Discover strategies and insights for effective leadership, including tips for inspiring and guiding teams to achieve their goals.
Workplace conflict is an inevitable occurrence that can disrupt productivity, erode team cohesion, and even impact job satisfaction. However, the presence of conflict doesn’t have to spell disaster. With the right strategies, conflicts can be managed constructively, fostering growth and enhancing collaboration among team members. Here are some effective approaches. Open Communication: The foundation of […]
Have you ever wondered what jazz music and management have in common? Jazz is a musical genre that originated in the African American communities of New Orleans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is characterised by improvisation, syncopation, swing, and complex harmonies. Jazz musicians often play in small groups, where they communicate […]
Welcome back to our series on Action Centred Leadership, where we explore the principles and practices of effective leadership. In this blog we delve into the “Task” element of the Action Centred Leadership model. If we refer to the ‘Action Centred Leadership’ diagram above, where should a manager spend most of their time? Certainly, pre-Covid, […]
In today’s fast-paced and diverse business environment, the art of persuasion is more critical than ever for leaders. It forms an important part of their communication skills arsenal. It’s not about swaying others through deceit or manipulation but about genuine communication and mutual understanding. Persuasion, when practiced with authenticity, can foster collaboration, inspire action, and […]
A key soft skill in the workplace, is managing our own communication and how we present ourselves. How can we navigate the balance of passive, aggressive, and assertive characteristics? Each of these traits brings its own set of challenges and opportunities, influencing the overall dynamics of professional interactions. Recognising and understanding the impact of passive […]
The ability to manage our time and tasks effectively has become a valuable skill. The “Urgent-Important Matrix” is a simple but powerful tool, which can transform how you approach your to-do list and maximise your productivity by placing each task in the appropriate quadrant. In this blog post, we’ll explore the concept of the Urgent-Important Matrix […]
Introduction Building strong relationships with colleagues and superiors has become crucial for professional success in today’s fast-paced and interconnected workplaces. Developing rapport at work fosters a positive and productive environment, encourages effective collaboration, and enhances job satisfaction. In this blog, we will explore actionable tips on how to build rapport at work, emphasising authenticity, empathy, […]
Highly productive people are motivated, engaged, and willing to go the extra mile. They care about the quality of their work, their colleagues, and the success of the company. They know this reflects on them. People generally feel this way on the first day of their new job when they are excited. They want to […]
Assertiveness – what exactly is it? Getting your own way? Saying how you feel? Being upfront and honest? Telling it how it is? Well, many people get hung up and confused about what exactly assertiveness is and how you act in an assertive manner. If you research dictionary definitions, you’ll find the following: “confident and […]
To empower people means “putting power into,” and it can also mean “bringing energy and enthusiasm out of.” Putting power into people This means giving them the freedom to do their job their way. This will only happen if you trust individuals, but your employees will never believe they are fully capable if you have […]
This is the last in the Performance Management series. We have already looked at the first 3 stages of Performance Management; Setting Expectations, Assessing Performance and Performance Reviews. Today we will look at the final stage in the process, Developing Individuals. The first 3 stages will enable you to identify any learning and development needs. […]
In the previous blogs in this 4 part series we looked at Setting Expectations and Assessing Performance. Today we will look at best practice for Performance Reviews. Quick Recap In Assessing Performance, we stressed the importance of ‘Managing by Walking Around.’ In other words, taking the time to observe what your team is doing on […]
Assessing Performance – targets Before we dive into assessing performance against targets, a quick reminder of part 1: In the first blog in this series of 4 – Setting Expectations for Performance, we looked at how expectations can be broad. With that said, we can break them down into two broad categories: Measurable Results and Targets […]
To perform well, employees need to know what is expected of them. Well-defined expectations produce effective teams with employees who know the role they play and the purpose they serve. When you and an employee set clear expectations about the results that must be achieved, and the methods or approaches needed to achieve them, you […]
In all our careers there will be occasions where we need to have difficult conversations with our colleagues, these may be focused on performance management, poor behaviour, giving bad news, or be of a personal or sensitive nature, whatever the issue is, many of us do not look forward to these moments. Why do we […]
If you want to be an effective team player, leader, or manager, you need to be able to influence people. Your role title certainly won’t be enough to expect people to do as you’d like them to. You need to take other measures to get your colleagues to support your ideas. This article highlights the […]
