It's a dog's life

You know we always see those posts on LinkedIn about what a really trivial thing taught us about business?

Well, this is going to be a blog about what a trip away with my dog taught me about HR.

However, there are some serious points here, particularly with what employers and business owners need to think about when it comes to annual leave, flexible working, and team morale.

THE BASIL HOLIDAY

My wife and I went on the ‘Basil holiday’ (regular readers will know that Basil is the name of our dog, named after one of the best comedy characters of all time).  Twice a year, we take Basil away on a UK holiday – it’s only fair, seeing as we can’t take him abroad with us when we go, so we have to leave him with the dog-sitters (which he loves, of course).

One of the Basil holidays is always up north (in Yorkshire - God’s Own Country) and the other is always down south – and the latter is where we went this time.

We arrived in Rock, north Cornwall, for a week’s stay at a lovely cottage earlier this month.  We were right next to the beach at Porthilly, close to the Camel Estuary.  We stayed just around the corner, literally, from Porthilly beach (the one that a certain chef who is friends with the Beckhams has a house on).

It was a long drive and Basil couldn’t wait to stretch his legs (although the tide was in when we arrived so he had to wait until the next morning).  We got there just in time to watch the sunset on the first evening.

NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE

Unfortunately, the rain and wind down in Cornwall had been constant, and I nearly got permanently stuck in wet sand on the beach (it was a near-death experience - I could have still been there!).  

However, the weather didn’t deter Basil.  The rain didn’t dampen his spirits (it dampened everything else though).  He literally has no filter and will just keep running and running after his ball until we tell him it's enough.  He just chases the ball for as long as we will throw it and always comes back with his helicopter tail. We have to decide when he has had enough though.

Every day, Basil dragged us downhill to the path to the beach (yes, his lead training has clearly worked), and once we go there, he gets let off and is like a coiled spring.  Luckily, he also loves to drag us (honest, your honour) to the pub afterwards.

WORKING HOLIDAY

For my wife and I, it was a working holiday. After an early morning walk with Basil, we’d spend the morning working before taking him to the beach in the afternoon (and the pub afterwards).

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Being able to work flexibly has been a godsend.

Our retained clients are all fabulous and they knew that I was away but available; and I have a fabulous team who are always supportive – not just for me but also for our clients too.

While we were away, we went to so many different restaurants, and everyone in them loved Basil. We went to restaurants such as The Upper Deck and The Pig at Harlyn Bay: and, on the journey there and back, we stopped at a fabulous dog-friendly pub in Somerset called the Compass Tavern, which broke up the long journey nicely.

Although we returned back to Warwickshire really tired, we were also chilled thanks to an enjoyable holiday.  However, there was no chance of a lie-in when we got back - I was up at the crack of dawn to be back at my Friday morning networking group: BNI Momentum in Solihull.

FLEXIBILITY FOR YOUR TEAM

When talking to employers, I always talk about treating your staff as individuals.  Rigidity and being a stickler for the rules – especially around flexible working or annual leave - can often be the start of bigger problems.

Everyone is different and we all have different priorities in our lives.  Members of my team need flexibility around working from home and looking after children (amongst other things) and that’s okay.  

Of course, being a HR consultant, I have to lead from the front.  However, it also gives me a first-hand insight into how a business can improve by keeping your team happy.

As long as the work gets done, my team have flexibility in their day, whether it be for appointments, school runs, or anything else.  I trust my team implicitly and I know they appreciate this.

When I work with my retained clients, we often talk about having a positive workplace culture, and that comes from treating your team with respect and as individuals – and this is almost always reciprocated.

AUTONOMY LEADS TO HAPPINESS

Studies show that trusting your team and giving them autonomy – whether it be workplace decisions or around flexible working – can increase happiness levels, which in turn increases productivity.

Trust is a big factor and this starts from the beginning of an employment journey – right from the start of recruitment process.  Your team are not just a sum of their CVs.  The right recruitment policies –alongside looking at more than just the ‘skills’ of the person – can lead to a much more trusting relationship, creating longer term happiness.

As we know, staff retention is higher when the team are happy.  In turn, studies show that there is less downtime, fewer sick days, a much lower chance of burnout, and easier to attract and recruit talent.  After all, don’t we all want to work somewhere that has a fantastic workplace culture?

I many run my own HR consultancy business, but it relies on keeping my team and my clients happy, who in turn allow me the flexibility to take Basil away for a week (albeit on a wet, muddy beach, which one of us loves.  Hint: it’s not me).

NOT A CARE IN THE WORLD

It’s a dog’s life.  Watching Basil run around after a ball on the beach showed me that there’s so much more to life than just the nine-to-five.  He has the best outlook on life and one from which we could all learn.

And, of course, this is what taking Basil on holiday showed me about business ownership and being an employer.  Giving your team the time to breathe; to have space in their lives – to perhaps have a change of scenery, get some fresh air, or simply not have to think about work – can be hugely beneficial to not just them but the business as a whole.

Basil was genuinely just living his best life with not a care in the world.  We should all be more Basil.

GET IN TOUCH

If you need any HR support for your business – from employee handbooks, contracts, or grievances and disputes, right up to workplace culture, recruitment policies, employee retention, or leadership support – please get in touch today for an informal chat about how me and my team can help your business and its long-term growth.

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