Rethink capabilities to emerge stronger from COVID-19
McKinsey – 23 November 2020
In a new survey, leaders say the pandemic has alerted them to the urgency of getting learning programs right. Yet companies are falling short in delivering outcomes, and executives can do more to support capability-building efforts.
Hidden Threats to Company Culture
Engagement Multiplier – November 2020
It goes without saying that every organisation has faced challenges this year, pivoting how business is conducted, the services provided, establishing new ways of working to keep employees connected, energised, and productive to name but a few. In the best cases, business leaders have found ways to create new opportunities and triumphed over adversity.
Embedding new ways of working post-pandemic
CIPD – 16 September 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the labour market. Substantial reduction in economic activity and the consequent drop in demand for labour, alongside social distancing rules, have pushed employers to adapt their working practices.
An Engaged Team is a Resilient Team
Engagement Multiplier – August 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is testing businesses worldwide. Uncertainty makes planning difficult, and the rapid rate of change the crisis is imposing on many businesses is pressuring employees and making it difficult for leaders to maintain alignment and focus. One company that’s keeping it together and innovating is Kolbe Corp., a Phoenix-based talent assessment company and creators of the Kolbe A (™) Index.
The Statistical Case for Company Culture
Growth Everywhere
“Culture” has been a buzzword in the corporate world for several years, but what does it mean and why is it important? Entrepreneur.com defines company culture as “a blend of the values, beliefs, taboos, symbols, rituals and myths all companies develop over time.”
Developing Effective Virtual Teams
CIPD – May 2020
While remote and homeworking have become increasingly common over the past twenty years, the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has seen remote collaboration spike dramatically and ‘virtual’ teams forming almost overnight.
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teams Users
Office365 – May 2020
According to Wikipedia, Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold over 30 million copies worldwide since its first publication in 1989. Good as that book is, it doesn’t cover how to work effectively with Teams, so here’s my best attempt at closing that gap…
Ian Mattioli: Why I took a pay cut
FT Advisor – April 2020
Many companies are being judged on how their leaders and senior managers have responded to the coronavirus pandemic that has turned the majority of people’s lives upside down over the past few weeks. The financial advice sector is no different, and Ian Mattioli, chief executive of wealth management and employee benefits business Mattioli Woods, was one of the first to announce, …
Mistakes to avoid in a market downturn
Vanguard Investor – February 2020
Following more than a decade of generally rising markets, a meaningful downturn in stocks may finally be at hand.
Senior leaders risk lagging behind the rest of the UK workforce in training and development
ILM – February 2020
Senior leaders risk being left behind in the learning and development space, according to findings from new research by City & Guilds Group business, ILM.
Get in the right headspace
Richard Branson – August 2019
It can be tricky to wind down your brain after finishing a hectic day’s work, especially for our pilots and cabin crew who cross time zones for a living.
I was thrilled to see Virgin Atlantic announce their latest in-flight offering in partnership with Headspace. Since we first added …
Saturday’s child works hard for a living
CIPD – June 2019
In this blog we ask, who works at the weekend?
1 in 5 of us that work, do so on the weekend but this proportion differs markedly by various characteristics. Most important is the type of job someone does, which is closely related to the industry …
Top 10 quotes to challenge the way you think
Richard Branson – June 2019
It’s more important than ever to keep an open mind and challenge our perceptions, opinions and – often subconscious – biases. I always try to remember that all of our thoughts and choices are shaped by our own experiences, emotions and surroundings.
It’s important to keep this in mind if we want to keep improving ourselves and engage in healthy conversations …
How to delegate
Richard Branson – May 2019
I often talk about the importance of delegating when it comes to expanding and diversifying your business. It’s also a crucial leadership skill and it allows you to find better work-life balance. Recently, a 19-year-old entrepreneur reached out to me and asked for more detailed advice on delegation …
Don’t give up on a great idea just because it seems obvious
Harvard Business Review – 07 December 2018
I spent eight years failing to act on an innovative idea that I knew would work. It was an idea that had not just technological promise but also societal value. It would help people contribute to the most important, impactful charities in the country. But I kept letting it languish.
Curating positive leadership skills
ILM – May 2018
Why is it that a positive and successful company culture can be so elusive and hard to achieve? How do some organisations get it so right, and others get it so wrong?
While there are many factors involved in building a productive, effective and happy workforce – including pay, benefits, …
What sets successful CEOs apart
Harvard Business Review – May – June 2017
The chief executive role is a tough one to fill. From 2000 to 2013, about a quarter of the CEO departures in the Fortune 500 were involuntary, according to the Conference Board. The fallout from these dismissals can be staggering: Forced turnover at the top costs shareholders an estimated $112 billion in lost market value annually, a 2014 PwC study of the world’s 2,500 largest companies showed.
