Stages of learning – what to watch out for

Most of us are always learning in some way: to build our knowledge, master a new tech tool, or to boost our presentation skills for example. Beyond the workplace, we might be learning a new language or trying to improve our technique in our preferred sport. As adults, we learn differently to young children, who… Read more

4 excuses for dodging feedback – and what to do instead

Whenever I deliver Zoomly’s ‘How to give effective feedback’ bite-sized workshop, there’s some initial squirming from a number of the participants. Particularly the Brits: we seem to get tangled in skirting around the subject, dressing it up, putting a bow on it – and let’s not forget serving up s*%t sandwiches*. Some of us find… Read more

Why your CFO wants you to delegate more

“What’s it to them?” I hear you say. Ask CFOs about ‘under-delegation’ and you’ll probably get a pithy reply at least – or a lecture on the damage that under-delegating can inflict on the bottom line. Particularly if your employer provides professional services – such as strategic consultancy, architecture, business development, marketing expertise, financial advice,… Read more

5 good reasons for you to be a mentor

“Why should I be a mentor? What’s in it for me?” can be the response when people are approached to lend their support to a mentoring scheme. Fortunately, there are also those who simply want to support others and give a little back when a new mentoring scheme gets announced. As someone who has the… Read more

When feedback ‘doesn’t work’

  “But what if I give someone constructive feedback and it doesn’t work?” This question sometimes comes up in Zoomly’s ‘How to give effective feedback’ workshop. It may be that the participant has given a colleague feedback on their work and has yet to see any improvement in performance. Or, as is often the case… Read more

Psych Stuff – March 2021

As we take tentative steps to emerge from lockdown, it seems like a good time to share some interesting psychology posts and articles that I’ve found. Here goes: Can you tell if someone’s lying, just by how they speak?  Recent research suggests we’re not as gullible as presumed. Loudness, pitch and emphasis all give us… Read more

Giving feedback? Fillet the fluff. Stick to the facts.

If you speak English because you were born and raised in the UK, giving feedback can be painful. It’s a culture thing. We’re so concerned about about making everyone comfortable and not upsetting anyone, we can dress up feedback with verbiage, meaningless platitudes and tie ourselves in knots of nonsense in the process. Sometimes out… Read more

Tools for mentors and mentees 3

At different times and in different situations I’ve been fortunate to benefit from the wisdom of mentors – and been privileged to have mentored others. I also help clients get their mentoring programmes working well. For a mentoring relationship to flourish and deliver the desired results it needs to be more than ‘just a chat’… Read more

Are you delegating, dumping or micro-managing?

When I facilitate ‘How to delegate effectively’ workshops, something participants need help with early on is their reluctance to delegate. This can show up as self-imposed obstacles that get in the way such as, “I don’t want to overload them”, “I’m not sure they’ll get it right”, “I’m too busy to delegate properly” and of… Read more