Blog

FEBRUARY 2010

Remember that the simple things can make a big difference
According to Psychologist William James, 'The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.' It is important as a leader to be sensitive to this reality if we want to promote loyalty to our organisation and avoid employee attrition.

JANUARY 2010
Our emotional state is inextricably linked to our physiology
Movement creates emotion. Stress is achieved through the use of physiology in a specific way. The body and mind will use a particular strategy to create any given emotional state. Therefore to better govern our emotions, we need to take charge of the way we move our body.

DECEMBER 2009
Offer encouragement when needed and praise when deserved.
When learning and growing in the workplace, often we can still doubt our own capabilities, even if we have demonstrated excellence. By consistently encouraging our colleagues we condition ourselves to recognise this need in other people.

NOVEMBER 2009
Manage your belief systems
A belief is reinforced through personal experience. These experiences become memories that uphold the belief; be it one that becomes empowering or disempowering. To further reinforce or disable a belief, begin to question its validity. This will either strengthen or shake its foundations.

OCTOBER 2009
Change the quality of your questions:
Our thinking is governed by the questions we ask. Questions form the process of evaluation and therefore the strategy for understanding. In order to better our understanding of new information and quicken our pace in responding to information, begin to habitually ask a more pertinent question. This is one that directs the person towards a desired outcome. For instance, questions such as, ‘what can we learn from this problem?’ will elicit a more constructive response than, ‘why does this always happen to us?’

SEPTEMBER 2009

Delegate the outcome not the methodology.
Have you got a team that you need to delegate tasks to? If so, be clear when explaining the standards and expectations of what you want. Then explain how you would execute the task but let them know they may be creative with the methodology providing it meets the deadline. This approach respects their autonomy and inspires the team member to have ownership for the task you have delegated. In doing so, if the task has not been delegated before, be sure to review his/her progress on a frequent basis, sometimes every few hours if necessary, offering constructive feedback in the process.