

2. You are prepared to pile on the pressure

Not only have you made it clear that they are seen as a cost on a budget spreadsheet which could be cut at any time, but you’ve also told them that you are knowingly and willingly prepared to put them under extreme pressure in order to protect your profits.

Whilst FTE reductions can be a source for good, for example, encouraging innovation and process improvement which allows people to work smarter, more often than not, it creates a culture of demotivation, stagnation, and discontent because no one has the time, energy, or inclination to drive improvements. In such cultures, no one ever feels valued or respected.

3. You don’t respect the value they bring to the organisation

Sure, if the business was to go to the wall, then everyone suffers, but what seems to be forgotten in most cases is that the people you’re letting go, or are going to pile more work on, are the very people that could help turn the business around. They’re the ones working with your systems, processes, and looking after your customers, they have a lot more insight than you may think. Releasing people makes remaining staff feel less valued and less inclined to want to support with the challenges. But, protecting people where possible, and using their knowledge, experience, and insight, gets everyone on board, breeds loyalty, and encourages the workforce to want to protect the business.

You often hear Managing Directors, CEOs, senior leaders etc… talk about how “our people are our biggest asset”, yet they don’t utilise this asset appropriately when the going gets tough. Instead, the asset becomes a liability that they want to release.

4. The mental and physical damage

More pressure and increasing workloads is reasonable and okay for short periods, but, we’re at risk of it becoming the ‘new normal’, perhaps we’re already there?

As such, being under constant pressure and strain will lead to burnout, where people are breaking down mentally or physically, or both!

What do you do then? You let people go, piled the pressure on the remaining staff to the point they’re now off due to work-related stress, so you’ve no one to do the work, and you also need to manage the sickness absence, costing the organisation even more. It a vicious cycle but any employee that has been pushed to this extent, is not going to return the same loyal, hardworking, committed employee they once were.

“How you treat your employees when times are tough is far more important than how you treat them when times are good.”

Steve Cooper, 2024

I’m not saying cutting staff isn’t a reasonable business decision, of course it is. All I’m encouraging you to do is think about the full consequences of the decision beyond just the short-term financial benefit.

Customer satisfaction and long-term success will not be delivered by a burned-out workforce.

The ONE mistake leaders should never make

Let’s be honest, there are millions of articles, videos, tutorials, books, and other resources out there telling you how to be a better leader.

Leadership for me is about doing what you can to take care of the people in your charge, and as much as you can learn tips and new ideas to try, ultimately, you have to find your own style and adapt to the environment you find yourself in.

As long as you care about people, know why you do what you do, and behave with integrity, you’re half way there. If people know (or at least think) you care, you’re doing ok.

But there is one thing, one mistake, that if you make it, you will find it extremely difficult to recover from.

Leaders have many responsibilities, but one of your main roles is to help others believe. To believe in your vision and to believe in themselves, to inspire them and help them achieve their potential.

When people feel inspired and motivated, they’ll take personal responsibility for their development, they’ll increase their efforts and performance so they can be even more valuable to you, and they’ll give so much discretionary effort because they believe that you will notice, appreciate, value and respect them.

If you’ve not come across the term ‘discretionary effort’ before it’s essentially the extra effort people put in to their work, because they want to, even though they don’t have to.

Even more so, when people feel valued and respected, their sense of loyalty also increases, and loyal people are extremely valuable to any leader in any organisation.

As a leader, you have to understand and aim to meet these expectations. You need to acknowledge the effort, recognise the growth, appreciate the work, the commitment, and the loyalty, help people benefit from opportunities that may arise, and help them progress in the direction they wish to move.

If you’ve reached the stage people are asking “what’s the point?” you’ve lost them.

Steve Cooper, 2024

Failure to do this, could significantly impact on the success of any team, department, or organisation. If you overlook or ignore the work, fail to recognise the progress o provide opportunity, and make people question,”what’s the point?”, then you’ve lost them.

Imagine a scenario where someone wishes to progress to a more senior role in the hierarchy. You encourage them to put in lots of effort, take on additional responsibility, undertake lots of training, push themselves to be as valuable to the business as they can so that they’re ready for such an opportunity, and then, nothing. No opportunity, or worse, the opportunity exists and is then taken away. Their first question will be “what’s the point?” and even worse, others will see what happened, and will start to wonder “what’s the point?”

This isn’t about giving people everything they want, that’s not realistic. But it is about integrity and respect.

Never allow people to be treated in such a way they reach this stage. If they do, if they lose confidence in you and don’t feel you are true to your word, the damage will be extremely difficult to repair. You’ll lose the commitment, the desire to succeed, and all the discretionary effort the organisation had benefitted from.

Ultimately, it creates a negativity that spreads through organisations like a poison, and your leadership will amount to nothing. Sure, you may retain your position in the hierarchy, but no one will follow you, and a leader with no followers, well, that’s no leader at all.

At the same time, that once motivated, hard working employee, is now seeking employment elsewhere, and you’ll soon have a vacancy to fill.

Have you ever reached the stage you’ve wondered “what’s the point?’ How did it make you feel?