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 […]
Leadership: six reasons why HR should be considered in top level management
For too long HR professionals have been denied a seat the top table – but it’s time that people skills took centre stage in the boardroom again. Let’s face it, and if we were to be strict about it, there is only one reason why HR should be considered in top level management and it’s […]
The secret about disciplinary investigations that HR professionals won’t tell you
No names, no job titles, no companies. HR After Dark features totally anonymised opinion pieces from HR professionals, consultants and industry commentators. No holds barred, no censorship, nothing but raw opinions on issues that matter to HR. OK so here it is. Are you listening? Are you prepared to (maybe) be a little bit shocked […]
People management: how to create a psychologically safe environment at work
How psychologically safe is your workplace? If you want to attract and retain valuable team members, it’s time to get to grips with this. Psychological safety, in a work capacity, is all about creating environments in which employees feel accepted and respected. There are ways to identify if your workplace is psychologically safe or unsafe. […]
Five ways for women to take the reins on their leadership development
In addition to the demanding tasks and huge responsibility placed on all leaders, women leaders have additional challenges to contend with. Here are five ways to approach these obstacles and develop further in your leadership role. My niece has just co-written a brand new BBC book Doctor Who: The Women Who Lived, Amazing Tales for […]
Why showing up as the best version of yourself will help your career
Feeling the pressure to fit in? Here are eight steps to help you show up as the best version of yourself. “I just didn’t fit in. I felt awkward, uncomfortable and different, somehow marginalised in the meeting. I really want to talk about it.” These were the initial words that a client shared with me at her […]
Leadership tips: why managers must put ‘care’ at the heart of their people strategy
Economic volatility, rapid technological change and political uncertainty have created a challenging environment for business in recent years, which is why the issue of care is more important than ever before when it comes to managing employees. Care in business? Why in a business context, would we need to mention care? At first glance this […]
Is there gender bias in your leadership, talent and promotion criteria?
Research shows that women need to work harder, smarter and for longer than men to get appointed into leadership roles. In order to break away from this deeply ingrained bias towards male leaders, businesses need to reassess their process and criteria for promoting talent. According to Cranfield University 29 per cent of FTSE 100 directors (executive and […]
Gender pay gap reporting – now what?
It’s been six months since the Gender Pay Gap reporting deadline – and we’re all familar with the findings. But beyond the reporting, what steps should businesses be taking to get more women into higher paid roles? On the 4th April 2018, over 10,000 companies provided mandatory data on their gender* pay gap based on six key calculations. […]