The beach towels are folded and stored, the suitcases are back in the loft and we’re panicking about work we didn’t finish before escaping to the sun – it must be autumn.
Sharpstone SkinnerSeptember 20, 2019
Imagine you are in your regular team meeting; everything is going to plan then the usual thing happens. John starts moaning. Off he goes on some rant about how a decision made by ‘them up there’ is ridiculous, impractical and shows how rubbish ‘they’ are. Everyone starts looking anywhere but at him, and your meeting gets derailed yet again. You…
Sharpstone SkinnerJuly 30, 2019
Many years ago, I applied for the HR Director job at the charity I worked for. In the lead up to it I would pass other Directors in the corridor and panic – they were proper grown-ups and I was a mere child who couldn’t possibly sit at the same table as them because I had no idea what I…
Sharpstone SkinnerJune 20, 2019
I’m going to a networking event – who’s coming with me? Don’t all shout at once. Mention networking and we all agree it’s a vital part of our role.
Sharpstone SkinnerMay 28, 2019
Complaints are a reality of working life. Whether they come from a customer, a colleague, a supporter or any other key contact, we are never going to get it right every time.
Sharpstone SkinnerApril 24, 2019
Many managers work hard on their coaching skills. They identify when a member of their team is in the right place to be coached.
Sharpstone SkinnerMarch 18, 2019
(or how to think big even if your team, department or organisation is small) If you are a leader in a smallish organisation you know you need to be a master of many trades. You are expected to handle high level strategic and low level operational tasks with equal flair. You may burn the midnight oil preparing a pitch that…
Sharpstone SkinnerFebruary 25, 2019
here are many myths around motivation and many misuses of the term, which can be very confusing when we feel we’re a bit lacking in that area and would like to give ourselves a boost.
Sharpstone SkinnerJanuary 17, 2019
We all know that group work starts with an ice breaker, expectations and ground rules. It is an important section to warm everyone up and get us all agreeing to how we will work together. On the ground rules someone will often mention putting phones and laptops away. For us this is common courtesy yet for some teams we work…
Sharpstone SkinnerMarch 19, 2018
Part of being a great team is the ability to have a good old argument. Except that arguing is not everyone’s cup of tea, even the word sends shivers down some people’s spines whilst others rub their hands together with glee. Yet teams that don’t have a constructive level of conflict are boring to be in, keep doing the same…
Sharpstone SkinnerJanuary 8, 2018