Access comprehensive training programs designed to develop leadership, management, and professional skills, helping individuals and teams achieve their full potential.
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 […]
‘I said He said’. The Key to Effective Communication Is it what I say or how I say it? What are we really trying to interpret? When it comes to effective communication the channels we choose can say a lot about the relationship. The avenues of delivery are as complex as the implication. Send an email or text message, make a phone call, meet over a coffee or choosing to use WhatsApp or Messenger can imply […]
What are they really selling? A new era of Sales Is it sell – at any cost? Perhaps the greatest dynamic in communication is the art of Selling. Verbal influence based in understanding another’s wants and needs builds rapport and natural empathy. The instruments or delivery systems of sales can be as diverse as the attitudes of the clientele. For example, an annoying jingle that becomes an official institution? More common is the half-price, three-month contract that builds in years of collaboration between client and provider. The aim […]
The True Impact of Stress When we talk about stress, what do we actually mean? Stress is change that is happening too fast for the individual or indeed, a society. It is even more pronounced when we feel powerless to stop it, or it doesn’t suit where we want to go. […]
THE HIDDEN SECRET TO GROWTH: For many businesses, 2019 is a brand new fiscal year. Targets are set, commitments and guarantees agreed, but have you thought about whether your customer service lives up to your standards and expectations? Is it efficient, streamlined? How can businesses expect to grow and generate more revenue from both their existing client base and new customers if their service is not set at the highest standard? Rather than rushing to set goals for new […]
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 […]
The PROVEN influence model – an efficient way to get your way Wouldn’t it be great if we could quickly secure the willing cooperation of others, rather than face resistance? Imagine how efficient decision-making, meetings and relationship management could become if you mastered the art of influence. This is why improving your influencing skills is key – the more effective, the easier it […]
6 assertive techniques to improve your communication We interact with people all the time to exchange information, and we want our communication to be efficient and well received. Where there are longstanding relationships, we want them to be preserved. But what if we must tell someone something they don’t want to hear and we’re dreading it? The truth is that these difficult messages need to be delivered, or there could be a serious […]
How to overcome your barriers to delegating Delegation: dishing out the jobs, assigning people to tasks, entrusting a task to someone else where you remain accountable. Everyone seems to agree that delegation can be extremely beneficial for all concerned: the delegator, the delegatee and your organisation. Not only does it improve the efficiency and productivity of your team, it significantly expands the flexibility of operations […]
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, […]
How to make your appraisal process more efficient So you’ve had a great year? Prove it! Performance management is an ongoing cycle of formal and informal conversations throughout the year. Everyone needs the feedback necessary to improve productivity and stimulate personal and professional growth. It helps people be the best they can be. Having […]
Managing Negotiations, for and against An entrance of objectivity You have called a meeting on the pretext of discussing price. You understand win/win, you have a plan set in place. You are confident your fall-back point is strong. To entertain any notion of losing is what the other guy does. As you walk into the […]
Service Customer-isation If delivery is the product, whether that be a physical object or a professional skill, then service is the vehicle that provides it. Service defines business. It is how our customers, clients and guests attach real-time value. The key component that sets us apart from our competitors. Typically business will focus on product […]
Pro-Calibre –The great team player Team Management rates surprising second in employability skills There are ten employability skills highly regarded by corporations today. When Kent University conducted a survey to uncover and rate the most valuable, the results were surprising. With Time Management at number ten and Verbal Communication rated at number one, Teamwork […]
What Do You Think? Adopting Resilient Thinking What’s on your mind right now? When I google ‘thoughts’ the web search says that on average each of us has 45,000 thoughts a day, with 80% being negative. That’s an avalanche of choices to go down. How do those thoughts affect you? To what degree can they […]
SALES in ABUNDANCE Is exceptional service anticipation? The waiter stands there looking at you hopefully. Pleasantly he suggests an entrée you had not considered. ‘Let me make your evening, this is one our finest dishes.’ You study his face. The ambience of the restaurant is a delight, and with a grateful nod you confirm […]
More than Milestones – Project Management Success Project management is a complex structure of time frames, objectives and delegation. With the intricate charts and time management programmes available, choosing the right dynamic to planning can be almost as frustrating as getting stakeholders to agree on a common schedule. Is the best Project Management approach just […]
Raise the Brand – Investing in your skills Have you ever felt like you were going nowhere in your job? No matter how much energy you expel, you just seem to be on a treadmill. For most it can be like fibre in our diet – bland and difficult to swallow. Maybe we want a win, […]
Food for Thought – Emotional Intelligence The rabbit holes The boss sends you an email. I want to see you in the office at 3pm. Do you imagine there is something wonderful about to happen? Is there a hint of caution? The messages we receive can evoke such powerful responses. A statement or an incident […]
Exceeding expectations – service or delivery? Do you really mean it? Great customer service isn’t a convenient statement for business to slap on a mission statement. It’s not a gimmick nor is it a side-line for those filling a job card out while doing a PhD. Great service is serious business and it starts with […]
The Art of saying No. A surprisingly easy way to assert yourself The Power of No One ill-placed No can rebound around you like an echo, haunting you for years to come. The only word you can practise speaking with warmth and engagement and still fail to use correctly. It has the dynamic of so […]
Confidence without a Parachute Is confidence and equation? Now that’s an interesting question. Would you leap with only a face-full of goggles from a draughty plane at 10,000 feet, sprawled like spider-man as you plummet 120 mph towards the most beautiful view of the planet? If I said you would be fine, could you […]
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 […]