Job Title: Founder and CEO
Company: APeopleBusiness
Website: apeoplebusiness.com
Paul's Linkedin profile: www.linkedin.com/in/paulmfinch/
At APeopleBusiness we work with organisations to help them understand the impact of stress within the workforce. We have developed ‘StressFactor™’, software that surfaces sources of stress and creates a digital heat map that identifies hot spots, enabling organisations to take pre-emptive action to minimise the scale of anxiety and depression. APB has embedded the DiSC® personality profiling tool into the StressFactor product to take into account how different people have different resilience levels. The tool was developed in conjunction with a number of Psychologists including behavioural scientist Roy Norris and its’ focus is on prevention.
In our experience many companies look for quick fixes to reduce stress and although this may have positive media impact, unless there are changes made to the areas causing hot spots, nothing much is going to change.
Stress within organisations can result in a loss of productivity and our emphasis is on prevention. Orgnisations need to put in place the resources needed to help people function effectively, efficiently and without unnecessary or undue stress.
Uncontrolled workload is one of the main factors that effects how stressed an individual feels in the workplace and levels of consistent stress can build up into being a major issue. Experience tells us that for most people pressure zones come from; not understanding their job role, poor internal communications and bullying and harassment. We have developed ways of identifying and then resolving these issues giving long term, targeted support.
At APeopleBusiness we do not think that any stress is ‘good’ for employees, we try to change the language around stress. We understand that for example ‘competitive pressure’ can work within sales departments to improve results.
I am a bowel cancer survivor and set up a charity, Red Trouser Day to help raise awareness of and fund research into this ‘very challenging and quite often taboo field’. I have no doubt that the stress I was under prior to diagnosis contributed to my illness. I had stage 3 (nearly 4) cancer and was given a 10% chance of surviving more than 5 years. Fortunately due to the amazing care I got during that time and a complete change in my lifestyle I have made a good recovery.
The current Covid-19 crisis and surrounding news means we have all been subjected to a constant build up of negative doom and gloom from the Government and the scientific community. The result is undoubtedly a weakening of spirit and a vulnerability to stress and anxiety. Companies that really do care about their staff need to take a new approach to reducing stress and anxiety and we are confident that our StressFactor software can help. To reduce my own stress levels I spend my free time hiking and sailing, both are very good for the soul.
Covid-19 has been, and continues to be, really difficult for many people. We all think there is a light at the end of the tunnel but none of us really know what that light will look like. It is a time for people to plan for the new and be open to new ideas and ways of working.
In terms of people or books that have inspired me I would recommend that everyone read:
- Viktor Frankl – Man’s search for Meaning
- Dr Joe Dispenza – You are the Placebo
And if you can, I advise you to watch Jason Silva, he is a futurist, philosopher and public speaker. I love his positive attitude and never fail to be inspired by what he says.
As someone who has set up several businesses the most important lesson I have learnt is to take advice from people who have done it before. Most people are very happy to share their knowledge and their experience which can help you avoid costly mistakes. In my experience this is specifically around recruitment, where the default can be to employ people like ourselves, which is often not the best thing to do.
If anyone is thinking about setting up their own business my advice is to ‘Do it – life’s too short to worry about doing it’. Going out on your own does bring with it a kind of freedom, if you are successful remember you are not untouchable, if you are unsuccessful simply change what you are doing.