Workplace harmony – how to improve it
Disharmony at work can be an unfortunate fact of life. Whilst every organisation will vary, as an overview, the key causes are: Poor communication and consultation Absence of shared vision (in the big picture or within a team or project) Mistrust leading to interpersonal conflict Poor leadership Lack of emotional intelligence If you’re looking to […]
A checklist saved your life
I love checklists. They’re simple. They help you remember the milk, build a bridge or even save a life. “Discipline is hard–harder than trustworthiness and skill and perhaps even than selflessness. We are by nature flawed and inconstant creatures.”- Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right Checklists – the missing link? Human […]
Change management: convincing, delivering & sustaining effective change
Regardless of business size or sector, there are three key aspects to consider when approaching change management. Intellectual Understanding – why the change is necessary Emotional Engagement – stakeholder discussions and the perceived ownership of the changes Sustained Action – how to implement long-term transformative benefits that provide value Ignoring these principles can have an […]
National Apprenticeship Week 2014 – round-up of content
Facts & figures: The National Apprenticeship Service released research that finds almost half (44%) of businesses in the country plan to take on apprentices in the next five years. Around a third (32%) of those that plan to take on apprentices say this is because they are a core part of their growth strategy. RatedPeople.com put out […]
What we’ve learnt from 80 years of taking on apprentices
Engineering, IT and facilities services business NG Bailey have been recruiting apprentices for 80 years. In recognition of National Apprenticeship Week, we reached out Frank Clayton, the company’s Head of L&D, and asked for 10 lessons they’ve learnt from the 5000 apprentices they’ve trained since 1934. “You have to invest, even when it’s tough out […]
Mental health in women – greater incidence or more likely to report problems?
“Mental health is inextricably linked to our status in society.” New figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre suggest that women – and especially those under 50 – are the group at the greatest risk of suffering from mental health problems. But is this a case of greater reporting of problems by women, […]
Unmanned ships could soon be a reality, says Rolls-Royce
Every time something gets automated, the type of skills people need changes. The drone operator, for example, didn't exist until unmanned planes were introduced. According to manufacturer Rolls-Royce, unmanned cargo ships could become a reality on our oceans within the decade. The FTSE100-listed company recently unveiled designs for its concept crewless vessels. The BBC report […]
Talent mobility – essential to organisational success
In the first of a four part series of articles, Matt Russell, Head of Talent at Lee Hecht Harrison, introduces his concept of ‘talent mobility’ and the results of an in-depth research programme into the subject and looks in brief at what HR professionals need to do in order to ensure and benefit from talent […]
Office dogs – the pros and cons
It’s early on a busy Wednesday morning, phones are ringing, internal meetings are starting, the courier is at the door and the team is getting set for another frantic day in the office. Clients are expected mid-morning and there’s a fabulous buzz about the place. However, amongst the hum of activity I can’t (for a […]
Insight test – how much do you know about insightful working?
GARY KLEIN, PhD, is a research psychologist famous for his part in founding the field of naturalistic decision making, and is a Senior Scientist at MacroCognition LLC. He was one of the leaders of a team that redesigned the White House Situation Room. He is the author of Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We […]
Is diversity now being fully embraced by organisations?
In today’s marketplace organisations must embrace new thinking, action and innovation. To achieve this, diversity must be key to driving operational strategy. Diversity is the key to variety, whether in new markets, overhauling work processes or new products and innovations. It has progressed as a part of companies approach to strategy, yet arguably it has […]
When can I discuss things ‘without prejudice?’
Employers often want to chat with employees “off the record” so that they try and negotiate an agreed departure by persuading an employee to leave both quickly and amicably, and therefore save the need to carry out the full dismissal procedure. Often such chats are seen as a less formal route and if a deal […]
Take regular walks at work – but don’t relax
Who is Dan Pallotta? Dan rose to prominence after an highly-viewed TED talk criticising the fact that charity donors pile pressure on charities to give 100% of their donation to the cause, which prevents them building essential infrastructure to be more effective. Harvard Business Review is carrying an interesting story from Dan Pallotta. Dan advocates […]
Compassionate management: the softer side of leadership
Corporate dinosaurs beware – a fresh, new management style is on the rise and taking hold among today’s most enlightened business leaders. Across the globe, advocates from LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner to Ford executive chairman, Bill Ford, are recognising the impact of compassion in improving the way they relate to and engage with their employees. […]
Top 10 leadership articles from February
21st century leadership is a tough nut to crack, and a whole different ballgame for many leaders who have built-up notions of success based on the latter half of the 20th century. Science and psychology are bringing new insight to bear and it's essential we get rid of pre-conceived notions about what makes a leader […]
There are three types of burnout. Which one affects you?
New research suggests there are three different types of burnout, each of which is related to a specific detrimental coping strategy. Overload burnout – the ‘always-on’ employee who never gives up and works toward success until they become exhausted. The coping strategy is emotional venting. These people will complain about organisational hierarchy, inefficient processes etc […]
Five tips for effective fleet management
Fleet management is a growing business: Berg Insight suggest that the number of fleets deployed in Europe will grow from 1.5m units in 2009 to 4m in 2014. Due to the scale of fleets, marginal gains can often result in significant cost savings for businesses. And the latest developments in the industry, such as cloud-based […]
Firing people – it’s never personal
Firing people is part of doing business and dismissals happen a lot more than resignations. It's time we dropped the euphemisms. There are lots of phrases in business that describe the same thing. In my world, they’re called ‘letting people go’, doing ‘managed exits’ or ‘releasing people’. But is the reason there are so many […]
Breaking through the leadership development fog
Although current economic news is finally sounding a more positive note, the challenges of the past five years have provided a stern test of leadership for many businesses which continues today; this week the CIPD suggested that wage rises would remain below the rate of inflation unless and until productivity improves. A 2012 review by […]
Leadership vision for the future – faith, hypertext and clarity
Last year, there was a fire in the warehouse right next door to TelecityGroup’s Paris operation. This was a massive conflagration – I’ve still got some footage of it on my phone – which threatened to close down all the businesses in the vicinity. The firefighters who arrived on the scene advised our staff to […]
