Opening lines
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
There is no doubt that first impressions count, but how much effort do we really put into the way we start conversations or presentations?
Your "reason for being"
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
As the new year starts with a number of high-profile retail businesses (Jessops, HMV) going into administration, it's never been more urgent to look at your reason for being, from your customers perspective...
Training blogs of 2012 - a review
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Admittedly, these are all selected from our own articles, but these are the most popular ones as demonstrated by you, our readers. We've also included the least read ones, because most of you missed them the first time round!
Management without rules
Friday, 29 June 2012
Rules and regulations, strict processes and procedures can be sticking plasters - covering up a lack of trust, capability and motivation in your organisation. Here's how to stop treating the symptoms.
What happens when people don't fit?
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Sometimes, things just don’t fit. And sometimes, people don’t fit either. The sheer force that needs to be applied to fit a square peg into a round hole can cause irreparable damage.
Embodiment 2.0
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Our second ever guest blog - from the brilliant Mark Walsh at Integration Training: the opportunities presented by the problem of digital disembodiment
Blaming inanimate objects
Thursday, 31 May 2012
"A bad workman always blames his tools". Surely that means we're all guilty of being "bad workmen" from time to time. Blaming inanimate objects is a real block to learning and development...
They're not the same as us
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
From early childhood, we're told that you can't compare apples and oranges. What rot. Learning from other organisations, however "different" is a hugely valuable experience.
Do you lock your senior managers in a "float tank"?
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Sometimes, just sometimes, teams, organisations and individuals go to great lengths to "protect" senior management from reality. But why do we really want to stop them seeing the way it is?
Finding common ground
Friday, 4 May 2012
If we focus on what we do, or how we do it, it can be tough to find common ground. Simon Sinek's "Golden Circle" model, and a glimmer of hope in the GM/anti-GM debate show that a focus on "why" can really help find common ground.
Breaking (non-existent) rules
Monday, 19 March 2012
Rules rules rules. They really stop us doing some great stuff, don't they? Don't they? Or do we assume that they're there and forget to challenge them?
So what are YOU going to do?
Monday, 12 March 2012
It's very easy to say what "we" are going to do. And it's just as easy to listen to that and let people get away with saying it. But what are they, personally going to do, and what are you, personally going to do? Nail ’em, and yourself, to the wall.
Are you bold enough to stand out?
Friday, 2 February 2012
Whether we're talking about an organisation or an individual, it can be frightening (and feel risky) to really stand out and be different. But the alternative is to be labelled "vanilla", or worse.
Training blogs of 2011 - a review
Friday, 20 January 2012
Admittedly, these are all selected from our own articles, but these are the most popular ones as demonstrated by you, our readers. We've also included the least read ones, because most of you missed them the first time round!
Managing customer experiences
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Standardising some things in business is pretty easy - the product, the packaging, the imagery. But how on earth do you create consistency in the single most important area - customer service and the customer experience?
Picking apart your own successes
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Learning from failure, even if some aren't brave enough to call it failure, can be very useful. But it's also vital to pick apart your successes, even if only to check it wasn't a fluke.
A fun day out shouldn't be mistaken for teambuilding
Monday, 12 September 2011
I know that journalists don't always present a perfectly balanced picture of the world. But some teambuilding companies do shoot themselves in the foot sometimes...
Why don't we ask why?
Friday, 26 August 2011
Something stops us. Regularly. We leap in with solutions, we talk over people, we offer our wisdom, we relate what they are saying directly to our experience...essentially, we make it all about us and much less about them. Why?
Why should we ask why?
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
I'm convinced that this is the single, most powerful question that anyone can ask. It can help enormously with building relationships, selling, developing products, designing systems and processes, and much, much more. Yet it is, for some understandable, but unhelpful, reasons, underused.
Well-rounded decision making
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
There are (at least) two sides to every argument, and (at least) two different possible positions to take on any decision. Don't let your ownership of one position take over...
Open, honest, straightforward communication...even on price!
