Jenny Sjollema

4th Dimension Sport Challenge Month

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Over the last few weeks, the 4th Dimension team has completed their latest sporting challenges. Practicing what they preach!

Peter Copsey, Co-Director and Founder at 4th Dimension, has beaten his personal best at the Hackney half marathon by completing it in 2 hours and 4 minutes”.

Peter said, “Thanks to my good friend Rob, (to my right), not only did he get me to a new time, but also with enough energy left to make the beer tent. Sub 2hr challenge next year”.

Tony Copsey, Co-Director and Founder at 4th Dimension, has smashed his target of completing the Mallorca 312 http://www.mallorca312.com. He achieved a finish time of 6 hours and 50 minutes.

Tony said, “Delighted to have finished the course this year, following last year’s major crash in the rain, great support from the Brookman’s Park CC!’)

Tony Copsey

Jenny Sjollema, 4th Dimension’s Executive Assistant, completed a gruelling Maldon Mud Race.

Jenny said, “It was my second year to have completed the world famous mud race, and I was chuffed to have knocked 7 minutes off of my previous time, completing it in just 12 minutes”.

Jenny Sjollema

Our newest team member, Pete Bleeze, out Health & Safety consultant completed the Great East Swim in 29 minutes, coming 8th in his age group.

Peter Bleeze

Later this year, Peter will complete the Kokoda Trail, http://www.kokodaspirit.com.au, Tony is planning another cycle challenge this year and Jenny is going to do the Blackwater Triathlon.

If you would like to know more about how 4th Dimension combine lessons from sport and business excellence go to our website on www.4d.uk.com.

Productivity

The Real Problem With Productivity Is Measuring It

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The impact of a Google or Waze isn’t factored into productivity data. It should be.

When it comes to productivity, only two things are undebatable: that the official rate of U.S. productivity growth has stalled since at least 2007, having started to slow before then, and that there is no consensus about why or what to do about it. There is, additionally, some broad consensus that without stronger productivity growth going forward, standards of living for the vast majority of Americans will not improve appreciably, which is likely to fuel the current wave of populist discontent.

One explanation, however, is increasingly popular even as it faces considerable skepticism among economists and policymakers: that the problem is less about productivity than about our inability to measure the effect of the digital and now data revolution that has redefined the American economy. In short, there is a growing chasm between what our economic system is and what our numbers are capable of measuring.

Read more here.

Hire CTO

How to hire a top-notch CTO for a small business

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‘Soon, every business will be a technology business,’ to quote a thousand conference speakers and interviewees from the past 10 years. If you’re building a business that’s got a key technology element or are keen to transform your existing company into one that’s more digitally competent then you might be thinking of hiring a CTO.

Don’t expect it to be easy. Demand for people with a CTO’s unique cocktail of technological and business skills is soaring so you can expect a long and exhausting search before finding the perfect candidate. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

Do you really need a CTO?

CTOs have many functions, but what they certainly aren’t is a glorified head of IT. If you’re looking for someone to simply run your computer network, choose which iMacs to buy for the office and deal with staff tech problems then you’re not looking for a CTO. They’re also more than a chief developer to look after the team working on your app. Somebody who takes a CTO role will be expecting to have a say in the strategic direction your company is taking and how technology can help you get there, not just what kit you buy.

Read more at Management Today

Rugby Wheelchair tournament

Annual wheelchair rugby tournament is back!

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ESRG are delighted to announce that 28th March sees the return of the very successful Annual Wheelchair rugby tournament, taking place at Sedgefield Community College. The event has been organised by the Darlington Mowden Park Community Scheme sponsored by ESRG Group.

It will see Mowden Park 1st Team players take on teams from the NE Bulls WRC, Help for Heroes Phoenix House Recovery Centre and Irwin Mitchell Solicitors. Support from ESRG has enabled the event to run again this year.

