If you’re in need of some inspiration, try these words of wisdom from leaders who’ve been there and done that. “You manage things; you lead people.” – Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Kenneth Blanchard “Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own… Read more
Summer’s here and I think it’s a great time to nurture our creativity. Here are 10 ways you can reclaim your gifts. 1. Draw I’m a big believer that we can all draw. No, we’re not all Picasso, but we can all draw – with a little practice. Stuck for inspiration? If you doodle,… Read more
How to build confidence’ continues to be a best-selling Zoomly workshop. Wonder why? Confidence seems to be a bigger topic than it once was. I think there are several reasons, for example: Social media and how it can prompt us to compare ourselves with others Hard-driving, demanding workplaces asking employees to step up more Lack… Read more
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week here in the UK, and this year the theme is body image. How we think and feel about our bodies can affect our mental health. It’s noticeable that a lot of the literature, reporting and discussion about body image focuses on females. There’s good reason for that. For example, research… Read more
Q: Is it…that funny video? Your pointer that lights up? Maybe it’s slide #1? Or your last slide? The ‘killer infographic’? Could it be the amazing way you’ve got the room all set up? Or the whizzy interactive app? A: None of the above. It’s YOU, [your name goes here]. Yes, great visuals can help…. Read more
A question that often comes up when I facilitate Zoomly’s ‘How to give effective feedback’ workshop is who to ask for it. After all, feedback isn’t just about commenting on others’ performance; we need feedback on ours too. Some people seem to think there’s no-one to ask or feel a bit awkward about asking. I’m… Read more
What is International Women’s Day and how did it come about? We have The United Nations to thank; they officially began the Day in 1975, the year designated International Women’s Year. But #IWD’s origins go back to 1908 in USA, when women working in the garment industry took strike action over poor workplace conditions. A… Read more
How do you respond when you’ve stuffed up on a task? Or when you’ve planned to walk part of the way to work – and it rains? How about when you get some criticism from a colleague? The chatterbox in our head has a huge bearing on how we feel, and therefore on our resilience to… Read more
I often work with groups or individuals on goal-setting. It may be as part of the annual appraisal (yes, there’s a Zoomly bite-sized workshop for that), 1:1 conversations about development and progress, or a coaching conversation. Within the work context, I think it’s a bit simpler to set goals, because when it’s done right, there… Read more
December is here…and that means Christmas parties. Not just mince pies and mulled wine – but also colleagues, including your boss. I’ve previously posted festive season tips*; thanks to the readers who asked me to get going with this earlier in December. “I read your post the morning after I’d done EVERYTHING you shouldn’t… Read more
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