Friday, 8 July 2011
We are enormous advocates of straightforward communication. Use simple words, be direct, and ensure your message gets across with crystal clarity. So why is it so hard to answer the question "how much do you charge?"
Training blogs of 2011 - first six months
Friday, 1 July 2011
Admittedly, these are all selected from our own articles, but these are the most popular ones as demonstrated by you, our readers. We've also included the least read ones, because most of you missed them the first time round!
Stress, teamwork, and the MBTI Inferior Function
Thursday, 30th June 2011
Using the MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) in a truely practical fashion can help enormously with avoiding, and mitigating the effects of workplace stress. But it has to be about the practical application, not the theory.
Set high customer expectations, but don't dash them
Friday, 3rd June 2011
Allowing your potential customers to try something for free can be great marketing. Just don't disappoint them, whatever you do...
Interpersonal skills are vital if you work with machines...
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
We help people work better with people. And one of the most essential areas we do this in is where the focus is usually on people working better with machines. That's just not good enough.
"Be proactive, not reactive", and other clichés
Monday, 21 March 2011
There is only one sort of action that I really want to do when I hear this phrase, and it's not one that generally goes down very well...
Be careful what you ask for
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
...or you might just get it. A surprising number of targets lead to inevitable but unforseen and unintended consequences. And you can park in the middle of Seville...!
"Involve all stakeholders", and other clichés
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
This is the fourth article in this mini-series trying to resurrect some of the worst, most overused management clichés out there, by trying to extract their real meaning - something that is often forgotten now they've become generic terms bandied about willy-nilly.
If the monkey's no good, talk to the organ grinder
Friday, 25 February 2011
Getting frustrated by call centres is pretty common. But how common is it to call the CEO to get things sorted? It works...
Customer service - an update from the front line!
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
A great example of customer service - It's not linked to price, and it's the cheapest marketing you can ever do.
"Win-win situation", and other clichés
Thursday, 17 February 2011
"Win-win". Or, for the even trendier (worse) out there, "win-win-win". It's a real struggle for me to be even remotely positive about this cliché, but I'm going to try...
Customer service by sector - the good, the bad and the ugly
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
A rapidly thrown together article, and I'd love your help. Where do you struggle to choose a supplier because they're all as bad as each other? Or all as good? And how can we improve the dreadful ones?
"Think outside the box", and other clichés
Monday, 14 February 2011
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! "Thinking outside the box" must be one of the most common, and most irritating, management clichés out there. All you need to do is "think outside the box" and all your problems will be solved. Yeah, right.
Take a "Helicopter View", and other clichés
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
One thing that really niggles away at me in the work I do is the ever present danger of descending into clichés, particularly because, in the management and business training field, there are so many of them.
Sitting on the fence
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
It’s time for a fightback for those of us who think that sitting on the fence can be the best possible place to be. There are significant dangers in choosing one side or the other...
Are you really "all ears"?
Monday, 17 January 2011
Listening. It’s one of those things that trainers and coaches bang on about ad nauseum. It’s a key part of most management training courses these days, and rightly so. And yet it’s one of those things that is still overlooked, misunderstood, and that fails to integrate with our self-understanding and awareness.
Don't worry, be happy
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Thinking about things before you do them is, generally, a smart approach to take. But, as with most things, it's useful to strike an appropriate balance, and it is easily possible to think too much.
A new type of resolution
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
So, following on from the last blog about a new style of New Year Resolutions, I’m going to start with a few, right here. As the year progresses, I expect, and am comfortable with, changes to this plan, because it’s the approach that is more important than the detail.
New Year, New Challenges
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
I can't quite believe, sitting back at my desk after a few days away, that I've only just noticed that my last blog was in early September last year! Perhaps it's time for a New Year Resolution or two...
Training blogs of the year
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Admittedly, these are all selected from our own articles, but these are the most popular ones as demonstrated by you, our readers. Thank you, and Happy New Year!
My product's great, but...
