In today’s modern business world, the gap between success and failure has perhaps never been so small.   One minute everything can be going exceptionally well – a motivated workforce, orders flooding in, productivity booming, and the future looking rosy and bright.   But then in a flash, everything can change.   Factors completely out of our control – a global health pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis, or international conflicts to name but a few – can come from nowhere and catch us completely off guard with the challenges and uncertainty they all bring.   So, there’s no dou ..read more

In previous blogs I’ve defined business support networks, explained how to successfully build them, and considered their importance.   I now want to finish this series by discussing the benefits of business support networks.   Generate leads. Business support networks can help you build professional relationships and create relevant contacts that can help you achieve your long-term goals. When you have a good network of contacts, it becomes much easier to generate leads and referrals for your business.   Your contacts can put you in touch with potential customers or clients, whi ..read more

Having defined what a business support network is and explained how to build one effectively, I now want to consider the importance of having a support network – and choosing the right people to spend time with.   Be inspired By meeting new contacts – and strengthening existing connections – you could be exposed to new ideas, new opportunities, or even new business partnerships. This is especially key today, when the business world is changing so fast.   It’s never been more important to be innovative and think outside-the-box, or to be open to trying new things. Forge connections ..read more

In my last blog, I introduced the concept of a ‘support network.’   A business support network is a group of people who can offer you advice, feedback, referrals, and encouragement in your career. It can help you grow your skills, expand your opportunities, and overcome challenges.   It’s important to have a support network made up of different people - helping you see problems in several different ways and giving you a clearer picture of the situation.   Below are my key tips to help you create your most effective support network.   Get online and find groups You may find ..read more

With the fast pace of today’s modern lifestyle, it’s no surprise that we often become stressed with the challenges we face both in the workplace and at home.   Who is in your Support Network? Photo Simi Iluyomade Unsplash   When this happens, we reach out for help and support from those closest to us and who we can trust.   This can include friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues, teammates, and even the person in a pub, bar, cafe who we share a couple of moments or drinks with whilst relaxing and unwinding.   In fact, anyone we come across in our day-to-day lives. &n ..read more

I spend a lot of time chatting with Leaders and I’m often asked this question - “Why is Leadership so difficult?” Further comments around Leadership often fall into this list: “Surely there is a better way of doing this?” “Why aren’t my team performing?” “There’s too much change.” “I used to have a lot more energy and enthusiasm.” “We need to generate more ideas/solutions, however, we seem to only discuss problems.” “I know I need to make some decisions, however, I don’t feel confident enough to do so.” As a Leadership Coach for roughly 18 years, I know that their experiences can ..read more

So far in my latest series of blogs I’ve considered the meaning of self-confidence and equipped you with several easy methods to boost your self-confidence.   I now want to discuss why self-confidence is so important in the workplace.   If you ask most people for their advice on how to do well at work, the likelihood is you’ll receive responses along the lines of ‘be more confident.’   In a recent survey by leading global recruitment website Indeed, 94% of employees cited self-confidence as vital to completing daily work tasks and contributing to overall career growth. Furthermo ..read more

In my last blog I introduced the concept of self-confidence – looking in depth at what it exactly means.   As a quick reminder, the Cambridge Dictionary defines self-confidence as: ‘the belief that you can do things well and that other people respect you.’   Quite simply, it means you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control in your life.   So, to build on this understanding, I now want to look at the steps you can take to dismiss your fears and misconceptions and “Spring Forward with Learning (how I define Resilience) by gradually buil ..read more

In today’s competitive business world, there’s no doubt that those who stand out in the workplace achieve their goals and get ahead in their industry.   Standing out and making an impact in the workplace can help advance your career as supervisors and managers notice your commitment and dedication. If your goals relate to advancement in the workplace – whether through promotion or building a professional network – standing out can help you achieve these goals.   There are other benefits from standing out in the workplace:   Performance – your job performance likely improves as ..read more

Having read the first and second blogs in this series, you should now have a thorough understanding of what Resilient reflection is, and how to do it as part of your ongoing business and personal development.   In my third blog, I now want to discuss why regular self-reflection should be a consistent element of your ongoing business planning and strategy.     Resilient Self-Reflection will enable you to shift from coping to Thriving. Photo Priscilla-du-Preez Unsplash   Self-reflection can help you achieve your goals in several ways:   Self-reflection helps you to ex ..read more