Appreciative Inquiry is a method for solving problems and implementing change by focusing on the positive. It emerged from the work of David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva in the late 1980s, and has since been used by businesses, teams and organisations around the world. The Ai (1) approach is perfectly aligned with the strengths-led approach, […]
The Link Between Appreciative Inquiry and Strengths Read More »
Leading and managing change is one of the greatest challenges that leaders face. And it is also one of the greatest opportunities you have to transform the teams and organisations you work in, and the people you work with, for the better. Choosing to engage in change can be empowering and inspiring. But we don’t
Simple Strategies for Leading and Managing Change Read More »
Navigating change can be tricky – it brings up a lot of emotions, worries, and decisions, and we’re not always sure where we stand. One of our primary needs when facing change is to be able to understand what it will mean for us. It’s easy to get focused on negative aspects and neglect the
Navigating change: The Four Doors of Change Read More »
As leaders and managers, we’re often expected to have the great ideas, brilliant insights and action plans that will help our people and organisations turn over a new leaf. But in the midst of all the busy-ness of business, it’s easy to get stuck in a “same old, same old” thinking rut. Why we struggle
Why do we struggle to have great ideas? Read More »
Kindness. It’s a scorned, if not outright rejected concept in business – it’s too soft, too weak. We can’t be kind, because to be in business is to be tough, competitive, strong. Logic and rationality rule the roost. We don’t do feelings or soft, fluffy stuff. We’re here to do the serious stuff of business;
Kindness: a better business strategy Read More »
Our change stories can make or break us as we navigate change. I’ve written previously about how we humans are sense-making machines. We always seek out a story that explains what we are experiencing. And if what is happening doesn’t come with a story that makes sense to us, we’ll make up one that does!
Leadership toolbox: how to use change stories to transform your reality Read More »
Have you ever wondered why some teams thrive in difficult times? Their leaders have learned how to create psychological safety. Team members and the manager trust one another, freely share knowledge, admit mistakes and generate creative and innovative ideas at the drop of a hat. Other teams and managers spend their time covering up mistakes,
Leadership Toolbox: how to create psychological safety at work Read More »
Self-awareness is a key life and leadership skill. At its most basic level, self-awareness is about developing your knowledge and understanding of yourself, and being able to access that knowledge and understanding in real-time to help you better navigate your life. Its benefits include: greater self-confidence heightened sensitivity to thoughts, emotions and feelings improved critical
Leadership toolbox: how to build self-awareness Read More »
In my first Leadership Toolbox post, I talked about the importance of self-care for leaders. Self-care involves turning our attention inward, to manage our own wellbeing. In this post, I’ll be talking about the tool of empathy, which helps us turn our attention outward, to understand and connect with those around us. In a future
Leadership Toolbox: getting to grips with empathy Read More »
Note: This article was originally published on 23rd March 2020. There’s a lot going on in the world right now. We are seeing a massive global response to the COVID-19 virus, the likes of which we don’t often see. For more than a year now, we’ve been experiencing rapid change, both in the spread of
Leadership Toolbox: what we need to know for living with complexity Read More »
