Book Review: Maverick by Ricardo Semler, 30 Years On
When I read Maverick in 1992, it transformed what was then Happy Computers.
I went from being a micro-managing boss, who rang every day from holiday to check things were going ok, to – eventually – a fully trust-based environment.
For me it is the best business book ever written. I have given copies to many of the staff at Happy and I have given over 500 copies away to others.
So, on my sabbatical I decided to re-read it, on its 30th anniversary.
4 Fundamental Components for Effective Conflict Resolution
Conflict can arise in many situations, both in life and in business. Though tempting to avoid, a minor dispute can soon become oppressive for everyone if ignored. Learning effective conflict resolution is a vital skill for maintaining a happy workplace. In this blog, written by our Digital Marketing Assistant Dolly Osborne, we have some tips to help you become an accomplished peacemaker.
How to Stay Focused and Maintain Work/Life Balance When Working From Home
Working from home was often perceived by cynical bosses as a way for employees to take an unofficial day off. However, the Covid-19 pandemic saw many workers forced into home working and this displayed to employers and their staff that it was a feasible alternative.
Now more workers are seeking flexible working options and bosses are no longer suspicious of remote working.
In this blog, written by our Digital Marketing Assistant Dolly Osborne, we give you some tips on how to make working from home work for you.
The Art Of Coaching In The Workplace
As we move away from hierarchical workplaces we are seeing a conscious move from manager-employee relationship to a coaching relationship. When you hear the word coach it may bring to mind an authoritative figure who’ll make you work in your pants but do not fear, modern coaching is very different.
In this blog, written by our Digital Marketing Assistant Dolly Osborne, we’ll take you through some tips to perfect the art of workplace coaching.
4 Tips for Being Assertive, Not Aggressive
Assertiveness is about communicating confidently and in a positive way. You don’t need to be domineering or belligerent to get your voice heard.
In this blog, written by our Digital Marketing Assistant Dolly Osborne, we give you four helpful tips for being assertive, not aggressive in your interactions both in and out of the workplace.
5 Tips for Tackling Difficult Conversations
Often if a sensitive issue arises in the workplace it can cause huge anxiety for the person who needs to tackle it. Whilst it can be tempting to put your head in the sand, the resolution will only come if you have the difficult conversation that’s needed. Here are some tips, written by our Digital Marketing Assistant Dolly Osborne, to help you take it on with confidence.
3 Ways to Improve Your Active Listening Skills
Empathetic listening requires humility. It calls for us to set aside our own vanity and judgements to create space in our minds for the perspectives of others. Too often we listen to what feels comfortable and dispute what is unfamiliar or inconvenient.
In this blog, Nicole Martins gives some advice to improve your listening skills, so you can listen and understand others better — whether it’s in a meeting, on a phone call or chatting with friends and family.
Increase Your Productivity With No Meetings or Email Before 11am
Having no meetings and not checking email before 11am is the Monk Mode Morning concept that
Bruce Daisley
set out in his book The Joy of Work.
Since my holiday I have adopted it and spend the first 2.5 hours of each morning getting stuff done. I can manage 5 Pomodoros (25 minute focused sessions) in that time. How would your day be if you could get your most important tasks done before 11?
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.
Book Review: No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention
For me the best business books include stories and No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer is packed with them. By the end you will understand all about the remarkable Netflix culture. And you will be challenged.
Reed Hastings, founder of Netflix, has teamed up with Erin Meyer, a Professor at INSEAD business school and author of The Culture Map. She interviewed 200 Netflix staff and so produces an interesting balance to the normal totally gung-ho approach of a book like this.
