Team-Building: What Difference Does it Make? By Dawn Smith
Do team-building away days such as white water rafting or assault courses really help teams to work together, or are they just fun events that have a short-term uplifting effect on morale, at best? Dawn Smith gathers opinions and considers the evidence. “The key with team building, as with any event, is to be clear […]
Guide Promises to Handhold Bosses through The Companies Act
A new guide designed to help company directors comply with The Companies Act has been launched.The Companies Act 2006: Directors Duties Guidance promises to help directors in a new obligation to consider their business’ impact on people and the environment. The Act, which has been described as the “biggest shake up of company law for […]
The Leadership Top Flight
While many businesses strive for excellence, only very few achieve outstanding performance on a regular basis. So why is it that military organisations such as the Royal Air Force (RAF) can deliver outstanding execution with such extraordinary consistency? Justin Hughes, managing director of Mission Excellence, examines what lessons the corporate world can learn from the […]
What’s their Motivation?
In today’s competitive marketplace, employers are well versed to the various “benefits” attached to certain jobs, but normally these incentives simply focus on attracting people into the jobs in the first place, rather than motivating them to achieve more. Sales performance trainer Andy Preston provides an insight into the motivation aspect of incentives and how […]
The Secret Great Leaders know about Emotions, that they don’t want You to know about
Do you believe your emotions are weaknesses you must suppress tosucceed? I have always thought showing or simply having emotions was a weakness that needed to be controlled, crushed or suppress. But what if I told you that your emotions were not an obstacle tosuccess but a critical ingredient in your success and can help […]
Legendary Leadership Lessons
Admiral Lord Nelson, Gandhi, and JFK. All “leadership legends” who are looked up to, quoted, and studied but are they really legends or leadership myths? Simon Hollington looks at the lessons to be learned from these great leaders. Admiral Lord NelsonNelson was courageous, determined, a demanding task-master, a visionary and, of course, successful. For me […]
Change at the Top for Management Institute
Sir John Sunderland, chairman of Cadbury Schweppes plc, has been appointed as the new president of the Chartered Management Institute. Sir John plans to use his presidency to call for more focus on the higher skills needed to build UK global competitiveness, as raised in the Leitch Review of Skills. In line with the Institute’s […]
There’s a Write Way
From the confused email that leaves its recipient scratching their head to the over-long document that has the reader heading for the coffee pot, writing business documents can be a minefield. In this article Janet Basdell, who has designed her own system for business writing, passes on some essential tips to consider before you hit […]
Government Leadership Programme Goes International
The National School of Government Centre for Strategic Leadership is introducing an international week into its flagship leadership development programme.Hosted by the LIMAK business school in Vienna, the week will allow participants on the Top Management Programme (TMP) to visit a variety of central and eastern European cities. Speaking at a Whitehall event to celebrate […]
Motivation, Focus and Performance
In today’s competitive market, ensuring that staff are performing to their maximum potential is essential to the success of the department and the company overall. But what can be done to ensure that all staff are motivated and strive to achieve their very best? Sales performance trainer Andy Preston looks at how to improve the […]
Do Leaders Have a Sell-By Date?
Simon Hollington muses whether all leaders have a “sell-by” date and questions why some choose to hold on to power in the face of opposition. In the late 19th Century, Lord Acton is reported to have said: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A cursory investigation of those leaders – both in politics and […]
Creative Spark
There has been a lot of discussion about the need to innovate and how UK plc is falling behind in the innovation stakes. In this article Simon Derry looks at how organisations can encourage managers and staff to unleash their creative and innovative abilities. Misunderstanding about what innovation, in a business context, truly is seems […]
UK Managers Thirst for Development
A thirst for knowledge and development rather than academic prowess could be key to better job prospects, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has found.The CMI study revealed that while almost two thirds of employers and 74% of individuals believed management qualifications will become more important over the next five years, 95% of those polled were […]
Trainer’s Tip: Charging for Non-Attendance
How do you deal with the perennial problem of non-attenders? Graham O’Connell has some ideas. I have worked with a number of organisations on this very issue. I have found some where about 25% of the budget is effectively wasted because of last minute cancellations and ‘no shows’.I have used a range of options from […]
Lack of Training Means Lack of Talent
Organisations are failing to offer sufficient career development and training opportunities to managers, which is leading to increased recruitment and retention problems.Research conducted by the Chartered Management Institute shows that although 74% of individuals believe management qualifications are becoming more important, over half of organisations admit they offer little in the way of career development […]
Absence Management: So Much to Learn
Consultant Paul Avis looks at the cost of not training managers how to deal with absences. Employers still remain blissfully unaware of the implications of when a line manager fails to properly enforce a good absence policy.Absence or attendance management is possibly the one area that most organisations struggle to manage efficiently and effectively, so […]
Trainer’s Tip: Managing Through Change Exercise
How do you help managers empathise with their staff as they go through a period of change? Sue Beatt has a suggestion. Use their own experience. Ask them to think about some changes that have happened in their work/lives. (They could go back as far as starting school). How major was the change? How did […]
Competition Bites Team Spirit
Almost half of all workers believe that competition amongst co-workers is responsible for destroying team spirit.Over a third of employees surveyed on behalf of Investors in People, the development standard claim they work with colleagues who are very or fairly competitive in the workplace whilst a quarter admitted that they actually find themselves competing with […]
Managers Stress Importance of Political Skills
Political skills are increasingly being seen as vital to career success, but many managers admit they have room for improvement when it comes to influencing others. A study by the Chartered Management Institute and Warwick Business School found that most individuals believe the political skills that build alliances will grow in importance in the next […]
Storming Ideas
Banning the boss, inviting outsiders and water pistols – are all essential items for creating a storming ideas-generating session. Paul Sloane explains why. The brainstorm (or thought shower as some people now call it) is the most popular group creativity exercise in business. It is quick, easy and it works. But many organisations have become […]