Category: Uncategorized

What if giving feedback was something you simply took in your stride – even those difficult conversations that you dread? In last week’s blog I explored the five main reasons why so many managers avoid giving feedback.  But what if giving feedback was a normal part of your day to

When you’re looking to grow a scale-ready business there are two essential foundations that you need to build: simple logical and repeatable systems in every area of your operation, and a high performing team who take ownership for their role and run your systems effectively. Building that high-performing team relies

In last week’s blog I talked about the benefits of delegation and how important it is for you, your team members and your business to grow.  So today I want to share the ‘how to’ and give you a free template which will help you .* Before you delegate, ask

Long long ago, when I was first learning to be a manager with McDonald’s, I was taught that it was my responsibility to take each new employee that walked through the door and not only train them to be a productive team member, but also develop them as a person. 

Be honest! How much time do you invest in training your team? And I mean properly training them – showing them the one right way to do a task, letting them ask questions and practise, sharing what’s important and why it is. I hear so many managers rant in frustration about

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve looked at building a team, and how to get it right first time. But what if you already have a team, and what if you built it the usual/old-fashioned way – by hiring the best cv, and hoping they fit? How do you assess that

Here’s something I bet you didn’t know… over 40% of potential employees say that they look for the development opportunities within a business when they’re deciding where they want to work. (Udemy) Every successful entrepreneur recognises that training and development isn’t just a tool to keep people sweet – it’s

Did you know that over 40% of employees say that they look for the opportunity to be developed when deciding where they want to work. (Udemy) Successful entrepreneurs recognise that training and development is not just a tool to keep people sweet but an essential investment in their business growth. They

I think you’ll agree with me when I say that we’re not all the same. We all work in different ways; we all have different styles, different characteristics, quirks and foibles. We communicate in different ways, we want to receive communication in different forms, and we get pleasure out of

I want to talk to you about the lost art of running an effective probation period. Because let’s face it, there are so many people working merrily away in businesses who never actually ‘passed’ a probation. They just drifted into full time employment or their probation period has been extended

Right now as business owners, we’re all assessing and re-assessing key elements of our operation – from our business model to our marketing, from our team to our own role in the day to day. We’re thinking about what we’ve missed during lockdown, and what we’ve loved, and wondering if

Like everyone else, I’m wondering what will happen after lockdown, what’s going to have changed for good, and what’s going to go back to business as usual? And how quickly? Will the milkman, the village shop, the local butcher still get our trade? Maybe we’ve supported them to avoid the crowds

As I write, we’re in week six of lockdown and I want to share something that’s really struck me over these past few weeks – just how much of pretty much every business owner’s focus, has been on marketing and sales.​ Of course that’s sensible – we all need to

‘To work successfully with other people, you have to trust each other. A big part of this is trusting people to get their work done wherever they are, without supervision.’ – Sir Richard Branson Trust has never been such a valuable commodity. With the over night jump in people working

Have you decided what your goal is for lockdown? Do something transformational in these precious weeks and months, and reap the benefits for years to come. I’m sure that for many of us the lockdown period has been a chance to rethink what’s really important, and to reset our goals

What do you want to achieve in the next few months? Have you set your self goals? Are you really focused on what you’re going to get done, and how? Something really struck me this week, and I feel the need to share it with you. I want to talk

I took a bit of stick this week for writing a post suggesting that we all use the current situation as an opportunity to do something positive – to create something – to do something that you’ve been talking about doing, but have never quite got round to. I suggested

When I start working with a new client I always spend some time talking to each of their team members individually to discover: What they love about their work What they find frustrating What aspirations they have What blocks them from giving great service to their customers What one thing

Job turnover in an organisation with positive company culture is around 14%, compared to turnover in low company cultures at almost 50% In last week’s blog I wrote about digging deep to find your true core values. Having defined them, it’s important to live them consistently, because from these behaviours

People talk about values a lot. But I think often they don’t really understand what they are and why they’re important. There may be a list of your business values up on the wall where you work. But what are they really all about? The word value comes originally from the

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days.” Zig Ziglar In a recent blog I asked you to look at your to do list and sieve it into Ditch Delegate or Do. So now you have a new to do list which reflects those

So, you have a Big Vision that gives you goosebumps and it’s plastered on your wall in huge letters. You’ve started to plan with your team about how together you’ll make that Vision a reality. And you’re all buzzing about the future and cracking on. Great stuff! I can feel the energy

75% of the reasons people leave jobs come down to things that managers can influence. According to recent research these are the things that make people want to stay: 1. Having opportunities to grow One of the best predictors of turnover is whether an employee has had opportunities at work

You must have seen the arcade game Whack A Mole* which is all about smacking cute little moles on the head as they peep out of their holes. Fun game! Just as you knock one back another appears and another, and another… until your time, or your money, runs out. Fun, but infuriating!

September is a great month for planning. It always just feels so right, and just this morning I was reminding myself why. For some, January may seem like the obvious choice, the beginning of a new calendar year with new year’s resolutions, and a full 12 months stretching out ahead

‘Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days.’  Zig Ziglar In a recent blog we asked you to get really clear about your vision. Now the question is how to achieve it. Focus is the key! Even with a clear vision, it’s easy to

‘Keeping in touch with your values is a lifelong exercise.’ If your vision is your goose-bump-giving, inspiring, picture of your future, and your plans are the route map to take you there, then what are your values? The Dictionary defines values as… ‘principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgement of

What do you believe in? What do you value? In life? In your business? What would your team say you value? When business owners are asked about their values, they’ll usually say things like ‘honesty’, ‘integrity’, ‘customer focus’, maybe ‘fairness’. Clearly good values, but to be honest, these are standard

Imagine you have a boat. You’ve just set sail and you’re headed out to sea – full of optimism and excitement. Captain of your destiny.  Master of your fate. But where are you headed? Wherever the current takes you? Slave to the tide and the prevailing wind? Or have you

If you’re going on a long journey in your car, what do you do? You think about where you are now, what your starting point is. You think about where you want to get to – your destination.  You think about when you want to get there, maybe when you