The “walk of shame” that teens like to snigger about has a whole new meaning these days, especially when applied to companies and organisations recovering from reputation damage. Acknowledgement and admissions I recently described an email United Airlines sent to me (and many others) apologising for its brutal bumping of a customer from a Chicago flight. As […]
“Trust is more essential than ever”: How to build and sustain it at your startup
Trust is the unseen but vital glue in all areas of life, and most certainly in business. But is it being eroded by the online world of disruption and snappy virtual interactions on social media? Trust is more essential than ever. It forms the heart of great work relationships and underpins every business and societal […]
Do you make these four common mistakes when giving a presentation?
Often people with subject matter expertise have great difficulty in presenting to a group, even though with friends they may be upbeat and entertaining. The most common mistakes include: Can’t manage anxiety; Don’t relate to audience; It’s all one-way; or It’s boring! Develop these nine skills so you avoid these mistakes. 1. Create a positive […]
Three wiser monkeys build an anti-bullying culture at work
We continually read about claims from victims of bullying in their workplace, or whistleblowers who report oppressive workplace cultures that condone bullying and discrimination. Bullying alive and unwell Not everyone is sure of what constitutes bullying, sometimes being too quick or slow to label behaviours that ultimately pose health and safety risks, costing companies millions every […]
Are your corporate values robust?
Is what we say what we do? Is what guides us appropriate for the business? How do we make sure people are aligned to the values? Do our values resonate with our clients and stakeholders? Lots of companies sign up to the notion that they’re as much about “values” as turning a profit. Some believe […]
Don’t accept bad body language and attitudes in your business
For as much as we’ve become such a “selfie” conscious culture, it’s amazing how few people have any awareness of their own bad body language. When others display bad body language – act, not avoid. Eye-rolls This is a huge no-no, irrespective of what’s going in a meeting or mediation. Let’s hope you’re not the […]
Behavioural insights to help with business compliance
Most company “winners” which achieve on all fronts are by no means perfect, but they rank highly on compliance because they have found viable ways to motivate their employees and thereby improve the business. So, how are you going to get colleagues to graduate to corporate “nirvana”? Well, it’s not the Middle Ages, so old-fashioned […]
Looking through the eyes of others
These days many businesses are judged by their websites and their social media. But what about those organisations that offer face-to-face services, retail or offices? We can get distracted by the day-to-day needs of our business and sometimes the housekeeping and image are not at the top of the priority list. Yet it just takes […]
Dealing with personal loss at work
Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg has recently been in the news as a consequence of the sudden tragic loss of her much-loved husband, SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg. She wrote openly and movingly about her grief and shock, and numerous publications and social media have posted (and retweeted) her thoughts. Sheryl’s willingness to admit her vulnerability has […]