My expectations are too high. How do I lower them?
A client at the iNLP Center said the following (and I got permission to post this): I’m a big dreamer. I always imagine myself being very successful if I take a certain path but I when I fail I get very disappointed when I don’t meet those exceptions. How can I lower my expectations? Here’s how […]
People management: why introverts make great leaders
Introverts have the potential to be great leaders but in order to bring out the best in them organisations need to provide the right executive coaching. The term ‘introvert’ is rarely associated with great leadership. Introverts tend to shy away from blowing their own trumpets and as a result, you don’t hear about many in […]
Stuck on a Goal? Here’s How to Get Aligned
I interviewed one of our life coaching students, Heather, about what she learned in the course and how she is applying her NLP and coaching skills from the iNLP Center. She found a great way to integrate goal-setting with mind maps. Here’s what she reported. Thanks, Heather! I’ve had this great idea for a small business […]
Soft skills: Why playing it safe with non-verbal communication is a bad idea in business
Before we even open our mouths to speak, others are forming opinions of us based on our non-verbal communication. Despite this, many leaders are still getting it wrong when it comes to the signals they are giving out to their teams. Non-verbal communication, for example your body language, facial expressions and posture, can all influence […]
Overwhelmed by Thinking? Try This
There’s enough to think about for most of us without thinking too much about thinking itself. But as a mindfulness teacher and keen thought-thinker, the data-stream running through our heads, how to talk about it, and what to do with it, provides me with an endless source of fascination. Thinking, after all, along with emotions […]
Why we choke: a fresh perspective
Underperforming when it counts or choking is one of those frustrating problems we’d do well to redefine. Choking is not well understood. How can you perform something to near perfection in practice, then somehow screw up when it matters most? Typical explanations, once analyzed, don’t hold up. Here are some examples of conventional wisdom: The […]
Eight Benefits of Hypnotherapy (Realistic)
The benefits of hypnotherapy outweigh the associated risks, which are primarily time and money. Many people worry about the scary possibilities (seen in movies) when undergoing hypnosis, but the risks pretty much boil down to losing time and money for something you hoped would work but didn’t. The possibility that an average, professionally trained hypnotherapist […]
Mind the (skills) gap – getting the most from the Apprenticeship Levy
The last year has seen significant focus from UK government on supporting apprenticeships. Three million new apprenticeships are promised by 2020, as well as the development of new standards across a further 43 industry areas – bringing the total up to 61 and counting [PDF]. Apprenticeships are crucial to fuelling the economy with skilled, adaptable […]
Developing your public speaking: a toolkit for introverted trainers
Many people, not least trainers, are affected by a fear of public speaking, but learning how to overcome this and communicate confidently and authentically can boost both your confidence and your business. Throughout our early education, few of us are actually taught or encouraged to practice public speaking skills. For those who are naturally more […]
The 3 Deadly Negotiation Blunders
Negotiators have an important place in any organization. Not only are they responsible for making sure that the firm saves money on potential costs and overheads, they’re also the key to ensure a firm doesn’t appear to have a weak position during negotiations. It is for this reason that negotiators are always expected to be […]
Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Deserving Criticism?
Why has the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) been so widely criticized by professionals and lay people around the world? What can NLP trainers and practitioners do about it? After 25 years practicing as a clinician, NLP and life coach trainer, here are my conclusions and top suggestions for NLP trainers and practitioners who must […]
Countdown to Success
Like a lot of people, I probably spend too much time on my phone playing games. A long-term favourite has been ‘The Chase’, but just recently I’ve been getting into Countdown, based on the long-running TV show. Having tried Countdown once or twice on the ‘hard’ setting and being totally humiliated by a computer (I […]
Teaching Offline Social Skills in Online Trainings
Preparing the Completely Unprepared There are many reasons why online learning is amazing. You can learn from anywhere in the world and connect with folks you would never have the opportunity to meet in real life. All you need is an internet connection and you can learn anything from anywhere. There are thousands of amazing […]
Soft skills: preparing the leaders of tomorrow
Leadership programmes are failing the soft skills test, but L&D has a golden opportunity to help teams prepare for the future. Rapid technology-driven changes in connectivity, knowledge, communication and geographical reach are forcing organisations to change the way they conduct their business. The problem is that our leadership development programmes are not keeping up. The […]
Soft skills: creating a good communications culture
In order to drive continued success, organisations need to learn how to turn soft skills into the hard stuff of success. “The skills and ingenuity of our people are at the heart of prosperity,” said the opening statement of the 2017 CBI/Pearson Education and skills survey, a report which goes on to reveal that more than […]
How to Upgrade Your Professional Consciousness
“Consciousness is your operating system. Mindfulness is the upgrade.” Imagine for a moment that you were a computer. What sort of error messages would you have seen already today? SYSTEM ERROR: Information overload. Status: critical. SYSTEM ERROR: You are attempting to relax. This function is not permitted. SYSTEM ERROR: Anxiety detected. Processing may be haphazard. […]
How accurate is our ability to self-evaluate? Are you as good as you think you are?
Research published in 1999 revealed the existence of what’s known as The Dunning-Kruger effect. This is a cognitive bias of illusory superiority, where people judge themselves as better than others in all manner of areas, e.g. leadership, skills, performance. The reasons for this are many and varied. For example: we all have pockets of vulnerability […]
How to set up bespoke internal training plans
Training is not just an important part of personal career progression, through effective training you can improve the skills of your whole workforce, in turn making your business more productive and your employees more satisfied. The type of internal training programs your organisation can benefit from will strongly depend on your goals, resources, amount of […]
How to improve employee satisfaction amongst staff
According to a survey by Personal Group, 55.6% of all UK workers are dissatisfied in their current role. This is an overwhelming percentage especially considering the fact that dissatisfaction accumulates over time and is arguably easy to avoid. Understanding what causes employee dissatisfaction The first step in tackling employee dissatisfaction is being aware of how […]
Changing Fixed Habits On Horseback
As some of you will know from previous blogs, outside of work, one of my great joys is spending time with my horses, who are currently in livery on Dartmoor. I have two; one who is 25 and (officially) retired, and another that I trained from scratch, who will be 10 this year. My ten […]
