The secrets of simple graphics
Because graphics are concerned with hand drawn images style and quality vary hugely amongst presenters, facilitators and others who use graphics in their work. Much like the way handwriting is a unique insight into someone’s personality, their humanity, hand drawn graphics offer us a similar observation. No two persons’ drawings are quite the same. It […]
The promises and pitfalls of hand drawn graphics
Hand drawn graphics are simple images accompanied by text. The terms sketchnoting, graphic facilitation, visual thinking and visual communication all relate to hand drawn graphics. Organisations can make use of hand drawn graphics in many areas. For example, a simple one page graphic can be used to explain a complex process; graphic facilitation can be […]
HR and the bigger world picture: how can it make an impact?
We live in extraordinary times – the political landscape is coping with post-truth propaganda and organisations are grappling with an unprecedented rate of change and disruption. I believe that the enterprises that will not only survive but outperform in the future will be the ones that amplify the power of their people. As HR professionals, we […]
HR, up your impact: what gets measured gets done
Once we are clear on the strategic goals and focus areas for HR, we need define our targets and how we measure our progress. Through this we are influencing what gets done, so we need to get it right. Otherwise, we divert resources and investment to potentially damaging number chasing. In the first article of the series, […]
HR, up your impact: what happens when reality bites?
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything” said Dwight D. Eisenhower. It’s one thing to come up with some goals and to have ways of measuring performance. What is vital is that we adapt when there are inevitable deviations from the plan – there may be opportunities to capitalise on and challenges to address. In this third article of this series, […]
Book review: Will it make the boat go faster?
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, […]
Is it HR’s duty to resolve the ‘productivity puzzle?’
HR teams have a national duty to improve economic productivity by encouraging and enabling individuals to take responsibility for their own learning. According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, the UK’s productivity, as measured by output per hour, is respectively 27, 30 and 35 percentage points lower than in France, the […]
How to transfer accountability when giving autonomy: Part 1
This is the first part of a two-part series from Joe Britto on transferring accountability when you give autonomy. Read part 2 here! Joe is an experienced global leadership consultant with a grounding in experiential learning, psychological coaching and a study of literary theory. I think it’s fair to say we all want our direct reports to grow in their […]
True Colours: is personality testing at work useful, or even desirable?
From the court of Henry VIII to the Reagan administration, the cast of someone’s horoscope has, throughout history, played a significant role in whether they have been perceived as viable, valuable talent. Are modern day psychometric tests any different – or any more robust? We love to play amateur psychologist, don’t we? It’s what keeps us […]
Does time in role really matter?
This article was co-written by Aoife Kilduff, Research Consultant, YSC UK and Nikita D’Souza, Research Consultant, YSC India. Role tenure is one of the most readily available metrics in organizations. However, there are mixed views as to whether time spent in a particular role is related to performance. To understand how organisations are thinking about role […]
Five ways to transform the annual performance review
Research supports what managers and employees have known for some time: that the annual performance review process is broken. Results from the Brandon Hall Group’s 2015 research survey indicate that, although 88 percent of organisations have a performance management strategy, 71 percent view it as ineffective. Since there is no doubt that organisations need a process […]
What makes the Japanese railways so efficient?
It was a Sunday night at a quiet and emptying train station, close to the end of shifts. I was met by a man in an immaculate uniform and as sharp-looking as he would have been at 9am on a Monday morning. He was taking the trouble of speaking with the occasional passengers as they […]
Managing the pitfalls of meaningful work
Today’s shifting social and economic landscape has encouraged a focus on conscious capitalism and a move away from short-term profits alone to take into account the wider interests of a range of different stakeholders. From the employee perspective has come a renewed interest in creating jobs that are meaningful and full of purpose. It is […]
HR dreams, family leave and the need for evidence-based practice
Top of the day to you, and welcome to our latest round up of news, blogs and opinion from across the HR industry. Let us know what you think of the articles we've shared, and tell us what you've enjoyed reading this week too! Future work – The top jobs in 10 years might not […]
Twitter chat: How can HR help overcome the biggest challenges in retail?
Retail is one of the most disrupted industries out there – from the move to online shopping to the implications of Brexit and the Living Wage, it's a tough time for leaders and employees alike. Following on from our insightful roundtable on the key trends affecting the retail sector, we broadened out the conversation with […]
Evidence-based agony aunt: starting difficult conversations
Our evidence-based agony aunt, Jan Hills, uses findings from neuroscience and psychology to tell you how to solve your organisational problems in brain-savvy ways, that work with the mind's natural tendecies and not against it. Got a problem you want her to look at it? Drop us a line at editor@hrzone.com. We'll get back quickly. Question: […]
Evidence-based agony aunt: a conversation with a defensive employee
Our evidence-based agony aunt, Jan Hills, uses findings from neuroscience and psychology to tell you how to solve your organisational problems in brain-savvy ways, that work with the mind's natural tendecies and not against it. Got a problem you want her to look at it? Drop us a line at editor@hrzone.com. We'll get back quickly. […]
How leaders can stir up creativity in meetings
This piece is based on the thoughts of Mark Batey, Senior Lecturer In Organisational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School. HRZone interviewed Mark in January 2017. His thoughts are based on a decade worth of research and practice with senior teams, helping them be creative and develop new strategies. Mark's approach is to draw together […]
Feedback: the gift that keeps on giving
Stuart Duff, head of development at business psychologists Pearn Kandola, shares his thoughts on the challenges of giving feedback and managing performance. Providing feedback: A leader’s greatest challenge? Feedback. It’s a hot topic across all industries. But still key for a business to progress and for employees to act effectively and develop. There are many ways […]
“Having a company priority focused so heavily on people and engagement is a great privilege”
Taking on a new role is as challenging as it is exciting. In this series we will be talking to HR professionals who are getting to grips with a new job and finding out what attracted them to the role, as well as what their key priorities are for the months ahead. Want to tell us about […]
