Posted on: 11th August 2008
Watching the Olympics and hearing so much about performance and coaching it got me wondering about what’s the difference in performance management at work?
I was putting together an invite to an event we are running at the end of the month, promoting our Challenging Conversations training nugget and was wondering how to show how relevant it is given current market conditions. It got me thinking of the 70 odd times we have run the session and how we start it with a couple of cheeky questions:
“So what’s the overall intention in having a conversation about someone’s performance?”
The unamimous answer from approximately 1000 line managers:
“To improve that individual’s performance for the benefit of the business”
Great answer which I’m sure you might agree with. Then we ask the really cheeky question: (more…)
Posted on: 21st July 2008
Last Friday I sat enjoying my breakfast at a networking event in the company of a charming lady who runs a chain of newspapers. I listened with interest as she told me that all of her managers were aged between 27 and 35, and had never worked under tough market conditions. They have almost no awareness of the last recession that many of us remember so clearly, and have never needed to develop the time-critical style of management required to ‘catch the worm’ in times of drought.
As a result of this conversation, I have begun to put together a programme for leading and managing in difficult markets. If this is an interesting topic to you right now, please drop me a line, I would love to discuss it further…
Posted on: 1st April 2008
Daryll has just returned from another week with his mentor Dr. John Grinder and is ‘bouncing off the walls’ with enthusiasm for the new coaching patterns he has been playing with.
He will be running a one-off day of New Code NLP on the 13th May at our premises in Reading.
If you have never experienced NLP before, this is a really practical introduction in ‘plain english’. Daryll will be using high performance coaching activities including the high performance game used to train pilots at NASA.
For experienced Practitioners, Daryll will be demonstrating how you can make your NLP even cleaner (with less content), more generative (working with ’state’) and more empowering for your clients (focussing on solo application).
The cost for the day is £75 (excluding VAT) and it’s open to everyone so feel free to bring a friend or colleague. The dress code is informal; ensure that you clothing allows freedom of movement.
Numbers are limited and it’s ‘first come first served’. To reserve a place today: Call Swen on 0118 900 1527 or complete the form on our contact page.
Best regards
The team at noggin.
Our premises is Davidson House, Forbury Square, Reading, Berks, RG1 3EU (25 minutes from Paddington by train).
The dress code is informal, ensure that you clothing allows freedom of movement
Posted on: 31st March 2008
I was recently asked to write a piece for an accountancy magazine on ’stress management’. The term ’stress management’ is upsetting to me in the first place - suggesting that the objective is to manage the stress you have rather than find ways you eliminate it - as if you have no choice but to be stressed.
I was asked to respond to the following five questions:
What are the most common causes/symptoms of stress in offices?
What are the Special challenges that stress poses for young, ambitious high-fliers?
What are the best ways to prevent and/or combat stress (and why) - and the worst?
Our readers are accountants - who may be regarded as more immune from stress than those in other occupations - is that nonsense and why/why not?
How should employers help their workforce de-stress? What benefits do enlightened employers provide that contribute to successful stress management?
If you want to read my rant… (more…)
Posted on: 25th March 2008
About ten years ago I worked in a bar/restaurant during my weekends and holidays. I guess you can describe it as a bit posh with its marble floor, black leather seats and impressive half-round, wooden bar. The main reason for me to be there (besides the pocket money) was to learn, it was during my time at Hotelschool.
This was a busy business and some days of the week there were a lot more people having their drinks at the bar than at others. After a while it occurred to me that this was always with the same guy behind the bar so of course I wanted to find out what it is that he does! “What is going on here?” One evening we were having some drinks after we finished and I asked him for his trick. He started laughing and gave me a one-liner that has stuck with me to this day. (more…)
Posted on: 26th February 2008
We are supposedly not meant to have emotions or feelings at work, but I’ve never been one for being able to leave my personality at the office door.
Add to that the need for people to communicate about work - projects, planing and workflow, etc. I have been in situations where I can quite clearly see that although communication is happening - it’s obviously not. Whether in one-on-one situations, in teams, or during meetings, what’s being said is simply that - words (empty at that). People are talking and people are listening but the communication is missing.
True communication, especially in the work environment, is about engaging one another; usually with some sort of outcome in mind.
(more…)
Posted on: 14th February 2008
I wonder if you could imagine the benefits of increasing your reply rate on a marketing campaign by [say] 10%? Or, how much more impressed your Sales Director would be if you could generate ‘X’ extra leads from your website?
Milton Model linguistics are employed extensively in marketing and advertising; to disarm the rational mind and allow customers to begin to imagine why they ‘need’ a product. (more…)
Posted on: 24th January 2008
I just had a PR enquiry asking me to comment on more recent, technical and sophisticated learning analytics that are now available. In declining the opportunity to provide comment I had a quick rant. I guess that’s what a blog is for so I have decided to publish my knee-jerk first response:
Whilst I recognize that it’s important to evaluate process-based training against certain performance criterion, the false sense of security supplied by stats can seriously corrupt the learning manager into investing in what he/she can demonstrate and measure as a quantifiable result, rather than what’s really needed. (more…)
