Thought leadership

Of course a lot of our communication is done face-to face but we also make available a range of resources to keep you ahead of the curve.

Articles

We love writing articles: taking an exciting, innovative idea or a core people issue; researching it thoroughly, coming to our own practical conclusions, then getting our ideas across simply to a set, short word count. To read where we have been in the press, click here.

Opinion and research

To help build on your people knowledge and expertise, we have compiled a number of core texts for HR and OD professionals.

• What happens now? -

  With the General Election outcome decided, the big question was 'what happens now?'' What are the first priorities for the PM? Should we expect more cross-party cooperation? What impact will over 150 new MPs have on the way politics is conducted? And after all the promises about the scale and timing of tax rises and public spending cuts, what's really in store for business and the public sector? Crelos consultant Elizabeth Henshilwood attended the breakfast meeting and offers her reflections...



• How do I change how people do things at work? -

  A job for life doesn’t seem to be an aspiration for many these days; peoples career aspirations mean that they are out-growing roles and setting their sights at the top. But what if the job out-grows you? More and more people are finding that their jobs are evolving at a faster and faster rate, and this is particularly noticeable in technology sales roles



• How are boardroom behaviour and organisational performance linked? -

  This article investigates the likely impacts of Sir David Walker ’s Review of Corporate Governance in UK banks and other financial industry entities and the FRC’s proposed revisions to the Combined Code on the Utilities



• How do I prepare my people for change? -

  I have been spending the last week talking to clients about their key challenges. The resounding answer has been “change”. How do we make change happen? How do we manage it effectively? How do we get our employees to change without decreasing efficiency? What is the emotional journey that my people will go through when I make this change?



• Does the use of high performance behaviours predict public choice on the country's leader? -

  As the party leaders prepare for the second of the series of three public debates in the run up to the General Election, James Finn, a Senior Consultant at Crelos, provides commentary on how the three performed on the 15th April.



• A Guide to precision development - There’s no denying the recession had a negative impact on engagement, discretionary effort and productivity. Organisations now face the challenge of restoring normal service. The answer is not to throw money at the problem but to accurately prioritise and target development interventions where they are going to have the greatest impact.


• Crelos' response to the Combined Code review - In March 2009 the FRC announced a review of the Combined Code, as a result of which it proposes to make a number of revisions to the Code. Read Crelos and partner Tavistock Institute’s response and recommendations on the development of executive and non-executive directors and on Board evaluation.


• The Walker review and the Dynamics of Risk - The Walker Review of Corporate Governance in UK banks and other financial industry entities is a recipe book, not the meal itself. It is a lot bolder and more innovative than first meets the eye. But, the real work still has to follow. It asks the pivotal question: how can we address risk more strategically and sustainably? What must our minds and senses be alert to, especially when we need to overcome our own resistance to confront the uncertain and unexpected?


• Board behaviour has a direct impact on business performance - In both Sir David Walker's report on 'corporate governance in UK banks and other financial industry entities' and Sir Christopher Hogg's recent review of the Combined Code, they establish a clear link between board behaviour and business performance. They advocate that to enhance the board's performance and awareness of its strengths and weaknesses, board evaluation reviews should be externally facilitated and the chairman should hold regular development reviews with each director. However, they make it clear that behavioural change can't be enforced through regulations.


• Crelos and Tavistock Institute contribute to the Walker Report - Crelos and partner Tavistock Institute of Human Resources were one of the main contributors to the Walker report (chapter 4 and Annex 4) as expert psychologists, social scientists and organisational consultants working with and consulting to large firms across industries. Read our annexe on psychological and behavioural elements in board performance


• What can we learn about risk and risk taking? - Risk taking behaviours represent one of the most perplexing problems in the field of psychology. The need for safety in business is fundamental, yet many studies have found that people who take financial risks in the workplace generally tend to be more successful in their jobs. The recent events in the financial world would seem to prove this wrong. Are we now in danger of reverting to 19th Century mindset of treating people who take huge risks as if they are the mentally insane? What should organisations, and more specifically boards, do to encourage essential and positive risk-taking behaviours?


