Offering a “management masterclass” from Cranfield University School of Management as a reward for the most useful nuggets of advice, IIP received several thousand responses from business operators. These suggestions were then whittled down to the final ten by a panel of judges including IIP chief executive Ruth Spellman and Cranfield University director Gerard Burke.

Among the ten selected entries, were the recommendation that employers “encourage employees to suggest ideas”, the suggestion that “building relationships with employees is the key to success” and the counsel that managers should “have the courage to hire people who [they] think are better than [them]”.

Though these tips appear rather generic, Spellman points out that “we’ve gone for the ones where there is a clear lesson for all employers – these are the kinds of things that often go overlooked”.

“Generally, the tips are about how you can get the best from your workforce” Spellman continues “if your staff feel more appreciated they are usually more productive and while anyone can buy a cutting edge piece of technology, it’s your employees that can give your business a real edge”.

A full list of the selected tips, together with other pieces of advice for small businesses, has been published in the Investors in People Little Book of Tips: Volume 2. Copies can be downloaded from www.investorsinpeople.co.uk or ordered, free of charge, by emailing julieg@iipuk.co.uk.

See also: Ten points to active performance management in a small business