As a business owners, we’ve all spent enough time behind the business-wheel to know that most journeys don’t go exactly as planned. You set out with a destination in mind. You’ve considered the route, fuelled the vehicle, told everyone you’re going, and committed to the trip. Most of the time, you make good progress on the SH1 of business growth and progress.
Until all of a sudden, progress and advance hits a snarl-up. Something up ahead caused the road to close. Traffic builds unexpectedly. Turns out, like the Coromandel at Christmas, you are going to the same place at the same time as too many other business owners. Suddenly, a journey that seemed straightforward and well prepared for starts requiring more time, thought and attention.
Is it not true that running a business can feel remarkably like this?!
Most business owners don’t wake up in the morning wondering what they’re trying to achieve. We have a vision and purpose for our businesses. We all want a productive team, happy customers, sustainable growth, and the confidence that they are building something worthwhile.
The destination is rarely the problem, but navigating the road to get there is rarely a breeze, no matter what GPS you are relying on!
Driving the Business
One of the things I’ve observed over my years in HR is that most business owners are perfectly capable of driving their own business. They don’t need (or want!) someone else taking over the steering wheel. They don’t need an outsider making decisions on their behalf. They certainly don’t need mountains of paperwork for the sake of looking busy.
What they often need is guidance when they reach one of the many intersections that come with leading people.
- An employee’s performance starts slipping.
- A valued team member resigns unexpectedly.
- Someone raises a complaint.
- Attendance becomes inconsistent.
- Workloads are causing tension.
- A manager is struggling with difficult conversations.
- A business begins growing faster than its systems and structures.
- A staff member consults Chat GPT instead of directly to you with a problem.
These are not rare, massively significant or unusual events. In fact, they are often signs that a business is active, growing and employing real people with real challenges. For many of us, there’ll be something from this list every month or two.
The difficulty is that there is rarely a big, green overhead NZTA sign telling you exactly how far until your turn-off or helping you with directions.
When Every Road Looks Possible
Years ago, if my dad found himself lost while driving, he’d pull over and open a map book. Today, of course, we open our maps app, type in a destination and expect guidance almost instantly.
Likewise, business owners have access to more information quicker than ever before. There are easy-to-read and entertaining blog posts (😉), Substack articles, podcasts, webinars, employment law updates, AI tools, templates, online forums and social media opinions available at any hour of the day.
The problem is definitely not a lack of information.
The problem is that information alone doesn’t always provide good direction. Two businesses can face what appears to be the same situation and require entirely different responses. A performance concern with one employee may need coaching and support. The same concern with another employee – even in the same business – may require a more formal process. A workplace conflict may be resolved through a thoughtful conversation in one business and require a different approach in another.
Who knows, context matters? Relationships matter; history matters; the personalities involved matter; where you want to take the business matters; your industry, your competition, your cashflow and your workflow all matter. That is why effective people management requires so very much more than simply finding information like directions. It still requires judgement, as it always has.
Why Experience Still Matters
Happily, as Google Maps grows in sophistication and intelligence, it provides us with increasing amounts of context. It doesn’t simply tell you one route anymore. It helps you understand whether that route is the best option at the time of your enquiry. You can programme for speed, congestion, avoiding motorways and most economical journey for your fuel consumption. You can see the alternative routes in light blue, the difference in time taken on alternate routes, and the red on the route it recommends.
Can you see this coming? : Good HR support works much the same way. The role of an experienced HR adviser is not to replace your leadership or make decisions for you. It is to help you assess your options, understand potential risks, and make informed choices that align with both employment obligations and business goals.
Sometimes that means helping a business owner see a risk they hadn’t considered. Other times it means giving reassurance that they are already on the right track. It might means identifying a simpler route when a situation feels unnecessarily complicated, and occasionally it means helping somebody avoid a costly wrong turn before they make it. (I’m loving my analogy!)
The Most Expensive Mistakes Are Not Made on Purpose
In our experience in FixHR, very few business owners knowingly or deliberately make poor decisions about their people. There is the odd calculated risk, but most are doing their best with the information they have at the time. The challenges usually arise when business owners are forced to make difficult people decisions while juggling everything else that comes with running a business.
When you’re focused on sales targets, customer expectations, supplier issues, cash flow pressures and operational demands, it’s understandable that an employee issue might not receive the time and attention it deserves. That doesn’t make you a bad employer, it makes you a busy business owner.
The risk is, small issues can become larger ones when they aren’t addressed early. A conversation that feels uncomfortable today can become a formal process six months later (- or even 1 month later!) A misunderstanding can slowly become a grievance, and/or an underperforming employee can affect the morale and productivity of an entire team. We all know this.
Often the biggest cost is not the original issue itself, it’s the delay in addressing it.
Good Support Creates Confidence
One of the reasons I believe so strongly in the FixHR model is that it gives business owners somewhere to turn before a situation becomes overwhelming. We are signposts and offramps for overwhelmed and busy business owners. We help map out route options, spot the snarl-ups ahead, remind you to check the fuel and oil, we refill the windscreen washer water and check the seatbelts are all in good working order.
You don’t need to wait until something has gone badly wrong. You don’t need to spend a weekend worrying about an email you’ve received from an employee, or one you need to write on Monday. You don’t need to second guess every conversation or lose sleep wondering whether you are handling a situation correctly. Sometimes all you need is a conversation with someone who has travelled this road before. Someone who can help you understand the options ahead, identify any hazards, and give you confidence about the next step. Not because they are driving the business, but because they’re helping you navigate it.
Keep Your Hands on the Wheel
The most successful business owners I know are not the ones who have all the answers. They’re the ones who recognise when it’s wise to seek guidance. They remain firmly in control of their business, but they understand the value and necessity of having trusted people alongside them. People who can provide perspective when the road becomes unclear, help identify risks before they become problems, and support better decisions when the stakes are high.
At FixHR, that’s how we see our role. We’re not here to drive your business, we’re here to help you find the best route through the people challenges that every growing business encounters. Because successful business owners don’t need somebody else to take the wheel, but every now and then, even the most experienced driver appreciates a little support with directions!
Want to talk through a people issue before it becomes a bigger problem?
Give FixHR a call and speak to Ainsley. We’d love to help you navigate the road ahead with confidence, clarity and practical support.
