I was writing a blog about the successful ways of destroying morale, and it crossed my mind that many of the attributes I included I had experienced first-hand from managers. But then it got me thinking about the kind of manager I had become directly because of those experiences. You may have heard people say […]
The impact on the company when morale is low can be obvious in terms of productivity, client service and top employee retention, but often managers are at a loss as to how to improve it, and some can be unaware of the impact they themselves are having in its decline. Without respect, trust, consideration and […]
Are employees more frustrated with people calling in sick too often, or when they come in to the office when they should have stayed at home? Employees taking days off sick can cause a delay in work or projects being completed, reduced productivity and increased workloads (and possibly overtime costs) for those taking up the […]
During a recent chat with some friends, one of the biggest management headaches they’ve been dealing with is the rise in absence levels. Senior management, who have been reviewing the statistics, have asked them to incorporate new procedures to interview every person who’d had more than 3 days off in a row. I know this […]
Although there are many individual requirements to take into consideration when motivating our employees, we can also find some general expectations on motivating each of the “Generations” in our teams. Having diverse teams covering different generations, in my book, is ideal as it provides a breadth of experience, an increased ability to learn from each […]
There have been many studies showing that money is not a good motivator, even though it is usually at the top of the performance-related schemes in organisations. So, if money doesn’t work, what does? From the research, praise and recommendation from their immediate manager, recognition, personal satisfaction, career growth and a challenging role seem to […]
Strictly Come Dancing is one of my favourite shows on TV – not least because I love to dance myself and am lucky enough to have regularly danced with two of the professionals of the show – but that’s another story!! What is also fascinating about the show for me is the change in confidence […]
I was talking to a good friend of mine the other day and he was discussing his current relationship, and during the conversation those familiar words “I don’t understand why …” came up. Immediately it reminded me of a few years back, when my girlfriends and I decided we needed to write a book called […]
Whether you have taken over from your previous boss, moved to manage a new team in your organisation, or have been brought in externally, you want to be taken seriously from the outset. This requires you to know your job description, but also the culture within the team and the organisation. The first 3 months […]
When leaders are developing their communication skills, it’s worth understanding how events around us can trigger a reward or threat scenario in our minds, and what this can do to our ability to think clearly. Let’s take fairness as an example. If we feel that we’ve been unfairly treated or taken advantage of, this can […]
One of the key drivers for successful leadership skills, in my opinion, is the ability to understand yourself (i.e. self-awareness). Without knowing how you are going to react to situations, what your biases may be, or challenges you may enjoy or try to avoid, it’s difficult to then understand those in your team and inspire […]
A friend and I decided that we would be spontaneous the other weekend and go to Gatwick airport and get a flight to somewhere, with no pre-determined ideas as to where. For those naturally spontaneous people, that won’t sound particularly strange, but for us very organised types, it was an interesting challenge! The additional goal for […]
Science has proved that monetary rewards to top performers actually leads them to worse performance! And bonuses certainly don’t work if you want to encourage creativity and innovation. What works best is recognition and allowing people to learn, have individual goals and work on projects that they really care about and can focus on. Obviously […]
In management, it is important to identify and value the differences individuals bring to the success of the team and the organisation; building on this where it works well. Each manager’s style can contribute to a positive and progressive team or (as you may have encountered from some of your bosses), if unaware of their […]
Departments, by nature, have specific role expectations and specific characteristics in order for them to function effectively. However, that very difference can also cause miscommunication when interacting with one another. By way of example, for this blog, I’m going to look at the roles of Sales, Marketing and Operations, but the same principle applies to […]
Within the Economist Intelligence Unit report sponsored by the Hay Group, it was found that 87% of business leaders identify that employee engagement is one of the top 3 most significant threats facing their business but, even though most think it is their responsibility to improve levels, currently very few actually discuss it in their […]
In the UK, organisations have recorded that only 3-25% of their staff are highly engaged, offering a huge improvement potential for those leaders who can demonstrate the link to profitability, productivity and staff tenure. The government commissioned paper written by David MacLeod and Nita Clarke, entitled Engaging For Success, provides a number of statistics […]
The economic downturn has been a significant factor in increasing stress levels in the workplace. A recent survey has found that 41% of employees are currently feeling stressed or very stressed in their jobs. Importantly, 20% think that if they mentioned stress they would be first to be made redundant and 48% are scared to […]
Whose name is the most important and thought about name that you know? It’s yours! The average person is much more interested in their name than any others in the world. By remembering someone’s name, you are paying a very subtle, but very effective compliment. Your name sets us apart as a unique individual. Forgetting […]
According to a recent Manpower global talent survey, a sixth of employers are finding it difficult to fill key roles in their organisation, even in these high levels of unemployment. And it seems that skills shortages are the main problem. The survey identified that “management/executives” are the third most difficult roles to fill. This could […]
The dip in afternoon productivity when employees don’t take a lunch break has been reported by Bupa as costing businesses nearly £50million a day. Employees believe they are doing their bosses a favour by working through lunch, with a third of those not taking a break saying this is down to management pressures or work […]
A new survey has revealed that a quarter of British employees do not respect their managers, and nearly half are not motivated by them. The main findings show that: 36% say their supervisor fails to provide clear instructions 23% dislike their managers Nearly half don’t think their manager helps them develop their career 30% […]