By Heather Campbell >> Last summer’s Fifty Shades of Grey got businesswomen all hot under their collars. This summer’s Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg has got those same businesswomen hot under their collars – but for somewhat different reasons! Sandberg’s book brought back to the fore – if it’d ever really gone away – the debate about how women can make their way in a male-dominated business world. And just as Fifty Shades led to more so-called ‘mummy porn’, and debates about (shock ...

By Ronia Hinds >> When surveys ask top chief executives the three secrets of contract-winning presentations the answer is “preparation, preparation, preparation”. To do this well does not mean identifying the role of colleagues as you converse across car roofs in the potential client’s car park. Nor does it mean, “We’ve got 20 minutes; that’ll be 60 slides”. Preparation for a contract-winning presentation requires close attention to four specific questions. Close scrutiny and honest analysis will lead to answers that enable ...

What do you like doing at work? If you’re anything like me the answer is quite simple. “I like doing what I like doing, and I don’t like doing what I don’t like doing!” Most human beings are naturally attracted to the things from which they derive most satisfaction and offer the greatest opportunities for success – and, conversely, they tend to stay away from things that they find difficult and where the chances of something going wrong are high. ...

By Graham Birse >>> When I emerged as a fresh-faced young graduate of Edinburgh Napier University’s journalism school in the late 1970s, my ambition was to brighten the newspaper world with the brilliance of my reporting. My pen (or typewriter in those days) burned with indignation; my writing embellished with ‘big words’ gleaned from the Thesaurus that sat by my desk. With weary patience, the Editor of the local newspaper I worked for explained that journalism was about communication and ...

Financial ROI? People being nicer to each other? Blind faith?  Which of these is your preferred way to ensure that investment in soft skills development – such as leadership communication – pays off? It’s such a tricky area to measure that, too often, rolling out the development programme and just hoping it delivers can seem an attractive option. But that isn’t satisfactory for anyone involved – the learners who put time and energy into learning; the provider who puts time ...

By Heather Campbell >> Developing leaders’ communication skills to a high standard is undoubtedly one of the most important investments any business can make. It ranks right up there with investing in up-to-date technology, attracting the best talent and building great customer relations. What is the basis for this bold claim? Well, pick up any book on leadership and you will find constant reference to the impact of the way leaders communicate. Strategy? Pointless unless people understand it and want to make ...