Learning from Journalists – 15 ways to ask better questions

Journalists are among the least trusted of all professions, yet there’s still a thing or two they can teach managers.

To manage effectively we need to have good insight. A primary source for insight is those around us, not just our own team but our peers, customers and those that lead us. …

Less stress, more wine – the key to a longer, healthier life?

A BBC news report about the elderly population of the Greek island of Ikaria in the Mediterranean has highlighted the importance of a lifestyle rich in fresh food, wine, friends and family on health and longevity.  

Research carried out by the University of Athens studied those aged over 65 on Ikaria. …

Four Tips to LEAN your Six Sigma Team

A recent issue of Fortune magazine focuses on the secrets of greatness: Teamwork. It offers insights into teams past like Apple Computer’s Macintosh team and teams of Marines in Iraq…

…It also argues that “most of what you’ve read about teamwork is bunk.” While you can’t just demand teamwork, there are some simple lessons….

10 Styles of Leadership – Part 3

In Leadership Styles Parts 1 and 2 we looked at how great leaders differ In their style, and how it’s important to match leaders with the tasks and conditions they are best suited to.  In this final part of the series we look at the strengths and limitations of the four remaining leadership styles.

Directing Leader
Once the vision is established and the strategy agreed, it will be the directional leader who takes key decisions with confidence and certainty, guiding the team day to day and keeping them on track.  …

Learning Through Play – Could bad management be the result of too little play?

This Christmas children will be pleading for the latest toy and many families will dust off their Monopoly sets and rediscover the simple joy of playing a game together. But should we limit our game playing to childhood and holidays, or can play help us in our work, our thinking and our leadership?  

Attitudes to play are changing and the once ridiculed video game industry is now recognised as a valuable contributor to the economy and culture. …

The Perks don’t Work! 5 Steps to Better Management

Subsidised restaurants, table football games and fashionable work wear are a few examples of initiatives employers adopt in the hope of creating a great workplace.

Whilst it’s true that some of the best places to work do have games in their office, great food and contemporary dress codes, it’s not these initiatives that make them great workplaces.  It’s the people, in particular the managers….

How innocent’s Richard Reed Leads his People

Starting on September 12th, Richard Reed the founder of innocent smoothies will front a new business show on BBC Three called “Be Your Own Boss”.

Richard knows a thing or two about growing a business – innocent went from an idea to a £100 million business in just eight years, and we took a film crew behind the scenes to see how they did it.  Alongside great products, quirky marketing and a steely commercial edge, innocent’s success is largely down to the way they hire and lead their teams.

They recruit and manage against five critical behaviours no matter what the role:…

It’s not Where or Who it’s How

Historically managers have segmented teams, clients and business units based on hard quantifiable factors such as industry sector and geography.  Having served us well for many years this practice may soon become outdated.

It’s common to meet a sales person whose role is defined by a very specific market sector, say hospital based healthcare in a geographical territory such as North West England.  Yet isn’t it more important that the salesperson can effectively communicate with the client?  …

Leading Academics say Tea Breaks make better Teams

There may be no ‘I’ in team but there is ‘tea’ and it turns out that tea (or coffee) could be the key to unlocking the potential of teams, with one US bank anticipating a staggering $15 million productivity increase as a result.

Back in 2004 the Oxford think tank Career Innovation published a paper entitled The Conversation Gap. The basis of their findings was that 4 out of every 10 high performers in several leading companies reported that they have an issue that they want to raise but feel unable to do so – the Conversation Gap of the title. Additionally the increase in electronic communication continues to rise. Average emails received and sent rose by over 30% from 2010 to 2011 despite spam dropping from 19% to 16% in the same period. One of the consequences of this increase is that those spontaneous conversations by the water cooler have reduced. Therefore employees feel less informed and there’s less likelihood that new ideas and opportunities will be discussed unless a formal meeting is convened.

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A Recipe for Successful Teams

Great chefs know that alongside the core ingredients it’s the careful use of seasoning that turns a mediocre meal into a something scrumptious.

Here we offer some tips to help team leaders make their team rise:…