The blame game is a situation in which one party blames others for something bad, a mistake or something unfortunate rather than attempting to seek a solution. Blame is one-sided and is not about trying to understand what happened. Unfortunately, the blame game is far too prevalent in organisations and teams today. Nobody wants to be caught out, or be …
An essential communication skill in today’s workplace with increased pressures and ever-changing demands is the ability to be assertive. Being assertive enables you to explain yourself clearly, defend your views, stand up for others and speak your truth. Additionally, being assertive while being honest allows you to honor the rights and beliefs of others. It is important to understand that …
Feedback is vital to the health and culture of any organisation. When we are open to feedback, we become aware of our performance, and we learn and understand our behaviour and actions. This knowledge and awareness can help us understand and appreciate how our behaviour and performance may impact others. It is often the most powerful route to positive change …
Difficult conversations are a normal part of our working life, especially in management or leadership positions. We need to give feedback, say no, have performance discussions and be assertive at times. And when faced with these difficult conversations, we sometimes go softly, use gentle persuasion or even avoid the conversation altogether. However, sometimes, that is not sufficient. Sometimes we need …
Michel Grinder said, “Recovery is more important than perfection” and one of my own key learnings is “to remain calm when under fire”. Many people find it hard to stay calm and resilient when put under stress, especially when there is constant pressure, expectations, timelines and competing demands at work. But remaining calm and being resilient is a skill that …
“The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.” ~ Tony Blair: We all know and understand that saying “no” can be difficult. Many of us avoid saying no, and consequently say yes at a time when we should say no. So why do we find it hard to say no? We …
