Tools for mentors and mentees

Q. Why do mentors and their mentees need tools? A. Because in a professional context, mentoring isn’t ‘just a chat’: it’s a process through which people gain clarity, insights and self-knowledge, enabling mentees to achieve goals. If you’re a newcomer to mentoring (mentor or mentee), I recommend you read my posts ‘Essential questions mentors need… Read more

“When am I going to get promoted?”

A tricky question and one that has tripped up many of us. Here’s some advice, based on words of wisdom I’ve read, heard about, or been fortunate enough to hear. Tread carefully ‘When will I get promoted?’ might not be the best way to start the conversation. There’s an assumption of ‘when’ not ‘if’; a… Read more

How to get the most out of virtual training

Live virtual* training courses / workshops have been around for a little while now (and yes, Zoomly offers them). At time of writing, demand has soared, as more employees work from home. People still want and need to learn, develop and grow their skills. Obviously, there are differences between face-to-face and virtual training – yet… Read more

7 delegation traps for new managers – and how to beat them

  You’ve been promoted – well done! So now that you manage other people, a significant part of your job is delegating work to them. This can be a watershed moment for many a new manager, particularly when it comes to delegating tasks that were once your job to get done. Those who get delegation… Read more

7 Ways to learn and grow in 2020

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

Best of 2019’s business books

  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

Essential questions mentors need to ask

You’re stepping up to mentor someone – well done. Having worked with employers and professional groups over several years to support their schemes, I’ve learned that the likelihood of a successful mentoring relationship is set at the start. If it gets off on the wrong foot, it can be hard to sustain. But if the… Read more

7 tips for managing a first jobber

Your team has a new member: a brand-new employee in their very first job. They may be a new graduate recruit, or an apprentice straight out of college or even school. You have been assigned as their manager. If you’re new to managing people, before you go power mad, bear in mind that it’s not… Read more

Presentation tips: lessons from the ancients

“What, presentation tips from my Gran?!” No. Not quite. Presentation tips from the ancient Greeks: specifically for this post, from Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C.). The philosopher has some handy presentation tips for us that have survived remarkably well down the years. To influence and persuade an audience, he said, we need to achieve the… Read more