Helpful hint: how to multiply commitment 5 x

Recently Scott Keller wrote a post at the HBR blog site on the importance of ownership. He described a study reported in a book by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman in which half the participants were randomly assigned a lottery number. The remaining half were given a blank piece of paper and a pen and … Continued

Helpful hint: how to build an innovation culture

To what extent are you responsible for innovation in your company? The reality is that unless you’re in research or product development, most people in organisations don’t think of themselves as innovators. In fact, many managers discourage their people from inventing new ways of doing things — pushing them instead to follow procedures and stay … Continued

Is this the most influential leadership article of all time?

Whilst it’s been around a while, this article remains one of the most influential articles on leadership of all time. Not only does it show the importance of emotional intelligence on leadership behaviour, it shows how a leader’s different approach or ‘style’ directly impacts their team’s climate and performance. Proprietary diagnostics to measure style and … Continued

The importance of minding your ‘p’s, ‘q’s and commas

This appeared in HRZone and it’s a useful reminder about the devil being in the detail….. Posted by Peter Cook on Wed, 13/06/2012 – 10:01 HR often finds itself at the edge of the business and the outside world. As such it is responsible for the external image that the business portrays. I want to … Continued

Helpful hint: how to empower knowledge workers

Increasing productivity with little or no financial outlay has been a consistent theme of late. A recent Harvard Business Review looked at why some knowledge workers are more productive than others. They discovered the primary difference in how these workers do work is that they have the power to shape their work environment — which … Continued

Recognition on the up…good news at last

Recognition is up but interesting variations in the different regions around the world…. But as I always say, recognising the extra effort employees have given in a tough business climate by providing feedback and positive reinforcement will pay dividends — and it often comes at no cost to the organisation. Read the full article here….

What skills are businesses looking for in their prospective employees?

CBI and Pearson recently promoted some research into what businesses are looking for in school leavers and what needs to change in our current education system. Interesting to note that only 20% of all jobs require a graduate qualification. Launching the research Rod Bristow, UK President of Pearson, said: “The connection between education and the … Continued