Because so much has changed in the way we live and work it’s easy to lose sight of what hasn’t, and that’s what really matters. Remote working, social distancing and Zoom fatigue have all become part of our professional lexicon over the past year or so, and with these new terms comes a nagging sense […]
Category Archives: Personal performance
22
Oct
Oct
From our experience working with Williams – yes, it can. The recent change from family to corporate ownership at the Williams F1 team, reminded me of a project I was involved in at the start of my consulting career. During my time with @Spence Associates, we worked extensively with Williams F1. As a high-performance business, […]
Personal performance
High reward means high risk, but if we are hard-wired to avoid danger, how do we overcome our natural psychology in order to succeed in high-pressure situations?
09
Sep
Sep
According to Sean-Kelley Quinn, M.A., CC- AASP, Director of Mental Conditioning at Moawad Consulting Group, years of evolution have hard-wired the human psyche to avoid danger and so limit risk. This has helped ensure the survival of the species for thousands of years, but it can also impede our performance in high-stress situations, where the […]
Management, Personal performance
Lessons from the kitchen. What leaders can learn from the pot washer – if they have the courage to ask.
27
Aug
Aug
In a society that increasingly celebrates superficiality, it’s vital that the value of actions over words, and substance over self-promotion is recognised and rewarded. Managers, leaders and business owners take heed. My wife’s family owns and runs a local bistro/cafe and, like many eateries recently, they have been overrun thanks to the Chancellor’s generosity and […]
27
Mar
Mar
Never before has the subject of remote working been thrown into such sharp focus as it has been during the current Covid-19 pandemic. Plenty of commentary exists as to what those forced to stay at home should do to create a productive environment and effective routine, but what about those charged with managing a remote […]
27
Nov
Nov
When it comes to getting what they want from Santa, children are the ultimate sales professionals. Grown-ups should pay attention if they want their wishes to come true next year. Think big, don’t over-think. Ask anyone under the age of 10 what they want for Christmas and, without hesitation, they’ll tell you. They don’t know […]
Why a little well-intentioned ignorance can go a long, long way. According to the eighteenth-century English poet, Thomas Gray, what you don’t know cannot hurt you. We would go one step further and suggest that, in the context of external business relationships, what you don’t know can be positively good for you. We believe that […]
06
Nov
Nov
Ask for the sale, ask for an appointment or ask for the money. Just don’t, ask me how I am. Developing sales over the telephone is a tough and, often thankless task but, to succeed professional sales people must, above all else, get to the point – quickly. A faux enquiry as to my well […]
30
Oct
Oct
Why persuasion beats dictation for changing behaviours. I had the privilege of attending an AA driving skills speed awareness course – courtesy of Derbyshire Constabulary. The invitation certainly seemed a better option than a fine, and I did genuinely hope to learn something. A reminder of the things we know we should do, but don’t, […]
Personal performance
WHAT DO WE REALLY DO HERE? Why brands should take great care when labelling their places of business.
22
Oct
Oct
Business took me to London recently and a trip to Sainsbury’s HQ in Holborn. Despite a sizeable kerfuffle in their reception caused by a gaggle of media reporting on a Sainsbury’s sponsored health initiative, it was their signage that caught my eye. Anyone with experience of large retail businesses will appreciate the tensions that can […]