Are You Getting the Best From Your People, or Just Hoping You Are?

The biggest obstacles to growth are not always the ones you can see. A People & Leadership Audit helps you understand the root cause and where action will make the greatest difference. This is not simply a review of what your policies say or what your systems are supposed to do. I am interested in how things actually work for the individuals using them, to improve what you can get out of your biggest asset, your people.

I’m Gemma Burns, a strategic HR Consultant, Coach and independent People and Leadership Auditor. My experience allows me to work comfortably at both strategic and practical levels because I understand the importance of people strategy, leadership capability and organisational culture, but I also understand the operational reality of implementing change, improving systems, supporting managers and ensuring that new approaches work in day-to-day practice.

Rising absence, good people leaving, inconsistent performance and managers constantly firefighting can become familiar frustrations within an organisation. Which have resulted in you investing in training, systems and processes; yet still feel that things should be working better.

These issues are often then addressed separately, or avoided because it may seem like its not a big enough deal to get under the skin of; but the problem you can see is not always the one you need to solve. They will be draining time, energy and money while the organisation continues investing in solutions that do not address the underlying cause.

How often have you heard the phrase "People just don't want to work these days" or "Why does everything take so long?". Without finding the root cause to these issues, things will not change. And the longer it is left to grumble away, the deeper it will erode your culture and the harder it will be to rein it back in. Turnover may reflect inconsistent management or limited development opportunities, while poor productivity may have more to do with duplicated work, unclear accountability or frustrating systems than employee effort. Most people want to do a good job, and finding out how to keep them present and engaged is in the best interests of an organisation regardless of size or industry.

An independent view of what is really happening

I help organisations understand how effectively their people, leadership, processes and systems are supporting the business, and where hidden gaps may be quietly affecting performance, productivity and growth.

Over the last 20 years, I have worked in senior and strategic people roles across organisations of different sizes, sectors and stages of development. That experience has taught me that most organisations are already doing a great deal well, but the individual parts do not always work together as effectively as everyone assumes.

One common issue I see for example, is that many organisations have committed managers who have received leadership training but they lack the confidence, clarity or support needed to apply it consistently. I can help reinstate what good leadership looks like, to translate what they have learned into consistent day-to-day leadership practice. I can also coach them to give them confidence, and hold them accountable and be a true people leader - ensuring they take responsibility for their teams; to perform well, remain engaged, and loyal to the overarching organisational success.

What does a People & Leadership Audit examine?

Through a People & Leadership Audit, I take a joined-up look at how your organisation attracts, leads, manages, supports and develops its people. Starting with your business goals, I examine your people strategy and workforce planning, leadership and manager capability, roles and accountability, performance and development, and culture and employee experience.

I also look at the practical foundations underneath those areas, including policies, processes, HR systems, people data and the everyday tools available to managers. A system may hold valuable information without helping leaders make decisions, while a process that looks sensible on paper may create unnecessary work in practice.

By combining this information with honest conversations, I identify what is working well, where things are becoming disconnected and where your attention is likely to make the greatest difference.

Clear priorities linked to your business goals

You will receive a clear People Health Report highlighting your strengths, gaps and risks, alongside practical recommendations prioritised against your organisational goals. This gives you a clearer basis for deciding what to tackle first and where to invest your time and resources.

The findings may point to a significant strategic gap, but the solutions are often practical: clarifying accountability, simplifying a process, using an existing system more effectively or helping managers apply their leadership skills consistently.

The aim is to protect what already works and focus effort where change can improve performance, reduce unnecessary work and strengthen the employee experience.

Support that goes beyond the report

An audit can provide clarity, but the value is only realised when that insight is translated into action. If you don’t have the internal capacity, I can continue working alongside you and your teams to implement the recommendations and embed the changes,.

Depending on what the audit uncovers, I can support your organisation by:

• developing a practical people strategy aligned with your business plans;

• providing fractional strategic HR leadership;

• designing and delivering targeted leadership and manager development;

• strengthening performance, development and accountability practices;

• implementing or improving HR information and job-management systems;

• simplifying inefficient people processes; and

• providing executive coaching to leaders managing growth or change.

I bring an independent perspective without approaching the organisation as though everything needs to be changed. My role is to help you recognise what is already working, understand where something may be getting in the way and focus your effort on the changes that will create the greatest benefit.

If you know your organisation could be working better but are unsure where to begin, an initial conversation can help establish whether a People & Leadership Audit is the right starting point.

Contact me at gemma@lilibetcoaching.com or 07476 306984 to arrange an initial conversation about what a People & Leadership Audit could uncover for your organisation.