We all experience stress and anxiety at some times in our working lives and many of us feel that a little bit can be fine. But when does it become too much and damaging to our career and our health? Stress really isn’t worth it in the long run, although I appreciate reducing it […]
Have you ever been in a working environment which was improved as soon as the boss wasn’t around or had gone home? The atmosphere lifts, people start to smile and laugh, and yet the work still gets done? It always surprised me that managers could create such an unproductive, stressful environment by their presence and […]
I was recently with a group of managers who were discussing how difficult it was to be a good leader when the organisation’s culture was one of blame and fear, and many of their bosses didn’t support them in what they were trying to do with their teams. I know from my previous experiences how […]
There has obviously been a lot of discussion, especially in the financial services industry, about increasing regulation and legislation as a means to reduce some of the unethical behaviours and risks recently seen. However, as Peter Cheese (CIPD) was quoted as saying “And while there are some gaps to be closed, the real issue that […]
As part of a training programme, we conducted an experiment to review the news and find out how much of the information provided was opinion and how much was fact. To our surprise we found that the majority was opinion – the reporter’s, the politician’s, the interviewee’s. Studies have also shown that when something is […]
Have you ever heard “my boss just doesn’t understand me”, or “why does my boss think their way is the only way, rather than focussing on the results I can achieve”? One of my previous boss’ perceptions of my management style was summed up in his description “you’re too protective of your team and have […]
Beliefs are those things that you’ve decide are true for you. And they can be positive (eg, I’m great at spreadsheets), or they can be negative (I’m useless at presentations). Normally, when we believe we can do something (let’s take as an example, “I’m very organised”), we notice the things that prove to us that […]
During my management career, I went through many a time where I thought I couldn’t be a good manager, didn’t enjoy it, or felt that I had made too many mistakes. At one time, we had a new boss join our established team, who not only didn’t understand anyone who was different or managed differently […]
Following the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, researchers studied those who had won gold, silver and bronze medals. Those who won gold seemed the happiest, but surprisingly those who received bronze seemed happier than those who got silver. According to a recent Inc.com article, this is down to what psychologists call “counterfactual thinking” or “what if”, […]
Giving feedback is a very important communication skill needed to ensure that the team members understand their contribution to success and learn from any mistakes. But there’s one word that is very important to use well if you’re going to get the desired affect (and you’ll see what I did there in a second!) And […]
If you don’t give feedback, or only rarely (eg. only during Annual appraisals), then your employees get very little encouragement to provide exceptional performance, as the assumption could be that all is fine. No news is good news? Although not great for building confidence levels. Studies have shown that people who received regular praise and […]
Think of a leader in your organisation who you trust. What makes them trustworthy? Any of the following: because they kept their promises; they supported you when you needed it; they backed you up even when they were challenged (eg by their boss, customers etc); they showed up and helped when it wasn’t convenient for […]
Being a manager and leader today can be a very difficult job. Surveys and reports are demonstrating that the number one impact on employee motivation and engagement is down to the abilities and skills of the leader they are reporting to. Work related stress, the main cause of sickness rates, is also often attributed to […]
As provided to Moorlands Human Capital as a guest blogger: Self confidence is important in all aspects of our lives, and especially in our leadership role. A confident leader will be motivated to achieve results and find it easier to inspire those around them. But have you considered the results that an entire team of […]
Having looked at what could happen if you don’t delegate, and the benefits to you as a manager if you do, I thought it might be worth identifying where you can have the greatest impact on the process. Firstly, it’s important to appreciate any concerns you have as a manager that may be stopping you […]
What if they do a better job than me? What if they’re after my job? What if the boss thinks they are more capable than I am, and they end up getting promoted before me? What role do I have left, if I delegate all these tasks? What if they do it all wrong and […]
Have you been in a situation where a major success has been achieved, but when asked what was the driving force, every person, leader and/or department involved has taken some kind of credit? It was the customer research, the new processes, the systems enhancements, the marketing, the leadership skills. Although we learn a lot from […]
I love to dance! That’s my passion and it would take a lot to stop me from getting to my lesson. Not only do I enjoy the process of learning, but it’s also a good way of reducing stress and having fun. But there are also benefits that can be transferred into your leadership role, […]
Self confidence is important in all aspects of our lives, and especially in our leadership role. But it’s something that many people struggle to obtain, and without it being successful is a lot more difficult. For instance, someone who stands with their head held high, speaks clearly, answers questions with conviction and who can admit […]
Confidence doesn’t seem to be something that gets discussed a lot when it comes to leadership. But you may have noticed certain behaviours in a leader and not realised that that behaviour is actually down to a severe lack of confidence. One such leader joined an established team and rather than taking time to notice […]
OK, I’m going to apologise before I start, as this subject is a bit of a bug bear of mine!! And this comes after a recently discovery that a UK company has informed their staff that there are no salary increases this year, but are willing to pay $4m a year on recruitment agencies. Good […]
Being a leader can be a very fulfilling role. Seeing employees achieve great successes, learn new skills, develop new behaviours and take on leadership roles of their own provides a very satisfying feeling to those who have been part of that development. However, at times, it can seem very overwhelming. Do you feel you have […]
During one of my Financial Services Senior Exec interviews on Leadership (see video), a great observation about inappropriate leadership was raised. And that was about amplifying the stresses and pressure from above down to your team, and the consequences of doing that to those who receive it. One of my personal experiences was during the crucial […]
Do you sometimes reflect back and wonder why your career isn’t progressing in the way you had hoped or planned, and you’re not sure how to change things? Or you may feel that you’re drowning in expectation (from your boss, team, peers, family, friends, or even yourself) – trying to do all that is required […]
Nobody likes making mistakes (I know, obvious Karen!), but there’s a big difference to your approach when you’re scared of making them. There’s the personal fear, but it could also be that your organisation has a “blame culture” where mistakes are frowned upon and people are always on the lookout for a scapegoat. This would […]
As far as I’m concerned, self-awareness is one of the keys to great leadership. If you know what motivates you, stresses you, triggers certain behaviours in you, you can then start to truly appreciate the differences in others and find it much easier to adapt your style to your team’s needs. As a leader, would […]
You’re working on a project that has very tight deadlines. You like to organise your time, with a step by step approach, complete the tasks early so that you have time to deal with any unforeseen circumstances and still hit the deadline. However, your colleague seems to be working on their tasks sporadically, a flexible […]
Although research has shown that 18-26% of managers’ time is spent on dealing with conflict, there is more than just time that can be gained from effective handling and conflict management. Whenever there are disagreements between colleagues (be that regarding tasks, projects, handling specific situations) where different perspectives, information and expertise are brought to the […]
During a conversation I was having with a group of managers recently, an interesting discussion stood out to me as an easy win to improve relationships with teams. The managers were saying that their Senior Executive walked into their small department every day and sat down at their desk having only said hello to fellow […]
Rarely do people enjoy arguing with others, and I’ve found that most leaders find that dealing with conflict can be an uncomfortable necessity. Research has also shown that 18-26% of a manager’s time can be spent dealing with conflict resolution – that’s a lot of hours on an aspect that most don’t find enjoyable! Unfortunately, […]