I guess we start this year with optimism and yet less certainty than we would normally do. I know most of my friends are much more likely to say ‘If I can…’ rather than ‘I intend to…’ when it comes to personal plans and projects. 2020 was a stark reminder of both how resourceful and how powerless we are as individuals and as humanity. So, within this ongoing unusual context, I wish you all the very best for 2021. Over ...
Well, December has arrived. It’s an auspicious month; one that brings Hanukkah and Christmas festivities, one that heralds the end of the calendar year. Here in the UK we’re hunkering down in the depth of winter, while in Australia people are looking forward to summer and the long school break. In the workplace, it’s a time for year-end accounts, budgeting, performance reviews, bonus announcements, objective setting… December isn’t just another month. And, for that reason, it’s a month of heightened ...
It’s Annual Performance Review time of year again for many organisations. APRs are amongst those conversations that everyone involved should welcome because of the value they bring. Instead, far too often people dread them. In fact, according to a 2019 Gallup report ‘only 14% of employees strongly agree their performance reviews inspire them to improve. In other words, if performance reviews were a drug, they would not meet FDA approval for efficacy.’ Now, if I were to ask you to list ...
Heather here. Have you ever bought something in the supermarket that you didn’t actually need or want just because it was on offer? Have you ever exceeded the speed limit a little just because everyone else around you was doing so? Have you ever aimed at a fly in a urinal just because – well – just because it was there? I’m guessing your answers to the first two questions are “yes”. And most likely the answer to the third ...
How many Zoom calls have you had this week? Actually, Microsoft Teams seems to be the mode with most of my calls recently although, I must admit, I much prefer Zoom. I really like the breakout-rooms facility – check it out if you use Zoom and haven’t come across it yet. A great feature, in my opinion. But, the benefits of Zoom vs Teams isn’t really the point of this email. After all, the technology’s just the route to the ...
CommsMasters Insights The prospect of ‘giving feedback’ can make even the most confident of leaders stumble over their words or struggle to articulate what needs to be said. A recent Gallup poll found that 69% of senior managers have difficulty communicating, and 37% find it hard to give negative feedback. [1] In our experience, issues with feedback don’t just arise where a leader needs to communicate what isn’t going well – it can also be hard to tell someone they ...