Unleash your strengths with Marcus Buckingham
Discover your true strengths with Marcus Buckingham’s simple exercises designed to shift focus from weaknesses to capabilities. Learn practical methods like mapping your personal board and tracking activities you love versus loathe to identify genuine strengths that bring success, instinct, growth, and fulfillment.
Over 2/3 of organisations fail to evaluate training
A CIPD survey reveals that over two-thirds of organisations fail to evaluate their coaching programmes, leaving initiatives vulnerable to financial and resource pressures. The CIPD plans to release evaluation guidance to address this gap.
Undercover Boss: Will new Crown Relocations FD Narin Ganesh pack it up – or in?
Crown Relocations’ Finance Director Narin Ganesh goes undercover on tonight’s final Undercover Boss episode to assess the international moving company’s people management, communication, and customer experience across its UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia operations.
Undercover Boss – Narin Ganesh’s filming diary
Crown Relocations’ Finance Director Narin Ganesh went undercover in his own company for Channel 4’s Undercover Boss, documenting his behind-the-scenes filming experience. His diary reveals the challenges of appearing natural on camera while working alongside employees who didn’t know his true identity.
From the top to the tip – Undercover Boss with Colin Drummond, CEO of Viridor
Colin Drummond, CEO of Viridor, went undercover to experience his waste management, recycling, and renewable energy company firsthand. Despite growing the business from £20 million to £262 million in turnover since 1993, he wanted to understand his employees’ experiences and empower decision-making at all levels.
20% claim they are bullied by boss
One in five UK workers claim to be bullied by their boss, according to a survey of 1,298 employees. The study also found that 31% of bullying victims were women, and 57% of those bullied were actively seeking new employment.
Leadership matters: Disruptive team member
A team leader struggles with a disruptive employee who aggressively challenges her, performs poorly, and threatens grievances. While the employee has some disability-related absences, the core issues are performance and conduct that require separate management from disability considerations.
UK workers have lower ROI
A PwC study of 10,000 companies across 40 countries found that UK workers generate lower returns on investment for employers than their counterparts in Western Europe and the US, despite less restrictive labour laws. During 2002-2006, UK human capital ROI rose just 4.6% compared to 8.3% in Western Europe and 19.8% in the US.
Business leaders offer advice to England football team
Business leaders surveyed during the World Cup identified key lessons from England’s campaign, emphasizing the importance of team cohesion, playing to individual strengths, and ensuring peak performance under pressure. These insights apply equally to corporate environments, where creating united, high-performing teams is essential for success.
Book review: ‘The Why of Work’ by Dave and Wendy Ulrich
Management consultants Dave and Wendy Ulrich’s “The Why of Work” offers practical principles for transforming organizations into “abundant” workplaces that foster creativity, hope, and resilience. The book presents seven core ideas—framed as personal questions for managers—that can help leaders build more effective organizations where employees find lasting value alongside sustainable business results.
Blame the Jabulani football, not the leader
The Jabulani football’s properties—5% faster, softer, and slicker than standard balls—affected player performance at the 2010 World Cup. However, blaming the equipment rather than adapting to it reflects poor leadership, as the ball was uniform for all teams and beyond anyone’s control.
Leadership Matters: Affair between director and her direct report
An HR professional grapples with reporting her director’s affair with a direct report, fearing retaliation while concerned about business risks and loss of professional trust. The advice explores company culture, conflict of interest policies, and the employee’s options for addressing the situation.
Metrics are the key to effective business strategy
HR metrics drive business strategy when organizations move beyond basic headcount tracking to measure people strategy execution. Our research reveals leading companies use sophisticated metrics to inform strategy decisions, prove HR’s business value, and monitor organizational performance across all levels.
Leadership training should be a ‘national priority’
The Chartered Management Institute urges employers to prioritize leadership training as a national strategy to drive economic growth in Northern Ireland. By 2020, most jobs will require formal qualifications and advanced skills, making investment in workforce development essential for competitive advantage.
SMEs could add £15bn by applying HR planning
SMEs could add £15bn to the UK economy by implementing effective HR planning, according to research from Warwick Business School. The study found that companies with planned staff development were 35% more likely to increase profitability, yet fewer than half of SMEs currently use HR planning effectively.
Understanding leadership styles to navigate the leader maze
Effective leadership requires adapting your style to each situation. Leaders must balance team involvement with decision-making control, choosing between directive, consultative, consensual, or delegative approaches based on the specific business context and team dynamics.
Take the Alan Sugar leadership test
Test your leadership potential with this Alan Sugar-inspired assessment from Kingston University. Answer 12 questions to discover whether you have the enterprise, creativity, and motivation needed to lead in your organization or start your own business venture.
The leadership required to forge a coalition government
Forging an effective coalition government requires political leaders to move beyond advocacy and adversarial debate toward genuine collaboration and inquiry. Leaders must find common ground, build relationships, and skillfully manage conflict to create solutions that serve the public interest.
Managing HR in SMEs
Small and medium enterprises are spending excessive time on HR compliance and regulatory issues, with some dedicating up to 15 hours weekly. This diverts attention from critical business development and customer service activities, highlighting the need for streamlined HR management processes.
Cutting through a bullying culture
Leadership plays a critical role in preventing bullying culture within organizations. When senior leaders model bullying behavior without facing consequences, it becomes normalized throughout the workplace hierarchy. Organizations can address this through staff training, clear dignity-at-work policies, and effective support services for employees experiencing bullying.
