Two minute reads
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Why the best Managers are Snow Plough Managers
Like me, you probably learnt of the term snowplough (plow) parent when news of the US college admission scandals broke last spring. Snowplough parents clear the path in front of their children, removing obstacles that could impede their success. They...
Stop being so saintly
Do you need to be a little more selfish for your own sanity? Life is tough but some of us make our lives even tougher because we don’t stand up for ourselves. Do you: Do your own job and someone else’s work as wellTake on extra, unpaid responsibilities and get...
Does your office make you sick and tired?
For years, leadership teams have been convinced that creating fun, collegiate, open plan cultures was the key to employee satisfaction and therefore productivity. Most days I visit offices with sport/music/news playing in the background, with endless distractions and...
Crazy Busy on the road? How to put the fun back into business travel
GEORGE CLOONEY, UP IN THE AIR, Business travel was once seen as a perk that only executives with generous expense accounts got to enjoy. Nowadays we’re all packing our wheelie bags and breaking out of the daily grind. Are we really living the...
Questions to stop you feeling overwhelmed
Here's eight questions to ask every Monday to help you handle the pressure, stay focused and feel in control of your work. First we'll look at why the responsibility for this sits with you. There's a trite saying that pressure must be healthy because pressure creates...
Eliminate to Delegate: What’s got to go?
I’m focusing on elimination with my clients this summer. Not elimination as in a nasty high-fibre elimination bikini diet. I mean eliminating tasks that they shouldn’t be doing because they are too low level to meet their objectives, skillset and pay grade....
How to boost your team’s confidence
Confident employees have higher self-esteem, are more productive, cope better with change and achieve more aspirational goals. How can you encourage your team to think more confidently? Confidence is a crucial building block of personal and professional...
Managers: Do you recognise the signs of burnout?
Don’t wait for a sickness note or resignation for proof of burnout. Here’s some red flags to look out for and ways to prevent it. What is burnout? Burnout is defined as a ‘state of vital exhaustion’. How do you know if you are...
Are you struggling to concentrate
Why is your brain constantly frazzled? Can you remember the last time you were able to knuckle down to some deep, productive work? Or does your brain feel permanently frazzled as you toggle from one task to another, struggling to concentrate? Find your Flow state...
How to ditch Imposter Syndrome and Self Doubt
You were born for this! Enjoy your success, you deserve it.Imposter Syndrome, when we feel that we aren't good enough, is a common negative thinking pattern that holds many of us back in our careers. Here's how to ditch self-doubt and enjoy your success. Our own...
How to build a resilient team in testing times
Deal with the elephant in the room, lead from the front, have some fun, distract with good news, create some heroes: ideas for managers to keep their teams on track. Twelve years ago, a grumpy organisational psychology professor told my class that he would...
Three traps new managers fall into and how to avoid them
Successful individual contributors can derail when they manage other people. Here's how to make sure that doesn't happen to your career: Congratulations, you’ve hit your targets, your influencing skills have been recognised and you have been rewarded with your own...