Handling Confrontation

Whether it’s giving bad news, challenging someone’s behaviour or telling them their work isn’t up to scratch, it is never easy to deliver difficult messages. Confrontation is a topic delegates ask me about all the time. John Heron has a model  (below) that can help us understand why this is the case and guide us [...]

By | 2020-02-11T10:39:04+01:00 February 11th, 2020|People Tips|0 Comments

To the life raft!  How to manage your team through uncertainty

What does the current situation we find ourselves in mean for you as a line manager or team leader? How do you manage your team through uncertain times? I tweeted this a couple of weeks ago: “It seems that change no longer means navigating safely to the new shore – it’s just clinging to the [...]

By | 2017-03-30T14:12:16+01:00 June 28th, 2016|People Tips|0 Comments

Immediacy: What is going on between you and me?

I’m asked how to handle difficult behaviour  all the time. Of course, there is no simple answer, because every meeting of two personalities is a unique occasion, with its own context and often complicated baggage. Although there is no magic wand, there are many strategies and techniques you can add to your toolkit that will [...]

By | 2017-03-30T14:12:17+01:00 April 1st, 2016|People Tips|1 Comment

Are you having an emotional hijack?

An emotional hijack is when the rational part of our brain is overtaken by our emotions, and we act impulsively and inappropriately. It might happen to you, or you might see it in colleagues. It’s wearing, isn’t it? Having to put up with all that fallout and bluster while you’re trying to do a job. [...]

By | 2017-03-30T14:12:17+01:00 March 2nd, 2016|People Tips|0 Comments

“Here’s my resignation” – A true story

The phone rang, and a tired sounding woman said she’d been given my number as someone who maybe able to help. I asked what the problem was. She told me her company had a neglected team of trainers; the training manager had left six months ago, and they had struggled to recruit a replacement. They [...]

By | 2017-03-30T14:12:17+01:00 October 29th, 2015|People Tips|4 Comments

Psychopaths in the Workplace – Guest post by Jeremy Renals

First published in the journal of Oxford Business College Pros and Cons: Psychopaths in the business environment This feature investigates what  psychopaths in the workplace are like, how to spot them, and how psychopaths can be bad or good for a business organisation. It also raises questions about a possible contagious effect of the psychopathic mind set. [...]

By | 2017-03-30T14:12:17+01:00 March 30th, 2015|People Tips|1 Comment

Facing a personality assessment? Don’t panic!

  Many employers use personality questionnaires when recruiting, especially when they are looking to fill senior positions or they are looking for very specific personality traits. It can feel like a dark art is being used, but really it isn’t! Here are a few tips to help you prepare. […]

By | 2017-03-30T14:12:17+01:00 November 21st, 2014|People Tips|0 Comments

So you don’t do small talk? Maybe you should

So you don’t do small talk? You have no need for inconsequential trivia? I’m sure you’d rather deal in the important stuff of life. I hear this quite often. I’m sure the perpetrators don’t intend to take the moral high ground, yet it feels like that sometimes.  Let me tell [...]

By | 2020-03-09T16:48:45+01:00 June 2nd, 2014|People Tips|0 Comments

Being asked for help? Here’s six ways you can respond

People coming to us for advice is a normal part of life. They might be asking questions, wanting solutions or guidance on how to sort something out. Have you ever thought about the ways you can respond? One thing is for sure – there is not a ‘one size fits [...]

By | 2020-03-09T16:51:11+01:00 May 8th, 2014|People Tips|0 Comments

What does success look like in your organisation?

I was asked recently to run a couple of sessions for HR students  on success in organisations.  I asked them to identify ‘What good looks like’ in their own companies – always a useful exercise, as we are usually much better at pointing out the short comings than recognising the [...]

By | 2020-03-09T16:53:00+01:00 March 18th, 2014|People Tips|0 Comments

Creativity vs. Decision Making – and why ‘Just do it!’ is sometimes wrong

I married a creative genius, who constantly comes up with all kinds of ideas, sometimes practical, sometimes not. He just doesn’t see the boundaries that most of us are hidebound by, so his imagination roams unfettered.  At times, I really appreciate his ability to see things in a different light, [...]

By | 2020-03-09T16:54:15+01:00 December 12th, 2013|People Tips|4 Comments

Are you sure you want to give that feedback?

We all have to give feedback from time to time – or do we? In my experience, it’s common to feel that you ‘have’ to tell someone something that has come to your attention. What is a lot less common, is taking the time to think what will be gained [...]

By | 2020-03-09T16:55:46+01:00 November 5th, 2013|People Tips|0 Comments

The Perils of Meeting and Greeting

I was asked these questions about meeting and greeting by a journalist recently, so I thought I’d share my responses here. Why do people often mis-judge a greeting (going for a handshake when the other person goes in to kiss)? There are so many variations on greetings these days that [...]

By | 2020-03-09T16:58:13+01:00 September 13th, 2013|People Tips|0 Comments

Harvesting People Skills – How have yours grown?

Reaping what you sow  September is a lovely month. Somehow it combines new beginnings (we never forget the new school year!) with abundance and fruitfulness – the harvest that feeds us for the rest of the year. We may be a long way past school age, but you don’t need me to tell you that [...]

By | 2017-03-30T14:12:18+01:00 September 2nd, 2013|People Tips|0 Comments

Do people feel threatened around you? Here’s some questions to ask yourself

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 [...]

By | 2020-03-09T17:09:49+01:00 April 24th, 2013|People Tips|0 Comments

Do you recognise The Dark Triad? Protecting Yourself from a Psychopath

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 [...]

By | 2020-03-09T17:12:28+01:00 February 6th, 2013|People Tips|0 Comments

Collaboration – How can it help my business?

 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 [...]

By | 2020-03-09T17:17:15+01:00 January 2nd, 2013|People Tips|1 Comment

The best gift for your staff – appreciation

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. [...]

By | 2020-03-09T17:18:18+01:00 December 19th, 2012|People Tips|0 Comments

The impact that change can have on your people

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 [...]

By | 2020-03-09T17:22:45+01:00 November 16th, 2012|People Tips|0 Comments