Working smarter together as a team
We all know the old adage, “work smarter, not harder”. Well, I have a different saying “Work smarter as a team and not harder as individuals”. Instead of being robotic in how I approach tasks, I try to...
View ArticleEstablishing a need for management development
In my last blog I questioned the sanity of anyone who was ignoring the obvious (in my opinion) fact, that new managers need all the help they can get if they are to be successful in their new role. I...
View ArticleFive things every new manager should know
Last week, a colleague, who was just about to take up her first management role, asked me for advice on management skills. “What do you think are the five most important things I should know on...
View ArticleThe difference between leadership and management
The question is often posed “What is the difference between leadership and management?”. There are a number of similarities between the two, mainly that in both roles you will be guiding one or more...
View ArticleTop tips for leaders – part one
Being a leader is a complex role. It’s about setting an example, determining a strategy, taking risks and keeping to your values. But it’s also about talent management, creating opportunities and...
View ArticleTop tips for leaders – part two
This is the second blog in my series listing the top 50 issues a leader has to consider (you can view the first one here). Being a leader is a complex role. It’s about setting an example, determining a...
View ArticleTop tips for leaders – part three
This is the third blog in my series listing the top 50 issues a leader has to consider (you can view the first and second one here). Being a leader is a complex role. It’s about setting an example,...
View ArticleTop tips for leaders – part four
This is the fourth blog in my series listing the top 50 issues a leader has to consider (you can view the first, second and third ones here). Being a leader is a complex role. It’s about setting an...
View ArticleTop tips for leaders – part five
This is the fifth and final blog in my series listing the top 50 issues a leader has to consider (you can view the first, second, third and fourth ones here). Being a leader is a complex role. It’s...
View ArticleReal story - Management Development Programme
Matt Henkes discusses his experience on the Management Development Programme, and how it has helped him improve his skills and knowledge to become a better manager. "You don’t always identify [stress]...
View ArticleReal story - Management Development Programme
Nicola Carroll discusses her experience on the Management Development Programme, and how it has helped her develop her skills having had no formal management training in the past. "Nobody says 'this is...
View ArticleWomen on Boards - Inspiring Women Live
Late last year, Bray Leino Learnings Director of Learning Solutions, Stephanie Morgan, spoke at Inspiring Women Live, focussing on the importance of Women on Boards and how to direct yourself to gain...
View ArticleAre you missing out on top talent?
Organisations throughout Europe could be missing out on top talent due to inflexibility in working practices. A recent report published by IPPR shows that two-thirds of women in the UK are unable to...
View ArticleDo you have the skills to be a manager?
Last week I talked about the ‘soft skills gap’ your employees may be facing, but now it’s time to take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, do you have the right skills for today’s demanding role in...
View ArticleWhat do John F. Kennedy and Jack Welch have in common?
Ever wondered what John F Kennedy and Jack Welch have in common? To put it simply they are both two fascinating characters who share a view on: Implementing learning from a leadership point of view I...
View ArticleThe quality of management in organisations
There is definitely a debate about the quality of management in organisations and what it can affect: morale, employee engagement, productivity rates and much more. But how bad is it really? People...
View ArticleShaping tomorrow’s leaders, today
Recent research* shows that over the next two years nearly half (48%) of organisations will be focussing on building futureproofed leadership teams. With middle management skills gaps becoming evident...
View ArticleHow the Chair of Sport Wales helped me map out my blueprint for success
When Finance Wales and Barclay Corp offered me the chance to meet Professor Laura McAllister at their networking event, I jumped at the chance. Who would not want to meet a woman who juggles more...
View ArticleDo leaders find leadership development effective?
I read with great interest the article in theHRDIRECTOR reporting the research by Mercer that “the most common leadership development methods are often considered the least effective by those in the...
View ArticleSix leadership lessons for women
I recently wrote about some of the key lessons that I learnt from meeting Professor Laura McAllister at a joint event sponsored by Finance Wales and Barclays. The event was aimed at Women Leaders to...
View ArticleAspiring to board level? Find out if you've got what it takes
I am a great believer in planning and preparation. In fact, I totally agree with that saying that the harder you work the luckier you seem to become. Acquiring a board position is a little bit like...
View ArticleEffectively managing difficult people
The modern workplace is a complex place. We work with ever changing teams, cross team working, remote working and even global working. On top of this, many people we work with, and for, are people...
View ArticleHow communities will take complete ownership of L&D
Gone are the days where learning and development professionals are the gatekeepers of knowledge. The changes in the business world and the organic introduction of social learning means that L&D...
View ArticleManaging absence easily and productively
In today’s workplace, as I have already talked about in my previous blogs, it’s a lot tougher than it was even 10 years ago. With all of the limited resources we are faced with, another aspect of...
View ArticleHow effective communication is the catalyst for great engagement
L&D and HR are responsible for communicating and publishing some of the most read materials in an organisation. It is therefore one of the areas that can have the biggest impact on employee and...
