Single Mums Business Network [SMBN] [CIC]

We welcomed Kay Hamblin, Director of Eight Legal to ‘Friends of the SMBN‘ a few months ago.  She recently joined us for coffee at our Gloucester SMBN meeting and I was really impressed with what I heard and asked her to do a special blog post to share with you all what she shared with us over coffee…. this is what she said:

I qualified as a vet a very long time ago and worked in a number of different practices for around 25 years. During this time I developed a growing interest in how teams function and what really motivates individuals. I could see a clear link between a “well-oiled” team and a successful business, and became fascinated by the impact of different styles of management on team morale and motivation.

While working part-time in practice, I helped my husband set up and grow our business, Eight Legal, which provides employment law and HR support to small businesses. This enabled me to build a good working knowledge of human resources and appreciate how this links with creating high performing teams.

Over the past few years I stopped working  in practice to focus on our business and study part-time for a Master’s Degree in Organisational and Business Psychology, which I was awarded earlier this year. This taught me a huge amount about the psychology of organisational culture, change, teams, and leadership while providing plenty of practical experience in areas such as coaching, reflective practice, and psychometrics. I developed a real interest in fixed and growth mindsets and resilience, which formed the basis of my dissertation.

I’ve been very lucky to have been able to start applying what I was learning even while studying, working with some of our clients on a variety of projects –  for example improving communication across a large, multi-site vet practice, implementing a new management structure for a growing business, and conducting a strategic HR review leading to restructuring and re-allocation of a number of roles.

The thing I love most about the consultancy work is the opportunity to meet the people ‘on the ground’ and discover what they enjoy and what gets in the way of them doing an exceptional job. It’s amazing how people will open up to an objective, confidential, sympathetic ear, providing insights they just won’t share directly with their managers. Especially at times of change and uncertainty, it’s so important that everyone feels that they are being listened to, consulted, and that their opinions matter – it can really help to overcome the innate resistance to change that many people have, even turning detractors into advocates. Consultancy has to be about more than making people ‘feel good’ though (nice as that is!) – a detailed plan of action, with a time-frame is essential; follow-up to make sure things are actually happening equally so.

My combination of practical experience, HR knowledge and business psychology allows me to add real value to businesses, helping them to increase productivity and improve retention by creating engaged, resilient and happy teams.

Kay is part of a small business providing HR and employment law support to SMEs – she says ‘we keep things as simple and practical as possible to help you to run your business smoothly. I also combine this practical HR experience with in-depth theoretical knowledge from my MSc in Organisational and Business Psychology to provide consultancy, with a focus on developing high performing, motivated teams.’

‘We also have a free app, HRMate, which connects SMEs needing help with HR freelancers – too many business owners aren’t sure where to turn for help and are worried about approaching a solicitor. This is a great, free resource to access expert advice.’

Kay has also directly supported Gingerbread via Work for Good by joining the SMBN as a FRIEND

Thank you Kay for being a friend of the SMBN

Connect with Eight Legal and HR Mate App:

Website: www.eightlegal.co.uk

Website: www.hrmate.co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EightLegal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hrmatecouk

The mission of the SMBN is ‘To help self-employed working mums in the UK who are fighting solo to be financially independent whilst there for their families’. Friends of the SMBN are valuable in helping us gain this exposure and benefit from very affordable exposure with every visit to the SMBN.

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