​Collaborating with clients, stakeholders and team members can be challenging. Some situations – and people – push your buttons, making it hard for you to self-regulate and respond appropriately. Perhaps someone you rely on hasn’t completed a critical task on time, and as the manager it now falls back on you to resolve the issue as it’s ultimately your responsibility. You get annoyed and angry and say things you wish you hadn’t. But why do some situations trigger such a strong reaction in you and what can you do about it? The core quadrant model is a powerful tool developed by . It offers valu ..read more

​Inclusion is the action or state of being included or including others in groups, decisions and structures. Inclusive managers and leaders are highly sought after because they have the ability to make others feel safe and accepted, which in turn means that they are more likely to innovate, be a team player and contribute to . Inclusion isn’t just a nice idea. It creates a true win-win situation. Team members feel involved, empowered and trusted. The organisation benefits from a more engaged and motivated team, and the client receives a better product or service. Asked to assess themselves, mo ..read more

Severe stress that leads to sickness and burnout is a growing issue in organisations. With the ‘always-on’ work culture and fewer people employed to get work done, many stretch themselves to the point where their body and mind can no longer cope. A recent of 382,000 employees, revealed that the discussion of burnout amongst UK workers is up 48 percent. And a from Westfield Health, shows that 51 percent of people surveyed believe they’re less than a month away from burnout. Unfortunately, as shocking as these figures are, they correspond to my own experience. In my coaching practice up to ..read more

Whenever I train, coach or consult in project management, it always surprises me how few people plan in a truly collaborative manner. I’ve trained senior project professionals with fifteen to twenty years of experience who don’t appreciate the importance of fully engaging the team in the planning process. They see it as the project manager’s responsibility to plan, and forget that today’s workforce  wants to be involved in the work it’s expected to deliver. Many project managers  only involve the team as and when needed. But that  approach is extremely poor at creating a team th ..read more

We often say that one of the most important roles of a project manager and leader is to be able to communicate effectively. Being the hub of the project, the PM communicates with team members, stakeholders, end users and the project sponsor – all of whom have different preferences for how they would like to be communicated with. Some people prefer email and written status reports whereas others favour telephone and face-to-face interactions. At times there’s a great need to delve into the detail and at other times it’s all about the big picture.  One of the most important questions you ca ..read more

Talent coaching is seen as critical for personal development, internal visibility and networking and Senior Lecturer at Regent’s University in London, where she lectures  in International Business, Global Management and Organisational Behaviour. She    In this interview she shares her insights from the research she undertook. ngratulations on your PHD Karine! Tell us about your research and what the main findings were.  Thank you Susanne. Completing a PhD can be a real challenge, but it can also be a very rewarding experience!  My study focuses on how coachin ..read more

The ability to identify, articulate and share a clear vision for the project is one of the key ingredients to project success. When we run projects we must  begin with the end in mind  as Stephen Covey put it in his best-selling book;  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . Beginning with the end in mind – in a project context – is about envisioning what we ultimately would like the project to achieve and how it fits into the bigger context of organisational change.  The vision clarifies the clients’, sponsors’ or organisation’s strategic objectives, focuses th ..read more

​The importance of risk management cannot be overemphasised. When you are proactive in identifying and mitigating potential threats for your project it means that fewer issues are likely to arise. Project managers who want to make a difference don’t sit back and assume that the road to project delivery will be straightforward. They regularly take time out with the team to assess everything that could impede the success of the project and actively take steps to manage the situation.  One of the classic mistakes in risk management is to treat it as a mechanical process that’s carried o ..read more

Consider the most successful team you have been part of or that you know of, and what the characteristics were of that team. How many members did it have? How did the team members communicate with one another? How did they make decisions, and what was the feeling you had when you interacted with the team?  Many of us know instinctively what it feels like to be part of a great team. We feel accepted and trusted and communication seems easy. And when conflict arises it doesn't cause a breakdown. The team is able to openly discuss differences in opinion and agree a way forward. But even if w ..read more

What a couple of years it's been for all of us! We have experienced large amounts of change, uncertainty and - of course - remote working! For teams who had never worked remotely before, it's been a steep learning curve. But even for teams who were technically well placed to deal with the new situation, it’s been challenging. Businesses have had to reprioritise projects, introduce new ways of working and ask employees to go above and beyond. But the most difficult aspect has been the emotional turmoil due to the pandemic. Fear and anxiety have been widespread and so has anger and loneliness.&n ..read more