Spotlight: We shine the light this week on John Blakey
John Blakey reveals his innermost thoughts about coaching – the need for coaching to ‘grow up’ and the exciting, transformative times he sees ahead for the industry. Name: John BlakeyAge: 45Job title: Managing director of 121partners and president-elect of the UK International Coach Federation. I co-founded and help lead 121partners, a leadership transformation consultancy that […]
Keeping the virtual team spirit alive
Travel bans induced by the credit crunch mean that virtual teams may find it tough to meet in person these days. Pradip Gajjar considers two important strategies to ensure team alignment during these turbulent times. A real scenario: A client wants to run a team-building programme for one of their virtual teams. They want to […]
A week in training: Leadership development strong despite downturn
This week: Leadership development looks strong despite the downturn, writes Claire Savage the CBI calls for more internships to get the class of 2009 fit for work, BILD announces its conference programme, and more news in our weekly round-up. Employers prioritise management and leadership training to survive recessionTraining and developing staff remains an important priority […]
The case for leadership development in tough economic times
In today’s tough times, well-run organisations are focusing more heavily on leadership development than ever before. And according to Josh Bersin there are three major needs that are leading to this push. We all realise that times are tough for learning and development managers. Our January TalentWatch research of 275 global corporations showed that 61% […]
Show us the way
Recession spreads fear and fear fuels recession. Stephen Walker looks at leaders’ need to communicate with confidence in times of turmoil. I make no apology for bring the ‘R’ word into the TrainingZone again. We are all affected by the recession. It is uppermost in our minds. No doubt there is a general decline in […]
Coaching alpha males
Think ‘alpha male’ and do you see an inspirational, decisive leader, or a bullying chest-beater? Dr Ho Law addresses the common weaknesses of so-called alpha males and how coaching can help. What do the international executives and many charismatic political leaders such as the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair have in common in terms […]
Video: Professor Cialdini turns his persuasive skills to training
Master of persuasion Professor Robert Cialdini discusses why UK businesses need to improve skills training.Prof Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, says that businesses that continue to invest in training during recession fare better during the downturn and eventual upswing. Master of persuasion Professor Robert Cialdini discusses why UK businesses need to improve […]
Ken Blanchard answers members’ questions
Ken Blanchard, of One Minute Manager fame, generously answered a selection of members’ questions after our interview with him appeared on site. Here’s what the chief spriritual officer has to say about the leadership ‘faith’, and how to put the head, heart and conscience back into leadership… stirring stuff! Tom Boydell asked:I’m interested in a […]
Video: Sanjiv Ahuja – leadership is not a popularity contest
Effective and decisive leadership will mean making unpopular decisions at times – so don’t confuse popularity with making the right choices! Ultimately, if you make the correct decisions, people will respect you anyway, says Sanjiv Ahuja, the chairman of Orange UK.Listen to his thoughts on the popular ‘myth’: ‘ You have to have buy in […]
Is entrepreneurial leadership the way out of global recession?
Can all our problems be solved by entrepreneurs? Should we prioritise the creation of an entrepreneurial infrastructure? Patrice Houdayer, the dean of the international business school in Lyon, France explains the importance of entrepreneurial leaders – and the 10 pitfalls they must avoid. As economic doom and gloom continue to sweep the globe, it seems […]
Review: Taming Tigers by Jim Lawless
Title: Taming TigersAuthor: Jim LawlessPublisher: Taming Tigers PublishingReviewer: Bob Selden The last self-help guide book I read was almost 20 years ago. I got sick and tired of the same old things being said in slightly different ways. So, I was a little apprehensive when asked to review Taming Tigers by Jim Lawless. Always up […]
To agree, or not to agree: How to improve team decision making
Businesses are suffering from poor decision making, says Clive Lewis. He highlights the perils of allowing the loudest people to get their way, and describes how consensus decision making can harness the collective creativity of teams. Majority decisions may have the illusion that we are getting on with the job, but in reality it often […]
Diary: A rookie mistake
It’s hard to be an award-winning L&D manager when all the business wants is basic training. Diarist Josie Roberts has been dreaming of putting together a world-class training programme, sadly, the business’ needs are quite different… I have made such a rookie mistake I am embarrassed to admit it. Last month I wrote about my […]
The engaged learner
If staff are unmotivated and unengaged then that will have an impact on learning. So why is the motivation of the learner so often overlooked among L&D’s assessment and evaluation? This is Nigel Paine’s diagnosis. I read recently that 69% of adults of all ages in London are bored! I have no idea of how […]
LeadershipZone caption competition
There were some excellent entries to the LeadershipZone caption compeition, but the winner was Juliet LeFevre, who suggested the caption: “…and this lever works his eagle eyes.” Juliet will receive copies of two of the best leadership books on the stands – Rudolph W. Giuliani’s ‘Leadership’ and ‘It’s Our Ship’ by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. […]
How clean is your coaching?
Bob Selden has discovered that the old adage ‘It’s not what you say but the way that you say it’ is particularly relevant to coaching, and is a convert to the method of using ‘clean’ language – as free as possible of assumptions, opinions and advice. So how clean is your coaching? "The quality […]
What should directors know?
Recent write offs and bail outs in the financial services sector have once again focused attention on directors. Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas discusses the knowledge a director ought to possess, and answers the question: what should a director be expected to know? As well as various personal qualities and competencies, such as visioning and delegating abilities, […]
Free training resources
So far in this series we’ve had free team building and management and business training resources. In this latest instalment, Cheryl Taylor picks the best of the rest – resources that defy categorisation, other than they are useful, useable and, of course, free. If we’ve missed any gems, post a comment below or send an […]
Diary: And now for something a little bit different
As the new restructuring beds down, training manager and diarist Nathaniel Wallace faces up to the challenge of providing some innovative learning solutions in 2009. He starts by hiring a trainer who is just a little bit odd… We have reached the final lap of the financial year. Heads and senior managers are putting the […]
Climbing the training career ladder
So, you want to make training a career? Bob Selden has some essential, practical advice for those just starting on the training career ladder. I recently had an enquiry from a young trainer asking how she could improve her career prospects. My answer? “Become an expert”. Not an expert trainer (that is taken as a […]