What leaders can do when opinion is against them
David Cameron’s recent call to arms from the House of Commons, to support action against Syria, resulted in a motion of no support from the house. Not only did this leave him in an extremely difficult position in the UK, but internationally too where the ‘special relationship’ with the U.S. was also called into question. […]
Developing next generation leaders for a sustainable future – the stewardship model
Human resource professionals and leaders alike have many responsibilities, and perhaps among the most important is developing the next generation of leaders and being more innovative as times change rapidly before our eyes. The right leadership style is important in the good times, but is even more essential in the face of budget reductions, fundamental […]
What are invisible workers and why are they putting your information at risk?
Research[1] from Iron Mountain suggests that close to two thirds of employees in Europe are now able to work from home for all or part of the time. This ranges from once every two to three months for 3% of employees to full-time home-working for 15%. In each case the picture will be a similar […]
Four CVs from the best domestic staff in Britain – and the woman who recruits them
Sara Vestin Rahmani is the owner of Bespoke Bureau, a yacht crew and domestic staff recruitment agency that also trains people looking to cut it in five-star establishments. Polishing chandeliers. Driving sports cars. Serving seafood to billionaires in the salty sea breeze. These tasks aren’t in your average job description. But they’re part of daily […]
How to find real value in graduates
Creating a company culture is one way of driving success. However one thing the majority in HR and wider business will agree on is that without the right people you cannot build or maintain a culture. The general consensus is that it is harder to instil a culture in those who move from another company […]
How to hit the sweet spot between conflict and new ideas
Every team is made up of many different personalities, all with their own aspirations, ideas, preferences, and a host of different experiences. Each of these individuals could hold the key to unlocking a difficult problem or providing an innovative way to approach a task. Or even better, the unique combination of ideas and experience in […]
Employers not doing enough to address the stress taboo, says Mind
Stressed workers are suffering in silence against a culture of mental health taboo, according to new statistics released today from mental health charity Mind. Almost half (45%) of the 2060 workers polled by Mind said that staff are expected to cope without mentioning stress at work and a third (31%) said they would not be […]
How can supervisors best support HR directors and their teams?
What is supervision? ‘Supervision is an opportunity to bring someone home to their own mind, to show them how good they can be.’ Nancy Kline, ‘Time to Think’ Supervision is a process of reflection and insight and support that focuses on resourcing the supervisee. Reflection, Insight and Support. Supervision enhances ‘seeing’ – the seeing into […]
Burn Out or Flow Out? What a choice…
This week we were thinking about work and how much is too much. I spend a lot of my working life poised between two extremes. At the stage of the business I am currently at, I am working hard to ensure that we grow, that we retain quality, that we add value to the bottom […]
Evidence-based HR – neuroscience in business and the HR department
We're hurtling towards a time when HR departments are driven by science and through understanding what makes people who they are. This evidence-based HR approach will be married heavily with big data. One of the key areas that is fueling evidence-based HR is neuroscience – the more we understand about the human brain and the […]
The neuroscience of trust and how it can improve your engagement results
A while ago I was working with a leadership team who got into a debate about trust. The team was split with the senior leader insisting their role was to mitigate risks by putting in place policies and policing people to ensure the company was safe. His starting premise was people are not trustworthy, if […]
Top talent? I’d wager you’re getting it wrong
It’s evident in every organisation that some point your star performers will be prompted into a leadership role. But does their success in their field mean that they’ll be a success as a leader? Honestly, the answer is probably not. It’s an inevitable reality right now that too many people embarking on leadership programmes will […]
Museums ditching staff for volunteers – the result of financial woes?
Over a third of museums and galleries reduced numbers of paid staff last year, while a half increased the number of interns and volunteers. This is according to the Museums Association, a membership organisation, which added that staff cuts were due primarily to a reduction in public investment. “Interns and volunteers have plenty to offer […]
Top 10 security reminders for the post-summer period
Now firmly into autumn and back to normal, it’s time to review your company’s cyber security practices after the summer break has been and gone. Although a lot of people have returned back to the office, in today’s 24/7 connected world most people were still checking email and in work mode from their sun loungers. […]
Summary of National Minimum Wage changes from October 1st
Thanks to Hollie Ryan, Associate at Charles Russell LLP, for preparing this summary. The new 2013/14 rates are as follows: Standard rate – £6.31 per hour (a 12p increase from £6.19, an increase of 1.9%) 18 – 20 year olds – £5.03 per hour (a 5p increase from £4.98) Under 18s – £3.72 per hour (a 4p increase […]
Who am I? Types of employment status
This is not simply a philosophical question. A new third type of employment status, namely that of ‘employee shareholder’, was introduced into the UK on 1st September 2013 in addition to employee and worker status respectively. The correct identification of an individual’s status has never been more important given its implications both for their personal […]
Social Business – trendy fad or saviour of “good” work?
It’s an interesting world of work we have upon us. Interesting for a range of reasons and because of seemingly increased polarisation of views. Telecommuting – aka working from home – is bad -v- why the heck are we still working 9-5 and wasting hours on road/rail to get to work? We have to hold […]
The importance of social connection – insights from the NeuroLeadership Summit 2013
I have just returned from the 2013 NeuroLeadership Summit which was held for the first time this year in London. For those of you who may not be aware of the summit it aims to move forward the understanding of neuroscience in leadership and organisational performance. For the first time this year the Summit ‘travelled’ […]
HR officers are ‘beta-male chimpanzees’
The former head of HR at Dutch bank ABN Amro, Kilian Wawoe, posed a rhetorical question in a recent interview: “What can of animal is the HR officer?” His response: “I would say we are the beta-male chimpanzees: there to make others achieve their goals.” He also offers a thought-provoking definition of the glass ceiling: “It's […]
Lack of support for managers leads to leadership problems and crisis of organisational culture
Over a third (36%) of line managers have not received any training for their role, according to new research released today from the CIPD. Time for effective line management is also de-prioritised in favour of mission-critical and goal-orientated tasks. The research also found that 24% of managers face situations where they must put the company’s […]
