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

  This is the second part of a pair of posts about mentoring: the signs that it’s not working as it should and what to do. You can find Part 1 here, where I set out the first 3 signs. 4. Little or no progress When mentoring works well, each meeting ends with the mentee… Read more

When mentoring works well, it can benefit all involved: the mentee reaches their goal, and the mentor develops their management skills whilst supporting someone’s progress. Whether it’s within a workplace or via a professional body, benefits abound. However, there are times when mentoring doesn’t work well – for the mentee, their mentor and the people… Read more

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) can take many forms, e.g. courses, coaching (group or 1:1) and mentoring – to name a few. When I’ve assessed submissions for L&D awards, the majority of entries stick to courses; yet there are many more learning opportunities. For example, reading is an often-overlooked option – well, as an author I… Read more

I’ve been on both sides of this experience. As the employee, I’ve felt the dejection when something I’ve worked hard at gets the ‘red pen treatment’, i.e. nothing but fault-finding and critical feedback, ‘must try harder’. Yet as a manager, I’ve also felt the frustration at having to explain something again – and again. And… Read 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

Have you ever: Thought your achievements are due to luck? Feared that your colleagues will discover you are a fraud? Responded to positive feedback with ‘oh, you’re just being nice’? Told yourself you ‘got away with it’ when you succeeded? Turned down an opportunity because you would have been exposed as inadequate? If you’ve answered… Read more

  Full disclosure: I have a vested interest in Learning and Development (L&D) budgets staying secure. Designing and delivering programmes is how I earn a living. It’s not just me who groans at the thieving though: L&D budget holders find burglary frustrating and annoying. Having to cancel programmes and break the news to employees isn’t… Read more

Are you being delegated to or simply dumped on? If your manager gives you work to do and you’re not sure why it’s needed, where it fits in and just how on earth you should do it, chances are that you’re being dumped on. Or, dare I suggest, not listening all that actively to said… Read more

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

  Oh dear…it’s not been the best of days at work. Did that presentation you’d worked so hard on land …er…like a lead balloon? Or maybe that conversation with a colleague didn’t go at all well?  Did you make a major mistake? Was it one of those days? It happens. We’ve all been there, done… Read more