Two people are given identical painkillers. One is told that the painkiller has been proven to reduce pain for patients. The other is informed that it can increase pain in certain cases. Guess who experiences a reduction in pain? Of course, it’s person number 1, while the unfortunate individual who’s told that it may increase pain is far more likely to find their problem does not go away. And the same results are found when the tablet isn’t a painkiller ...
Early last year I was coaching a CEO and his team of directors. The directors were overwhelmed with the number of projects they were trying to deliver. Across the team, it was something in the region of 150 different projects, ranging in size from some pretty minor changes to several that were total transformations. Frustration was high. Progress was low. And everyone felt stuck. The CEO acknowledged the problem, agreed things needed to change and asked the team to select ...
Heather here! Hope 2025 is going well for you so far. As my work with leaders around the globe gears up again, I find myself once again asking: When will we talk openly about the overwhelm? And how can we take action to change it? These are critical questions: ones I’m going to explore and write about over the next 12 months. I work with senior leaders every day who are looking for ways to manage the impossible workloads they ...
Paul focussed on regaining control and confidence and so conquered a toxic workplace Client Background Paul, a senior leader in the engineering sector, manages a European-wide role with challenging targets. His career trajectory had been smooth until a corporate takeover introduced a new manager and an increasingly toxic organisational culture. The resulting environment left Paul feeling unheard, undervalued, and overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations. This feeling of losing control was exacerbated by his team shrinking. Challenges • Toxic Work Environment: Communication ...
“I’ve worked with Heather and the team at CommsMasters for over five years. Heather really takes time to understand the organisation and is very willing to challenge norms and highlight ingrained thinking. This is why I’ve worked with Heather on a number of projects with great results. With our Group Executive Team effectiveness, we gained a greater understanding of the GEx team and improved ways of working. In fact, a number of the team members refer to the value of ...
Client: A major global engineering firm’s European Division which provides products and services to a global customer base.ChallengeRecently appointed to his role, the Division’s Managing Director had tough goals to achieve. As an experienced leader, he knew that this would only be accomplished through his wider leadership team. As such, and as he settled into the role of leading a culturally diverse population, he was keen to create greater engagement and accountability across the leaders. This would mean significant change ...