Leadership: confidence is king when it comes to crowning successful leaders
A lack of confidence is a career killer for those in leadership positions, so it’s essential that others see you as confident if you want to get ahead, according to new research. Confidence is a critical state for leaders. Whilst competency criteria may not explicitly require it, confidence is the prerequisite for success. An apparent […]
Leadership: why HR has a responsibility to build a sense of belonging among employees
It’s been proven that individuals and teams perform best in environments where they feel a sense of belonging. Leadership teams should be doing everything they can to help encourage this. A mountain of research spanning almost 200 years and looking across multiple cultures and contexts demonstrates beyond doubt that the single biggest predictor of our […]
Why companies need to open up the dialogue around diversity
Creating a workplace culture that is truly diverse is not about ticking the ‘right’ boxes, it requires a shift in the way organisations communicate with their staff, HR teams and new recruits. Workplace diversity isn’t about recruiting a bunch of people from different backgrounds. That’s just a diversity of faces, and only leads to employees having to […]
How to create a healthy feedback culture
The giving and receiving of constructive feedback should be embedded into workplace practice, but to succeed it requires a culture built on self-compassion. The importance of developing a feedback culture at work and how it supports professional growth is often discussed, yet still not fully understood. One of the reasons it’s so hard to achieve is because for […]
Management transformation: time for change
In this time of rapid change leaders must remain agile and flexible in their approach. We examine how staff can help management identify ways to lead effective transformation. We are in a new world of unimaginable uncertainty. Not just with our Brexit woes, but with AI tech, emerging markets, globalisation, new competition et al. Monzo, Netflix, […]
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 […]