The undeniable fact that we are currently in a recession is affecting us all. Organisations are concerned about the increasing costs of materials and the impact on consumer spending. Furthermore, staff are concerned about the rise in fuel bills and the cost of living. Everyone is asking, will it get worse, how long will it […]
We all attend meetings, and quite often they are important and necessary. However, how many times have you attended a meeting which left you feeling frustrated, robbed of your time, but more importantly, that no real decisions were made? We run regular conducting effective meetings training to our customers and have taken a moment to […]
“Every day is a school day” is a great saying. This is quite true, because whatever your level of experience as a manager, there are always new things to learn and skills to improve upon. Attending, and more importantly, using tools and ideas on a great course, can help. After all, good management training leads […]
If you need to make an impact in your meetings, you’re going to need some tactics. Our Facilitation and Meeting Skills and Effective Communication courses discuss some ideas to help you do just that. Statistics reveal that 11 million meetings take place every year. 91% of staff admit to daydreaming, 95% admit to missing […]
Emotional Intelligence enables teams to reach their full potential. What is it? Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to an individual’s ability to recognise their emotions and understand how these emotions impact on others. An emotionally intelligent team relates to the ability of a group to manage and harness emotions for positive outcomes. However, an emotionally intelligent […]
With an increased focus on self-responsibility, most organizations expect their employees to make decisions. Consequently, decisiveness is a key competence for those in leadership positions and beyond. Decisiveness is different to decision making. Decision making is the ability to make quick, confident, and effective decisions. Decisiveness is the willingness to make the decision. High quality […]
Delegation is a necessary and vital tool for Managers if you want your team to be productive. But letting go and allowing your team members to take on tasks and projects can be scary. Common Challenges Do any of the following statements sound familiar to you? It takes too long to explain It’s easier […]
This is the last in the series Five Vital Skills for Project Managers – Adaptability. We have previously talked about Communication, Leadership, Organisational Skills and Critical Thinking. Today we will look into the benefits of being Adaptable. Changing your approach Adaptability as a skill refers to the ability of a person to change their actions, […]
Welcome to the fourth in our series Five Vital Skills for Project Managers – Critical Thinking. We have already looked at Communication, Leadership and Organisational Skills. What is Critical Thinking? Critical thinking sounds negative, as if you are constantly criticising everything. This is not the case. Critical thinking is the ability to reason and to […]
Managers have to deal with difficult situations from time to time. Your team will be looking to you to resolve issues so they can continue to be productive. In our Introduction to Management course we share practical, tangible tools and strategies to help you manage these situations. Be observant Keep track of difficult situations that […]
In our last blog we talked about Communication. Today we are going to look at the next topic in our series Five Vital Skills for Project Managers – Leadership. The difference between Managing and Leading Simply put, Management is about tasks while Leadership is about people. Project Managers need to be able to wear both […]
You can improve your profitability by ensuring clear and concise communication. Business writing is present at every level of any organisation and assumes many forms. In this blog, learn 5 key tips for business writing, as well as a checklist of considerations. Business Writing – what is it? Business writing is any type of writing […]
In this piece, Professional Development Trainer Karen tells us how to make sure Presentations hit the mark. From preparation to delivery, there are six crucial elements to consider. Karen shares them with us here. In conversation with Karen from our learning solutions delivery team Karen, we were talking about the welcome growing levels of face-to-face […]
Successful businesses know the value of Emotional Intelligence (E.I). Here we share with you what the four key components of E.I are. Followed by three key wins that can drive productivity and engagement with your people. E.I can be learnt and developed by most people. By working on E.I, businesses can improve communication and gain […]
The drive for organisations to be more productive is a never-ending challenge, and here we will show you why soft skills are vital in making any organisation more efficient. Having technical skills are no doubt important but equally what employers need are the interpersonal and people abilities too. Soft skills are the people and interpersonal […]
Nearly 70% of people experience Impostor Syndrome. And it is particularly common among women and people from minority populations – so how can we overcome it? What is imposter syndrome? “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts” Bertrand Russell […]
The Secret to High Performing Teams: Do I have a High Performing Team? The aim of any manager should be to create an effective team, also known as an HPT (High Performing Team). After all, the performance of a team reflects upon whom? Technically, everyone, but the manager or leader of the team in particular! […]
