People commonly exhibit three emotional reactions to feedback which can interfere with their ability to learn from it: rather than accept responsibility for our behaviour, we often ignore, deny, or blame someone or something else. These defensive reactions are so second nature that you may not be aware you are responding defensively to feedback. But it is important to understand that any of these three emotional reactions will prevent you from learning from feedback and using constructive problem-solving methods to improve.
Read MoreRecognising Grief
When an individual is stressed or is forced to deal with change, they often react much as they might to bereavement. The scale of emotion might be different, but the stages an individual goes through in processing difficult situations are often remarkably similar. The Kubler Ross Model describes the fives stages of grief in bereavement, but it is a good place to start when considering how staff are coping.
Read MoreHow to write a useful Business Plan.
If you are finding it difficult to set your Vision, then try to think about the moments you enjoy most in business. Is it face to face with the Customer when you see them starting to see the value your product/service will bring them? Is it when you see the monthly figures laid out showing healthy growth? etc. The actual moments (be as specific as possible) might guide you as to what is really important to you in business.
Read MoreA Model for Staff Evaluation – PACMAN
The PACMAN model quickly gives you an overview of how capable and how motivated each individual is to perform well. It is also easy to remember, which is important if it is to be a useful model.
Read MorePERMA – Work Life Well Being / Motivational Model
MEANING: We all place what we do into the context of our own beliefs and personal codes of what’s important
Read MoreIntroduction to PERMA
If you run your own business, or are a Professional or a Senior Executive, it is not unrealistic to assume that you have considerable choice over the shape of your business life and thus your Well Being should be extremely high. However, more often than not this is simply not the case. PERMA allows you to review your current Work Life and to prompt thinking in areas where you feel you may benefit from change
Read MoreTop Ten Management Tips
Does each individual have a clear “Line of Sight”? Each individual needs to understand not only what is expected of them, but why it is expected. How does their work contribute to the overall success of the organisation? It is the role of the Manager to bring this line of sight in to sharp focus for every employee.
Read MoreThe Top Ten Leadership Lessons Of Steve Jobs
It is quite ironic that the first Leadership lesson from such a reputedly abrasive man is Empathy. Steve Jobs may not have empathised well on the face of it with his employees, but he did recognise a passion within then that needed to be fulfilled. Moreover, he had an acute empathy with his Customers. He could understand what they wanted and what frustrated them before they could even articulate it.
Read MoreHow to make sure good ideas don’t run out of steam in your business
Is it hard to make change stick in your organisation? Do people need constant supervision if they are not to slip back in to the old ways of doing things? This is a cultural problem and although this can’t be changed overnight, you can address and improve the culture of your organisation by considering “Mindset”.
Read MoreGoal Setting. How to set Goals that actually work
Professor Gabrielle Autinger of the University of Pennsylvania took this further and concluded that Positive Visualisation of the future produced enhanced results only when accompanied by realism of the barriers faced en route. A technique coined as Double Think by Professor Richard Wiseman (borrowed of course, from the Orwell book, 1984.)
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