Becoming a First Time Manager: What Kind of Skills are Needed?
It can be confusing knowing where to begin when thrust into a management role.
Our Management Fundamentals workshop is a perfect way to hone the people skills necessary for anyone taking on a role of a manager, at whatever experience level.
In this blog, Happy’s Senior Facilitator Paul Gapper takes us through some of his most insightful experiences on this workshop, as well as a few simple but effective management skills.
How to be a Great Chair for Your Next Online Meeting
When people attend the Chairing Remote Meetings workshop, they often come looking for insight into the best online tools: Jamboard, Miro, Sli.do, Mentimeter, etc. We discuss them, and then we talk about the most important tool that a remote chair can use: the tennis racket.
Paul explains more in this blog and how you can be a great chair for your next online meeting.
How to Approach Conversations That Matter, Without the Worry
Have you ever found yourself wishing that you could have a candid conversation with a friend or colleague but fearing that, if you did so, it might end that relationship? Welcome to the world of conversations that matter.
Paul explains how best to approach these conversations in this blog.
How to Expand Your Thinking With Mind Maps
When Happy’s Paul Gapper was thirty-eight, he decided he wanted to leave his job as a probation officer and become a freelance trainer. At the time, the BBC had published a series of books by Tony Buzan on mind mapping, speed reading and memory techniques.
Paul was intrigued by the idea that you could start from a central idea and, on a single sheet of paper, expand your thinking around it.
In this blog, Paul talks about how mind maps have helped with the development of his career, as well as how to develop your own effective mind maps.
Tips for Dealing with Difficult People
As a facilitator, I spend a lot of time trying not to describe people as difficult. I try to put a positive spin on it: it’s the behaviour, not the person; people are trying to do the best they can with what they have and who they are. But sometimes, I know that, when it happens to me, my response is that the person I find difficult is just difficult.
In this blog, Paul explains the cycle of conflict and gives some advice for dealing with ‘difficult’ people, both at home and at work.
How Mind Maps Can Help You to be Brave and Think More Creatively
You may have already come across Mind Maps in your day-to-day life or while at work. They are a great way to encourage creative thinking while brainstorming, as well as improving memory retention.
In this blog, Paul talks about how he personally has used Mind Maps to help him to develop his career, as well as how you can develop your Mind Maps to be more effective.
How to Build Your Self-Confidence at Work
How can you improve your self-confidence?
In this blog, Happy’s Senior Facilitator Paul breaks down self-confidence into thoughts, feelings and behaviour. This technique can help you to find different ways to approach a new experience that you might be worried about.
How to Build Trust and Credibility in the Workplace
Being promoted to manage the team you were once a member of can be one of the hardest situations a new manager can face. How do you build credibility within your team in your new position? How can you be seen as a capable and trustworthy leader, that your team will want to be led by? Happy’s Senior Facilitator, Paul Gapper, explains more.
Why your emotions are like a glitter jar
Like a glitter jar, your emotions can’t be forced to calm down and settle to the bottom – in this blog, our Senior Facilitator Paul Gapper explains about the importance of ‘thought awareness’ and how to manage feelings of anger, frustration and stress at work.
How to Facilitate Change in Your Organisation
Sometimes, the best way to facilitate change in an organisation is to behave as though you have no authority – suggesting best practice, rather than imposing change on others. In this blog, Happy’s Senior Facilitator Paul Gapper takes a look at the ways you can facilitate change positively within your organisation.
