What is more challenging for you as a manager, talking to a large audience or speaking to an individual in your team about their poor performance? Many people say it’s the public speaking gig. But a lot of managers avoid that 1:1 conversation. Do you avoid the 1:1 challenge?… Read more
Do You Hate Presenting? Part 1
Do you hate presenting? You’re not alone if you do. One reason is that you feel you are being judged. And according to a recent YouGov survey, that’s true. The survey lists the mistakes that presenters make in the UK – as judged by their colleagues. Worst mistakes made by… Read more
New year plans: to be successful start with successes
Eureka! Eight years ago I coined the term The S-Factor. I even wrote a book with that as the title*. And now it’s more relevant and front-of-mind than ever. What is The S-Factor The S stands for successes and strengths and the S-Factor credo is that we need to spend time focusing on our strengths… Read more
Networking – is it a skill you can learn?
Some people hate networking. They are often the more reserved type of people. But I’m an extrovert type and I used to hate it too! I am a happy and successful networker these days but I went through a phase of being pretty awkward at it. I’ve come to believe that the awkwardness came as… Read more
Benefits of a Coaching Qualification
But why gain a coaching qualification? Coaching from a qualified practitioner is very different to training. It’s easy to train another person on a 1:1 basis. You focus on that one person, helping them improve in a specific skill or skills. This is not to say it should replace training. That would not be… Read more
Scared of Public Speaking? Get up and do it!
Are you afraid of Public Speaking? If so, you probably avoid it. Or you do it but play safe, with downcast eyes, reading your notes, scuttling off as soon as possible. Do you play safe? Playing safe to avoid looking foolish probably makes sure that people don’t know what you care about. They don’t… Read more
Relationship building is vital to virtual teams
I’ve written several blogs over the years about the importance of deep listening. Here, guest blogger Clare MacNamara zones in on virtual teams and the importance of creating strong relationships with teammates, especially those you hardly ever meet. She gives useful tips, not only about listening. Read it here globalteamcoaches.com/how-to-build-relationships-in-global-virtual-teams/ In a virtual meeting, how… Read more
Boost your Leadership Communication 2: Listening
Hush … what can babies usefully teach us about communication? If you think of babies, they listen before they speak. It’s by listening that they learn to speak. In fact, they’ve internalised all the grammar rules by the age if two – just by listening. So a baby is a better symbol of the importance… Read more
Are you frustrated with under-performers?
It can be frustrating running a team. Of course you want to get the best out of your people, whether you are a manager, a teacher or a trainer – but it is often a struggle. You want to keep a good atmosphere but high standards of accuracy and professionalism are important. In fact, ideally we want… Read more
Benefits of Gaining a Coaching Qualification
What is coaching anyway? Coaching is used to describe a wide range of instructional activities. It spans the motivational sports coaches who train top athletes, and voice coaches who work with world-class singers, to 1;1 training at work or individual lessons for a student at school. At Oxford Professional Consulting, we focus on the workplace because… Read more
