Manipulators in everyday life are not necessarily bad people. You might admire or even love a manipulator (they are frequently found in family contexts), but feel tormented by their constant conniving. I’ve dealt with a variety of difficult people over recent weeks, like the needy, controlling and aggressive, or the disrespectful, moody and procrastination-prone, but for many of […]
What a hot topic. Everyone seems to be handling a difficult person — whether it is a staff member, team colleague, customer or their manager. Or they have a difficult person in their personal lives. Certain types of difficult people affect us more than others. For example: Angry, aggressive, abusive, bullying; Moody, tired, depressed, teary; Uncommitted, unmotivated, […]
One of the most common places to meet a new partner or start a love relationship is at work. It’s hard enough finding a special someone, is it really that unreasonable to find that person at your place of work? How many organisations have partners comfortably working under the same roof, and may have even […]
The old saying “never complain, never explain” could be changed to “never blame, never complain”, but would people ever do this? Of course not. Blaming and complaining causes stress We all do our best, but standards and expectations vary. It often boils down to the fact that while people might share a common language, there are codes, […]
Too many managers forget the importance of encouraging their teams, and motivating them to higher performance. With this year’s Commonwealth Games now concluded, it’s interesting to reflect on how much the cheering of crowds spurs athletes to greater heights of achievement. Lots of them talk about it, and you don’t have to be a champ to imagine […]
You can walk into any workplace and know pretty quickly how good its team morale is — especially after a few days off for some public holidays. How often does a charismatic leader stride into a room, spray sparkly ideals and directions and have everyone dazed in some kind of afterglow? Rarely! Often those in […]
There are always times we feel energized and motivated. But what are your triggers? Is the glow from your summer break fading? Are you on your morning commute, in traffic or on transport, smartphone and cooling coffee in hand, pressed up against your fellow travelers? A new day in a new year and it is […]
Are you a leader who disappoints your team? I always like to hear what people say about poor leaders they have experienced because we can learn so much from them. At some recent leadership workshops I facilitated, we discussed leaders who have inspired us and what was disappointing and needed improvement. I found some common […]
Teams don’t just magically feel inspired, or suddenly develop a poor culture where people are not motivated. I am always amazed at managers who blame their teams for their poor mood, poor output and lack of initiative. It starts at the top. Strategies to inspire your people 1. Do a big SWOT of new technology Make this an […]
