Get help by creating a personal following
Regardless of how prepared, knowledgeable, and organised you are, the ability to access the support, time, and guidance of those around you is a major advantage. Gaining the assistance of others or getting them on your team, however, is easier said than done. One of the best ways to earn the consistent support of a […]
Induction: a function of HR or masterclass of leadership?
Alison Lowe is our CEO keynote at The Employee Engagement Conference on September 10th in London. Grab your ticket today and join us! At Touchstone, a West Yorkshire mental health charity, staff numbers have steadily doubled over the last 11 years. As CEO, I was rarely involved in new staff inductions though, thinking this was […]
Presenteeism: Physical presence and psychological absence combined
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Exit the leadership vortex: to whom do operational leaders ultimately owe allegiance?
I was recently at a function at the House of Commons at which the seasoned CEO of a multinational financial services organisation aptly described the environment of business leadership much akin to operating in a vortex. In reality, amidst widespread confusion, if not chaos, leaders lack effective control of the speed, direction, indeed the ultimate […]
Don’t believe the Accenture ‘end of appraisals’ hype
Accenture’s recent decision to abandon the annual performance review looks on the surface to be a bold and progressive move, which has been well received throughout the business community. A “massive revolution” is how CEO Pierre Nanterme described the decision, but is it all just smoke and mirrors? The truth is that annual performance reviews […]
Netflix goes unlimited on parental leave
With last week’s announcement, Netflix reasserted itself at the cutting edge of workplace practices and policies, alongside a band of innovative US tech companies like Google, Twitter and Facebook. What did Netflix do? It announced unlimited paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents. Compared to some European countries, granted, that doesn’t seem all that […]
Why did Ruby Wax promote silence on mental health?
Comedian Ruby Wax has become a leading voice on mental health issues in the UK, a high-profile campaigner who’s just been offered a new post as visiting professor for mental health nursing at the University of Surrey. So when she advises employees to never tell their boss about a mental health problem, people are going […]
Science of Engagement: the role of purpose and mood
An understanding of some aspects of how the brain is ‘wired’ can help you to increase the likelihood of people being engaged at work and avoid creating situations that destroy engagement. There is no set of system in the brain that ensures people are engaged. It’s more complex than that but there are a number […]
A ‘no manager’-alternative to yearly appraisals
I used to dread having my yearly appraisal. Looking back on them, I’m struggling to remember an appraisal that I walked out of having either developed or learnt something new about myself. It always seemed to me that it was more of a game as to who was having the least fun; me or my […]
Cognitive and emotional recovery at work and home
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Science of Engagement: the importance of in-group connection
An understanding of some aspects of how the brain is ‘wired’ can help you to increase the likelihood of people being engaged at work and avoid creating situations that destroy engagement. There is no set of system in the brain that ensures people are engaged. It’s more complex than that but there are a number […]
Science of Engagement: what does engagement mean?
An understanding of some aspects of how the brain is ‘wired’ can help you to increase the likelihood of people being engaged at work and avoid creating situations that destroy engagement. There is no set of system in the brain that ensures people are engaged. It’s more complex than that but there are a number of […]
How Waitrose drive process improvement through employee suggestions
Waitrose, food stores of the John Lewis Partnership, recently started using collaboration software to power its innovation and suggestion scheme, Partner Ideas, which aims to encourage employees to suggest process improvements, capture these improvements and lead to lasting change. We caught up with Stuart Eames, Operational Improvement Manager at Waitrose, to find out more about […]
From performance misery to performance joy?
“Once a year [I] share with you what I think of you. That doesn’t make any sense. People want to know . . . am I doing all right? Nobody’s going to wait for an annual cycle to get that feedback,” Accenture CEO Pierre Nanterme told the Washington Post last week. And with these words Accenture’s 330,000 employees breathe […]
Does Accenture’s move mark the end of appraisals?
I was delighted to see an article in last week’s Independent confirming that, one of the world’s largest companies, Accenture, will be putting a stop to holding the annual appraisal review. Accenture CEO Pierre Nanterme told The Washington Post that the company, which employs 330,000 people around the world, is preparing to halt a performance review process […]
Forging global unity with Randomised Coffee Trials (RCT) at the Red Cross
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies won our ‘International Project of the Year’ award at this year’s Employee Engagement Awards for a fascinating initiative called Random Coffee Trials (RCTs) which aim to create a sense of unity and cohesion across global boundaries. RCTs introduced volunteers and staff to a new colleague from […]
Interview: Marie Moynihan, Chief Diversity Officer and VP Talent, Dell
Marie Moynihan is Chief Diversity Officer and VP Talent at global computer company Dell. She is an experienced global HR leader and talent executive whose goal is, in her own words, to create an environment that is uniquely open and inclusive, where individuals and teams are challenged to be their best, and do their best work, […]
Three things to avoid when facing change
There is a wealth of fantastic knowledge available on how to lead and manage through change. All of which I have found to be essential when navigating some tricky waters. But the best lessons I have personally learned from have been those based on experience. Every role that I have held has included some form […]
The science of mindfulness for leaders
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Does speaking up really save lives?
The BBC recently published an online article with the headline “How speaking up can save lives.” Hierarchy, in healthcare and other sectors, inhibits staff from pointing out errors to those in charge, leading sometimes to loss of life. So, we need to train junior staff to raise concerns assertively, and ask senior staff to pay […]