It is more important than ever to ensure that you select the right person for the job when there is a labour shortage. With a smaller pool to draw from, the temptation can be to ‘take what you can get’, but this can cost your business more in the long term and be detrimental for […]

Empathetic responses help to build better, more compassionate human relationships, and couldn’t we use more of that right now around the world? Christmas time is traditionally a moment to reflect on being kinder and more considerate of others, but surely, we need empathy all the year round? “A true empath is a person who is

As an employer or senior leader, you want successful managers. Whilst the basic principles of people management apply, there are some differences in this situation. You want the best from your managers, but how do you support without interfering, achieve the standard of leadership and management you need from them, and not add to the pressure they

With the right approach, you can prevent a mental ill-health inflation in your business. Here are three tips to help; Thinking, Talking, and Timing. The uncertainty created by the cost of living and energy bills rapidly rising, perpetual media talk of economic inflation/recession, plus grief at the sad loss of our Queen, are likely to

The news is full of pay negotiations, peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and potential Prime Ministers trying to win votes, but how many will get to a win-win outcome? It is important to gain an outcome that both parties are happy with, rather than a compromise. The most successful negotiators know it is not

The language of leadership, in terms of integrity, credibility, competence, and role modelling, has been a major topic in recent days. Something our Prime Minister is lacking in according to many of his colleagues. However, it is encouraging that some Ministers have made personal sacrifices to their careers to maintain their integrity, be true to

The abuse of power affects us all, whether by a leader of a country, company, community, or family, and it only takes one rotten apple! Sadly there are plenty of examples of corruption in all sectors currently. Whereas we may criticise world leaders, we can do little to change things. What about closer to home,

It would be easy to think that integrity is dead or dying. Invasions of democratic countries, and scandals either corporate, political, religious or sports have rocked the world. Added to these are terrorist attacks, office politics, fake news, and broken promises, which have created a perception of low integrity in our everyday lives. Even the

Is succession something you don’t talk about? In the general busy environment, does it have time to feature in your strategic thinking? It is a subject that people are often loath to broach, especially in family run businesses, as it can be an emotive subject. It can be a difficult subject to discuss but putting

The distractions in our lives have been proliferating for a long time, but the Internet is a medium that is programmed to insistently and wildly scatter our attention . As revolutionary as it may be, the Net is the latest in a long series of tools that have helped mould the human mind. The Internet

Strategic leadership is critical for success, especially in rapidly changing and uncertain times. The danger for business leaders can be that they focus too much on the detail of day-to-day issues. It is important, therefore, to get your head up to look at the bigger picture. You can then define and drive your strategic objectives.

As furlough comes to an end and nearly all restrictions are removed, more people are returning to the workplace, but how do you ensure they are fit for work? No one would expect to be able to get up from a couch and run a marathon and similarly with many months not working, can we

The impact of our words can be good or bad. Many of us will have heard the expression ‘sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you’. Whilst I understand the sentiment, I would like to contest this. From my experiences and of those I have worked with over many years,

Virtual meetings are here to stay even when we can get back to meeting face-to-face. They offer a cheaper and more efficient means of communicating, but they need to be effective. Thank goodness we have the technology and that it keeps improving its offering, but we need to evolve our skills and behaviours to match

Whether you are currently coping or cooping is an important question. Which are you doing? What is the difference? The importance of this difference was starkly brought home to me recently by the experiences of a friend. Cope means to deal with and attempt to overcome problems and difficulties. Whereas coop means to confine in