Develop essential interpersonal and communication skills that are crucial for personal and professional success in any industry.
From Colleague to Manager: How to Thrive in Your First Leadership Role Stepping into your first management role is a milestone worth celebrating. But when that promotion means leading the very team you were once part of, the transition can feel daunting. You’re no longer “one of the gang” — you’re the person setting direction, […]
Being successful at a job interview is a hurdle we all face at some point. By adopting the right strategies, you can transform this nerve-wracking experience into an opportunity to showcase your talent and secure the role of your dreams. Preparation is Power Imagine sitting an exam unprepared. How do you think you would […]
In personal and professional development, improving our memory is often overlooked despite its pivotal role in enhancing overall efficiency. The memory is a muscle and benefits from constructive exercises just like any other. Beyond recalling dates or facts, a good memory empowers individuals to make faster, better decisions, reduce time relearning material, and tackle more […]
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 […]
Success rarely happens by chance. It’s the result of careful planning, dedication, and effective goal setting. Whether you’re striving for personal growth, career advancement, or business success, setting clear objectives is essential. One popular framework for setting meaningful anhttps://www.stl-training.co.uk/time-managemend achievable goals is the SMART objectives method. In this blog, we’ll explore the SMART methodology and […]
Effective workplace communication is the backbone of any successful organisation. To achieve this, communication must embody three key principles: politeness, professionalism, and positivity. Polite Communication: Active Listening: Politeness starts with active listening. When someone is speaking, give them your full attention. Avoid interrupting and resist the urge to formulate your response while they are […]
In the professional world, the ability to be assertive is an invaluable skill, especially when dealing with senior managers, clients, and stakeholders. Assertiveness is expressing your needs, opinions, and boundaries with confidence and respect. Here are 8 useful strategies you can adopt as you aim to master this essential art in the workplace. Recognising the […]
Effective communication is the cornerstone of a thriving workplace. An excellent communicator possesses a unique set of characteristics that go beyond the ability to articulate thoughts. In this blog post, we will delve into the 12 key skills that define an outstanding communicator in the workplace. 1 – Active Listening Excellent communicators don’t just hear […]
The best way to make a positive impact in meetings, is by conducting effective meetings. By doing this, you are helping your team achieve its goals. Here are 14 key strategies to ensure that you make a positive impact at meetings you attend. Whether you are a project manager looking to improve processes and reduce […]
Confidence often takes centre stage as a key ingredient for success at work. It is not just about what you say or do, but also about how you carry yourself. It’s about embodying the qualities of a confident person in your posture, tone of voice, and body language. But what happens when you find yourself […]
People often ask us on our Presentation Skills courses, how to I upgrade my presentation from just being good, to being memorable? In a word, Confidence. It doesn’t matter too much which level your presentations are aimed at, whether you’re pitching a potential client, presenting to the board of directors or even your own internal […]
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 […]
Effective communication is the lifeblood of any successful workplace. Among the various styles, assertive communication stands out as a powerful tool for fostering healthy relationships, resolving conflicts, and ensuring that your voice is heard. In this blog, we will explore the art of delivering assertive messages in the workplace and why it is essential for […]
Listening is a skill that is often overlooked, but to improve your performance, it is one of the most important skills you can have in your locker. Good listening skills can help you to build relationships, solve problems, and improve productivity. There are many reasons why listening skills are important in the workplace. Here are […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking or giving a presentation, is extremely common. Experts estimate 77% of the population has some level of anxiety when giving presentations or public speaking. There are many things you can do to feel more comfortable when presenting, but practice and preparation really are the key. Our fantastic Presentation […]
In our excellent Problem Solving and Decision-Making course, we help you learn to be more effective and productive in dealing with the problems you and your organisation may face. When you are looking for a solution to a problem, especially when you are trying to find innovative solutions, the chances are you’ll try one of […]
“Organising is a journey, not a destination.” – Anonymous Ask ten different people what Organisational Skills they would like help with, and you will get ten different answers. Also, factor in the range of different Companies, Roles, Tasks, and work patterns of those we work with, and the fact that nothing ever seems to stay […]
How do we remain positive and productive when faced with stress, uncertainty, and change? The current economic climate is contributing to increasing levels of stress. Our minds are often preoccupied by work matters with less ‘downtime’ to reflect, process information and plan. This can lead to stress and prevent us from dealing with problems. Resilience […]
No matter what our role in an organisation, we all need to deal with a wide range of problems on a daily basis. However, most of us are unaware of the thoughts, buried beliefs, prejudices and biases that influence our decisions. This article sheds light on overcoming bias in problem solving. One area that can get […]
The words we say make up only 30% of our communication. So we need to think about how we say them. To ensure that we are communicating effectively on the telephone, therefore, we must make the most of the 30% we have. Read on for four areas to focus on to improve your telephone technique. […]
Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, is extremely common. Experts estimate 77% of the population have some level of anxiety when giving presentations or public speaking. There are many things you can do to feel more comfortable when presenting, but practice and preparation really are the key. Please keep reading to find out how to […]
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 […]
