This week the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the body responsible for the regulation of all health and social care in England – announced a new regime for the inspection of care homes. In future, inspectors will carry out a ‘mum test’ in which they’ll be asked to consider if they’d be happy for someone they love and care about to receive the services patients are receiving – including the way they are cared for and spoken to. In other words, ...
By Heather Campbell >> Recently a manager I was coaching described a conversation he had with a member of his team. He said that the team member commented two or three times that he thought the manager didn’t trust him. The manager was concerned about this and yet, during the conversation, had ignored the point. This is a common practice in conversations. We hear something and still continue the conversation as if we didn’t. Why? The most common reason is that (as ...
By Heather Campbell >> Virgin Group boss Richard Branson’s decision to offer his staff unlimited holidays has stirred up plenty of debate. Is this an empowering employer giving his team more control and choice? Or a cynical ploy to make sure that people take fewer holidays because, of course, their work will never be done so they’ll never feel it is appropriate to have a vacation. Whatever his intention, it has brought lots of free publicity which is certainly something at which Branson ...
By Heather Campbell >> Capuchin monkeys have a sense of fairness. This is apparent from research where a group of monkeys were given food in return for handing over a small granite rock. When certain monkeys received more than others in return for the rock, the primates refused to continue their participation; some got angry with their handlers. Fairness is important to humans too. Inequity demotivates us, at best – and drives us to acts of retaliation at worst. But even worse, ...
By Heather Campbell >> As is apparent from David Cameron’s indiscreet boasts to Michael Bloomberg, even Prime Ministers need to show off from time to time. “Look at me, I can balance on one leg… look at me, I’ve got a bigger (salary) package than you… look at me, I can make the Queen of England purr…” Look at me, look at me, look at me… notice me, notice me, notice me… admire me, admire me, admire me… It’s all about satisfying our ...
By Heather Campbell >> Recently I was talking to a manager in a large, global business – a household brand that I anticipate anyone reading this blog would recognise. We were discussing the type of work carried out in his part of the organisation. In passing he said: “The biggest problem now is that there’s no down-time. We’re pushed all year round. But people can’t work at 100% capacity all the time.” This resonated with me as something that I see in ...