I recently attended a webinar ‘Addressing the Great Resignation’ which focused on the global trend that suggests that 40% of people are considering quitting their jobs. Whether or not that is entirely accurate, the reality is that talent has become harder to retain and the cost attached to replacing ‘good leavers’ is significant. An early suggestion from one of the participants was that the webinar should instead have been called ‘The Great Retention Challenge’.
Read moreThe Art and Science of Energy Management
In recent times we have run workshops with executive leadership teams on energy management. Not the "should we choose LED lightbulbs for our newly renovated employee canteen" energy management"; Instead, how to manage human energy to perform at our best. During one pre-workshop briefing, the Managing Director described a level of fatigue that she had not felt before. "I started the year with depleted energy, and nothing I do seems to fix it," she said. Her team felt the same, and she was concerned that this low energy at the senior leadership level could become contagious and spread within the organisation.
Read moreManaging Life and Career Transitions in a Constantly changing ‘Hybrid’ World
The covid pandemic is certainly proving a massive and on-going disrupting influence for all of us, accelerating existing and driving new changes around. Humphrey Armstrong takes a look at some of these changes, what are the impacts and offers ideas for managing more effectively and taking advantage of this hyper-hybrid world.
Read moreFed up? Take a walk on the mild side
Another year, another lockdown. Sydney’s first shutdown in 2020 acme as a shock to most of us. For Vicki Tennant, and many other vulnerable people, there was also the very real fear of how COVID-19 would spread. Our lives were paused. Discover what Vicki foud in the solitude.
Read moreTeams with purpose – a recipe for success
David Rock contends that lack of certainty is one of the five domains of social experience that our brains treat the same as survival issues – leading to fight, flight or freeze responses. The way that organisations engage and motivate their stakeholders is by giving certainty through a compelling purpose and a clearly articulated vision. Executive Coach, Richard Spilg shares his experience of organisations running the risk of confusing their message (both internally and externally) if they have too many iterations of essentially the same thing – in his article, his preference points to focusing on Purpose, Vision and Strategy, and to state them in a jargon-free way.
Read moreInspiring the Exceptional in your Team
According to Executive Coach, Ed Skinner, motivation for work and motivation for individuals to perform at exceptional levels varies according to a multitude of factors, personal to each individual. A leadership habit that includes periodic engagement with team members to reflect on the success of the team and the contributions of each team member, provides the opportunity for leaders to recognise and value the contributions of each individual. In his coaching engagements, Ed likes to share the following list of Inspiring Traits of Exceptional Leaders by Glenn Leibowitz* which can serve as a personal audit and reminder for leaders.
Read moreLeaders Striving for Productivity + Engagement @ Speed
The expectation on Leaders is to drive productivity at the same time as increasing engagement with increasing pressure on the speed of delivering. Productivity and engagement are not independent outcomes they are interdependent. People work at their best, on the right things, at the right speed (Productivity) when they have clarity, confidence, trust (empowerment) and feel valued (engagement). They can then give their full capability to delivering results. In her article, Executive Coach, Sue Wilde explores what impacts employees’ productivity + engagement? It is both the Leader and the Organisation……
Read moreHow to Lift Conversations from Defending the Past to Exploring Possible Futures
To what extent has wearing masks, social distancing and back-to-back video conferencing begun to limit our opportunity to lead symbolically, express our feelings and consequently our ability to have open and insightful conversations? Executive Coach, Humphrey Armstrong draws on Otto Scharmer’s U Theory and a recent interview with Shane Fitzsimmons, (former Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service) to unpack how to lift conversations from defending the past to exploring possible futures.
Read moreConverting “could have”; “might have”; and “should have” into Reality.
It is possible that a break will prompt a re-evaluation of your work and life ambitions – especially after the stresses of the past year. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that it’s not great to be at the mercy of events outside of our control. Deciding on our own path and what constitutes an ideal future for ourselves (and by extension our loved ones) is in our own gift. In his article, Executive Coach, Richard Spilg shares his strategy on how to tackle the task of figuring out what you really would like your future life to look like.
Read moreCommon Mistakes that Leaders make.
How many mistakes have you made as a leader? According to Executive Coach, Dave McDermott, the honest answer will always be “many”. Making mistakes is an essential part of the learning and development process, provided we learn from our mistakes. In his article, Dave provides insight into a few of the common mistakes that organisational leaders make, and how these mistakes can be avoided. He draws on the latest research in organisational leadership, as well as the experience of the many business owners and executives we have worked with over the years.
