Emotional competence is a skill that really does not get the attention it deserves. In a society that has for so long rewarded the ruthless and cutthroat, there thankfully seems to be a renewed interest in being able to manage people and emotions rather than simple treating them like roadblocks and frustrations that you shouldn’t […]
How do you tell someone that they didn’t get the promotion?
One of the most basic tenets of psychology is that behaviour that is rewarded is reinforced, and behaviour that isn’t rewarded gradually ebbs away. One of the key motivating rewards in an office environment is the possibility of promotion for high performance. So what happens to your star performer who has worked exceedingly hard and […]
5 steps to creating healthy team habits
It is amazing how many things we do every single day without even thinking. So much of our daily lives are on auto-pilot, and despite all the efforts, New Year resolutions and wanting – we so often revert to our previous grooves, both good and bad. But how do we shift from our set ways? […]
6 keys to great client service
Most of us work in highly competitive industries. Everyone is out there trying to innovate, implement and improve their products and services quicker than ours. But what happens when the competition is offering something that is extremely similar to what we are offering or producing? What are we actually competing on? In this commodity-type environment […]
A 10-step plan for removing a nightmare staff member
Have you ever had a member of your team that makes you so angry that you can’t hear their name without having your blood pressure increase? Someone who you have to manage through every interaction and constantly clean up after? Many managers and team members have horror stories of working with a nightmare person, but […]
If you don’t manage time, it will manage you! 10 helpful tips
What is the one thing you have in common with all of the most successful CEOs and business owners? You have 24 hours per day to achieve as much as humanly possible. Yet we all struggle with time management. We can spend hours on something insignificant yet not get around to that huge important project […]
Goodbye 2013! Change jobs? What’s my use-by-date?
How long have you been in your current job? Are you happy there? Have you been discussing career options with people in your organisation or with friends? Perhaps you’re someone who complains a lot about your current workplace, or maybe you just feel tired and need some novelty and stimulation. Maybe you are upset as […]
When people get emotional and take sides, poor decisions are made
Does it all go back to childhood? My daughter and my five-year-old grandson had a massive disagreement last week. My daughter, like me when she was little, decided not to play along with the Santa game, and from day one said that Santa is a ‘character’ just like on TV: fun, but not real. My […]
5 steps to creating a culture of accuracy
How much credibility do we lose as a result of spelling mistakes? It’s like a public speaking mistake, as soon as the error is discovered by the audience, they completely forget about the content and just notice the mistake. Accuracy is a habit, and although some people have a higher level of attention to detail […]