Blog Archives

Effective Leadership Reduces Sick Leave

May 17th, 2011

Effective Leadership reduces sick leave. At least that’s what I’ve long believed based on client results

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Effective Leadership Has Impact

January 19th, 2011

All first and mid-level managers have the potential to transform the performance of their teams and the work life of their team members. They have the potential to make a real difference for their organisation and a real difference to the lives of their people.

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What Not to Praise

October 13th, 2010

There are two potential pitfalls with employee recognition that are worth bearing in mind. A recent business tip on employee recognition from the guys at Results.com has prompted me to comment on them and expand on my post “The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”. Stephen Lynch, the Chief Operating Officer for Results.com makes a

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What Numbers Drive Your Business?

August 24th, 2010

No doubt you pay attention to a range of numbers in your organisation. With frequent and detailed reporting, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that in the end one key number is important.

That number might be profit per transaction, or profit per employee. However, as an end product it’s of more use to the head of your business unit than it is to frontline leaders.

From a frontline leadership perspective, you’ll find that a focus on one seemingly less important result can have the flow-on effect of dramatically improving the important numbers

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Discover the Power of Great Expectations

June 29th, 2010

Your expectations of people and their expectations of themselves are key factors in how well people perform at work. Known as the Pygmalion Effect, the power of expectations cannot be overestimated

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How Stone Age Instincts Affect Leadership

June 22nd, 2010

When it comes to maximising employee motivation and performance, first and mid-level managers matter much more than senior leaders. And the reason is as old as the history of human kind

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The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

June 16th, 2010

If you’re interested in dramatically improving employee motivation and performance, then you’ll be interested in Daniel Pink’s latest book, “Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.”

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Can You Escape the Cult of Work?

June 8th, 2010

In the modern western world the cult of work has become highly valued. Its most recent incarnation is the ‘always on’ culture. Being available via mobile and email, if not 24/7, then at least more hours each day than was acceptable a decade ago.

Of course it feels good to be busy, to submit to the siren call of activity. Yet there is no special virtue in hard work

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How to Motivate People

June 1st, 2010

The great military and political leader of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, was quoted as saying, “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon.”

In more recent times, the Corporate Leadership Council identified that fair and accurate informal positive feedback from a knowledgeable source (such as a person’s immediate manager) is the single most effective performance management lever available

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How’s Your Vision?

April 12th, 2010

Every organisation has a purpose. A story about who they are and what they seek to achieve. How this story is framed and communicated is a critical part of creating an engaged, motivated and productive workplace

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