How to reframe your performance review
Imagine the scene… your annual performance review is due tomorrow afternoon. Lots of new projects have kicked off in the last few months and you have been working your socks off. Work is still very chaotic and busy which means you have very little time to do much preparation for your review. So you […]
Blog: Eight tips for handling a ‘difficult conversation’
No-one likes having ‘difficult’ conversations – but as a manager it is inevitable that at some point an issue will arise that has to be addressed. It may be that an employee’s performance is under par, a project has gone horribly wrong or a crucial meeting has been mishandled. It’s tempting to sweep poor […]
Blog: Does Boris demonstrate the five fundamentals of leadership? Part 1
Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s popularity has risen to such an extent that commentators are increasingly speculating over the possibility that the eccentric former journalist could be the next Prime Minister. The mayor’s meteoric rise received a welcome boost from a successful London 2012, but has he got what it takes to be an international […]
News: Lack of HR support means 1/3 senior hires consider quitting in first 3 months
A failure by top managers to work closely enough with HR means that two out of five senior hires consider quitting in their first 90 days and are 50% less productive than they would otherwise be. According to a survey among 283 senior executives and 38 HR directors conducted by recruitment consultancy, Harvey Nash, a […]
Blog: Are British workers really the most idle in the world?
British workers are among the most idle in the world, according to a book written by five Tory MPs. In the book ‘Britannia Unchained: Lessons for Growth and Prosperity’ the authors wrote: “Once they enter the workplace, the British are among the worst idlers in the world. We work among the lowest hours, we retire early and […]
News: Govt plans to post mandarin’s performance goals online “damaging”
Government plans to publish the performance targets of all permanent secretaries online risk damaging the current relationship of trust between ministers and their top civil servants, a union has warned. At a speech for the Institute of Government think-tank yesterday, cabinet office minister, Francis Maude, warned that it was “unacceptable” for senior mandarins to veto […]
Blog: Five ways to move on from a mistake
How did you react the last time you made a mistake at work? Did you hold your hands up and do your best to put the problem right – or did you berate yourself for being a failure but decide there was nothing you could do to rescue the situation? According to an article […]
Blog: Five tips for plucking up the courage to pick up the phone
I was talking with a new client last week, and she explained to me that she wasn’t one of those people who found it easy just to pick up the phone and talk to people – particularly people she had not spoken to in a while. I know that one of the best ways to […]
How to work effectively with the C-suite
Many HR directors are continuing on their mission to look for ways to demonstrate to other executive leaders that they can make a strategic contribution to the business. But while such efforts are well-intentioned, it appears that they are having a limited impact. Recent figures show that only four FTSE 50 companies have board […]
News: A third of UK workers endure bullying
A huge three out of five UK workers claim to have been bullied at some point by their boss, while 30% say they are experiencing such behaviour right now. According to a poll among 400 employees undertaken by online jobs board, CareerBuilder.co.uk, the two most common bullying techniques are to blame people for mistakes that […]
News: Lean process focus leads to drop in assessment centre quality
A growing desire to implement cost-effective, streamlined processes is leading to falling quality at many assessment and development centres, according to research. A survey among 543 HR professionals in 53 countries conducted by talent management consultancy a&dc, revealed that 17% of assessments lasted half a day or less, even though just over half of those […]
News: Higher stress levels and longer hours with us for next 3 years
Increasing numbers of UK workers are suffering excessive pressure in their job as they work longer hours than ever – and the situation isn’t expected to change any time soon. According to a survey of 1,606 companies across the world conducted by professional services firm Towers Watson, a third acknowledged that employees were under […]
Maximising your emotional capital
For 10 years the research has told us that, to besuccessful in our personal and professional lives, we need to show emotional as well as cognitive intelligence. Clear links have also been established between specific emotional skills and outstanding success in the leadership arena. Of course, as HR professionals, we’ve always known that having […]
Blog: Punk Rock HR – Appraisals (It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it…)
This is the fourth extract of my new book “Punk Rock People Management – a no-nonsense guide to hiring, inspiring and firing staff”. Here's an extract on the topic of appraisal: I have had the privilege of working with ‘Honorary Punk Rock Leadership Professor’ Dennis Tourish, who asks audiences of HR professionals “Who enjoys their […]
Christina’s Counsel: Seven ways to ensure credible performance management
Hello and welcome to this month’s dilemma: The challenge A reader contacted me to talk about the impact of introducing a performance management system into her company a year ago. The process is not linked directly to reward at this point in time, although there are plans to do so in future. As […]
Infographic: The impact of a misaligned HR and management team
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News: HR remains “messenger” rather than co-creator of corporate strategy
A lack of involvement in devising corporate strategy means that HR continues to be the “messenger” rather the instigator, leading to a significant misalignment between employee and business objectives, according to research. A survey among 125 HR professionals and business managers conducted at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s HR Software Show earlier this […]
Book Review: There is an I in team by Mark de Rond
Mark de Rond, professor of strategy and organisation at Cambridge University, has written a very comprehensive book on the factors that contribute to making a highly successful team. To this end, he draws on his experience as an experienced rowing coach for the Cambridge University Boat Club’s Blue Boat as well as his studies of […]
Blog: Humanising human resources
During our recent recession we’ve seen the demands on human resource increase massively through consolidation and downsizing. As our economies begin to regain speed this trend doesn’t seem to be bucking, but there is a choice on where to focus. To so many well performing corporations, numbers matter – I won’t argue with that. […]
How to tackle your first 100 days as HR director – Part 2
These days, an HR director’s achievements in their first 100 days of taking on a new position are routinely seen as an indication of their future leadership potential. This means that swift delivery on goals and an immediate return on investment are considered more essential than ever. So how can you ensure that you […]