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
It’s great. I know it is. My customers know it is. The end users give it the best ratings possible. We’ve cracked it...surely...haven’t we?
Accidents happen
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Accidents happen. Mistakes happen as well. Both happen far more than necessary, and, I would argue, both words are regularly misused.
Piggy in the middle?
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Although, to me, the picture above looks rather comfortable and cosy, being the piggy in the middle is rarely so. Unfortunately, it can also be a pretty common place to find yourself in when setting up a new business.
It's tougher than I thought...
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Ever had that sinking feeling? The one where you are really regretting a decision you’ve taken? When you wish you’d left that idea as an idea, and not actually tried to put it into action? You’re not alone...
You can't always get what you want...
Monday, 16 August 2010
The majority of people seem either to have a absolute love of, or an absolute horror of, negotiation. Here's the story of one entrepreneur's experience...
Must you "go it alone"?
Monday, 24 May 2010
Starting up your own business is often thought of as "going it alone", and it is...but that doesn't mean doing everything yourself. Here, Hazel McLellan of findgoodcustomerservice.com shares her experience in the first of our business start-up guest blogs...
Business planning?
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Are business plans worth the paper they're written on? Are they an essential part of a business start-up, or simply a distraction from the real work that needs to be done?
The true story of a new small business
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
This forthcoming series of articles will take you through the real launch of a new business, which has taken place in a mad, rushed, crazy four week period; a business that started trading on May 1st 2010.
Be creative - improvise!
Friday, 9 April 2010
A single individuals brain operates very differently under different circumstances. fMRI scans of jazz musicians improvising can teach us a lot
Low expectations: have them and they'll come true
Monday, 29 March 2010
Low expectations are cruel. They can be meant in a kind way: making allowances, offering justifications, being reasonable. But they are more often cruel
Twisted language and distorted meanings
Wednesday, 26 March 2010
Becoming more aware of the (conscious or unconscious) linguistic tricks that politicians – and "normal" people – use helps enormously in enriching our understanding of what is really going on
Real, open-minded, learning
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
There are a million and one ways to learn, as an individual, a team, or an organisation, but it's still wonderful when a great new learning tool comes along. Here's a rather different one:
Choose your direction
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Management training. Experiential challenges. Machismo. Have I put you off yet? If you simply want a high adrenalin, fun day out, perhaps not. But if you really, genuinely want to learn, I hope I have.
...or being yourself, continued
Monday, 15 March 2010
This article looks at the sweet-spot – authentic behaviour – from the point of view of the individual.
...or being yourself
Friday, 12 March 2010
This article is going to explore the challenge of balancing permission (and encouragement) for employee authenticity with the real, practical business needs of the organisation
...versus behavioural singularity...
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Those people who are deliberately different. The people who make an effort to stand out from the crowd. The people who choose to take the opposing view
Corporate conformity
Friday, 5 March 2010
Being different can be challenging. Being different can unnerve, upset, irritate and anger others. Being different can be the best thing you'll ever be
Risk, leadership and management
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
As we emerge from this recession, how will people's approach to risk have changed based on what they have been through, and how does risk – and our perception of it – alter as situations change?
Freedom, management and organisations
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
I'm constantly intrigued by the challenge of balancing genuine freedom with the (sometimes harsh) practicalities of the real world
Conversational reframing
Monday, 22 February 2010
One aspect of politics that is becoming ever more prevalent, particularly in the run up to the general election, is "reframing"
Frozen by indecision
Friday, 19 February 2010
Have you even been completely, utterly, frozen and paralysed by indecision?
Doubt and uncertainty
Monday, 15 February 2010
This series of articles is now covering the continuum from absolute, irrevocable certainty through to eternal and enduring doubt, with a bit of positive mental attitude in the middle
How to lead
Friday, 12 February 2010
Way back at the beginning of November, I wrote about the sacking of Professor David Nutt
Are they mountains or molehills?
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Different people have different things that are important to them. What is important to one person might be utterly, utterly trivial to the next.
