Is your leadership style secretly sabotaging your business? In this episode of The Accidental Business Owner Podcast, Jay Allen—award-winning entrepreneur and founder of My TrueNORTH—reveals why the old-school “command and control” approach is costing you talent, profits, and peace of mind.

Discover how micromanagement destroys morale, slows growth, and drives your best people out the door. Jay shares eye-opening research from a major U.S. university study that analysed what really keeps employees loyal. Spoiler alert: nine retention drivers outrank salary—and most businesses ignore them completely.

If you want a team that performs better, stays longer, and actually enjoys coming to work, this episode is your roadmap. Expect practical, actionable strategies on:

✅ Building trust and autonomy
✅ Creating a culture that attracts top talent
✅ Leadership habits that boost engagement
✅ The hidden motivators that transform workplaces

Perfect for business owners, managers, and leaders ready to ditch outdated habits and build a stronger, more human business.

• Learn the 9 employee retention drivers that matter more than money
• Understand why micromanagement kills growth
• Get real-world leadership tips you can implement today

✅ Free Scale-Up Audit Report: www.mytruenorth.club/bsu
✅ Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk4TDfkWlBHxthciMBWGoe25LiNuGWtQN&si=0TB2ViTCqDDVcMVl
✅ Listen on Your Favourite Platform:

• Spotify
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LinkedIn: Jay Allen

Website: MyTrueNORTH.biz

Email: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz

micromanagement, employee retention strategies, modern leadership, business growth tips, company culture, leadership development, team engagement, small business leadership, entrepreneur tips, ethical business coaching

In this powerful new episode of the Accidental Business Owner Podcast, host Jay Allen brings on Dougal Paver — a long-standing industry expert who knows the high stakes of major development, stakeholder engagement and transformation projects. Dougal serves as Managing Director of Merrion Strategy, a strategic communications and stakeholder engagement consultancy specializing in the built environment and major regeneration schemes.

What really makes this episode stand out is the focus on one specific real-world project: the refurbishment of the St James Business Centre in Warrington — an 80,000 sq ft multi-user business centre undergoing a ~£5 million transformation.

If you’re a business owner, property professional, operations leader, or just someone interested in how communication and stakeholder alignment drive big projects, this episode is for you.

Meet the guest: Dougal Paver

Dougal has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, public relations and stakeholder engagement within the built environment. He has advised major developers, regeneration agencies and strategic land-owners across the UK.

In his current role at Merrion Strategy, he continues to direct complex projects, combining his expertise in communications with the rigour of development, policy, property and regeneration. One of his recent clients noted his strong network, deep knowledge of public affairs and capacity to operate at scale.

When hearing him speak, you’ll benefit from someone who isn’t just an academic or consultant in isolation — he’s been in the trenches of real projects, real tenants, real contractors.

Key business themes explored

Here are some of the major themes you’ll hear during the interview:

How often do we treat communication as “nice to have” rather than “must-have”? Dougal reframes communication as core business infrastructure — especially when you are managing change.

Examples from the discussion:

• Advance warnings, tenant briefings, regular updates.

• Aligning builders/contractors with occupier needs and building management.

• Clear escalation paths: who to call if something goes wrong.

The project isn’t just “tenant” vs “contractor”. Dougal walks us through mapping all parties: building management, facilities services, tenants, contractors, local authority/regeneration partner, car-parking, IT/internet services, cycling facilities, reception, café/amenities etc.

Each group has distinct needs — the communications strategy must reflect that.

This is where the rubber meets the road: how to minimise downtime, maintain tenant satisfaction, deliver construction works. Key issues:

• Phasing of works to avoid large scale interruptions

• Advance notice + transparency around noise, access changes, services impact

• Buffering tenants by offering “what’s in it for them” (improved facilities, café, breakout, technology hub)

In the case of St James, the building was re-branded (new name) and positioned as a more modern, flexible hub to meet evolving occupier demands.
Dougal discusses how building perception matters: not just the steel and concrete, but how people feel about the environment, the service, the communication culture.

At the heart: communication builds trust. When tenants feel heard and informed, they are more tolerant of disruption and more likely to stay long-term. Dougal emphasises accountability: who says what, when, how—and making sure follow-through happens.

1. Communication as the operational backbone2. Stakeholder mapping & segmentation3. Managing “live” disruption in a multi-user property4. Brand and perception management5. Business owner takeaways: trust, transparency and accountabilityKeywords for SEO: Accidental Business Owner Podcast, Episode 104, Jay Allen, Dougal Paver, Merrion Strategy, St James Business Centre Warrington, business communication, stakeholder engagement, refurbishment project management, multi-tenant property management, business owner insights.

In this powerful episode of The Accidental Business Owner Podcast, host Jay Allen takes you far beyond basic business advice and into the strategic mindset required to create your own space in the market. In “Blue Ocean Battle Plan,” Jay explains how most businesses waste time fighting over the same customers, in the same way, with the same tired tactics — and why that guarantees you’ll always be stuck reacting instead of leading.

Jay draws directly from his real-world army experience, where strategic planning, rapid problem-solving, and readiness under pressure were not optional — they were survival. He reveals how those same military-grade strategies can be applied to business so you’re never caught off guard by competition, market shifts, or sudden challenges. From building contingency plans you can deploy instantly to designing a brand position that naturally separates you from the noise, Jay lays out a clear, practical blueprint any business owner can begin using today.

You’ll hear how companies around the world have adopted these methods to not only stay competitive but to outpace entire industries — not by fighting harder, but by choosing a different battlefield entirely.

Whether you're launching something new, reinventing a business that’s gotten stale, or simply tired of operating in constant reaction mode, this episode gives you the mindset and framework to create a business that leads with confidence and has a strategic plan ready at a moment’s notice.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to escape saturated markets and define your own territory

• The real difference between planning and strategic readiness

• How military principles translate into business agility and strength

• Why most business plans fail — and how to build one that works in real life

• The mindset shift that turns reactive business owners into proactive leaders

Listen in and prepare to step into your own Blue Ocean — clear, focused, and positioned to win.

🔗 Stay Connected With Me.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyTrueNORTHUK/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytruenorthuk/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayallen-mytruenorth/ Website: http://www.mytruenorth.biz/ 📩 For business inquiries: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz ✅ About My TrueNORTH - The Ethical Coaching Company.Welcome to My TrueNORTH – The Ethical Coaching Company! I’m Jay Allen, a 2x Global Entrepreneur Award winner and former British Army medic turned business scale mentor. After leading change at the board level and scaling & exiting multiple businesses, I now help business owners grow sustainably and ethically. Through My TrueNORTH, I coach purpose-driven entrepreneurs to scale with integrity and clarity. I also founded the #ADDAZERO Business Challenge with a bold goal: to help 1,000,000 business owners add a zero to their income. Join me for real, ethical growth strategies that make a lasting impact.For Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: Enquiries@MyTrueNORTH.Biz🔔 Ready to scale ethically and sustainably? Subscribe for ethical business mentoring, expert business coaching, growth strategies, and the tools to grow your business!https://www.youtube.com/@MyTrueNORTHUK/?sub_confirmation=1

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