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 […]
Feedback is essential for everyone. Without meaningful, constructive, and actionable feedback, staff will have no real idea about their performance. They will not feel valued, and their development will be hindered. Why it matters Feedback is one of the best things you can provide for your staff. It improves performance and enables staff retention. Put […]
“Soft skills”, “People skills”, “Essential skills” however you want to badge them, these are skills that organisations are seeking from their people, in whatever field they work. In a report by the World Economic Forum it was stated that many soft skills are seen as rising in importance and relevance in today’s business world. […]
This is the third in our series: Five Vital Skills for Project Managers – Organisation. We have previously talked about Communication and Leadership. Today we will explore the need for strong Organisational Skills. Most of us do not have the luxury of being able to dedicate all our time to manage a project. Organisational skills […]
Quality minute taking is a skill which contributes significantly to the efficiency of meetings. It clarifies action points and supports wider productivity within your organisation. In this blog, learn what the key components of minute taking are, and how developing the skill can impact on your organisation’s profitability. Why should we have minutes? Minutes […]
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 […]
“Soft skills”… does that term sound like an easy or less important skill to develop? Also the word “Soft” may sound a little weak, well these skills are certainly not weak, but without them you and your organisation’s effectiveness will certainly be weakened. Here we look at five key areas where soft skills can have […]
(In conversation with Karen from our learning solutions delivery team) Karen, we were talking about the welcome growing levels of face to face training we are experiencing (something we here at STL have maintained and supported throughout the last 2 years). We got onto considering that there are going to be a good number of […]
Are you overwhelmed by priorities? Well, focusing on the essential priorities can make the difference between feeling continually stretched to actually feeling more relaxed and successful! Prioritisation is a time management skill fundamental to the success of both effective managers and professionals. For many of us the plain truth is, that although we tell others […]
How to succeed at the Networking Game Networking in-person conversations, much like the networks themselves, are not self-sustaining, they require real commitment and drive in order to connect and establish the foundations of a relationship. Once you initiate and make eye contact you need some tricks to establish trust, build rapport and make great first […]
When a Director once gave a talk on the importance of developing relationships, I was left thinking I had to buy someone a gift. Maybe it isn’t too far from the truth. When developing skills that can influence a relationship, having a giving attitude is what can help make them spectacular. Find out here how […]
The Right Language for Resolving Conflict In English speaking workplaces, it is important to voice complaints and frustrations by using the right language. When you are dealing with problems, the right approach and level of directness can ensure you don’t cause offence. This article looks at essential language along with 4 tips to resolve conflict […]
Why won’t you answer? So many time’s we send emails praying to get a quick response. Far too often that one reply necessary to move forward on our work doesn’t materialise. So, what are the secrets to getting that quick response? In this article we will try and shift the power back into your corner. […]
Sometimes we walk into the centre of a negotiation and feel out-of-place. We introduce ourselves and search for something familiar to make the experience less tense. Maybe we whisper secrets to seek reassurance from our colleagues, anything to try and gain a foothold. The consensus of opinion is that we are trying to work out […]
Kouzes’ 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership James Kouzes’ leadership model has been rigorously researched and tested for its effectiveness. He finds that leaders who exhibit certain skills perform better. Let us have a look at leadership development and the 5 practices of exemplary leadership. Model the Way Effective leaders must first know what their personal values are […]
If You Fail To Plan, You Plan To Fail! How to plan a presentation The success or failure of a presentation is determined long before you walk into the venue and try to engage the audience. Let’s consider how you can plan your presentation effectively, making it as relevant, concise and targeted for your audience […]
clinching those important sales deals Struggling to meet your monthly sales targets? Learning from the experts may be just what you need! STL offers a Successful Selling course to a wide range of organisations, from IT and Banking to Sporting Facilities and TV Stations. To increase any company’s profitability, a key ingredient is learning the […]
Motivating a team is often an acquired skill, especially when working remotely. A recent article by Forbes makes interesting reading on how you can motivate your team for better results. One model of motivation comes from the work of Torrington and Hall. Here they combine many of the more recent motivational theories to create a […]
Automation, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence (machine learning) have increased rapidly of late. Technology makes many decisions on our behalf on a daily basis. Despite this, problem solving and decision making are still some of the most sought-after human skills. Professionals in the workplace need these skills to maximise efficiency, productivity, and both team and […]
What is stealing your time? A time robber is the nemesis of the effective time manager. We need to identify them, acknowledge their existence, and work out what we’re going to do about them. Time robbers come in different shapes and sizes – some are self-imposed, some are manager imposed, others can be company imposed. […]
The nature of nerves Several years ago, a survey was conducted to identify the top 10 public fears. What came in at number one? Public speaking! Apparently, the scariest thing we can do in our lives is stand in front of people and speak. What is the secret to successful presentations? Why the fear factor? […]
In this post we’ll look at the essentials for any Train the Trainer course or programme. What should be included, how and why… Why bother with a Train the Trainer? Many people think that anybody can be a Trainer, it’s just a matter of getting up there and doing it. Of course, that’s not the […]