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Writing Emails for Clarity and Relationships Are emails still something we use much? In the increasingly sophisticated world of digitisation, social media platforms, instant messaging tools and advanced devices are giving us more and more options for business writing skills. In fact, email usage at work is on the rise. The convenience of sending messages […]
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! […]
Personal Branding – Release Your Inner Superhero Do people in your organisation know what your unique skills and abilities are? You could assume that the impact made by your hard work would show others who you are and what you can do. However, unless you market yourself, people could see you in a way that […]
If you read any book or article about what’s needed to be a great Leader, effective communication skills are key, particularly the ability to have great listening skills. In these tips to improve listening skills for better leadership, we will explore how listening mastery is one of the five key essentials in communication that every […]
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 […]
A lot of people out there think that the story of Power BI is too good to be true. Here is a list of the reasons that we think you should consider Power BI as a self-service and/or Enterprise Business Intelligence Solution. It’s like the new Microsoft Microsoft have not been the best at listening […]
How can we conduct appraisals when the employee is neither happy nor willing to be there? Words like ‘appraisal’ can make some people want to run a mile! This may be due to pre-conceived ideas about the appraisal process, or unpleasant past experiences – perhaps a previous manager did not do a good job. We […]
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. […]
I Just Need Some ‘Me’ Time! Nervous energy, anxiety or stress? ‘When the demands placed upon us at work exceed our resources, and we feel we can no longer cope’ Yes, that sums it up nicely! You’ve had a stressful day – there’s too much work, deadlines are tight and you’re worrying constantly about the […]
Throughout our careers, nothing will have any greater impact on us than change. For most, we enjoy the security of routine and the known boundaries in which we operate. Let’s begin to look at the 4 steps to managing change and dealing with uncertainty in a positive way. Change can have substantial effects across so […]
When we present, we want our audience to listen, understand and learn, and leave knowing more than when they arrived. We need to guide them through our presentation, so they don’t feel lost or confused – this is why it’s so important that your presentation has a clear and effective structure. The 3 key elements […]
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 […]
There are so many complications and mistakes that can distort our modern-day communication, yet the words we use are not always the instigator of the conflict. Sometimes a simple look or the wrongly assumed tone can cause an unexpected reaction. Here are five common mistakes we make in communication – try to consider how you […]
How do some people influence us so easily? They seem to effortlessly sway us into an agreement. Those razor-sharp, crystal cut people skills that acknowledge our importance and make us feel so special. You might call it the what’s-in-it-for-me clause that all great marketing and sales gurus just to seem to find in each of […]
For starters… We all know the basic prep needed… Research the company, the role and the person who will interview you. Refresh your CV and make sure it fits the role. Collect your interview suit from the cleaners and do a dry run travelling to the place of the interview. And don’t forget to set […]
Memory plays a very important part of all our lives. From young to old age, it creates connections and shared experiences between people, gives us the skills to develop and improve our performance and gives us joy in long-term recollection. Memories allow us to act in the present and prepare for the future. Without it […]
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 […]
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 been asked to deliver an online or virtual training for your team or your colleagues since the start of the Coronavirus lockdown? You are not the only one! This article will give you several suggestions to help you deliver virtual training more effectively. Several of these tips also apply if you need to […]
We all love to chat. And yet being the lead in the conversation is not what makes it engaging. Having the passion to get to know someone and build a relationship is a great skill in leadership, and underlying all that natural enthusiasm is the ability to lead a conversation and discover the other person’s […]
How to Structure Your Presentations Efficiently Once you have decided on the purpose of your presentation and identified your audience, you need to prepare the structure and content in order to go from storyboard to creating a successful talk. Structuring can take time. You can get it done efficiently so you can maximise practice time […]
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. […]
There has never been a time like it in history, where the explosion of corporate expansion has led to the constant need for great leaders. Where companies have grown in size to match the economies of a small country, the prize of a truly great leader has never been so important nor so highly rewarded. […]
While some staff are starting to return to the office, many organisations such as tech giants Google and Facebook are allowing their staff to work from home until the end of the year. Others such as Goldman Sachs may allow 50% of their staff to work from home forever! But how do you keep teams […]
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 […]
Pressure? What pressure? We all need a little pressure in our lives, both at work and at home. The right amount motivates us to get things done. But what happens to us if the pressure becomes too great, and we can’t handle it? This is where resilience comes in. Stress is defined as ‘a situation […]
