What a hot topic. Everyone seems to be handling a difficult person — whether it is a staff member, team colleague, customer or their manager. Or they have a difficult person in their personal lives. Certain types of difficult people affect us more than others. For example: Angry, aggressive, abusive, bullying; Moody, tired, depressed, teary; Uncommitted, unmotivated, […]
Social butterflies are busy bees: How workplace friendships boost productivity
If you have a good friend for a colleague you are more likely to be engaged and satisfied at work. Part of being happy at work is having at least a few colleagues with whom you get along well with. For some, these constitute true friendships that transcend location, circumstance and peer level. But for many […]
What is the difference between a good performer and a high achiever?
Good performers, high achievers: we all think we ‘know’ one when we see one. Years ago, it was remarked of a young Barbra Streisand that “she’s great but she’s not yet good”. Streisand was about to hit the big time with Funny Girl, thrilling audiences with her melting mezzo-soprano. But she hadn’t yet acquired the technique of […]
How fears can hold you back at work
Fears drive our behaviours and are often the reason for our decisions and actions at work. What do we fear? Lots of things: not being liked conflict not being in control failing — being wrong not knowing, uncertainty being embarrassed losing relationships being ignored or even rejected being criticised changes “There’s nothing to fear but […]
5 ways to inspire creativity
We all possess the capacity to be creative, but not all of us have the opportunity to work in conducive surroundings, with supportive colleagues and management. Any industry or organisation where strategic planning is called for can be guilty of excluding the really good ideas that bubble up from surprising sources. Creative work environments are […]
How to change your mindset
Can your mindset hold you back in your organisations and teams? Yes, easily… when you fall into the trap of thinking and being stuck. Being stuck is … Being a victim often leads to poor performance and poor relationships at work. Here are typical examples of your mindset thinking patterns when you feel bogged: Things […]
Weather affects our mood and performance: How to avoid SAD employees
The days are getting darker and some people are already suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder — or SAD! We all discuss the weather, and it’s true, its permutations do affect our daily mood. Our unique genetic mixes react to different seasons and shifts in wind and humidity. You know the story — some love tropical climes, others thrive in […]
Does your team suffer from PMT — project management tension?
Too many teams suffer from project management tension. Some project managers (PMs) are absolute experts in creating workplace hell and the awful thing is, they were designated to be in charge when they couldn’t organise a kindergarten picnic. Seven undesirable project manager characteristics? The list of what makes a PM bad is almost endless. Generally s/he […]