Positive Mental Attitude
Friday, 5 February 2010
The last article in this little series looked at the characteristic of simply knowing that you're right about something.
I'm right, and I know I am
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
This article looks at the four characteristics on the "I'm right" spectrum, and see how they impact the wonderful attitude of determination
Be a rock, or go with the flow
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Today's article is about determination. It is one of the characteristics of successful people that I most admire
Ducking the question
Monday, 25 January 2010
About a month ago, I was listening to a report on the causes and impact of people in the public eye "ducking the question"
Motivation is what we need...
Friday, 22 January 2010
A lot of training out there in the market talks about skills training - but dig deeper, and we're actually talking about attitude
NLP anchors and anchoring
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
In NLP, one of the most powerful concepts, which can become one of the most powerful techniques, is anchoring.
New ideas or the same old thing?
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Particularly in uncertain times, there is a significant tension between playing it safe versus doing something very different.
Are we nearly there yet?
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
The title of this article ranks pretty high on my list of all-time annoying phrases, when used in its traditional context, but it is also one of the most crucial phrases when managing change.
Teamwork and trust
Friday, 11 December 2009
Seth Godin's blog earlier this week was a customer-service related one, and tied into his very insightful approach to marketing and social media.
I "do" it my way - again!
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
This is a (slightly belated) follow-up to the article on the 20th October about the difficulties that some of us face in leadership and management.
How to lose a customer
Thursday, 3 December 2009
A very quick blog entry today, but I felt I had to write about a wonderfully poor customer service experience with T-Mobile.
Stress and the good stuff
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
I've been doing a lot of work recently, and even more thinking, about stress and how it can affect people differently.
Spurious certainties
Monday, 30 November 2009
Black or white. Yes or no. Specific. Measurable. Defined. All very useful things, in their place.
Google Wave = Thoughtless Communication?
Thursday, 26 November 2009
I'm a big fan of the slow food movement, which is rapidly approaching its 20th anniversary. Years ago, when I first read
Bad modelling
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Management training is full of models, and some of them are very useful indeed. Used with care.
Broad consequences
Thursday, 19 November 2009
I'm not sure I agree with the AA awarding the Inland Revenue two stars.
Learning maths through dance
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) deals with "anchors" quite a lot - those things (noises, smells, sounds, words and so on)
Find what you're looking for
Sunday, 15 November 2009
A lovely little exercise I often use is one about how we notice things - how we filter our view on the world.
Tough Love
Monday, 9 November 2009
With a new baby on the way (8 weeks and counting), I was interested from a personal point of view in last week's Demos report into parenting.
Bad management and stress
Friday, 6 November 2009
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said in a recent report that the cost of work related mental illness was £28 billion.
Leadership and support
Monday, 2 November 2009
The recent news that Alan Johnson has sacked the chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs was covered on tonight's PM programme.
Managing the admin
Friday, 30 October 2009
Most people, in my experience, have at least some of their time when the paperwork mounts up.
Silence is golden - and powerful
Monday, 26 October 2009
A lot has been written over the last few days about Nick Griffin's appearance on BBC's Question Time.
Authentic communication
Thursday, 22 October 2009
When training communication skills, regardless of who is doing the training, a lot of similar material is covered.
I "do" it my way
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
One problem I've personally faced (and continue to face), and one that I regularly see in a number of contexts, is the challenge of being able to step back.
Playing your cards close to your chest?
Thursday, 15 October 2009
On our management training courses here at trainingreality, one of the basic principles we operate under is openness.
Teamwork - Part 1
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
A couple of weeks ago, my family and I headed down from Yorkshire to the New Forest for a weekend.
Optimism, pessimism and reality - Part 3
Friday, 9 October 2009
The third, and (potentially) final part of the series on the balance, the strengths and weaknesses, and the implications of optimism versus pessimism versus reality.
Are you disconnected?
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Today, I want to explore the challenge and value in understanding and developing differences in experience.
