Good for you – and here’s hoping it’s good for your mentee too. Here are some reasons why people step up to the role of mentor in their organisation, professional body or community. Good mentors want to: Help and support others’ development Develop their soft skills Share their experience Broaden their perspective Be a better… Read more
A question I sometimes hear from participants in Zoomly’s workshops is ‘How can I convince someone to step up?’ When we explore this it’s often the case that the person in question seems to lack confidence – even though their manager sees them as very capable. For example, they: Seek approval for every step of… Read more
So you’ve noticed that one of your team is turning out to be a star performer. First of all, congratulations – lucky you for having a high performer on your team. Second of all, well done for noticing – all too often, great performance is barely acknowledged, with a grudging, “Well it IS their job… Read more
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
One of the first things that any decent coaching course will cover is the ‘ask-tell’ continuum. Over on the far right we tell people things – from a straightforward answer through to details of what to do and how to do it. On the left we ask them. Both have their uses; each… Read more
Reflection is essential to make sense of our everyday lived experiences. Without reflection, we’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over. Reflection helps us process our experiences, thoughts and feelings; we can spot patterns of behaviour that may be helpful or unhelpful. With methodical reflection we can begin to plan new and more… Read more
How are you doing at work? Do you really know? Maybe it’s been ages since your last appraisal, or maybe you’ve got a boss who tells you when you’ve screwed up but not much else, or maybe you’re not sure because you haven’t asked for feedback. What’s stopping you? Reasons I hear from people… Read more
Recently I’ve been leading Zoomly’s ‘How to develop your leadership style’ workshop quite a lot for different clients. It’s reminded me that this exercise is great for leaders – whether you’re an aspiring leader or already there. One of the first tasks participants work on in is to consider the leaders who’ve inspired them. Time… Read more
Q: ‘Why strengths?’ A: Because when we identify and apply our strengths, we’re energised, engaged, more effective – and more likely to do better work. When all team members are aware of their own and their team-mates strengths, they are more likely to apply these assets to the team’s performance. Q: ‘Doesn’t that… Read more
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