Co-written by Matt, Operations Manager, MBA student, seasoned traveller, music festival fan and husband of Jenni; and by Jackie, Office Manager, proof reader, fan of combining travel, photography and food, novice cocktail maker and mum of three.
If you’re not familiar with the Investors in People (IiP) management framework I strongly encourage you to check it out! It’s a worldwide recognition for excellence; the prestigious accreditation is all about one thing – creating a high performance organisation through its people.
Our company, Fluent Technology, love their team and the team love Fluent (and we hope our customers love us too?!) Why? Because for over ten years we have invested in our people so they can grow and develop to be the best they can possibly be and since 2002 we have proudly held the Bronze Award for IiP as a result. And now, our commitment and investment in our people has been further rewarded with the IiP Silver Award, an achievement and milestone for which we are all justly proud and delighted. We’re a small company but to paraphrase a familiar saying ‘never mind the quantity, feel the quality’!
At the risk of coming over all big-headed…why did we get it?
Here’s why (according to our assessor’s report)…
- Staff reported that there is a great, positive vibe about working in Fluent.
- People describe working in Fluent as stimulating and fun.
- Fluent boasts an unusual egalitarian culture with management and staff demonstrating great respect for one another.
- There is a strong sense of individual and collective responsibility for improving performance and rather than change being led by senior managers ideas are being suggested, developed and implemented by staff.
- A priority in recent times has been to build high performing teams that are virtually self-managing and fluid. This has really improved teamwork and created a culture of sharing for the benefit of the company.
- All those interviewed are passionate about their work and the opportunities that Fluent is offering them for career development.
And at the end of her report, our assessor shared the following thoughts which perfectly embody why we take care of our people and why it is its own reward:
“Morale is exceptionally high and this was attributed to the leadership style, the degree to which people’s ideas are being taken on board and the high levels of satisfaction derived from interesting work and the fact that people are constantly being encouraged to think and be innovative. People feel well rewarded and constantly encouraged to develop which is also seen as a perk and motivator.”
All of this passion and motivation are channelled into producing our ground breaking grant management system, Flexi-Grant® and the same high standards are applied to it as to the team which develops it.
So how can you do the same? Start with an engaged and enthusiastic team who are bought into your company vision as well as helping to shape it. We have been growing our team and substantially changing how our business operates for a number of years. By integrating the IiP framework within our plans we have been able to champion cutting edge, best practice people management into the adventure that is Fluent and our newest baby, Flexi-Grant®.
Recommended Posts.
Reports. What Reports?
Written by Keith.
While giving a product demonstration last week I was inevitably asked “What reports do you have?”. I hate that question! Why? Because I know as soon as I start to show any standard reports that we have in Flexi-Grant I will invariably hear: “That’s great but what I really need is…”. As a result I try to avoid showing reports as an immediate response to that question!
https://www.flexigrant.com/reports-what-reports-grant-management/
I Hate Flying.
Written by Keith.
I hate flying. While I don’t like heights it’s nothing to do with that. What gets to me is the chaos that invariably ensues during boarding. I can hear you sighing and saying “Is that it?”. Ok, I admit it, I am a process nerd. I like things orderly and running smoothly, that’s when I’m at my happiest. Try boarding a plane and watching what happens. Try sitting on a plane that’s full and listening to the Flight Attendants’ continual announcements that passengers should stow small baggage at their feet as the overhead bins are too full. A good test of their patience (passed with flying, excuse the pun, colours), not so good if you are listening and wondering why everyone didn’t understand it the first 3 times…
https://www.flexigrant.com/i-hate-flying/
5 Sites With The Best Free Stock Photography.
Written by Claire.
We don’t know about you, but we love images! Why? Because a picture speaks a thousand words.
We’re in the middle of the ‘image marketing era’ and the direction that social media is taking is the testament to how true this is. Platforms like Instagram are getting triple the amount of engagement than that of its counterpart, Facebook (source:The Marketing Eye, Sept 2015). This is all great in theory…BUT stock photography is expensive (especially if you’re a small organisation with an even smaller marketing budget!)…
https://www.flexigrant.com/5-sites-with-the-best-free-stock-photography/