Kiwi Business Story: Jamie Brock a Business Coach at The Icehouse

Jamie Brock, business coach at The Icehouse and Regional Lead for the Bay of Plenty, outlines what owners and their teams are looking for right now in this Kiwi Business Story special.



What common challenges are your clients experiencing at the moment? 

Four issues occupy their minds at present and, not surprisingly, staff shortages sit at the top of the list. There’s a real shortage of people applying for vacant roles in the Bay and nationally, which is forcing organisations to look at how to attract new people to their businesses. 
 
Many businesses are getting zero applicants for vacant roles, so the clever business owners are trying to stand out by using digital media, advertising campaigns, and offering other perks such as relocation and housing.  
 
One business in my network offers referral bonuses to staff who successfully refer someone to join them. Businesses are desperate and resorting to paying sign-on bonuses for qualified people to join their businesses. 

Secondly, the cost of living is affecting employees heavily, and employees are looking for more money. A lot of surveys place money down the list of importance right now, and in 2022 there’s real pressure on business owners to pay good, fair, market rates to retain their top talent – and attract the best people. This obviously affects margins and profitability, so businesses are having to factor recruitment costs into their long-term financial planning more than ever before. 
 
Alongside cost of living is the increasing costs involved in operating a business. General inflation, a steep rise in costs of fuel, supply chain issues and labour shortages means suppliers have been increasing their rates and this is forcing businesses to try and pass these cost increases on to their customers, putting pressure on everybody. 
 
Finally, businesses are telling me that they’re really having to juggle staff availability as teams are having to isolate because of Covid. One business owner in my network explained that around 50% of their team were away in February. That means a lot of rescheduling, flexibility and resilience and is a reminder that Covid is still impacting on everyone’s wellbeing just to stay on top of workload.  

Any unique challenges you’re hearing about?  
 
There’s a massive shortage of health professionals locally – allied health professionals who are looking for work are often receiving multiple job offers at the moment. When borders open and return to some sense of normality, we will see some health professionals enter New Zealand, but many younger people who have been working here through the pandemic will be eyeing options overseas in Australia and the UK and so on.  



Are there any regional or industry-specific issues coming through at the moment?  

As I said earlier, staff shortages are a huge issue. You only have to think of an industry like horticulture and how challenging that must be for those businesses. With the kiwifruit harvest underway and borders still closed, the rates for pay in the industry have gone up for pickers and post-harvest roles. This has seen people choose to leave other businesses and take on picking or packing kiwifruit seasonal roles because the rates are so good.  

What questions should a business owner be asking a coach? 
 
‘When can we meet again?’ Seriously, a successful coach and client relationship is built on trust over time and understanding that there isn’t a ‘one size fits all approach’ to strategy or a magic wand for quick fixes.  
 
Having said that, owners want to work with coaches who can quickly identify opportunities or get to the root cause of whatever challenges they’re struggling with now, the coaches who ‘get things done’, and who help their clients find solutions for both the short and long-term. Tap into your coach’s expertise and remember that no question is too difficult or a waste of time.  

How should an owner “manage” the advice they get from coaching? Is it all too overwhelming sometimes? 

It certainly could be, but a good coach will help a client to focus on a few things that will have the biggest impact on their business and themselves. Make sure the agreed priorities are written down and set some goals to achieve. Then use your coach to hold you accountable to deliver actions in a certain time frame.  It’s amazing how having some ask, ‘How have you got on with XYZ?’ will keep them focused. 

What makes a memorable or successful client? 
 
Nearly every business owner is time poor, and the memorable ones have found ways to change the way they are working in their business. They surround themselves with great people, empower their people, and focus on managing themselves so that they can manage their businesses successfully.  
 
I have a lot of respect for people who have managed to change their work/life balance and are now choosing to lead an “easier” life. 

If an owner can take one piece of coaching advice right now, what would that be?  

Manage yourself first! Have a good look in the mirror first to see if you like what you see. If you don’t, then you’ll find working with a business coach can be a transformational experience in all areas of life.