Enhance your managerial skills and competencies with training programs designed to improve decision-making, communication, and team management.
“Can I give you some feedback please?” What’s it like for you when someone unexpectedly offers you feedback? How do you react? Intellectually most of us know that feedback should be helpful, that we should treat it as a friend. The problem is, particularly if we have not gone out and invited it, feedback can […]
Conflict or communication – which works best for you? Three types of Team Conflict: When the stakes are high, which one of these scenarios have you seen play out? (A) The conflict is swept under the carpet. Denial that conflict existed, or had any impact on the team or performance (B) When aggression threatens to […]
It takes an honest person to admit that they overcontrol at work. Maybe you know someone who has received this feedback? Maybe someone has confided in you that their team are not working at their best? They may have even suggested that their overcontrolling style of micro-management could be contributing to this? One thing is […]
Effective Communication Skills – Three tips to deal with Conflict Wouldn’t it be great if we could choose who we wanted to work with? Yet we have differences in personality, culture and working style, or a clash of competing objectives or even disagreements over solutions. The list of reasons why conflict occurs can be […]
Are performance appraisals good or bad? There are staggering repercussions to conducting performance appraisals, especially in context to overall team performance, productivity and efficiency. Some may consider the appraisal to be a time-consuming event best suited to the ‘quiet’ times in the business. Others argue that they neither effect performance nor offer any real financial […]
The nature of nerves Several years ago, a survey was conducted to identify the top 10 public fears. Public speaking came up as number 1! Above spiders and other creepy crawlies, deep water, heights, illness, financial worries, open spaces, flying – death came in about number 9 on the list. The key point here is […]
The challenge of change Anything new or different in our lives means change. Isn’t that exciting? Apparently not! When asked about change, most people will answer that they do not like it. Why? Usually because their comfort zone is in jeopardy. That wonderful protective bubble that we lovingly construct around ourselves. In the comfort zone, […]
Coping with stress Stress defined? ‘When the demands placed upon us at work exceed our resources, and we feel we can no longer cope’. You’ve had a stressful day – there’s too much work, deadlines are tight and you’re worrying constantly about the consequences of not getting it done. Perhaps your manager (also stressed) is […]
Negotiating tactics Negotiation consists of 4 stages: Prepare: what do we want? Discuss: what do they want? Propose: what could we trade Bargain: what will we trade? The last 3 stages unfold across the negotiating table, but the first one always happens in advance. You need to be well prepared to ensure maximum productivity; know […]
Decision making – is it mind over matter? How can we decide? German psychologist, Gerd Gigerenzer, identified ‘heuristics’ as tools for smart decision making in times of uncertainty. Allied to intuition, he argues, it is the subconscious mind which decides what our choice will be, given the overwhelming number of options available to us. What […]
Its all about the people focus Management of your business has one crucial focus – people. It’s all about people. The great leaders and the business gurus know this. They coach their business forward with the energy they invest into others. Leaders who struggle tend to spend too much unnecessary time putting out fires. Staffing […]
Managing time doesn’t work, but this does…. Imagine this… a typical day begins You made a plan. The report is due in two days and there is no way you can miss the deadline. The day starts well, you beat the alarm by 15 minutes and by 6:30am you are at the office, pumped and determined. You throw yourself into routine. Coffee while the computer boots up, check emails and answer the priorities. The one you missed yesterday takes an […]
Presentations can be nerve wracking if you’re the one standing up on stage to speak. So to help you out, we’ve prepared a list of 15 different tips to help you improve your presentation skills. 1. Do something to calm your nerves before the presentation Whether it’s eating something light, doing a bit of exercise or […]
Business intelligence continues to be an important sector for businesses everywhere. As data becomes more and more important, and we find new ways to collect and analyse it, it’s vital to keep up with how things are changing and growing. Business intelligence analysts need to keep their finger on the pulse in this fast-growing field […]
Being a manager of anything is a great responsibility that needs to be taken seriously in order to make an impact. There are plenty of managers in the world that simply don’t respect what they do, resulting in poor communication between team members and a generally unproductive business. If you want to improve your company’s […]
When it comes to managing change efficiently, understanding the various stages is paramount to optimising productivity. Initially, it’s about keeping on track and ensuring that each stage has full buy-in and collaboration. The one thing that can make or break organisational change’s success is communication. Taking a few moments to consider the correct positioning of the new information will not only help the transition and […]
Doing things Right or doing the Right thing? The Key to Successful Leadership. Leader or Manager? Have you ever worked with someone you considered a good manager? Are they just a Manager or a Leader too and if so, how would you know? What does being a Leader really mean? What does a manager do […]
Make a great first impression Good presentation skills are essential at work, improving the efficiency of communications and boosting productivity through stronger relationships. And in every presentation, the opening few moments are always vital to success. Engage the audience, build rapport, make an impact. You’re nervous and so are they. Smile, break the ice. I read a book on customer service, which advised: ‘In the opening […]
What’s the Difference? The need to do more with less, to be more productive, is an all too familiar reality for many a business worker. And as a manager how can you strive to hit your organisational targets and raise efficiency by getting the most from your team? Here we look at how in particular […]
New to management? How to take the step from team-member to manager Some people are great at their jobs. So great that someone decides to promote them, so they can manage others and make them great too. However, a new manager quickly realises that a whole new skillset is required, if they are going to manage efficiently and effectively. (We have a number of courses, including the creative […]
Avoid Confusion With These Seven Success Tips For Business Writing “This email makes no sense at all…” How many times have you received an email/message read it and had this thought? Quite likely more than once! And that’s a problem. How many different documents do we churn out at work? Lots of emails, plus reports, […]
Managing Change The best way to survive and thrive Change is inevitable Corporate change can unleash spectres. From the appointment of a senior member to a change in consumer trends, to an economic low. Change is inevitable, yet can reveal unforeseeable challenges. For those aware of the stages it can also present a unique […]