Move over teamwork – what about the other forms of co-operative working?

Taken very broadly, there are two kinds of management or business research thinking when it comes to teams: perspectives that think teams are a decent functional way to organise workers to work effectively, and perspectives that are much more critical of the very concept of teamwork. Instinctively, anecdotally, and from much research over the last […]

Book review: Leading Teams: Tools and Techniques for Successful Team Leadership

Title: Leading Teams: Tools and Techniques for Successful Team Leadership from the Sports WorldAuthors: Paolo Guenzi, Dino RutaISBN: 978-1-118-39209-6 Our reviewer this time was David Evans of Burn Bridge Associates. This 330-page book has an easy-read style and will be of interest to anyone with sporting inclinations. Its sub-title, “Tools and techniques for successful team leadership from the […]

Office politics: what HR practitioners need to know

"In a 2012 book, 50% of respondents described office politics as being constructive rather than destructive." — Large or small, multinational or family-owned, public, private or third sector – every workplace has ‘office politics’ in one form or another. Some HR practitioners might consider office politics a subject best avoided through fear of becoming too […]

Why no team can survive without conflict

Many people avoid conflict at work like the plague, feeling uncomfortable when things get difficult, fearful that addressing issues will create more, maybe even unresolvable, escalating conflict. And yet workplace conflict can be a good thing, a very good thing even, and should definitely not be feared but addressed. Let’s be honest – having a […]

Elephants and crocodiles: the real challenge of corporate teamwork

This article was written by Clive Hyland, CEO of Think Feel Know. Few people who have worked in business would doubt the importance of effective teamwork, especially the leadership team, but all too often top teams serve mainly as a compromise of personal agendas and the notion of real team commitment disappears into the ether […]

I want to be alone – but it’s not good for business!

UK businesses risk scuppering productivity and profits by failing to support effective team working.   Almost half of the 2,030 UK employees surveyed by talent development firm Cedar felt their organisation did not help develop team working practices. Meanwhile, 37% of respondents said they preferred working alone, suggesting that businesses needed to do more to […]

Living Leader Learnings: How can I get my team to trust me?

The challenge A general manager at the distribution division of a national manufacturer says:   “We have just completed our annual staff survey and it seems that the basic message coming from HR is that we need to find ways to increase the levels of engagement in our teams. As a manager, of course I […]

Blog: Five ways to fire up your team for 2013

Christmas and the festivities may be over, but helping managers to keep the season of good will going with their teams will have a huge influence on how engaged and motivated staff will feel as they return to work in 2013.  January is all about new beginnings but it often takes a few weeks for […]

Talking Point: Why put all your eggs in one talent management basket?

Talent management has traditionally focussed on the individual. Employers identify potential shining stars who they can train, mentor and coach in order to excel and take over key positions in the business.   This is how it has always been, but is it necessarily how it should always remain? The question is, does this approach […]

News: Men who wear pink shirts earn more and are better qualified

Men who wear pink cotton shirts earn more and are better qualified than those who prefer traditional colours such as white or blue, according to a study.   On average, pink-loving males earn £1,000 more a year than those who prefer blue shirts and are twice as likely to have a Masters degree than those […]

Christina’s Counsel: How can I tackle my team’s habitual negativity?

Hello and welcome to this month’s dilemma: The challenge   As a result of an internal transfer, a client recently took over a new team. But he quickly realised that some of its members had a negative and unhelpful attitude.      This negativity manifested itself in a small clique complaining about customer expectations, some of […]

Case Study: How Norfolk Council maintains staff morale despite tough times

During the last few years, Norfolk County Council has experienced a squeeze on resources common to many public sector organisations. It’s been forced to make savings of £135 million over three years and is now halfway there, but hundreds of staff have been axed as a result.   The cuts have arrived in conjunction with […]

Quiz: How people-centred is your organisation?

Adopting a people-oriented approach to your organisational culture can help to transform it by making it more efficient and, ultimately, more successful. Helen Sanderson, who has co-authored a book entitled “Creating person-centred organisations” with Stephen Stirk, believes that going down this route gives staff more control over their lives as it means that they are […]

Lembit Opik: How to navigate office politics

I’ll let you into a bit of a secret, off the record, as they say: office politics exists.   In fact, it’s everywhere. I once asked my friend and former boss at Procter & Gamble, Graham Cowley, what the smallest organisation to be influenced by politics was.     He replied without a moment’s hesitation: ‘A marriage.’ Was […]

Relationship building – The power of feedback

Everyone has issues with people at work that make them angry, dissatisfied, annoyed or distracted such as a boss that doesn’t provide clear expectations or appreciation. Work can be a nightmare when relationships are in trouble.   Equally, there are pleasant teams where people are kind, respectful and cheerfully collude with ideas that are ultimately […]

News: CIPD 2012 – ‘Contingency risk-based approach key to Olympics success’

One of the key reasons for the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in HR terms was the decision to take a contingency risk-based approach, which involved planning for every eventuality. Jean Tomlin, HR director for the London 2012 Organising Committee who took part in the closing keynote panel discussion at the Chartered Institute […]

News: National Stress Awareness Day – 1 in 3 take “stress day” since recession

A third of the population has called in sick due to stress in their working life, with money, work and relationships the biggest causes of anxiety, according to research published to coincide with National Stress Awareness Day. Nearly half of UK workers have felt more stressed since the onset of the financial crisis, finds the […]

News: BBC to investigate harassment claims after journalist’s suicide

The BBC has appointed a third party to investigate whether complaints about sexual harassment by a journalist who later committed suicide were handled properly. The family of Russell Joslin has accused the broadcaster of failing to act on the complaints of sexual harassment from a female colleague made by the reporter for BBC Coventry and […]

Living Leader Learnings: Do 360 degree feedback systems really work?

The Challenge The HR manager at a software development company asks: “Because feedback is really hard to get, we’re thinking of introducing a 360 degree feedback system into our organisation. In your experience, do people really respond to them honestly and what are the benefits and pitfalls of this kind of system?"   The Solution […]

News: Workmates more important than bosses for job satisfaction

While getting on with the boss certainly helps to keep staff happy at work, it is nowhere near as important as having a good relationship with colleagues, according to research. A survey undertaken among 1,000 UK workers by online recruiters Jobsite.co.uk revealed that seven out of 10 see their ‘nine-to-five buddies’ as being most crucial […]