The most effective sales tools we have are our ears. Yes, those lovely, funny shaped flappy things on each side of our head. When you’re in a selling situation, do you do more talking than listening? We often think of salespeople being ‘smooth talkers’ – yet being full of the blarney isn’t a great selling… Read more
Why self-awareness? When it comes to being Emotionally Intelligent, self-awareness is often described as the ‘cornerstone’ of our EQ. Here’s a few reasons why it’s worth taking time to build our self-awareness: We can identify what we’re good at (and not so good at) We can better manage our thoughts, feelings and behaviours We… Read more
You’ve delegated a task to a colleague. They’ve been working on it without needing any help from you – or so it seemed. Finally, the time comes for you to review what they’ve done. Frankly, the work isn’t up to the standard required. What can you do? First of all, well done for getting… Read more
I’ve written a lot about giving feedback, particularly in The Feedback Book. It’s an essential skill for anyone who works in a team and/or manages people in the workplace. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that that feedback isn’t just given – it’s also received. How do you feel when a colleague says, “I’d like… Read more
Investors in People (IiP) have just published their annual ‘Job exodus trends’. It makes essential reading for managers – though brace yourselves, it’s not pretty. Here’s a few headlines: 77% are stressed of respondents at work Over half are looking for another job 24% are unhappy at work The point that really stood out for… Read more
Being a bit of a fan of learning, a new year always ushers in some new plan to learn…something. It seems I’m not alone. Why do we get the learning bug? We might want to: Boost career prospects with some Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Develop a skill Rekindle a childhood passion Deal with ‘unfinished business’… Read more
You may well be thinking, “Really? Why should I bother!?” – and you may have a point. After all, things change: unpredictable events, unforeseen outcomes and unintended consequences. Life happens. On some level, we know that looking back is an essential step to moving forward. Yet we can give ourselves too many excuses to… Read more
When it comes to books that cover business, the field grows ever wider: management, economics, start-up stories, tech breakthroughs and, increasingly, scandals. There are heaps of different ‘best of’ lists, each with heaps of different choices (there’s a selection at the end of this post). As 2019 comes to an end it seems I’m… Read more
The words ‘Work Christmas Party’ can strike terror into the strongest souls. According to the Institute of Leadership and Management, even senior managers feel anything but relaxed at these events. If you’re not scared, I can only surmise that this is your first year in full-time employment. Here’s hoping you still have your job the… Read more
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