Wheelchair rugby is a wheelchair based sport for disability affecting all four limbs. It is a growing sport which is developing every year as more people become associated with it. As one of the only full-contact disability sports, it is little wonder wheelchair rugby, aka ‘murderball’ was one of the biggest hits of the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Read more at ESRG Group

Leader, Coach

Does a leader really have to be a coach?

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It used to be so easy. You wanted something done, so you simply ordered your underlings to have it on your desk by 5pm. Problem solved. Alas, office life isn’t quite so straightforward in the 21st century. Now it’s all first names and employee engagement and teamwork exercises, where a manager isn’t a commanding officer any more, but a leader, and where a leader is apparently also a coach.

Coaching at work sounds like some ghastly fad, a step up from being the office cheerleader, which is unfortunate. All it really means is helping people get the best out of themselves, which has of course been an essential part of good leadership since time immemorial.

The emphasis on leadership as coaching is fairly recent, but there are good reasons for that. Flatter structures, remote working and less a deferential culture all play a role. ‘The command and control approach is just not suitable because of the way in which teams come together now and the way people work,’ says Nick Shaw, an occupational psychologist and managing director of CEB’s UK talent assessment and HR business. ‘Our research shows that leaders have teams that are about 50% larger than they were six years ago.’
Read more at Management Today

Fourth Dimension

Insight Four: Latest News at 4D

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In the last year the team at 4th Dimension have been working on:

  • A major transformation programme for a high technology company involving a major move of complex physical infrastructure and a full operational excellence lean programme to deliver a significant reduction in footprint whilst creating increased capacity, freeing up working capital alongside driving towards best in class service and quality levels
  • Delivering major productivity gains for an automotive supplier through equipment and people performance
  • Project managed the transfer of production between sites
  • Project managed from design through to completion the new R&D and Manufacturing facility for fast growing consumer product innovation company
  • Established new production lines for next phase growth and productivity in electronic assembly
  • Delivered H&S & HR support for an increasing number of small to medium sized businesses
  • Provided a full range of advice support for a major investment group from initial scoping and due diligence through to business and non-executive support
Training your people

Insight Three: A change in the mindset

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In this insight we discuss some of the common themes that emerge during client engagements.

Our approach is centred on focusing the team to strive for excellence. Core to this is to bring about a change in mindset: getting team members away from quick fixes to root-cause problem solving.

Engagements start with a diagnostic analysis – the core tool used to identify the biggest issues, prioritise actions and map the journey. Once the facts are proven, select the appropriate solutions from a well-established tool kit.

From diagnostic to implementation: hands-on approach to kick-start the change process and build momentum. Team members need to become engaged and stay involved. This is achieved with some initial team building games, followed by working on actual processes with immediate impact. Constant communication is vital, a combination of the informal at the workplace and more structured team briefings. Support this stage with simple measures to track progress.

The first signs of success are the new dynamics in the team: leaders emerge, showing technical and project skills and – most importantly – energy, enthusiasm and drive. Identify problem solvers who find ways to break down habitual barriers and overcome negativity.

Outcomes of project engagements are not only measured in financial terms, which typically show 20% or more in efficiency gains, but also in the positivity of a team working together and communicating effectively. With this essential shift in the mindset, stress caused by constant quick fixes and fire-fighting activities can be reduced and efficiency maximised.

“As always, it was a pleasure to have you on site. You hold up the mirror – we do not always like what we see but we are always better off for the looking. You are the only consultants I have ever worked with who did not borrow my watch to tell me the time.” 

Find out more on our Transformation and Change and Training your People pages.

Insight Two: 70 minutes in and it is a 2-point game

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How the dynamics of a rugby game can be applied to business operations

In this year’s Six Nations, we witnessed some inspirational examples of team performance when it mattered. Losing 16-14 against Wales 70 minutes in the game, England went on to win 16-21.

Imagine a similar scenario in a business environment. How good is your team in a critical situation concerning the daily output or a project that seems to stagnate when it should progress? Who can you bring in ‘from the bench’ to turn around the result?