Are You Under The Influence? Wouldn’t it be great if we could easily gain the willing cooperation and buy-in of others? We approach them because we need a favour, or some form of action on their part, and they agree to comply happily under our influence, instead of resisting or claiming they’re too busy. If […]
What’s really causing the problem? You solved a problem at work – well done you! But, a few days or weeks later, the problem rears its ugly head again – how? Turns out your time and efforts were misplaced, and what you thought was the problem was in fact merely a symptom or knock-on effect […]
With so much expected in the workplace these days, forward-thinking project managers must focus on honing their ability and mindset to prioritise, manage time effectively and multi-task. Yet sometimes even this isn’t enough. In this blog, we share tips to stay ahead of the game and develop the right mindset to be the best project […]
If your job requires the regular use of the telephone to liaise with customers and colleagues, then you need to get the best from every call. How can you ensure this? The abbreviation PARSAC provides a handy framework to follow when dealing with incoming calls: Prepare Are you fully prepared when the phone rings? Make sure […]
Real Strategy: 3 Case Studies. Strategy confuses most people. Perhaps that’s why there are a lot of confusing articles out there in cyberspace, championing “killer” strategies that, in fact, do doing nothing more than list taglines or explain successful tactics. STL takes a look at three strategies that will demystify strategy and inspire your leadership. […]
Have you ever had to deal with challenging training delegates? When delivering a training session, it would be wonderful to think that everyone wants to be there. However, as we all know, this is not always the case. Occasionally, you may have to not only share the learning, but also handle some challenging personalities. Here […]
This blog will help you to successfully handle tough questions during your presentation. How do you respond to unexpected/challenging questions? A fearful scenario You’ve prepared fully for your presentation and it’s flowing smoothly as planned, with the audience hanging on every word. Suddenly, out of the blue, someone interrupts you with a comment or question, […]
You may not think that emotional intelligence is relevant to you. But, have you ever been upset by an e-mail, WhatsApp, Teams or Skype message that you received? With stress levels higher than usual in the current lockdown conditions, you may find some people are more sensitive. This article will give you several tips to […]
Keeping participants engaged and interested throughout a virtual training session can be a challenge. If you suddenly find yourself delivering virtual training because of the Covid-19 restrictions, you may be wondering how on earth you can manage it. Wonder no more! In this blog, we will share several insider tips from our training team that […]
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 […]
Embracing your inner creativity can be a real morale boost during times of high stress and pressure. “The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas” – Linus Pauling (founder of quantum chemistry, molecular biology, and molecular genetics) Whether you are a fresh graduate isolating by yourself, a key worker […]
Feedback is important, but as the saying goes “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” If you give feedback the wrong way, especially virtually, it can negatively impact your relationships at work to devastating effect! This blog will help you structure and deliver feedback more efficiently and effectively while working virtually, whether […]
Have you ever felt awkward when delivering a virtual presentation to your colleagues, your team or to a client? In some ways a virtual presentation can be even more nerve-racking than presenting in person, where at least you can see if everyone is paying attention! Read on to learn several techniques to help you can […]
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 […]
It is natural to feel a strain on your mental health under the current circumstances. Economies are suffering, people are worried about losing their jobs. Many parents have children at home and have to juggle taking care of their kids with getting work done. And on top of this, physical health is a huge concern […]
World leaders across the globe have recently demonstrated the art of chairing a meeting in fully digital environments, setting a precedent for organisations everywhere. Many Managers and employees are also leading and taking part in virtual meetings via apps such as Zoom, Teams, Skype or GoToMeeting. A number of staff might be doing this for […]
(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 […]
But What Do I Actually Say? Giving Effective Feedback At work, people are supposed to be busy – setting some effective goals should help to ensure that! So, your staff members are getting on with their jobs – do you think they would like to know how they are getting on? How about providing some […]
As a business leader there are so many intricate tangents and sideshows that can divert your attention from the art of managing your business. Make no mistake the details are important they are the finesse to the standards you have carefully shaped and polished to assemble your brand into its best light. Yet sometimes we […]
At time we are all faced with people who are displaying anger and aggressive behaviour. It can be, at best, uncomfortable and, at worst frightening and potentially dangerous. In Ten Tips for Managing Anger and Aggressive Behaviour, we’ll look at ten things that can be done when confronted with this type of behaviour to minimise […]
What is negotiation? And when is the right time to walk away? Ideally, negotiation should be a discussion to achieve the best deal for both parties by working towards a Win-Win result and subsequently maintaining a long-term trusting relationship. However, have you ever regretted paying so much more than you intended for goods or services; […]
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 […]
Interpersonal skills are ranked highly by managers. On a scale of 1 to 5, they come in at 4.37. The figure is very high as it comes in second on the list essential skills, beaten only by being able to work in a team. Carry on reading to find out why they are popular. Why […]