The tiger's last day in captivity, or we're finally about to do this...

Tomorrow, we launch our website.

Today, we took delivery of our brand new business cards and set down a second meeting to go through a proposal for HR and health & wellbeing services to a fantastic company.

We've finetuned the interviews with the talented people we're featuring online, tweaked some other stuff, and we feel READY.

This is actually, properly happening.

Steve and I knew that we had something special when we set up the health & wellbeing programme within Bastows, and it's taken a while to feel that we're ready to replicate that success within other businesses. We've been through variations, changes, development, research- everything short of scrapping it and starting again. We've made our mistakes and learned from them. We'll potentially make a few more- nothing that will create chaos, you understand, but things that will ensure we keep learning as we go.


I guess that's how we know this works. We've tried things, tested ideas and kept all the best ones.

There's still some pre-match nerves, admittedly. What if people don't like the website? (We'll change it.) What if we get inundated with calls? (We'll answer them.) What if...?

That's why we did this. We were bored with 'what if' and 'if only'. So instead, we decided to think 'why not?'

It's time that the experience, knowledge and talent in every business came to the fore, and was appreciated for the value it creates. That counts for us too.

We're launching tomorrow not just because it's a nice fit (being the first of a month) and because it ties in nicely with a certain young lady's 3rd birthday; we are also doing it because today, we lost a special person and we've realised more than ever that time is precious, stories need to be told, and time passes all too quickly. 

It's time that we were out there, doing the fun stuff and showing off our talent too.

Furnishing our online home

We love talent. Who doesn't? 

So we thought we’d dedicate a page of our website to brilliant people who use their talent in harmony with the pace and demands of their everyday lives. 

If you’re a writer, musician, blogger, photographer, artist or anything else and you’d like to be featured (or if you know someone we should chat to) drop us a line. We’d love to discover them too.

Our website launches 1st February and we feature Tanya Barrow, who balances being a mum of three, an in-demand property manager, brilliant wife and 'professional knower of people' with her life as one of the growing army of the UK's influential bloggers. 

We'd launch today if we could but it's a) not quite right yet, and b) we kinda like the symmetry of launching on my niece's 3rd birthday. 

If the site is even half as delightful and inspiring as she is, we can't wait to share it. 

What's in a name?

People have been asking us a burning question. No, not anything remotely connected to this Saturday's lottery numbers, but a more personal one. 

One that's harder to define, because it's about feeling, memory, emotion and energy.

It's a question we're happy to answer although we're not sure people understand why, until they get to know us.

The question is "What does Treacletiger mean?"

 First off, we know it polarises opinion. Some love it, feeling it to be memorable, distinctive, fun, energetic and lively. Some have hurriedly dismissed it as a nonsense, a confection designed to create an edgy or (and this is funny) even 'trendy' image for our business. Some have rolled it around their tongues with a smile, some have used their tongues to try to dissuade us from adopting it.

We chose it because we felt a business we are this passionate about deserved a very special name; something that we connected straight back to creativity, enthusiasm and progress. So let's tell you about the concept of Treacletiger.

A few years back when camping with friends, we got to discussing alter egos, including online tags we choose for ourselves and even the 'craft names' adopted by some people we knew. We discussed how someone we knew as Emma was 'Bobcat' to others, and how she had created that persona. One or two of our number were dismissive, accusing people of hiding behind invented personalities as well as names.

We got to talking about names that we'd choose for ourselves, that represented who we were to our friends, as opposed to who we felt we were. Wil's suggestion that he should be named 'Weaselflute' was met with raucous laughter and we continued in that vein. When it came to me a very dear friend (who understands my nature better than most) burst out with "She has to be Treacletiger!" Her explanation for this was that I was "kind, brave and strong... and it's her sweetness makes her strong!"

It stuck. Treacletiger became an anchor for me when I needed to tap into a great memory, a time of creativity and energy, and a 'good vibe'. It illustrated my values perfectly for me and summed up how strength comes from sweetness, kindness and treating people right. I think businesses deserve some of that strength. 

When I realised I had started to let the concept inspire me, I reaised it had become symbolic of a dream, a word that summed up the passion, creativity and happiness from that campfire that I wanted to take to others.

So when we decided to work with businesses to create great workplaces and culture- what other word could I possibly have chosen?

I am just grateful that my colleagues in this venture 'get it', and are as keen as I am to take the tiger outside for a ride*.

*With apologies to Noel Gallagher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZT1RZzuU4M

Health & Wellbeing: Essential Stuff

The health and wellbeing of your people is the health and wellbeing of your business. When people know they’re contributing to what’s happening, and that they’re part of a functional team, everything is better for everyone.

An effective health and wellbeing programme can reduce staff absence, cut down the prospect of risk, protect against ill-health and loss of skills and productivity, and build value and loyalty in your organisation.

Let us work with you, to create a system covering everything from compliance health checks to tailored in-depth support. We’ll work with you to design an in-house programme that draws on the very best and latest thinking and practice – and then we coach your people in how to work with it. 

The result? You create a culture of shared responsibility for collective outcomes, with the knowledge of how and when to intervene to keep everything on track. We’re about building skills in your organisation. Making people valuable. Making them feel good about working for you. 

Sounds like a good idea, right? It’s one that comes from our experience. We are proud to have been awarded the Investors In People Health & Wellbeing Good Practice Award for our work with Bastows- so we really do mean it when we say this can change the way you work.

“He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.” 

-         Confucius

Why, What, and How- and a bit more

WHY?

Running a business isn’t simple, is it? All those policies, all those systems and procedures they tell you that you need. How are you supposed to make sense of it all and ensure you’re doing the right- and legal -thing? How do you navigate your way through all this... stuff? And how can you then make it great?

We’re here for business people that need HR expertise – from new policies to reviews of those in place.

We’re here for business leaders who need to support the wellbeing of their people.

We’re here for businesses curious about what ‘workplace culture’ means in everyday terms, and why it matters.

More than anything, we’re here to share what we know and bring out the brilliance in your team.

We implement practical ideas that transform how a business operates. We’ve helped our partners pick up awards, accreditations and industry recognition. 

So when we talk about getting what you want from what you’ve got, you know that we’re on about something real. And if we can do it, so can you.

“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”

- Henry Ford

WHAT?

Treacletiger is a unique venture that aims to help your business and your people meet your needs, wants and ‘love to haves’. We can also help you to uncover talent, plan for success and to add value across your organisation.

We believe in working in a way that’s true to our values of being Clear, Passionate and Empowering. When we make a promise, we work hard to keep it. We believe in working responsively, addressing your business’ individual needs, rather than offering generic solutions.

HOW?

All this works thanks to knowledge and resources from the leading thinkers in HR, health and company culture, as well as our experiences with other businesses who have also embraced change and tapped into their talent.

HR IN THE REAL WORLD 

Effective HR practice can prevent and address many issues a business might face. Its impact is in reducing risk while building capability, skills, and value.

A proactive HR approach can manage change and support workers and management. Good HR practice can align business outcomes with individual interests.

A best‐practice set of HR policies – one that’s lived rather than fossilising in a manual - is the platform for a vibrant culture. One where managers are positive about their ability to lead and support staff, who in turn are

confident that they are involved, included, trusted, and cared about.

We want staff to be committed to the success of your business, and managers to be committed to the success of individual staff. We work with you to build skills in your business. It’s what we get our kicks from.

Talk to us about getting started with HR, or reviewing your existing policies.

“Take time to appreciate employees and they will reciprocate in a thousand ways.”

       - Bob Nelson