AI will improve employee productivity
According to Gartner, Virtual Personal Assistants and chatbots will be used by 70% of organisations within the next two years. Whether that’s incorporating AI-enabled response mechanisms to streamline incoming queries, to allow 24/7 customer service or to reach out to new customers with ‘chatvertising’, there’s little doubt that AI will be impossible to avoid. With […]
L&D in 2019: how far have we come?
We’re already over half way through 2019, so it’s a good point at which to stop and take stock of how far L&D has come this year so far and discuss whether our L&D predictions are coming true. At the beginning of each year we are inundated with various predictions on the rising and falling trends […]
Coaching-led leadership: why it’s time to put more power in the hands of your people
Corporate governance and rigid hierarchies in businesses today could be preventing growth and success. Coaching-led leadership is an avenue through which leaders can empower their team to make the big decisions. Despite an increasing lack of trust in leadership today and a growing decline in workplace cultures, many businesses are still operating amid a great […]
Ego, eco and intuitive leadership: a new model for disruptive times
Transformational leadership does not go far enough to effectively guide businesses through disruptive times. A major shift in logic is needed to create a leadership style fit for today, argues Colin Williams, Frederick Holscher and Sharon Olivier of Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School. At the risk of ‘crying wolf’ (after all, each generation thinks it […]
Neuroscience: why your heart might actually be able to rule your head effectively
New research has revealed that the heart plays a vital role in helping the brain to predict when musicians are about to make an error. Could this same system help business leaders make clearer decisions? Data aids performance, and leaders know how important it is to collect and track data. When it comes to your […]
Does Boris have the skills to be a great leader?
Two of the major political parties in the UK have gained new leaders this week. On Monday, we learnt that Jo Swinson will take over from Vince Cable as leader of the Liberal Democrats. And yesterday, in a result that was even less surprising, we were told that Boris Johnson has been chosen to lead […]
Video: How to encourage diverse leadership
Leaders are influenced by the examples around them, says Gwen Rhys, CEO of Women in the City, so diverse role models are vital. “It’s often said that women are more empathetic, that they have more emotional intelligence, that they understand (perhaps) the domestic demands of people in their team. I’m not sure that as a […]
The SADEL leader: fostering a ‘fail fast learn faster’ culture
What does a learning leader look like in a Self-Directed, Agile, Digital, Exponential, Learning (SADEL) organisation? In the final part on her content series, organisational behaviourist and learning strategist Kerryn Kohl explores… In part 4 of this series on building a SADEL organisation we focused on the three core pillars needed to build effective teams: enabling […]
How physical intelligence can benefit employees in the workplace
We’ve heard a lot about emotional intelligence, but now it’s time to discover how physical intelligence can transform our careers and business outcomes for the better. Authors of new wellbeing book Physical intelligence, Claire Dale and Patricia Peyton, shed some light on this emerging skillset. Physical intelligence is the ability to detect and actively manage […]
Learning diversity
“Companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation.” McKinsey 2018 [1] That one statistic alone sends a powerful message to company boards about the value of diversity. And it doesn’t stand alone. I could have equally quoted […]
Developing female leaders: where are we going wrong?
Women represent half the talent pool, so why the struggle to develop them? Two of the biggest concerns/issues for organisations and CEOs are the lack of leadership talent available and transitioning more women into senior roles to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Despite this, there is still a significant gap of women moving […]
13 Qualities of Effective Career Conversations
It’s a sad fact that people can often identify memorably bad career conversations more easily than effective career conversations. Particularly if one was of significant positive value to them Like that time at the end of a not particularly glowing performance appraisal when your boss asked you where you wanted to be in 5 years. […]
Learning culture: six ways to tell if your employees are learning
Your efforts to create a culture of learning within your organisation are worth nothing if your employees don’t truly embrace learning as part of their everyday activity. Here’s how to tell if the message is really getting through. In every facet of a business, there is a need for continual development and any employer needs […]
How to ensure team members are all on the same page
Communication breakdown can quickly spiral among team members when the heat is on to meet deadlines and targets. How can project managers and team leads ensure smooth working relationships that lead to successful projects? Most project managers will experience times when it feels like their teams don’t understand them. This tends to occur when chaos […]
Digital transformation: what does it take to become a digital leader?
Digital transformation is not just about investing in the right technology – it’s also about harnessing the right skills and encouraging employees to think in new ways. Digital disruption is changing the workplace as we know it but people’s skills and thinking aren’t necessarily keeping pace. It’s a big challenge for employees — who […]
Video: great leaders guide rather than direct
What makes a great leader, asks John Wagner? He shares an example of a great boss who has shaped his leadership style. “Reflect back on the good bosses you’ve had and why they were good: why did you feel you really wanted to go to work and work harder and do the right job for […]
Business after Brexit: four leadership lessons for uncertain times from military and sporting heroes
The tumultuous trading environment that Brexit has created means strong leadership is more important than ever before. Business leaders should look to the worlds of sport and the military for lessons on how to keep a level head in times of uncertainty. It is a difficult time to be a business leader and, as Brexit […]
Leadership: why effective change management requires a new leadership structure
Most people say they love to change but hate doing so. In order to facilitate effective change, leadership teams need to step up and be the change they want to see. Change is constant in business life. No longer can people or organisations prepare for change, make a special effort then return to previous norms. […]
Tuesday Insight: Treat me like a child and…
I’ll behave like one. One of the most useful tools for reviewing behaviours, particularly our own, is perhaps Transactional Analysis. It’s a beautifully simple model that learners can grasp quickly and easily relate to. In very simple terms, it identifies behaviours we adopt as Parent, Adult or Child. Parent behaviour can be Controlling or Nurturing, […]
Getting Your Team Stoked for L&D Success
As a leader and guiding force of your company, you likely have all the usual sound reasons for implementing programs of learning and development. For the health of your business, a focus on training rather than hiring employees is key. When you consider that it can cost up to nine months of an employee’s salary […]