Whether you are a coach or a manager, you are on the bench, looking in. You are involved but detached enough to be able to see what is going on in the team. You discuss what needs to be done in order to change a situation for the better. Sometimes a fresh player, an outsider who can see the opportunities, can slot seamlessly into the team and turn the whole dynamics around and move the situation forward. Sometimes you need a change of tactics or a new viewpoint to develop your team and help them to work together more efficiently and successfully.

Are you looking at your team in the same way? Have you developed a total squad mentality in your business? Is everyone trained in the techniques and processes to allow for seamless changes, provide extra support and cope with increased capacity? Here are some key elements to focus on so you can get your team in top shape:

  • Develop the support team as well as star players
  • Provide systematic training
  • Standardise processes
  • Encourage a team trademark
  • Adopt review and response methods

If you are in a similar situation and want to improve your team’s performance, please get in touch for an informal chat to see how we can help you and your business.

“Fourth Dimensions Elite Performing Team programme has transformed the way my operations team interact, projecting a united front in their restless pursuit for excellence.” 

Find out more about maximising team performance on our Training your people pages.

Insight One: Did you know?

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4th Dimension provide a whole range of services to help achieve operational excellence, commercial excellence and innovation excellence

Every business needs to be as efficient as possible to deliver a valuable product or service and grow. At 4th Dimension, we adopt a holistic approach to improving and maximising operational performance, drawing on the experience we have gained from the complementary fields of sport, industry and performance coaching.

With a clear structure of diagnostic review, implementation and team development, our grounded experts are working with our clients to implement a full range of solutions that drive tangible and lasting improvements to business performance:

  • Lean transformation in both processes and physical infrastructure
  • Supply chain optimisation
  • Customer life cycle management
  • Product life cycle management
  • Leadership & performance Coaching

And we don’t stop there …

At 4th Dimension, we work closely together with our trusted associates in order to provide management systems that can be implemented smoothly into the organisation to help comply with accredited industry standards:

  • Health & Safety
  • Quality
  • Human Resources
  • Environmental

This means that we can offer our clients a complete solution for maximising business performance to achieve the desired industry standards.

‘4th Dimension led a series of radical re-structuring and improvement programmes, consolidating our multi manufacturing sites into a single factory site, a rationalisation and re-negotiation of our supply base resulting in a major reduction in material cost and working capital through the streamlining of our supply chain and introduced a continuous process improvement programme that led to both productivity and quality savings.

With proven leadership skills, ability to identify, plan and implement strategic plans that deliver substantial results and hands-on and confident managerial manner, I would have no hesitation in using their services.’ 

And did you know? Many of the projects we have worked on have been supported with government funding. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more.

Read our Case Studies and Client Feedback to get a taste of who we are and what we do.

4D central in Rugby Expo’s success in its debut at Wasps’ Ricoh Arena

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For the fifth consecutive year, 4D Director Tony Copsey has provided his invaluable support as event consultant to Ruby Expo, the largest global conference and exhibition for the business of club rugby.

This year the event switched location from Twickenham to Wasps’ Ricoh Arena in Coventry with the relocation aimed at increasing exhibitor opportunities in a larger purpose built venue as well as improving accessibility to the event. The arena is within a 2-hour drive of 75% of the UK population including a larger number of Super League clubs and Rugby Football League community rugby teams as the event looks to broaden its appeal across both codes.

Since the announcement of the move Tony has played an instrumental role in ensuring a smooth transition for the event as it moved to Coventry, using his extensive network of contacts to maintain the strong partnerships between Rugby Expo and key organisations from the sport including the RFU, RFL, Premiership Rugby and The Association of Rugby Agents (ARA).

Tony also helped to form the strong line-up of speakers who provided content across the two days, setting up the highly informative Club Council and chairing the ‘Players View’ plenary session on the professional game day of Rugby Expo.

John Hockey, chairman of event owners Rugby Ventures, said: “I would like to thank Tony for his contribution in making Rugby Expo 2016 a huge success. His continued hard work, support of the event and wide network of contacts ensured Expo maintained its strong links with the sport’s key decision makers and enabled another great event for all involved.”