My Take on Role Models

Whether it’s in your work or career or in the way you live your life you probably have role models who have shaped your behaviours. This may be conscious or at a subconscious level. These role models might be positive ones or people from whom you’ve taken lessons on ‘how not to do it’. Conversely, […] Read More...

Leading and Managing in Change

“The only thing that is constant is change” – not a quote from the 21st century but from Heraclitus of the Ancient Greeks. Yet we’re still finding challenges in leading and managing people in circumstances of change – those situations when what got us to where we are now is not what will serve us […] Read More...

Motivation – one size does not fit all!

We are all different in many ways –motivation at work is one of them. While the majority of employees are likely to be motivated in some way by material reward – especially when they are building their career/ lifestyle – other factors arise in different combinations. There are a number of motivational theories out there […] Read More...

The 7 Habits of Effective Networking

Networking is about making connections – a simple premise yet the thought of attending networking events often strikes fear into the hearts of many.  Here are 7 top tips for getting into the right mindset and making the most of the opportunity. 1  Have realistic expectations for networking What are you hoping to achieve through […] Read More...

Mentoring – could you benefit from a mentor?

Mentoring…is a developmental process in which a more experienced person shares their knowledge with a less experienced person in a specific context through a series of conversations. It can also be a learning partnership between peers. European Mentoring and Coaching Council Good mentoring relationships are beneficial for both parties. People in all walks of life […] Read More...

Your Team – Dysfunctional or Cohesive?

Last year I had the chance to trial some training materials based on Patrick Lencioni’s book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – the workshop turns these negative behaviours around to look at what a cohesive team does in order to be effective. The ideas are common sense and on the surface simple – yet achieving mastery […] Read More...

Make Work-Life Balance Work – recommended TED Talk

A  thought provoking TED talk (10 mins) from Nigel Marsh author of “Fat, Forty and Fired”.  He points out that gaining balance is not about deciding to start going to the gym (“being a fit 10 hr a day work rat is not more balanced, it’s more fit!) – it’s about making small changes that […] Read More...

Values – What do you stand for?

Our values underpin the way we live our lives, the decisions we take, the friends we feel most aligned with and the work environments we feel happiest in. Values are the standards and moral principles we live our lives by – what we find important and care about. They define who we are and what […] Read More...

Effective Delegation

Effective delegation is a great way of freeing up your time in routine or non-core tasks to allow you to spend more time on long term problem solving, development and growth activities.  It also often brings benefits to the person who is being delegated to – allowing them to take responsibility and perhaps develop new […] Read More...

Influencing People – the rules of engagement Part 2

The second of two articles inspired by Dale Carnegie’s internationally renowned book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’.  Click here for Part 1 “If, as a result of reading this book, you get only one thing – an increased tendency to think always in terms of the other person’s point of view, and see […] Read More...