​A common challenge for many supervisors and managers when it comes to managing people is providing effective feedback. This is particularly the case where they need to give feedback to a team member who is presently not meeting expectations and/or where they have done something wrong. Some supervisors and managers become paralysed by fear tha...

​I was intrigued by a recent story out of the USA that the nation's second-largest drugstore had announced that it will later this year stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in its 7,600 stores. The move is likely to cost the company US$2 billion annually. In announcing the decision, CVS/Caremark's CEO said "Ending the sale of cigarett...

​One of the "Do not pass go, do not collect $200" items in our 8 Elements to Success Through People© Model is Clear Vision and Strategy. A key part of this involves articulating, communicating and reinforcing the values of your business. In the context of a business or organisation, values can be seen as statements of "the things that mat...

​Much of the support we provide to clients relates to nurturing effective leadership as a means to driving business success. Indeed, Effective Leadership is one of the two "Do not pass go, do not collect $200" elements in our 8 Elements to Achieving Success Through People© model. Of course, we know that we are not alone in our efforts to suppo...

I like to think that I'm an effective collaborator. I work closely with my team on key issues, seeking their input and insight, and I encourage other business owners and managers I coach to do the same. But an article in a recent edition of Harvard Business Review (Collaborative Overload by R Cross, R Rebele & A Grant, HBR Jan-Feb 2016) has pro...

​I was asked by a small business owner the other day "How often should I be talking with my staff about their performance?". It got me thinking about performance management in small to medium-sized businesses and how it's an important but frequently neglected area. Indeed, an effective performance management process is critical to several elem...

​Workplace Culture – it's a term frequently used by management "gurus" and just as frequently ignored by many who see culture change programs as nothing more than the warm and fuzzy stuff - yoga classes, paying for Christmas drinks, providing fruit in the staff room and the odd "mufti day". Sure, these things have their place, but their place ...

"Performance Reviews: Get Rid of Them" – www.theage.com.au 15/02/15 "Businesses Should Boycott Performance Reviews" – www.afr.com 05/03/14 "Performance Reviews: Is it Time to Kill Them?" – www.executivestyle.com.au 30/06/14 The headlines say it all really – the performance review has been under sustained attack for the last 5 years o...

As usual, the 2015  Conference on Culture and Leadership presented by Human Synergistics Australia delivered the goodies, with some great speakers sharing their personal leadership and workplace culture experiences with an enthusiastic Sydney audience. One of the many things on the day that resonated strongly with me arose out of a p...