- An organisation adopts a new strategy. While paying lip-service to the change, key staff are still resisting the new direction, complaining and hoping that things will go back to the way they were before
- A team regards itself as a group of individuals who 'happen' to report to the same person. Though they are each doing their own job effectively, the synergies, economies of scale and innovation that it was hoped would come from bringing them together are not happening
- A layer of management is taken out of an organisation to empower the next level of managers to make quicker decisions, interface directly with their own customers and produce enhanced results. However, they aren't stepping up to the new challenge, and are waiting for direction and seeking permission, just as they did in the old structure
- Two functional heads whose roles require that they work together closely, clash to the extent that they do their best to avoid each other. When they do have to work together there is friction, resulting in inefficiency and poor outcomes
- Conflict and 'fingerpointing' are arising because team members are not clear on the exact boundaries of their roles, and tend either to 'tread on each other's toes', or to miss targets and deadlines altogether because it is not clear who is accountable for their achievement
Sound Familiar?
Do you see similar issues in your own business? They cost hassle and sleepless nights. But have you ever stopped to calculate what they are really costing you? The real cost is a brake on business results which, if not tackled head-on, becomes permanent because it becomes the norm - 'just the way things are round here'.
Typically, the knee-jerk reaction is to fire people, move them 'sideways', re-structure, tell 'them' to get their act together, hope it gets better by complaining enough, put them on 'special measures' at appraisal time, or call a 'cards on the table' meeting - all expensive, risky and ultimately ineffective.
What does not usually happen is that all the people concerned with the issue get together and surface it fully in a series of face-to-face conversations in which they explore in depth how things got to be this way, and agree new actions and behaviours which permanently prevent the issues from arising again. This approach to creating great, results-producing teams, in contrast to the knee-jerk response, is inexpensive, very fast, and if done properly always produces outstanding long-term results.
Why does the Approach Work?
The approach works because it creates a necessary forum, managed by a facilitator, to identify and surface issues that have not been expressed before. If the platform for doing this had existed before, organisational issues would have been resolved already, or would probably never have become problems in the first place! A valuable outcome of this approach is the creation of a long-term organisational process for dealing with team issues whenever they arise in the future - 'just the way we do things round here'!
The second reason the approach works is that it is based on consistent research findings showing that, with very few exceptions, individuals are always capable of producing outstanding results given the right skills and mindset. If individuals don't have the necessary skills, organisations are very familiar with the process of identifying and addressing skill gaps through training. However, people quite frequently still don't produce the results they are capable of. This is because what gets in the way is not just their level of skill, but equally importantly their mindset and the groupthink in the team - this approach tackles these head on.
What Is the Key to Success?
The key to the approach's success is the toughest bit: telling the truth. The experienced facilitator encourages participants to uncover and face up to key, relevant truths that will unstick the team and enable it to move on. They might otherwise shy away from these issues, leaving them forever buried from view, but causing unacknowledged blocks to progress. The team cannot do this without the impetus from an outside facilitator; it would be like doing brain surgery on yourself!
You may or may not have the 'right' strategy, the 'right' product, the 'right' appointment, the 'right' new computer system, but as a business leader, whatever you give your team to work with, you need their full, unconditional commitment. The process I outline uncovers very quickly any barriers in the way of every member of the team providing this, and leaves the team with a new ability to surface and resolve issues quickly and permanently in future.
One challenge with freelancing and independent consultant work that you may not have considered is securing business insurance. Business insurance will protect you and your business against unfortunate mistakes and mishaps. There are a number of different types of insurance coverage that you should carry as an independent consultant or independent contractor, each of them designed to protect you from a different type of happenstance or error.
There are several options to getting business insurance on your own. Many independent contractors and independent consultants use a portable employer of record to secure General Liability insurance and E&O (Errors and Omission) Insurance (also called professional liability insurance). One option, a portable employer of record service, can offer this coverage to a freelancer. These companies provide a workable solution to the challenges many independent consultants face. These workers can remain independent, but also can secure business insurance as well as other W-2 benefits. This is but one option, but knowing your options is the best way to make the right decision for your business.
Errors and Omissions Insurance
If you are a freelancer who gives professional advice to clients upon which they rely to make business decisions or provides IT solutions services, you make an implicit promise to them that your work will be free of errors. If you do make an error or omission in the work that you do for them, it could cost them dearly, both in cash and in reputation. If that happens, you have a direct financial responsibility to your client to make it right. These days more and more client companies will only contract with consultants who can provide proof that they carry professional liability coverage, also called Errors and Omissions insurance, or E&O. This ensures that they are protected if an error on your part causes them financial harm. Maintaining this kind of professional liability insurance represents your professionalism to clients, and helps you in obtaining work in the future.
Professional liability E&O insurance provides financial protection to meet the cost of defending any claims brought against you. It will also cover any damages that may be held against you and become payable. E&O insurance is a necessity if you work in any capacity where your errors may cause the company financial harm. Some examples are an error in the tax schedules, IT security failure, or faulty legal advice.
You can buy professional E&O insurance as an independent consultant or an independent contractor operating as a limited company through a number of providers, including many that specialize in business insurance for white-collar freelancers. The cost is reasonable, particularly when weighed against the consequences if you do not have it.
General Liability
General liability insurance will protect you against claims that you accidentally caused damage or loss to someone else's property. Accidents happen, and they often have financial consequences for your client. If you are an independent consultant, your client can hold you financially responsible for damages if you, for instance, knock over a cup of coffee and it spills into a keyboard, or if knock a laptop off the corner of a desk and destroy it. General liability insurance will cover the cost in the event your actions accidentally cause damage to your client's or another person's property. It will also cover you in the event your actions cause injury to another person.
Considering a multitude of situations you and your business many encounter is the best way to protect yourself in the future. Securing the types of insurance, which will protect you in these unfortunate circumstances, is the first step.
What Insurance Will Cost You
The cost of business insurance will depend on a combination of your annual revenue and the type of work that you do. In general, business insurance is far less expensive than you'd expect, and shopping around will help you get the best possible deal.
You can purchase professional business insurance through an independent insurance agent, directly from the insurer or as part of a business group. One of the primary advantages to working as a freelance consultant through an umbrella company or employer of record is that the company will assume responsibility for your insurance coverage, taking one less worry off your mind and ensuring that your insurance coverage is adequate for your industry and position.
Business Expenses and Additional Choices
Professional Liability Errors & Omissions insurance is the most popular (and most necessary) insurance for independent contractors working as freelancers. Working through a portable employer of record or Umbrella Company may be another option. This decision depends on how your business is arranged or how you wish it to be arranged in the future. No matter what the final decision may be; finding and securing business insurance is in any successful freelancer's best interest.
Both Kate Mercer & Did You Find This Article Useful? For More Useful Tips & Hints, Points To P are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Kate Mercer has sinced written about articles on various topics from Building Brand Identity, SEO Search Engine Optimization and Insurance for Business. specialise in individual, team and leadership development in organisations whose leaders want people to thrive and to produce results well beyond. Kate Mercer's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.