-
Airbnb is inspiring the ‘work from anywhere’ model – an email from CEO Brian Chesky
I’ve had more chats over the past few weeks with frustrated leaders who are determined that people ‘should’ be back in the office. As the arms race for new talent accelerates, I can’t help but feel that some leaders are missing the point entirely. ‘Back to the office’ is quite simply not going to happen,…
-
How do you really ‘recruit for attitude’? Some practical advice…
After a couple of weak hires, I advised one of my clients to really focus in on ‘hiring for attitude’ – whilst waving my arms about to illustrate the levels of relative importance… attitude first (waves hands up here), then skills (a bit further down) and finally experience (at the bottom). “You always do that…
-
Watch: Hammer Hand – an experiment showing the incredible workings of the human brain
This video is a fascinating look into how the human brain works and can be easily deceived In less than two minutes, creating the feeling of body ownership. This rubber hand illusion reveals how the brain understands the body. Incredible.
-
The uncomfortable space. Don’t rush to answer the question.
I loved this article ‘Reflections’ from Richard Merrick – which explores the idea that the challenge is creating the space for the questions to emerge of their own accord, rather than forcing them to the surface. “The best way to find out things, if you come to think of it, is not to ask questions…
-
Prioritising profitability. Don’t grow for growth’s sake.
A discussion with a business leader recently motivated me to write this article around vanity growth. I hope it helps you to figure out what you can do to make sure profit – rather than revenue – becomes a mission for business growth. You’ve all likely heard the term ‘Revenue is Vanity, Profit is Sanity’…
-
22 constructive feedback techniques for managers
Office Vibe , a software I’ve previously used and sometimes recommend for staff sentiment tracking, are producing some great content right now. A recent article summarising 22 Constructive feedback examples & tips for managers was a useful and easy read. You can read the full article, here, but I’ve summarised some of the points below:…
-
The truth about not trusting your teams (spoiler: you might be the problem).
“I don’t trust her/him/them to get it done’. It’s something I hear a lot as a leadership coach. Whilst there are a lot of reasons you might be struggling to trust your teams, the reality is that some of these reasons might be down to you, rather than ‘them’. An example: A client of mine…
-
Every manager is one of these four types – which are you?
Some interesting findings from Gartner about the most effective manager types. When Gartner studied manager effectiveness before the pandemic, they identified Connector Managers as the clear winners in building high-performing employees. They’ve now confirmed this manager type still outperforms — even in today’s stressful, disrupted times. You can see the four manger types below, and read the…
-
Every tick is not made equal – considerations around your to-do list (and how to discuss it with your teams)
If you’re someone who finds annihilating things from your to do list incredibly satisfying, then I’d put you firmly in the majority. Personally, I’m a fan of a rather aggressive squiggly line upon completion of a task, and I’d place a bet that almost every single person in your team has a to do list…
-
Start, stop, continue. An openness and feedback exercise.
Start, stop continue is as simple as it is adaptable, and a great exercise for leaders to use in meetings to help gather useful feedback from teams. It’s a great leadership tool too, as it helps to get buy in, and show you’re listening to your teams. Here’s how start, stop, continue works: I’ve used…
-
Extra salt, extra sugar. The importance of amplifying leadership communication during times of pressure and distance.
Fun fact: airline food contains more salt and sugar because at altitude and in a pressurised cabin our tastebuds are less sensitive. I recently shared this fact with a client, off the back of her acknowledgement that she needs to ‘lean in harder’. This particular client has been working from another country and had come…
-
How to set targets for your team
I had a great question recently from a client, he wanted my view on how to set targets for his teams. For context, his business is currently growing – both in terms of welcoming new starters and promoting existing team members into roles with more responsibility. The question came up on reflection that there was…
-
#Scaryhour – A brilliant TikTok hack on facing the tasks you’ve been avoiding
Everyone has tasks they put off. Those ‘impossible’ or ‘uncomfortable’ small things you know you should get round to but can’t quite face just now. So, here’s a simple way to overcome your anxiety-related procrastination… #Scaryhour Here’s how it works: Ring fence an hour each day – set your timer for 60 minutes In that…
-
“Don’t limit yourself and don’t limit others either”
Whilst this video is clearly glorious because the man doing the 200Ib lifting has cerebral palsy, it was a heartwarming comment in a LinkedIn thread that caught my eye. Uloma N nailed it when she said: “Don’t limit yourself and don’t limit others either”. Uplifting and a reminder to cheer people on, always. Andy.
-
Communicating the horizon.
Horizon gazing is a key part of the leadership team’s job in business. Future planning and looking beyond the everyday is essential to making progress. And yet the challenge is for those who are not part of the horizon gazing gang. The team members who are working in the business every day, those people for…
