Develop essential interpersonal and communication skills that are crucial for personal and professional success in any industry.
Is there a problem here? Logically, everyone knows it makes sense to use our strengths at work, yet not all of us do. Research from strength expert Marcus Buckingham shows that only 12% of professionals use their strengths consistently in the workplace. This can have a huge negative impact on business performance. What does it […]
5 elements of great Customer Service Being focused on great service can raise so many positive aspects in a business. It can save you money and build an identity, and a business with an identity is pretty powerful stuff. Just ask Apple or Nike! Each of these brands is recognised by a unique ingredient. […]
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 […]
Active listening is an underrated communication skill that Leaders and professionals need to develop and improve. The benefits which come from this ability will raise your reputation and help you develop empathy. This article will explore the importance of active listening and how you can develop your skill to improve communication and at work. What […]
Identifying Conflict Conflict in business is simply unavoidable. Disagreement over actions, a clash of perspectives and opposing visions can result in problems between people. Some reactions may be inappropriate, while others seem justified. When it comes to effective communication, a professional’s ability to manage conflicts is one of the most challenging and rewarding skills there […]
Planning your presentation If You Fail To Plan, You Plan To Fail! The success or failure of a presentation is determined long before you walk into the venue and engage the audience. Let’s consider how you can plan your presentation effectively, making it as relevant, concise and targeted for your audience as possible. If you […]
You are not alone! It’s time to stand up in front of your clients, customers, business partners, project team or training delegates to convey everything you know to an audience. They will be hanging on your every word. Maybe you are contemplating a job interview or have been persuaded to make a speech at a […]
Why is it down to managers to solve problems? After all staff are taken on to do specific jobs within their remit, which might include coming up with new ideas. The manager is the one who finds solutions and implements them. It is defined within the performance criteria of their role. The need is to […]
Public speaking is an art form that needs to be mastered. There are certain traits that all of the best public speakers share, which is what makes them so good at addressing rooms full of people and captivating an audience. In this blog, we’ll share five tips that will help you become a better public […]
Did you know that around 30% of your weekly workload is dedicated to managing your inbox? That’s an absurd amount of time, and it needs to change. So, we’ve compiled ten tips that will drastically improve your email time management, leading to far more efficiency in your working week. Avoid Archiving On the face of […]
When your job revolves around the ability to come up with solutions, then you need excellent creative problem-solving skills. The following post will show you twelve of the best tips to really hone in on your creativity: Open yourself up to new ideas You can’t solve problems through creative thinking if you’re unwilling to explore […]
How can an understanding of yourself help you become a better manager? You’ve sat on the bench long enough, and in your mind you have a vision of the impact you want to make on the team. You know the areas that require immediate improvements, you’re well-rehearsed at what doesn’t work. How do you ensure you reach peak performance – the answer is within you. (Don’t worry […]
Didn’t you get the memo? When the ambition to meet a goal requires the work of a diverse team, the power to drive efficiency, performance and productivity rests squarely on our ability to communicate. With so much going on, how can we create an effective strategy to ensure the right people are getting the right message, at the right time? Try these 7 starting points to help you: 1. […]
Do we burn the house down to get rid of the mouse? Does a person’s ability to solve problems directly relate to advancement? Does the capacity to find solutions enable promotion? If so, how many correct solutions does one need to acquire? It has been shown that consistent problem solvers progress in their career faster than those who select the wrong option. It’s the secret […]
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 […]
If you’ve been asked to speak at a presentation then it may already be making you nervous. The idea of standing on stage and addressing dozens of people can be daunting, but there are a couple of skills that you can learn in order to make the entire experience a lot more manageable. Creating a […]
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 […]
Unless you’re an experienced and charismatic person, it’s very difficult to show confidence at a business presentation. It could cause your audience’s attention to wander and getting your point across could be challenging. People often don’t take classes on public speaking so it’s something that generally has to be learned as you go. So to […]
Even if you’re a charismatic person in the office, giving a presentation can feel like an incredibly daunting task that you just aren’t comfortable with. Even if you’re used to speaking in public, giving a detailed presentation can be very difficult if you’ve not had any experience. So in this post, we’re going to talk […]
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 […]
‘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’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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]