Read moreIt's Not about the Money!
As we approach the end of a very disruptive and surreal year, what an excellent time to lock yourself away and write a note of appreciation to each of your team members. In this very personal article, Executive Coach Peter Cheel, says one should never underestimate the impact of a handwritten note. He shares his own experience of how an investment of your time in such a simple, yet meaningful act will be returned in spades…. and all it takes is your time and thought!
Read moreHow do you manage other people's emotions?
Many of us are dealing with challenges that if we let them, can make us ‘cranky’. And what we focus on we tend to get. The ‘crankier’ we feel, the more likely we are to notice the negative things happening around us, which in turn makes us even more irritable. So what can we do to help manage the impact that our own, and other people’s emotions can have on us? Wellness Consultant, and Executive Coach - Dr Leanne Wall, shares five specific skills that have helped her to effectively and respectfully handle other people's difficult emotions. The good news is that with practice, you will create new neural pathways in your brain that will enable you to tap into these skills whenever you need to.
Read moreVirtual Team Leadership
Unwittingly what we are seeing develop is an industry around measuring productivity, a new attempt to control employees and substitute for the attendance quotient. In her informative article, Executive Coach, Tracey Gavegan suggests that rather than concentrate on these lag indicators why not focus energy and attention on optimising how people can operate more effectively as a team in this virtual world? This article outlines why focusing on the team unit and the leader’s ability to optimise virtual teaming can unlock amazing potential for competitive advantage.
Read moreHabits and Energy
What an interesting time to live, and what an interesting time to find out a little bit more about ourselves. With more opportunity, for many of us, to have a bit more autonomy in relation to how we will choose to live each day, we are finding some curious things out about ourselves, and the choices we make. In her article, Executive Coach, Jenny McKay shares her self-insights as a result of Covid-19, and how she plans to make some better choices. “Self care is the foundation to our health. Otherwise, we are building our house on a sand bar”. (John B. Arden)
Read moreWhy do Men feel so alone?
Research shows that loneliness is as detrimental to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and there is a correlation between loneliness and coronary heart disease, strokes and depression. Relationships Australia (2018), showed that men tend to report higher levels of loneliness than women and the stats are on the incline. Based on some of her own research, Dr Leanne Wall (Wellness Consultant and Executive Coach) shares her suggestions of what men can do to help avoid loneliness in the first place.
Read moreTime to Shift Habits
Zoom meetings, email and chat forums have been a fabulous way to stay connected and informed. However, Executive Coach, Sue Wilde consistently receives feedback that leaders are overwhelmed. We are asking them to cope, be flexible, pivot and be agile and as a result they are being driven to the day to day demands of their email and meetings at the expense of themselves. In her article, Sue shares some tactics for executives to experiment with, to see what works for them and navigate this complex, chaotic world on a weekly basis.
Read moreCan you "REALLY" pick the Difference between a Bicycle and a Frog?
Leadership Author, Alistair Mant, argues that “truly intelligent leaders” know very clearly the difference between bicycles and frogs, especially when leading organisational change. In the following article, Organisational Psychologist and Peoplemax Executive Coach, Humphrey Armstrong explores Mant’s metaphor in further detail, and helps to explain why the distinction between frogs and bicycles is important in leading and managing in a pandemic.
Read moreLeading Through a Sea of Emotions
As a leader have you been aware of the changing nature of your emotions over the past few months? How have your emotions impacted you, your family, friends and your team at work? And are you aware of the differing emotional states of your team members? In this article, Executive Coach, Peter Cheel shares a few powerful models to help us make sense of the changes.
Read moreThe Critical Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Generating Energy
It seems timely to consider how our emotional intelligence (EI) plays a part in how we are holding up, both in normal times, and the current state of play. Executive Coach, Jenny McKay explores how the various components of EI can support us, or sabotage us, and our levels of energy.
Read moreFit for Purpose Leadership
Kylie Denton, Leadership Coach and author, shares with us a Chapter from her recently published book - Fit for Purpose Leadership 6. Writing about how to stay resilient right now, Kylie provides insights on how best to manage and lead in the current climate. Enjoy.
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