How would you describe being unprofessional? Perhaps a boss, colleague or client didn’t control their emotions under stress, disrespected others, gossiped, or failed to do what they said they would do when they said they would do it? As a leader, how would you handle someone asking for flexible working hours, but then angrily stating […]
Have you ever experienced going to an event with someone and when discussing it afterwards, it was as if you were at two different events? It’s worth understanding why that is in order to help improve communication. We receive an external event through our sensory input channels (visual, auditory, kineasthetic, olfactory smell, gustatory taste). Then […]
Ever found yourself having to do a presentation and you are absolutely petrified? There are many articles on presentation skills, in order to improve your delivery, your appearance etc. However, despite reading all of those, my experiences of doing presentations still felt terrible. This is what used to happen to me. When I was 23 […]
I’m sure most of us, at one time or another, have had a project cancelled, or report/presentation we’ve been working on changed by our manager with little explanation. You’ve put a lot of effort in to the detail, worked long hours to get it completed, put your heart and soul into the results. What do […]
Recently, the CIPD reported that the annual cost of sickness absence has climbed to almost £29 billion for UK organisations, according to new figures from PwC. Additionally, British workers take more than four times as many sick days off work than some of their global counterparts. There are many reports about stress in the workplace […]
Phobias and fears can stop us achieving what we want in life or in our career. Below is an example of a phobia, but you could relate this success to a phobia or fear that you would like to get rid of in order to achieve the success you want. About Phobias It is […]
Only joking!! We know that most people think they don’t need more stress, they need less. But do you know the level of stress that ensures you’re at your optimum performance level? Or could you be someone who believes that you have to be anxious and worried about all eventualities in order to be in […]
I was asked the other day what I would do to get more women on the board of today’s organisations. From the Women on Boards Annual Progress Report, as of March 2013, the FTSE 100 figures show: Women now account for 17.3% of all directorships, up from 10.5% in 2010. Women account for 34% of […]
In your current leadership role, have you thought about how you’d like to be remembered once you move on to your next challenge? If you’ve already had a number of roles, what was the legacy you left behind? Was it what you wanted, something to be proud of, or was it disappointing? Whether you choose […]
The other day I was asked to provide my thoughts on what makes the best coaching workshop or 1-2-1 sessions. Interesting question, but one it didn’t take me too long to answer, as this is something I’m passionate about. Coaching is successful when I can see those who are attending really getting to grips with […]
After watching a play at the theatre the other day, I started to compare the production of this show to leading a team. May seem strange, but bear with me! During the show, it was possible to sense the “newbie” in the team: the one with less confidence, slouched posture, etc. But I was also […]
There’s been some recent research which shows that individuals working on their own are much more effective at producing new ideas than when working within a team. However, to get even better results, leaders should use a mixture of creating new ideas and brainstorming techniques. From the research by Nicolas Kohn, Paul B Paulus and […]
Many organisations have now started to implement coaching programmes, whether that’s using internal or external resources. The sporting arena has thought of coaches as essential for many years (and our 2012 Olympic success brought that to the fore) but until recently the business arena has been slower to understand and appreciate the benefits. It’s now […]
“That person annoys me all the time.” It’s become more evident from working with some of my coaching clients, that emotional anger and frustration in the workplace is a big concern for them and could be a contributor to lack of success for leaders. Have you ever noticed that once you’re annoyed or frustrated with […]
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 […]