Practical tips. Prompts to get you thinking. The odd rant.

We can tangle ourselves in knots when it comes to giving feedback (whether positive or developmental). Particularly us awkward Brits. We dress it up. Put frills and a bow on it. Ahhh – don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Or we feed people sandwiches. Then we get vexed when the recipient of this cat’s cradle… Read more

  Right at the start of Zoomly’s ‘How to influence and persuade’ workshop, we discuss the importance of influencing for mutual benefit. If that’s your goal, chances are you won’t sink to using manipulation, which is a concern people naturally have about this topic. The simple way to decide if someone’s influencing or manipulating is… Read more

Recently I surprised a long-standing contact by saying “I’m not sure that training is the answer here.” Before you think I’ve completely lost my marbles, I’m still delighted to offer bespoke training to companies; I’m also committed to providing advice if it’s asked for.  There can be valid reasons why a training course is the… Read more

At time of writing, the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) reports unemployment is just over 4% and job vacancies have hit a record 1,298,400. So if you’re currently looking for a new job, the chances are in your favour. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to do your homework. So here’s an updated… Read more

For most people who get promoted, there’s more judgement than luck involved in getting that promotion. ‘I deserve it’ isn’t enough. But there’s much more you can do to improve your prospects.

Sometimes when we think of leaders who’ve inspired us, their achievements can inspire awe to such an extent we can talk ourselves into a small, dark corner of feeling inadequate. Don’t give up! Because 1: you’re not alone and 2: it doesn’t have to be like that. Try this instead. Here’s an exercise we do… Read more

Regular readers of this blog will know I’m a big fan of the strengths-based approach. I’ve seen teams and individuals light up with a new sense of purpose and a boost to their energy once strengths are identified. But this isn’t la-la land; there is actually a potential downside to our strengths. Used in the… Read more

Whenever I lead Zoomly’s ‘How to coach your people’ workshop, there are a few things we need to clear up early on. For starters, what coaching is – and isn’t (for example, mentoring, counselling, consulting to name a few). After that, a perfectly reasonable question always comes up: When on earth am I supposed to… Read more

Delegation seems simple to some; maybe too simple. You give a task to a colleague, and they get on with it – nothing to it! Hmmm…If you’re thinking, ‘really, how hard can it be?’, there may be some lessons heading your way. Are you guilty of any of these ‘sins of delegation’? 1. No context… 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