People are your corporate image
Friday, 2 October 2009
A couple of weeks ago, as part of my marketing plan for trainingreality, I directly e-mailed 75 CEO's.
Presentation skill #1 - Enthusiasm
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Do a quick search on Google for "presentation skills" (no quotes) and you are faced with over 18 million results.
The power of failure
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Failure is one of those words that many trainers strive to avoid, sometimes replacing it with the management-speak jargon.
Systems undermine sense
Friday, 25 September 2009
If I hadn't been driving at the time, I'd have thrown my hands up in despair.
Matching voice tonality
Thursday, 17 September 2009
NLP offers a great range of techniques for getting people to where you want them to be - some of which can be misused.
Imitation is flattery!
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
A very quick blog entry here.
How observant are we?
Friday, 11 September 2009
Last weekend, I was reminded of a pattern in a fictional detective's approach (possibly Poirot, but I'm not certain, anyone know?)
Planning versus pressure
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
As a big fan of the MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator), I tend to both consciously and subconsciously filter much of what I experience.
Customer Service - Part 2
Friday, 4 September 2009
Last week, I wrote about the power of the little things that make the difference.
Optimism, pessimism and reality - Part 2
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Part 1 of Optimism, pessimism and reality focussed on the potential pitfalls of a generally pessimistic approach to life.
Customer Service - Part 1
Saturday, 29 August 2009
Customer service, and the impact it can have on businesses, has been at the forefront of my mind for some time now.
Luck
Monday, 24 August 2009
I've been lucky today. Been in the right place at the right time.
NLP and a step too far
Friday, 21 August 2009
One of the most powerful aspects, for me, of NLP is the underlying principle that we, as individuals, are responsible for our reactions to the behaviour of others.
93% of communication is (not) non-verbal
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
I was recently asked to come up with a few examples of "the worst 'HR consultancy speak' phrases" I'd ever heard.
Barking up the wrong tree
Sunday, 16 August 2009
One of the common themes on the management training course we run is the challenge of moving to action.
Optimism, pessimism and reality - Part 1
Monday, 10 August 2009
Are you a glass half full, glass half empty, or "who's round is it next" type of person?
Questions Questions
Thursday, 6 August 2009
I've decided to risk being potentially political for this post, but be reassured that the politics is not the real point.
Getting to yes!
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Time to start with an apology - this blog entry is not specifically about Roger Fisher's book of the same title.
Language and behaviour
Friday, 31 July 2009
Yet again, it's a Radio 4 inspired blog today - one of those programmes that you catch a little bit of on a car journey.
The perils of promotion
Monday, 27 July 2009
I come from a family in which teaching is a pretty common career choice - my mum was until retirement, and my sister currently is.
Motion creates emotion
Friday, 24 July 2009
I was reminded about one of my favourite films today.
Taking your own medicine
Monday, 20 July 2009
During my recent NLP practitioner course, I had the privilege of meeting and working with some fantastic people.
Passion & Pragmatism
Thursday, 16 July 2009
I've spent a fair bit of time over the last couple of years or so providing formal and informal advice to people setting up their own businesses.
Time for action
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
The graffiti on this section of the Berlin Wall reads:
The pleasure of principles
Friday, 10 July 2009
You may already have been on our principles page (if not, take a look later), and it is probably our most important page.
State Management v Superstition
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
State management is one of the most powerful NLP techniques.
"The Impossibles"
Thursday, 2 July 2009
One aspect of NLP is the Meta Model, and one little piece of that is known technically as "Modal Operators of Possibility", or "The Impossibles" as I prefer.
The man from Del Monte - he say "no"!
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
It's a classic statement (but how often is it really true?) that people at the top of organisations say that they don't want to be surrounded by "yes men".
Your personality, "trained out of you"
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
The Apprentice 2009 has finished, so I've got my Wednesday nights back.
Looking at things differently
Monday, 1 June 2009
I was rather taken with part of a recent episode of Genius, on BBC1.
