Archive for 'Managing People' Category

[How] are questions better than affirmations?

Posted by Sharon 8 March 2012

Thanks to John Campbell at Growth Coaching International for the link to recent research into the benefits of asking questions before doing a task, versus making affirmations.  The research shows that asking “Will I…?” helps generate more internal motivation and success on tasks than stating “I will…” I am also an advocate of asking “how [...]

Retrench the role, respect the person

Posted by Sharon 9 May 2011

I’m working with a management group at present where there have been a number of retrenchments and we all agree there is no easy way to do it.  The key is to show respect for the person and their feelings and allow them to be shocked and hurt.  I’m not sure the value of explaining [...]

Are your people smart or do they work hard?

Posted by Sharon 17 September 2009

Lots of useful ideas in Roger Dooley’s Neuromarketing blog on how to use the workings of our brain to enhance our marketing persuasiveness.  Most of the ideas are also translatable into the management context.  E.g. a reference to the research of one of my favourite educators – Carol Dweck – on praise, can be translated [...]

Work life flexibility – a useful business strategy

Posted by Sharon 13 June 2009

A Fast Company leadership article about CFO views of work life flexibility strategies is yet another example of the knowing – doing gap. Yost’s study of CFO perspectives confirms that American CFOs recognise the business potential of work life balance, yet few of the American companies surveyed have formal policies, or their use is constrained [...]

Wellbeing and Resilence are replacing Engagement

Posted by Sharon 3 December 2008

According to a recent HR breakfast presentation by  Roger Collins, Professor Emeritus, UNSW, managers and HR representatives can best help their employees by focusing on Wellbeing programs rather than Engagement programs.  Professor Collins argument is based on the evidence-based view that engagement provides a one-way benefit to the organisation, whereas wellbeing and resilence provide two-way [...]

Co-operative not Superior Specialists

Posted by Sharon 9 April 2008

I’m working with a client whose strategy was to hire the best specialists and throw them together to solve the problems faced by their clients. You can imagine the result – not quite what the founders imagined. It’s similar to the outcomes described by Dr Meredith Belbin, the creator of the Belbin Team Roles inventory, [...]

Hunters and Carers

Posted by Sharon 8 March 2008

I’m grappling with the consequences of implementing the strengths based philosophy and a recent conversation with a good client is indicative of the dilemma. This organisation wants their Relationship Managers to be as good at bringing in new clients as they are at looking after them, but few in the team seem to have both [...]