Management hierarchies: are they still necessary in the workplace?
Digital technology has transformed the workplace and companies at the cutting edge are embracing flatter hierarchical management structures. It’s time for businesses to unpick bureaucratic processes and focus on developing an innovative and agile workforce. Most employees value clear direction from leaders, but they also value autonomy. In our modern, fast-moving world, the most successful organisations are those who are […]
Groupthink: how to avoid the follower mentality
Businesses must remain vigilant against the dangers of groupthink and create a workplace culture that encourages and listens to diverse opinions. Back in 2007 I ran a session for senior traders in a financial services organisation. A participant was presenting a project about a complex new financial product to the room. As the presentation rolled […]
Are leaders really committed to talent development?
Are senior leaders only paying lip service to talent development? If so, it may be wasting time, money and be jeopardising the success of your programme. Discover tips on how to gain real commitment from the important people in your organisation. A talent development strategy may feel like it is yours to deliver but it […]
Transformational HR: why we need a people-centred approach
We hear about transformation all the time, and mainly it’s about digital transformation. The next wave of automation, technology that’s more virtual, slick and seamless – that kind of thing. A big programme is built, maybe a division setup for it and then we unleash our plans on our people and the world. It seems like the […]
How can HR travel the right road to future work?
In the first of this three-part series, Mike Hammer – aka ‘The Gig Doctor’ – defines a mapping process for HR leaders on the road to future work. Road signs and people skills necessary to survive and thrive with future work environments are offered. His hope with this series is to help HR professionals and […]
What really happens in leadership coaching sessions?
Do organisations really understand the value of leadership coaching and how can employees get the most out of the experience? Increasingly I find the stated objectives of coaching (what we have to tell the organisation in order to get the investment) are out of sync with what we’ll actually be working on and where the actual value […]
Why do we naturally delegate based on personality?
The ability to delegate effectively is the cornerstone of excellent leadership, so why does it so often become clouded by poor personal judgement. This article examines ways to avoid the personality trap and become a better delegator. Whether we like it or not, we naturally delegate based on personality. Put another way, would we really […]
Book review: Measure What Matters
HRZone has a range of books available for review. If you would like to receive one of our business books, free of charge, please contact the editor on editor at hrzone dot com and we can send you a list of what’s available. In return, we ask for a 400-700 word review of the book, […]
How corporations can benefit from a start-up mindset
Defining the start-up mindset and applying it to established businesses could be a way to revive enthusiasm and encourage innovation. It was during an innocuous conversation with a taxi driver that I had the realisation about the main difference between a start-up and a corporation. I was struck that it wasn’t, in fact, the age difference […]
Follower-focused leadership: how to become a better manager
Effective leadership does not come from being an expert in business theory but from paying close attention to your followers and closing the perception gap between what leadership is and what it should be. A great deal of leadership training involves encouraging managers to think of themselves as leaders. Perhaps you yourself have been encouraged in […]
How can HR managers make the case for investing in culture?
Successful businesses have strong cultures that underpin their performance. So, why are some professionals still resistant to investing in this aspect of a business? Great organisations take culture seriously – or are eventually forced to. Companies such as Apple, P&G, Walt Disney and McDonalds have achieved enduring success by investing properly in workplace cultures defined by […]
Motivating employees? Start with their four basic emotional needs
In order to build an effective work culture that can improve your business’s bottom line, you must get to know your workforce. If you grasp what drives each of your employees, you can better design policies, procedures, and practices that will appeal to your workforce and improve employee motivation. According to Harvard professors Paul Lawrence and Nitin […]
Talent management: why HR needs to stop promoting based on the Peter Principle
At Academics’ Corner we explore the latest HR research coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know about. Here, Jan Hills, Partner at Head Heart + Brian, looks at research on promotions and the Peter Principle. I’ve been mentoring a number of my daughter’s friends who are hitting challenges in their careers, they are at […]
Time to rediscover your values
Organisations must keep their values at the core of everyday operations or risk employees losing a sense of purpose and productivity. In a recent meeting with a client’s staff I was struck by how flat people were when talking about their organisation’s stated purpose and values. I offered the observation that from an outsider’s point of […]
The people profession: how can HR develop in 2019?
Off the back of the CIPD’s recent research on the ‘People Profession in 2018’, senior HR professional Charlie Goff-Deakins examines three development areas for HR and people professionals to focus on in 2019. The CIPD recently issued the results from the survey ‘The People Profession in 2018‘, which consisted of 974 respondents from a people […]
Do your managers want to manage?
Do your managers love managing people or have they been promoted for their technical skills despite lacking people skills? With many businesses today tightening the purse strings on L&D, it’s important that you invest in the right people for the job. When was the last time you asked your managers if they want to manage? Have […]
How to earn employee trust in your business
In the opening keynote of CIPD’s Annual Conference and Exhibition 2018, award-winning author, speaker and lecturer Rachel Botsman explored the value of trust in today’s society. Opening up the 2018 CIPD conference, Rachel Botsman, author of ‘Who Can You Trust’ and ‘What’s Mine is Yours’, explored how little we really know about trust, how bad […]
Are you a horrible boss? How to tell if your team is engaged
You may think you’re a good manager, but have you sat down with each member of your team and directly asked? The answers you recieve may difficult to swallow, but they will also be key to improving your team’s engagement and productivity. No one sets out to become a bad boss. However, it is almost inevitable […]
Come on, just get on and do it! Breaking apart a broken organisational structure
Blaire Palmer is CEO of That People Thing, a consultancy dedicated to inspiring leaders in fast-paced, ambitious businesses to drive change in their organisations in partnership with their people. Blaire has been described as a “secret weapon”, a “business muse” and “that lady who does the leadership and team stuff”. She is a regular guest expert […]
Do transformational leaders make you sick?
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. Transformational leaders communicate a clear positive vision for their teams […]
