How to boost your optimism through self-awareness
Optimism is as easy as ABC – yes, really! The world is not divided into pessimists and optimists after all. We each have the capacity to be optimistic and passionate about life if we can just learn to breathe, relax and lean into being happy. Easier said than done – sure, of course it is! And […]
How to deal with people you just want to strangle
Dealing with challenging behaviour in the workplace is not easy, but there are tactics you can use to reduce conflict and take control of stressful situations. Sometimes we find ourselves in a difficult situation, where the behaviour or attitude of another person pushes all the wrong behavioural buttons and the choices they make, things they say […]
Negotiation Practices That Enhance Sales Profits
Working in sales is an exhilarating and challenging proposition. When you follow all the protocols you received in your sales training, you expect everything to work out well. Unfortunately, success is not guaranteed. A lot of sales executives find themselves in a situation which involves difficult negotiation. If a seller tasked with negotiating sales lacks […]
Emotional intelligence
The Route to Action Starts with Retention!
Trainers who attended my Trainers’ Masterclasses in 2018 will, I hope, recall three words that for me are key to successful training. They are Retention, Inspiration and Action and together, they describe what I believe a trainer must achieve – in that order. In short, the ultimate goal of any learning is action back in […]
Why integrity should be at the centre of your value system
Exercising your moral compass at work is an increasingly valuable quality, particularly in this digital age when we never really ‘switch off’ and values are all too easily manipulated. We live in a world of fake news, a world where we can reinvent ourselves online and fabricate our lives however we want to. If you are authentic in your actions and […]
How To Improve Employee Networking Skills
Networking is how businesses get off the ground in this day and age and improving networking skills is a necessity for any modern businessperson. Business Insider contends that having a strong network is immensely helpful to career advancement. However, networking isn’t some magical formula that a few people know and the others simply try to […]
Simplify and direct your management style with a ‘step-up mindset’
Type ‘Management Styles’ into Google and you will get over 13 million+ results. Anyone inspiring to become a manager (or existing managers) may very well be overwhelmed by this figure. Question: Where do you start when considering your own management style? Answer: Get the foundations in place. Simplify your management style and find a direction that suits you […]
Why empathy is a must-have skill
Empathy is a tough skill to develop and maintain, particularly in a busy, sometimes stressful workplace setting. But it’s a crucial attribute for ensuring colleagues work well together. Below are three development areas that can help employees to boost their interpersonal skills. Developing skills that are uniquely ‘human’ – such as active listening, caring and nurturing […]
Skills training: how to support and develop today’s graduates
As a new generation of graduates enters the workforce, training providers will need to adapt their methods according to the skills and preferences of these new young recruits and their employers. From healthcare and construction to sales and education, across the full spectrum of industries looking to hire graduates, there is a core set of […]
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 […]
Is a great salesperson born or self-made?
Companies love great salespeople! And it’s not just those in the management who appreciate their particular charisma; clients give into it as well. They know that a persuasive conversation translates to wallet operations – still, they willingly play the game. The Perfect Mix Size and scope are irrelevant; salespeople typically serve as the main connection […]
Why Time Management Training Is Important
Most of today’s managers and business owners are struggling to catch their breath amidst all of the changes that are currently buffeting the market from all sides, but nonetheless precious few of them are paying enough attention to time management training, which has recently grown to become more important than ever before. Those businesses which […]
Learn How to Avoid the Mistakes New Managers Make
Going up against a position of authority inside your organization for the first time can be both energizing and challenging, offering a significant chance to create administrative and authoritative abilities and go up against greater responsibility for driving business results. Unfortunately, it tends to be anything but difficult to fall into examples of poor authority […]
Personal Brand
Okay so it’s been around a while now and I apprecaite it’s not the latest thing out there but keen to explore and understand what it means to others. What’s key to you and why? Okay so it’s been around a while now and I apprecaite it’s not the latest thing out there but keen to explore […]
4 Keys to a Trained and Productive Workplace
When you’re interested in getting all that you need out of your company, you need to make training a fundamental and ongoing part of the process. Too many companies simply set it and forget it with training, treating it like a formality and failing to continuously give employees the information that they need to grow […]
Three Keys to Building World Class Professionals
To get the most out of your workplace, you’ll want to focus on empowering your employees, rather than just having them fulfill your objectives. By taking the time to sit down with them and truly understand what makes them tick, you will have the opportunity to get the most from them in the long run. […]
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 […]
Video: Dealing with difficult people
In the Clear Lessons video featured below, Zeina Bain suggests trying to work out what makes people tick, so you can work with their personality rather than against them. “Having looked at the different types of people I’ve worked with, typically senior CEOs, or chief financial officers, I’m always trying to figure out what makes […]
360-degree feedback for leadership development: what are you practising?
The idea is simple; it enables people to give and receive honest feedback and to develop greater self-awareness, which will (hopefully) lead to a positive shift in behaviours, in the direction of greater leadership skills. I say hopefully, because there’s no evidence that such a shift in behaviours occurs. It is at its best, when: […]
