Conflict management: A leadership imperative
’Conversation’ is imperative to leadership and without effective conversation, leaders can’t communicate their position to the organization: A leader must share his ‘Vision’ before it can be lived, which requires conversation. Conversation underpins ‘Change’. While organizations remain firm to their value, people change, new people arrive and conversation becomes even more important. Meaning and purpose […]
Developing leaders in the digital environment
Is it possible to develop leadership skills effectively in a virtual environment – or is face-to-face delivery really the only way to equip managers with the high level skills they need to meet the challenges of leading in an increasingly complex business environment? There has been much debate in recent years over this question. As companies […]
An illusion of progress: women in senior roles
It was recently announced that the number of UK women earning over £1 million annually has doubled over the past 5 years. In the same breath, the report also claimed that women are still outnumbered by men 10 to one in senior positions. An illusion of progress There is an illusion of progress when it […]
Your Work is your WORK
Charles Darwin is apocryphally quoted as saying, “It’s not the biggest, the brightest, or the best that will survive, but those who adapt the quickest.” While he may not have actually said it, the sentiment stands. It is therefore vital that we develop ways and practices that assist us to learn about ourselves. Much has […]
Book review – Fish
Previously I reviewed the book One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson which is a management book with some key management principles explained through a story. You can read that review here. Fish! is another book written in exactly the same story format. In fact Kenneth Blanchard wrote the foreword to this book. This book also deals with some key […]
How to get on the HR speaking circuit
Trying to get on the HR speaking circuit can feel like being at the back of a long queue of a VIP nightclub. If your name’s not on the list, you’re not getting in until you build your professional profile, become a subject expert and attract the attention of event organisers. It may be a […]
I’m in charge, aren’t I? A look at interim leaders
Leaders are fundamental to workplace culture and environment: they are the driving force of an organisation towards its goals and are the key to motivating followers and enabling change. Whether the new leader is internal or external, any alteration in leadership can be unsettling for staff as the leader considers, and potentially changes, central aspects […]
3 reasons why bitesize is a good fit
Research published last year[i] found that access – how fast suitable training can be delivered, followed by flexibility and quality remain the priorities for learning and development professionals. This is hardly surprising – we all want to do things more quickly and flexibly without sacrificing quality, but is it possible? I am reminded of the […]
The 5 Technology Skills All Training Pros Need
Technology is revolutionising every industry, and the training world is no exception. From artificial intelligence (check out my latest AI post on Medium) to automated systems, training professionals are finding new technology and new ways to grow their businesses in an increasingly competitive landscape. Bringing fresh tech into the workplace is incredibly exciting – ‘Imagine […]
Measuring *what we do* needs feedback from others
Be Brave… Ask for feedback! The 2 minute video clip above summarises the main reasons why Observer Assessments matter! Why Observers Matter At work, your behaviour is what’s out there on the front line, shaping your interactions and experiences with everyone you encounter. Belbin Team Roles are clusters of behaviour. Each role is made up […]
Dialogic mindsets, the future of work and straw man L&D arguments
Give yourself a well-earned break and take five to catch up on some highlights of this week’s L&D news and opinion. Let us know what you think of the articles we’ve shared, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed reading too! Straw man arguments in L&D (Sukh Pabial) An interesting piece looking at justifications for specific theories […]
Agile: how can Learning & Development get buy-in from CEOs?
Agile has been transforming technology since the early noughties when the birth of the Agile Manifesto gave rise to a new approach for developing software. Now others understandably want to get in on the Agile action – if the significant benefits experienced in IT can be replicated elsewhere, then the potential opportunity for organisations is […]
Leadership isn’t a 6 month plan
The trouble is that we start discussing things in January, finalise plans sometime around April, it then takes a couple of months to get people and budgets in place by which time we’re into the summer holidays. So it’s hardly surprising then that we really get going on our annual plan sometime around September by […]
7 Smart and Efficient Strategies to Win Your Team
Exceptional leaders understand that their business performance is heavily influenced by several, different factors. One of the big aspects that many are concerned with is the lack of trust that comes from their employees. When your team doesn’t trust you, the leader of the company, you’re most likely to encounter a lot of resistance coming […]
4 tactics to help learning leaders cultivate agility
In our first article looking at cultivating agility through learning we explored how our latest benchmark report, Unlocking Potential, shines a spotlight on the behaviours of organisations that are achieving efficiency outcomes. Our data shows that organisations that are successful at cultivating agility have a laser-precision focus on engaging staff with 43% of what we […]
NLP Communication Model
Has anyone got any tried and tested innovative exercises for the NLP Communication Model, particularly around giving feedback. Thanks in advance…all ideas welcome. Has anyone got any tried and tested innovative exercises for the NLP Communication Model, particularly around giving feedback.Thanks in advance…all ideas welcome.
“Organisations could do a lot more to give candidates a better chance to ‘self select’ themselves into the role.”
Lucy Standing is a chartered business psychologist and vice chair of the Association for Business Psychology. She is the founder of ViewVo, a shadowing service that connects those who want to learn what it’s like to do a job with experts in that field. Lucy will be speaking at Learning Live on September 6th and 7th on […]
Brexit: Is It Bad News for Training Professionals?
So, we’ve released our annual Training Industry Benchmark Report, which surveys training professionals across a broad range of subjects – and the verdict is in: Brexit means bad news for the industry. Respondents were asked: ‘Overall, what impact do you believe Brexit will have on the training industry?’ and, much like the referendum result itself, […]
Assumption is the enemy of true understanding
Communication: one of the single most important components not just in business but in life as well. Without communication there is no empathy, no shared ideas, and no opportunity for development. Without communication we are all just ciphers on a spreadsheet; separated by boxes with no chance of interaction; going nowhere. If communication is so […]
Drawing the line for line managers in conflict management skills
It’s a perennial problem that most of us have either witnessed or even been a part of. You are good at your job and get promoted to a position where, very soon, you find that you are no longer doing ‘your job’. Instead, you are managing teams of people with little support or understanding on […]
