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25 ½ Ways to Get Things Done
I’ve definitely experienced the frustration of starting a project but struggling to see it through to completion. Whether it’s a side-project or a skill we aim to acquire, staying motivated and productive can be a challenge, especially when it comes to being creative. I really enjoyed this article from London and Amsterdam-based communications agency, KesselsKramer,…
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The Power of Teaching: Embedding Learning for Lasting Results
True learning requires repetition and reinforcement. We’ve all experienced situations where we read or hear something once, only to forget it shortly afterward (it’s a daily occurrence over here). I’m often speaking to clients about how they can help embed learning for themselves and in their teams. I’m more sure than ever that the answer…
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How Friction Makes the Essential, Effortless
I loved the post below from Greg McKeown on how friction makes the essential, effortless. You can see the original post here. Greg’s 1-Minute Wednesday series is worth a follow. Here’s the story: Cambridge is a picturesque city with lush green spaces, public walkways, and pedestrian paths. But it hasn’t always been this way. Just…
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“We heard your voice in our head” How to empower your team to create their own solutions
I was reading “The Coaching Habit” by Michael Bungay Stanier recently and in it he warns about the potential for managers who coach running the risk of debilitating their teams because they can become dependent on their boss for the answers. It’s an interesting read. It got me thinking about a comment from a client…
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Facades of competence. The truth is, we’re all just winging it.
In a world of seemingly competent institutions and authority figures, it’s both alarming and deeply reassuring to discover that everyone is just winging it. Action for Happiness, highlights the detrimental effects of chronically comparing our insides with other people’s outsides. We tend to project an image of calm proficiency to the world while internally improvising…
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What do your employees really want? Turning Attrition into Attraction
Organisations face an ongoing and critical challenge of attracting and retaining talented team members. The old adage, “Employees don’t leave jobs; they leave managers,” holds true now more than ever. To ensure the longevity and success of their businesses, leaders must understand what drives employees to stay and what might push them away. By recognising…
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Dealing with a ‘Bad Apple’: Actions and Implications for Leaders
Following a conversation with a client who was concerned about the impact a particular team member was having, this article explores the actions and implications for leaders when dealing with a difficult or negative member of staff. In every organisation, leaders are faced with the challenge of managing a diverse group of individuals. While most…
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Kindful Leadership: 8 Paths to Nurturing a Compassionate Workplace
I’m noticing that leaders are realising the profound impact of incorporating kindness and compassion into their leadership styles, and Graham Alcott’s eight principles of kindful leadership offer a comprehensive guide for leaders seeking to infuse their organisations with compassion, empathy, and personal growth. These strategies offer leaders a roadmap from which to create a workplace…
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An insight: unlocking leadership potential
In a recent conversation with a client, I asked: them “what’s your role in the leadership team?”. A fascinating leadership insight emerged, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and embracing individual strengths. As I asked them about their role within the leadership team, they hesitated and struggled to provide a clear answer. This hesitation revealed a significant perspective…
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The disengagement divide – why your team aren’t helping to row the boat
“The space between our practiced values (what we are doing, thinking, and feeling) and our aspirational values (what we want to do, think, and feel) is the value gap or disengagement divide.” Brené Brown Many people don’t value their jobs because they are not being fulfilled either personally or professionally. They are disengaged because they’re…
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Why organisations don’t learn…
Our traditional obsessions—success, taking action, fitting in, and relying on experts—undermine continuous improvement. As we, the leaders, deal with tomorrow, our task is not to try to make perfect plans. Our task is to create organisations that are sufficiently flexible and versatile that they can take our imperfect plans and make them work in execution.…
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Ideas for Having Great 1:1 Meetings: Fostering Productivity and Growth
One-on-one meetings between managers and employees are essential for building strong working relationships, fostering productivity, and supporting employee development. However, without a clear structure and purpose, these meetings can easily devolve into unproductive venting sessions or missed opportunities. I thought it would be useful to put together some ideas and strategies I often suggest to…
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Are you an introvert or extrovert? A lesson on energy.
Who doesn’t love a Simon Sinek soundbite? I really enjoyed this 3-minute video, which identifies introverts and extroverts NOT on how big their personality is, but instead how they gain and lose energy. Do you gain energy from others and interactions, or do they deplete you? I love the idea that it really doesn’t matter…
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How to interrupt unconscious bias
I loved the below thought about interrupting unconscious bias. It was a post from Oxford Leadership, but based on a longer article from Harvard Business Review, which is also worth a read. – Although unconscious bias is hard to eliminate, it is not as challenging to interrupt. Managers can be natural leaders by interrupting their…
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How to open up a conversation when you’re upset. A checklist.
This article and checklist are based on many, many conversations I’ve had with my clients. Most frequently when they’ve found themselves upset or angered by a team member’s behaviour or remarks. Recognising that we create stories about other people before we’ve had a conversation with them is so useful. It’s particularly important in teams, because…