Practical ways to motivate Motivation: the art of getting people to do what you want them to do, because they want to do it. Sounds good? Let’s talk about motivation – what can a manager do to motivate the team? To make the team want to achieve the business goals just as much as they […]
Self-leadership is never as important as now. There are so many avenues in life where we can find ourselves lost. Some roads place us in marvellous spectacles. Other roads take us perilously close to the edge of our greatest dread, while others encourage, by their very nature, an opportunity to playfully explore and challenge ourselves. […]
Organisational Profiles As part of our Public Schedule portfolio, STL offers leadership development to a range of organisations, from the leading brand in healthy drinks to one of the best-known luxury hotel chains. Despite the different settings and company cultures, what they all have in common is that they have identified a ‘leadership profile’. Namely […]
One of the most interesting roles of the manager is the opportunity to build an engaged, motivated team. Too often we rely on successes and wins to energise or revitalise the workplace spirit. The most dangerous attitude in the business world must be apathy, providing a constant threat to efficiency, productivity and ultimately profitability. Though […]
Have you returned to the office yet or are you still working from home? Maybe you work in HR or are a manager planning your company strategy to return to the office now that lockdown restrictions have been partially or fully lifted? Whatever your position, the journey back to office working is a complicated one. […]
Delegation: dishing out the jobs, assigning people to tasks, entrusting a task to someone else for which you remain accountable. If done regularly and correctly, delegation can be a beneficial process for all concerned. A manager can empower their team, make them feel trusted and valued, and free up their own time to get other […]
After months of remote working, we are probably all familiar with (and tired of!) the many mistakes people make during virtual meetings. From sudden interruptions from children or pets, to awkward clothing mishaps, it feels like we’ve seen it all. But how do we avoid making these embarrassing blunders ourselves?! Ensure you don’t become the […]
Due to COVID-19 a huge number of people are now working remotely. In this new reality, it is becoming a significant challenge to build trust and ensure remote teams work both efficiently and productively together. If you are wondering how to build trust when you can’t even see your fellow colleagues, this article will explore […]
Are you struggling to stay motivated working at home during the current lockdown? Huge numbers of people are currently working from home every day due to the extreme changes caused by Coronavirus. From pets to children, Netflix or even a good book, there are so many distractions that get in the way as we try […]
(Updated October 2022) It’s approaching 3 years since the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic and in this blog originally written back in 2020 you can find some super useful tips should you find yourself managing remote or hybrid based teams. Do you want to support your team, maintain productivity and drive business performance during […]
When it comes to leadership styles in management, there is one that is on everybody’s lips right now. Yes, that’s right; it’s Authentic Leadership, and it is quite a departure from what we have known before. In fact, Authentic Leadership is all about leading by nurturing, listening to, and appreciating those working under us. In […]
In fact, many questions! One key role of a leader is to help those around you to be the best they can be. To empower people, they need the skill and the will to do their jobs. What happens when someone has the will, but the skill level is lacking? They need some learning and […]
Everyone talks about leaders needing to have a clear direction, a company vision, compelling goals don’t they – but what if these things were overrated and/or not the only answer? Here’s more – what if these sorts of leadership and management books were wrong, and something else was needed to get your team on board […]
Introduction: One of our most precious commodities is ‘time’. We often find ourselves believing that we don’t have enough hours in the day to complete all the tasks we have. This post examines this mindset and provides three tips for better time management; how to prioritise effectively in order to achieve what’s important whilst learning […]
Delegating tasks successfully frees up valuable time for you time, helps you to develop your people, enables your to better understand their strengths and weaknesses, and motivates members to perform. Poor delegation or a lack of it can slow work down, demotivate your team and cause negative conflict. Here are 4 Habits for Successful Delegation […]
see how our workshops provide immediately applicable SKILLS. As part of our Public Schedule portfolio, STL offers a Negotiation Skills Course to a range of organisations, from banking and finance to one of the leading on-line global travel companies. What they have in common is that they have identified a ‘negotiation skills profile’, namely employees […]
It’s all in the understanding…. Do you know anyone who practices assertiveness at work, and gets it right? Ask ten people what assertiveness is and you’ll get ten different answers. Naturally passive people can see it as a hurdle to climb, yet at the same time feel small for not standing up for their rights. […]