According to the results of a study by workplace psychologists OPP, 71% of all line managers would change the people decisions they’ve made if given a second chance. It’s an indictment on the “gut instinct” culture that costs UK businesses millions of pounds in performance issues each year. Worryingly, nearly four in ten (39%) line … Continued
I’ve been writing some emails on behalf of a client and thought I should start sharing these gems via the blog. So here goes my first one… Have you ever thought about the best way to get what you want? How is it that others around you seem to get what they want and you … Continued
Srikumar Rao says we spend most of our lives learning to be unhappy, even as we strive for happiness. At Columbia University, he teaches us how to break free of the “I’d be happy if …” mental model, and embrace our hard-wired happiness. Watch it here at TED.com and let me know what you think. … Continued
Government statistics are wonderfully curious are they not? Whilst the government quotes statistics of 7.8 % unemployment, the real figure is 21.2%. This is the proportion of the labour force neither in work nor looking for a job – this is people who could work but are not. The absolute number of people who fall … Continued
Whilst my ex Hay colleagues focusing on Executive pay wouldn’t appreciatew this view from Henry Mintzberg, I loved it. Henry Mintzberg wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal about the negative impact of bonuses in organisational performance. In typical fashion, Mintzberg does not mince his words; “Executive bonuses—especially in the form of stock and … Continued
Monday 18th January is officially the most depressing day of the year, according to psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall at Cardiff University. He uses mathematical equations to reach his verdict that the Monday of the third week in January means you are more likely to feel blue than any other day of the year. This is … Continued
Last night listened to a great teleseminar about how recognition drives engagement and how important non reward incentives are to drive up performance. Basically, because today we often communicate remotely, because we employ more Gen Y who expect feedback and recognition and because we are in difficult times, it is now even more critical to … Continued
Thanks to Helen Highley for this little gem: perfect for the New Year: A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on … Continued
Feeling it was time for a shakeup, an organisation hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers. On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning against a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he … Continued
A young engineer was leaving the office at 3.45 p.m. when he found the Acting CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand. “Listen,” said the Acting CEO, “this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary is not here. Can you make this thing work?” … Continued
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