New roles for L&D: the reality of 70:20:10
A great deal has been written about the 70:20:10 model. Some of it suggests the authors understand what the model is about, but a significant amount suggests otherwise… If you and your organisation are planning to use this approach to help improve the way you build and support a high-performing workforce, it’s important that you first understand […]
Essential presentation skills for introverts
There are lots of ways you can make public speaking less stressful but the key to success is ensuring you’re fully prepared before, during and after your presentation. Those of us who try to go through life unnoticed will often panic at the thought of having to give a presentation. It doesn’t matter if it’s to […]
Improving Culture? It Takes More Than A Pool Table
We’re currently going through an office redesign at MTD Training and during an initial meeting with one of the potential office designers they recommended: “In order to build a high performing culture you should look at putting in a pool table. According to the plans you’ll have room next to the digital learning team and […]
Training and Hostage Negotiations – Similar?
Recently, I had the opportunity to hear from some great speakers at Connect, London. One of these was Simon Horton, author of ‘The Leaders Guide to Negotiation’. Simon knows a thing or two about negotiation. He has trained hostage negotiators and he gave us a brief insight into the essential steps followed in those critical […]
Groupthink: avoid the drive to conformity
A culture that doesn’t challenge irrational, poor decision making characterises the dangers of groupthink within an organisation. In order to avoid this phenomenon you need to understand why it happens. Back in 2007 I ran a session for senior traders in a financial services organisation. A participant was presenting a project about a complex new financial product to […]
Self Care At Work
October is home to World Mental Health Day so, in its honour, here are 9 mindful tips to help you take best care of yourself at work, today, and every day. 1 Mirror Mindfulness Each time you catch your reflection today use it as a prompt to check in with yourself. Feel your feet on […]
Three Ways to Support LGBT Staff in the Workplace
Stonewall, Britain’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality, published a recent report revealing worrying trends in discrimination throughout the workplaces of Britain. The research, which was made public in April 2018, showed that “more than a third of LGBT staff (35 per cent) have hidden that they are LGBT at work for […]
Defining who should be involved with the development of your OD strategy
People are the most important part to any OD strategy, making it vital that stakeholders from across the organisation should be involved when developing an OD strategy. There will be several different levels of involvement, ranging from those who simply complete a survey as part of the consultation phase, through to those who are responsible […]
Learning to file on time
Have you heard the one about the dog who likes to eat homework? It’s an excuse which is now so much part of folklore that you pity the poor child whose canine companion really does have a taste for textbooks. But it’s also an excuse which is so much a part of childhood that we […]
Five questions every organisation should ask itself before developing an OD strategy
Developing an OD strategy is something that is very individual an organisation. There is no one-size fits all solution, and there are some organisations that might be better suited to another style of corporate strategy altogether Here are five questions you should ask yourself before developing a new OD strategy for your organisation. 1. Is it […]
Teaching Employees to Leave Their Mark
In the world of professional wrestling, career achievement boils down to a performer’s ability to “get over”. Getting over means making your character work to the point of eliciting cheers if you’re a good guy, boos if you’re a bad guy, and to elicit enough passion for people to spend money to see you. Since […]
Helping Your Employees Do “Deep” Work
Deep work is a practice and philosophy that allows your company to get more work done on your terms. The last thing you’d ever want is to have an office that is disorganized and unfocused. Whether you work in tech or handle labor-intensive contracting jobs, the way that you go about your business starts at […]
Converting engagement into real work passion
It’s the holy grail for HR leads and business heads in any company. A highly engaged and passionate workforce that produces incredible work, boasts excellent productivity and oozes positivity at every workstation. But whilst intrinsically linked, engagement and passion are not one and the same. So what’s the difference between the two? Engagement is a […]
Training efficacy: what L&D is getting wrong
Most training doesn’t work because organisations are relying on outdated methods that have no connection to the reality of employees’ everyday lives. For training to really take effect, it’s time for L&D professionals to re-assess their approach. Training doesn’t work. There I’ve said it. I feel a whole lot better now! Of course I need to put […]
Ten fast tips for successful mentoring and coaching
Coaching and mentoring can reap huge results in all organisations, but how do you make it work effectively? Take two minutes out of your day and read our top ten tips to help get coaching and mentoring right, covering all aspects including understanding the problem that needs to be solved to ensuring you understand the difference between mentoring […]
#TogetherAgainstHate – Has Training Failed?
I wonder how many of you were watching Gogglebox on Friday (a guilty pleasure) and witnessed what Channel 4 did in the interval. If you didn’t, I urget you to take a moment to watch it now, even though you might find it shocking. I felt an enormous well of gratitude to Channel 4 and their advertising […]
5 Tips For Promoting Workplace Learning
When you need to make the absolute most out of your company’s presence, there are always some key strategies to execute. The best thing that you can do for yourself is build capable employees that understand how to get more positive visibility to the company. When you nurture your employees in this regard, you will have […]
Behavioural change: why growth mindset is not simply a training course
Nurturing a ‘growth mindset’ has become de rigueur in L&D circles, but many businesses are failing at it due to a fundamental misunderstanding of the core principles. Here’s how to embed the growth mindset in your organisation. The idea of having a growth mindset (i.e. the belief that you can develop your intelligence) is a popular one. […]
Personal development: how to change behaviour sustainably
To understand how to change your behaviour in a sustainable way, you first need to appreciate your biological response and how it affects your brain. Most people understand that our behaviour directly impacts the results we get. In dynamic and complex environments, there are some critical behaviours that enable us to collaborate better, develop higher […]
Leadership and development: how to challenge preconceptions about yourself using the Johari Window technique
Perception is a powerful thing in business, but understanding how you are perceived is only half the battle. Changing preconceptions and facilitating personal growth requires a deeper level of understanding. We all have blind spots and when they’re exposed it can be quite a shock. It’s like when you catch sight of the back of […]
