5 Ways to increase trustworthiness

Trust underpins all good relationships – supplier and customer, team and leader, husband and wife.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said "Our distrust is very expensive".

Despite the technical advances of the last century, few leaders would argue that the way in which their teams interact with and depend on one another isn’t crucial to their organisation’s performance.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Our distrust is very expensive”.

During periods of uncertainty and restructure, trust in employers, team mates and leaders can be eroded, so along the road to recovery what can individuals do to rebuild trust?…

What can teams learn from elephants?

If only there really was an elephant – or two – in the room, teamwork might improve.

Research just published by Cambridge University and featured on BBC news confirms that elephants will cooperate and work effectively as a team: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9417000/9417308.stm.
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Flip out in the office – A quick team building idea

Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Day to most of us. Give the sandwich man or lady a day off and make pancakes for lunch instead.

You just need a camping stove, a pan, a bit of oil and some pancake mix. For about a dozen pancakes you’ll need:…

The Rules and Benefits of Mind Mapping

Mind maps work as they use the whole brain. They appeal to left brain thinkers who like structure while right brain thinkers love the creativity of a masterpiece appearing before their eyes.

Where do you start?

There are several people who will tell you they use mind maps or have tried them – however are they following the Buzan rules? Tony Buzan is the guru of mind mapping and made the logic meet the creativity.

The Rules…

The importance of communicating using the personal touch

Although in this instance the Army was quick to admit that this was “a bad mistake” and the result of “a serious administrative error” there are many cases where similarly important and sensitive news has been communicated via an inappropriate and impersonal method such email….

Egos erode teams

Teams contain people and people have egos. Egos erode teams. This fact threatens most teams, particularly those made up of high achievers.

Unfortunately when we lack humility we fail to own up when we don’t understand what’s going on. Very often our colleagues are equally confused but they too keep quiet, so confusion reigns – silently.

If a Picture says a Thousand Words, then a Movie Says a Million

“If only we were better informed” is a common complaint amongst employees, particularly in larger organisations.

An example of a recent film we produced for Treasury Wine Estates

Similarly managers often complain that their staff don’t seem to be ‘on message’ with the organisation’s products, values and operations….

Two things that are very likely to lead to a spike in staff turnover

The latest CIPD Employee Outlook Survey reports two significant findings that, if not addressed, are very likely to lead to a spike in staff turnover:

1. In the private sector 1 in 5 employees fear that they will loose their jobs (in the public sector it’s as high as1 in 3). Given that 29 million people are currently in employment, this means that many millions of employees are insecure in their jobs and subject to de-motivation and distraction….

The Essence of Leadership

So much has been said, written and thought about leadership that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to identify what actually makes a good leader.

So when the BBC announced it was dedicating two thirty minute radio shows to the subject, by asking leaders from politics, business and sport what they believe makes a good leader, we had to tune in. Listen again to the programme here:  http://bbc.in/fbhJ5S.

Some of the attributes listed by the leaders interviewed included:…

Lord Sugar, The Apprentice and the cost of staff turnover

While several million people were transfixed as Lord Sugar chose his sixth apprentice at the weekend, it’s worth asking if the ‘world’s toughest job interview’ even works.

Of the five apprentices ‘hired’ so far, none of them currently works with Lord Sugar! Tim Campbell the first apprentice left after two years, Michelle Dewbury lasted only 11 months in the company. The 2007 winner Simon Ambrose resigned to set up his own business, Lee McQueen won the 2008 show only to quit after little more than a year and the 2009 winner Yasmina Siadatan is now a busy new mum….