Yesterday I read an article giving tips on work life balance. Whenever I hear the term ‘work life balance’ I think of a set of scales with life on one side and work on the other and people trying desperately hard to keep the scales balanced and getting very stressed. Does one happen at the expense…
Tag: values
What foundations are you laying for the future?
Yesterday, as I dropped my eldest child off to spend a month with a group of strangers in another continent, I experienced a multitude of emotions from tremendous anxiety and worry to pride. My worries ranged from concerns about her safety, her health and wellbeing, about being so far away from home… to immense pride…
Culture: connecting home and the workplace
Whilst we tucking into our Sunday roast, the discussion strayed into getting the eldest to keep her room tidy, something which she describes as nagging. ‘We are good children’ she remarked, ‘some of the people at school are just not nice, you could have had them as your kids’. My husband and I simultaneously responded…
Who’s hiding behind that professional mask? Authentic leadership
Last week I was at a networking event where the format was based around coffee and cake. You turn up, mingle, eat cake, drink coffee and chat with fellow guests. Next was a Question and Answer slot where the guest is questioned by the audience. There is a real mix of audience participation and sharing of…
Top dog or underdog?
Last week I attended a briefing day for coaches on the BIS coaching for high growth programme. As with these types of events you are not informed about the other participants who will be attending. On entering the room it was immediately apparent that it was filled with dark coloured suits and middle-aged white men.…
Trust, leading change and storytelling
In my last blog I posed the question, ‘What does Trust have to do with communication and feedback?’. Here’s my take on the role of Trust in leading change. Trust plays an important role in organisational performance and has been shown to have positive commercial benefits when it has been built, developed and maintained (Searle…
What does Trust have to do with communication and feedback?
Enquiring about ‘Are you doing anything special tonight for Valentine’s?’ to a colleague yielded the response, ‘I went out yesterday, it’s awful being in a restaurant and seeing couples there who don’t seem to have much to talk about’. I began to think about the times when we are together as a group,…
How are you influencing those who matter to you the most?
It was my intention to write this week’s blog on influence and leadership within an organisational context. However a remark by my eldest child yesterday about ‘not waving her off on her way to school anymore because I am always Tweeting instead’ has made me change my context. As a family, we have a limited…
Unearth your personal brand and use it to develop your business
Many people can instantly recognise the big brands and what they stand for. I am a big fan of Waitrose and the John Lewis Partnership. Their ‘never knowingly undersold: on quality, service and price’ slogan, products that will endure, their employee- owned business ethos and the way they treat their suppliers and customers fits in with my…