The first Monday in February has earned the unenviable title of National Sickie Day, recognised as the day when, on average, the highest number of people are absent from work through illness.

But February as a whole fares little better, with more of the UK’s 149 million annual sick days claimed during the shortest month of the year than any other.

No business deliberately or knowingly recruits a member of staff who is likely to deliver an unacceptable standard of work or has a poor attitude or work ethic.

But the reality is that sometimes – and for all sorts of reasons that aren’t always to do with the employee themselves – organisations find themselves having to deal with poor performance.

It’s at these times that it’s vital to have a well-structured, well-considered and legally fit-for-purpose disciplinary procedure.

Having a disciplinary process that isn’t robust enough to deal effectively with problems when they arise presents a significant risk to both the employer and the employee.

For the employer, there is the potentially negative impact of poor performance (and ineffective measures to deal with it) on their workplace culture, reputation, and finances.

It may be the favourite time of year for many of us – but regardless of how much we may like to batten down the hatches and enjoy the raw beauty of the season, one thing is for sure: employee morale declines in the winter months.

The reality of winter is that it’s an emotional roller coaster where the highs of the holiday season are in stark contrast to that jolting back to work feeling where the dark nights and cold temperatures seem a very long way away from spring and summer.

But you’re not alone. Many studies show that January and February are the least productive months of the working year.

So, how do teams regain their motivation, and what can you do to accelerate that process?

Building a successful company is difficult and gets harder as the company expands and enters new markets and countries – which is often the seed bed for inertia as business leaders, swamped by the challenges ahead, deprioritise some of the key issues that underpin growth.

This is undoubtedly true when it comes to corporate culture, which is often undervalued by businesses – and especially start-ups – as they embark on a plan for expansion. And when they do realise the importance of culture in performance, it’s often too late.

Business culture is a vital component of success and starting with the right business culture makes life very much easier further down the road.

If you were to gather 100 business leaders in a room and ask them to name the 5 key people management skills that drive success, it’s unlikely that delegation would feature on many of those lists.

Most managers and leaders spend their time juggling a constant stream of tasks and to-do lists, so it’s not surprising that delegation tends to be seen primarily as a way of clearing some things off that radar.

Yet delegation is so much more than that. Using delegation effectively can add real value to your business, helping it to evolve and develop not just in terms of its profitability and productivity, but also in building a better employee brand and helping your organisation to grow culturally.