Company Outline
The Kids Club is a collection of three privately run kindergartens, located in the North of Hamilton. There are currently 13 permanent employees, all of which support The Kids Club in offering a first-class achievement-based education for its children.
Problem
Staff noticed that operations were not running as smoothly as they believed they could so, in 2013, Nick Harvey of Deep Waters Consulting was approached for help. Nick identified a series of problems in the management structure of The Kids Club. They were lacking a cohesive and consistent business practice as well as a collective understanding of staff duties and responsibilities. The result was an abundance of unproductive workplace issues, fuelled by irregular and unsustainable hours of work for staff. These issues clouded the direction and vision of the business, inhibiting the ability to plan for future improvement and growth.
Solution
After identifying and analysing the problems faced by The Kids Club, Nick developed and implemented a series of both intrinsic and operational changes to the business. The first of which was the introduction of a key set of values and a purpose; one that all staff could get behind. This led to the creation of Caring Casey, Structured Stevie, Educational Eddie, and Fun Frankie - all personifications of the shared values deemed essential for fulfilling their purpose of providing a quality achievement-based educational experience for their children. Structural changes within The Kids Club were also made. The development of an effective recruitment process allowed the business to bring in the right staff for the job. The management structure was solidified, and with better leadership, oversight, and communication channels came an improved shared understanding of the core values and purpose.
Outcome
A clear and positive team culture resulted. One where each member of the team is committed to upholding the purpose of delivering a structured education through the implementation of a shared set of core values. Sustainable work hours and a better understanding of responsibilities diminished the staff issues which had once been rife in the business, removing distractions which had previously taken focus away from what could otherwise have been put towards self-improvement and overall growth. The director was given a degree of autonomy to alter their efforts from being consumed by reactive problem solving, to being more proactive in building and growing the business.
Summary
Nick was engaged in 2013 to help find solutions for a situation of unsustainable workload, much of this due to ‘staff issues’. With his support to develop and communicate the core purpose and values, along with implementing effective recruitment processes, The Kids Club now embodies a positive team culture, has fewer unproductive staff issues, and the director is enabled to focus more on the direction of the business.
