“This years Must have Book” HR Director The price of the Kindle version of Face to Face in the Workplace has been reduced, meaning you can now buy it for £2.99 (or borrow it for free if you belong to Amazon Prime). […]
Caitlin Moran wrote a lovely piece in The Times on recently, a first draft of a letter for her daughter to read for advice, should Caitlin ever prematurely shuffle off the planet . […]
‘How to have Effective Discussions’ was the topic at Warwick CIPD recently – and there was certainly a lot of discussion in the room! We looked at what goes wrong and strategies for getting better outcomes. […]
I'm delighted to have been asked to Join Unimenta's team of experts. My specialism is Workplace Training. Also on the team we have Martin Haworth - his specialism is coaching, and Paul Z Jackson, who has plenty to teach us about using Applied Improv, Unimenta is a membership support site for teachers, practitioners & [...]
This week I was interviewed (I use the term loosely!) by the Knowing Your Business Show. The result was two hapless DJ's roleplaying how to deal with a colleague with a personal hygiene issue after asking me for advice on dealing with sticky situations - so if you like some comedy with your business [...]
Face to Face in the Workplace is becoming recognised as a very useful text for international students. its clear layout and simple structure make it easy to navigate, even if English is not your mother tongue. “I teach international students on HND and university access courses. They need just the right information to succeed, and [...]
I'm delighted to be speaking for Oxford Yes Group this month, on 21st May 2013 at 7.30pm. If you have never been to a Yes group before, do check them out. They describe themselves as: "A local movement of vibrant people who meet every third Tuesday of the month to celebrate each other’s successes [...]
Bitten off anyone’s head today? A survey out recently says that almost half of workers feel ‘actively threatened’ by their boss (reported by CIPD and HR Management magazine) . The professions with the highest level of offenders were the Civil Service, doctors, scientists and retail. No doubt they all have [...]
Let me tell you about my holiday reading. I had two books vying for my attention during Easter, they were very different in style, and I found myself reading them both at once, (no, not at the same time. You know what I mean) which turned out to be a [...]
Several years ago, I paid to have a Telegraph pole removed from my driveway. The workman knocked on the door and asked me if I wanted it cut up or left in one piece. I replied that it would be lovely if he could cut it into a couple of [...]
This month Business Executive magazine have published my article on mentoring skills, which talks about the importance of the first meeting. Mentoring is growing rapidly in popularity as an effective method of developing talent, and has been taken on board by many successful organisations. Mentoring Skills If you would are interested in developing mentoring skills, [...]
I have been asked to write a new monthly blog for Unimenta, a great organisation that supports trainers . It"provides materials, tailored advice and consultancy for any practitioner delivering training in soft skills and effective behaviour for the workplace" If you know any trainers or coaches working with soft skills, do make sure they [...]
Do you have impossible people to deal with? Some people just can’t be helped…. And yet we persist in trying. We drain our energy, banging our head against the wall – and the biggest tragedy is that others, who would flourish with some encouragement ,are neglected because The Impossible One [...]
Reciprocation is a fascinating topic because we so rarely give it conscious thought. Do you expect others to return any favour you do them? Are you pleasantly surprised when someone does? Be honest, is it sometimes your main motivation for helping others? […]
Manager magazine, which is the magazine of The Institute of Administrative Management, have reviewed Face to Face in the Workplace. They say: “Very reader friendly..very practical… overall a comprehensive handbook that is instructive and well structured. Well worth the read for even the most experienced manager.” The full review is here: […]
How much time do you spend dealing with conflict in the workplace? A CBI reports say that it takes 20% of a leader’s time, – which is 370 million working days! Then there is the cost of stress and resignations on top… Does it have to be this way? Some [...]
The current issue of Midlands in Business includes an "Fifty Shades of Meaning: Clearing the grey from people management". It features some of the techniques from Face to Face in the Workplace. You can find it on page 12: http://www.midlandsinbusiness.com/e-magazine/ By Julie Cooper Author of Face to Face in the Workplace "If you deal with [...]
HR Zone have given Face to Face in the Workplace a four star review, saying “There is good, solid theory gleaned from reputable sources, alongside simply stated, practically-focused advice… they’re all there and beautifully summarised” . The full review is below: […]
This is a bit of a departure for me – I usually write about interactions between people, not creativity -but sometimes we need give ourselves a bit of a talking to; we get stale, stuck or just need to find a fresh approach. I love running courses on creativity and [...]
At our mastermind group, we recently discussed collaboration. We all agreed that collaboration is a good thing for business, but were maybe a little foggy on exactly how it can help us. We were also concerned that there may be pitfalls to be aware of– some of us had come [...]
It‘s the season of good will, so let’s capitalise on the lovely festive spirit. Much as you may want to give your colleagues huge bonuses and generous gifts, it may not be possible – business has been tough for us all this year, and we all need to spend wisely. [...]
The Art of Delegation: A How To Guide was published in Guardian Careers today. You can read the full article here Make no mistake, you can make or break your success on the management path by the way you delegate. The best managers are surrounded by willing staff who are not only able to [...]
One indicator of a good manager is the way they develop individuals in their team. They always seem to have both the time and the inclination to help Topi* improve his skills and problem solving ability, knowing how to coach. How do they do it? In addition to recognising the [...]
Business Executive magazine have today reviewed Face to Face in the Workplace and given it three stars - their highest rating. They say "Valuable tips and guidance...The style of the book is easy to read and manageable, as much of it is set out in short paragraphs, with plenty of bullet points and questions. [...]
How do you get busy managers to deal more effectively with their people? To always know the right thing to say? To turn around difficult conversations? Give them the toolbox and show them how to use it. Interpersonal Skills Training A one day lively, engaging workshop that will introduce the [...]
This is Bircham Windmill – it’s beautiful, you can understand why people have fought to preserve it. But we know that beauty and heritage isn’t sufficient to meet the demands of our needs today – change is constant. You could argue that updating technology is a piece of cake compared [...]
HR Director have just published a review of Face to Face in the Workplace by Lynda Holt. Lynda says: “This year’s must have book for managers… There are many books for managers, and you can be excused for being a little cynical about the value of one more, until you [...]
Do you have a member of staff coming back after a period of sickness? Have you thought about return to work interviews? It can be nerve wracking for them to return to work; All kinds of concerns might be bubbling below the surface.Will they be able to catch up? Will [...]
If you manage staff, no doubt you are responsible for carrying out their annual appraisals. Does it fill you with dread or glee? This should be a golden opportunity to have a meaningful, motivating conversation, and yet all too often this gets lost in a quagmire of paperwork, a dull [...]
People keep asking questions about writing a book, how I found time, how I got to print etc, so I thought I’d share a few of the answers. I’m always happy to answer questions if you have any more! Writing a book Face to Face in the Workplace started like [...]