• Crelos' response to Sir David Walker's report - Sir David Walker's government-commissioned review of corporate governance in UK banks and other financial industry entities was published for consultation on 16 July 2009. Its publication prompted conflicting opinions about what measures can be put in place to prevent a future repeat of the near collapse of the banking sector. Ali Gill, CEO of Crelos, offers her view on why science-based due diligence of management teams is crucial.


• Managing and leading through the next phase of the recession - This new 'thinking aloud' article is part of a series of papers designed to prompt thought and engage conversation. It looks into the typical organisational behaviour issues that leaders will face as we enter the second phase of the recession.


• Employee engagement in a change environment - Change is inevitable for people and organisations and, even though managing change is a core skill for HR professionals, there are numerous academic studies that indicate that 70 per cent of change programs reportedly fail (Rune Todnem, 2005). Using construction business Costain's Project Management Academy as a case study, this paper discusses the dynamics of change within organisations, presents a rigorous approach to managing it that is based on a model of sustained behavioural development and illustrates how, in today's organisations, lasting and successful organisational change will best be achieved through engagement in behavioural change.


• Crelos analyse the personalities, motivations and behaviour of award-winning teachers - Crelos have recently teamed up with TES (Times Education Supplement) magazine to look into what makes a talented teacher. The 15 award-winning teachers were chosen because they represented a cross-section of the teaching population - from primary and secondary teachers to heads. We carried out a number of assessments, including psychometric tests and interviews and looked at their personalities, motivations and behaviours. The article written by TES as a result has generated a very lively debate amongst teachers.


• New best practice guidelines 'Due diligence' The assessment and development of management teams - The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has joined forces with Crelos to produce a guide to assessing the current capabilities and future potential of management teams aimed at giving investors the advice and tools they need to assess the management potential of a company prior to investing.


• Looking forward to 2009 - What will 2009 bring? Here are our predictions of the trends relating to the 'people' agenda for the coming year.


• Telecommunications - This is an interview with Crelos' Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) sector specialist Leon Fisher giving his view on the challenges currently facing this sector.


• What are words worth? - This 'thinking aloud' article prompts debate concerning the importance of words and language in the workplace and how, when managed and used precisely you can communicate more effectively.


• Talent - This 'thinking aloud' article collates the conversation and debate with our clients as part of the Crelos Talent Network around the hard-to-define term of 'talent'. We asked two quite fundamental questions: what is talent and, is it just one thing, irrespective of time, place, industry and other situational factors? and how should we transform 'talent management' to get the best results in rapidly changing economies?


• Precision Business Psychology - This piece outlines Crelos' approach to people differentiation. We provide a psychological infrastructure for a knowledge society by applying the latest scientific insights into practical interventions. Read our groundbreaking ideas and join the debate here.


• Crelos 3T Report - Talent management is a term that is much talked about. However, for many its definition, not to mention the development of meaningful strategies, has proved elusive. We have set out with this report to provide a helpful and, we hope, thought-provoking guide to the talent management dilemmas companies are dealing with today. We also look at some of the challenges that lie ahead. Our aim is not just to give advice but to stimulate debate about what talent management really is and its link with business success.


• Engaging employees to create commercial advantage - To be truly effective, employee surveys must be carefully designed to generate conclusions about more than just the current state of employee engagement. Examples of current best practice are included in this report


• High Performance - Getting the right people in the right jobs and giving them the tools they need to perform, to the very best of their ability is not a job 'for the boys', its the holy grail of business success. Even in the very best run organisations (small or large) up to a quarter of the employee population will be actively thinking of leaving or just spinning along, either under or over challenged but definitely not fully engaged and contributing to their max. This is the result of insufficient application of the rules of high performance i.e. how to get the best from people. Ali Gill sets out these rules


• Talent Identification - The most important aspect of identifying high potential is having an existing understanding of what good looks like. Crelos' extensive experience in this area shows that by using a validated framework for behaviours and leading psychometric testing there are definite values, behaviours and traits that are common to high performance.


• Summary of new trends in leadership - April 2004 - Identifying and defining leaders for the 21st century poses a unique challenge. This summary draws together the challenges, trends and current thinking.