View ArticleThe secret to authentic leadership
It has been two weeks since I attended Sea Salt Learning’s Social Age Safari and I am still processing the whole experience. It was, without exception, the most thought provoking conference I have ever...
View ArticleInfographic: Top 10 Tips for Leaders
Following on from our series of leadership tips blogs by Nigel Walpole, our latest infographic highlights ten top tips for leaders to live by in today's working environment. Teresa Lovell, Design...
View ArticleWhat one day taught me about my management style
This week I started my journey to effective management. I began the Management Development Programme. It’s something I’ve wanted to be involved in for some time, but I was waiting for a new cohort to...
View ArticleLeadership is all about faith
Leadership is all about faith; faith in yourself, faith in your team and faith in your strategy. I have found that one of the most difficult aspects of being a leader is keeping calm when all around me...
View ArticleThe power of saying sorry
As Elton John has sung many, many times, sorry seems to be the hardest word. That is just as true in business and leadership as it is in love and personal relationships. What surprises me is how often...
View Article'Me Plc' ignites the stage
Last week Stephanie Morgan took to the stage at Ignite Cardiff to talk about ‘Me Plc’, and how your personal brand can shape your entire working life. With five minutes, 20 slides and 15 seconds for...
View ArticleHow to be a manager that people want to work for
As a management trainer I run various courses for numerous companies and have come across a lot of new managers and experienced managers. Of all the courses I run though, I love first line management...
View ArticleThree easy steps to becoming a better manager
The secret? It’s all about just being human! Management has changed a lot in the past 30 years. When I started my career in retail, the management style was very autocratic, and quite aggressive,...
View ArticleManagers: It's time to manage your emotions at work
I recently ran an Influencing Course and we had an interesting conversation about bringing personal problems into work. We are all human and it would be impossible to leave all concerns and worries...
View ArticleThe anatomy of a manager
There are lots of skills that managers need, but what are the top 12? What skills should new managers be developing as they enter their new role? In this infographic, we look at what we think those top...
View ArticleAre you crushing your child’s leadership potential?
Last week, I had a blog published on Huffington Post. In it, I discuss how ‘helicopter parenting’ is affecting the business community and our future leaders, now that millennials are entering the...
View ArticleWhy it’s important to differentiate between leadership and management
There are many management training programmes available today that focus on the variety of the management role, and there are three keys aspects of management covered in most of them. These are:...
View ArticleThe secret to motivation for managers
“How can you motivate the people who work for you?” This must be the toughest question I ever ask when training managers as I rarely get any answers. If I push, I might get something along the lines of...
View ArticleNurturing good leadership qualities
The world is filled with outstanding leaders. Leaders who have faced adversity, who have defied all odds, who their people love to work with. I’m going to make an assumption. I’m going to assume that...
View ArticleAre your board identifying their leadership challenges?
Learning is for life. That’s one of the lessons Virgin Founder Richard Branson has learnt as an entrepreneur. We couldn’t agree more, and we’re sure you couldn’t either. In L&D we live and...
View ArticleMaking leadership learning real
Years ago, when I first set my sights on a boardroom role, I realised that to earn and hold a place at the top level, I would need to be able to evaluate my own leadership style honestly and...
View ArticleLeadership is a service not a right
I was keen to explore changes in customer expectations and how this appears to be increasing in line with that of today’s workforce. Today’s society appears less willing to accept a standard level of...
View ArticleThe future of business leadership
Most of us in L&D are well aware of the importance of leadership development. However, the recent report “Rewiring leadership: The future we want, the leadership we need” from CISL, brings up...
View ArticleAre you leading with your brain switched on?
While attending a client’s annual business briefing, I was impressed by how much they had achieved in a year and was surprised by the impact this had on them. They had done really well and achieved a...
View ArticleEstablishing the need for management development
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in October 2014 and has been updated to reflect the current climate. I’m a strong advocate for providing new managers with all the help they can get if...
View ArticlePrioritising soft skills – isn’t it about time?
Soft skills are taking the spotlight in workplace learning. The World Economic Forum (WEF) have predicted a significant rise in demand for soft skills by 2020. This means that soft skills such as...
View ArticleHas leadership development turned into a balancing act?
Leadership is a global hot topic right now. Just think of recent headlines surrounding the gender disparity in leadership, the need for leaders to create a sustainable future, the millennial...
View Article7 critical soft skills for leaders
The latest reports from top researchers are rating the soft skills demand and the need for strategic leadership development as two of the top priorities for businesses: To summarise the research, soft...
View ArticleLessons on leadership from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The Christmas countdown has officially begun. The advent calendars are out, the office has Christmas tunes on a loop and the cold dark evenings are finally warming up with lots of sparkling lights. I...
View ArticleWhy communication is key for leading through uncertain times (and what it...
If there’s one word that sums up the current climate for me, it must be ‘uncertain’. Commonly described as ‘VUCA’ (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous), it is an environment of rapid change,...
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