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  • You scratch my back and i’ll scratch yours – the law of reciprocity

    In Robert Cialdini’s Influence: Science and Practice (2009), he describes the powerful rule of reciprocity as one of “the most influential dynamics of human behaviour, the reciprocation rule essentially states that if someone gives something to us, we feel obligated to repay that debt.”

    Reciprocation, “the quality or state of being reciprocal: mutual dependence, action, or influence.” (Merriam-Webster dictionary)  “To be reciprocal it is something that is given, felt, or done in return, (of an agreement or obligation) bearing on or binding each of the two parties equally.” (Collins English Dictionary)

    In Brexit negotiations, Theresa May has indicated that there could be an “implementation period” of up to two years after March 2019, in order to avoid a “cliff edge” that some have warned about. But some Brexiteers argue that this is too much and delays us leaving the EU. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/brexit-negotiations-tracker/

    Lets look at an everyday example of reciprocity which by the way translates perfectly across cultures, to understand the Brexit state of play. Take the example of going to a Moroccan Souk and you see a rug that would be just perfect in a particular location in your home.  The sales person starts high because of course he wants maximum price, but also within the Moroccan culture it is expected that you negotiate down, and this very fact is built into the price.  What happens when you show some hesitation or say “No” to the offered price?  You end up with a jug, pot or similar being thrown in, and all of a sudden you find yourself agreeing to the price with the pot included!  Did you want or need that pot?  Probably not.  It is simply that the deal looks fairer and therefore of more value.

    Looking at Brexit negotiations where is the “rug” and where is the “pot”?

    The Moroccan sales person could easily be representing EU negotiators, metaphorically speaking of course! Despite being offered various “throw ins” and communication going back and forth, you, the UK, decide it is time to walk away instead.  What would happen? Either he will come after you with the main concession of price, movement, trade etc, or will let you go in the confidence that you will return for that rug you so dearly want, because after all it is perfect.  This according to Cialdini’s (Six Principles of Persuasion) is rejection-then-retreat strategy of concession and as the rules of reciprocity further show, often this approach results in agreement to the deal you want, with the sales person adding even more “throw-ins” or concessions for future needs

    At what stage are we in the Brexit negotiations in terms of reciprocity?  Clearly the EU wants the UK trade as much as the UK want access to the EU market. Are our wants and needs too far apart, or is the EU simply negotiating like a Moroccan rug sales man and therefore keeping our eye on the ball, is it time to walk away and see what happens?

    We might ask the question – are we powerless to the strength of the rule of reciprocity?  Despite the rule’s unspoken influence, we have the ability to effectively discern, adjust, or simply say “No” to reciprocation.   We don’t need to reject the services, favours, or kindnesses of others, but we do want to evaluate intention, as well as our return concessions.  If we feel that we are being conned, walked all over or exploited, then Cialdini recommends that “we redefine the initial favour so that we no longer feel a need to respond with a favour or concession  (p. 49).” By knowingly engaging in the exchange of reciprocity, we can minimize the potential effects of exploitation.  “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours!”

     

    References

    Cialdini, R.B. (2009).  Influence: Science and practice (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/brexit-negotiations-tracker/

  • Workplace Wellbeing Series – Productivity and Wellbeing

    Wellbeing and productivity course image

    According to the Health and Wellbeing at Work 2021 survey report conducted by CIPD, wellbeing of employees is growing as a priority for organisations. Below are some results of the survey that help to understand the top 3 causes of stress:

     Main Causes of stress chart

    Productivity and Wellbeing is a course that has been created to address many of these stress-related issues by helping individuals understand factors that are causing  feelings of stress and perhaps even anxiety and to provide tools to manage these issues with the overall goal of developing a healthy work-life integration so that both your employees and the organisation thrives and prospers.

    The co-creator is business trainer and coach Lyndsey Segal https://www.heads-up-coaching.com/. We have shared our expertise to provide a unique and highly valuable training programme to boost productivity and performance of your team while also prioritising and supporting their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

     

    Productivity and Wellbeing – Programme outline

    The training programme can be delivered virtually over 6, 2-hour sessions or in-person over 2 days.

    Programme Outcomes· 

    • Each participant to understand their relationship with time and how to be more productive
    • Use strategies, tools and techniques to improve time management, elevate productivity and performance
    • Plan, structure and prioritise time and tasks to reach personal goals and create a healthy work/life balance
    • Use strategies, tools and techniques to build resilience, mental health and improve wellbeing
    • Develop self-care practices for energy and wellbeing
    • Create action plans for performance, accountability and sustainable improvements

     

    Delivered by:

    ·         Rachel Shackleton, Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health

    ·         Lyndsey Segal, Heads Up Coaching

     

    For further information, please call directly on 01235 639 430 or contact Rachel Shackleton by email at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com or Alissia@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

    Green Key Personal Development designs and provides learning & development solutions specialized in the spheres of Leadership and Management, Communication, Customer Excellence and Wellbeing in the Workplace. Solutions are delivered face-to-face, online or through e-Learning

     

    Green Key – Nurturing People, Nurturing organisations & Unlocking potential, through interactive training solutions.

     

    twitter.com/gkeydevelopment

    www.linkedin.com/company/green-key-personal-development

    www.linkedin.com/in/rachelshackleton/

     

  • Working from Home? Distracted & Struggling with Motivation?

    The present lockdown experienced by the majority working from home has lost its sex-appeal.  The novelty of being at home, and often working in a onesie or your pyjamas, no longer has the initial draw and excitement of going back to the inner child.  Things have become “business as usual” in the home setting with all the added distractions of working from home.

    Most of us are now in the second phase, of trying to motivate ourselves to work through our to-do lists, meet deadlines and engage in the work environment fully motivated and inspired to achieve, to close projects, search clients, close deals, follow up, and meet on-line as the “buzz” of colleagues going about the same, is simply not there.

    Talking to a colleague or boss on-line with the family photograph, wardrobe or favourite plant in the background simply does not cut it!  The human smell has gone, the human touch is distant and the to-do list competes with the distraction of whatever is happening within the family, which friend is calling, in the kitchen, on the patio or simply outside.

    In a recent training, conducted over an interactive business platform similar to Skype, designed to assist with the transfer to working and managing people from home, raised many issues.  The three top issues raised were:

    • How to create a new structure and working regime within a confined space?
    • How to maintain the level of support and contact with team members with a limited toolbox?
    • How to motivate and inspire myself to perform effectively and productivity without the human contact and “touch” of peers and subordinates.

    In the first module we primarily addressed the work structure and regime by sharing ideas and understanding of what colleagues are doing to protect their performance and stay motivated.  It sounds so simple, however when you live in a 2-3 room apartment and there are two of you competing for space, or you are the only one, emotions interfere prying on feelings of lack of security, exhaustion through constant screen time, lack of support in terms of humour, someone to have a coffee with and the importance of recognition when you pass by one of your subordinates to simply say “Hi”.

    Working from homeWHAT ARE THE EIGHT TOP TIPS TO MANAGE DISTRACTIONS, MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE YOURSELF?

    1. Dress for work – start your day as you would normally if you were going to the office. Get out of your pyjamas and go through the routine of preparing yourself for work. In doing this you shift your attitude to a work attitude.Working from home certainly is not new, but with Coronavirus pulling us all into lock down, it has become our new normal. Whether that is temporary or not, here are eight tips to manage distractions, motivate and inspire while working from home.
    2. Use the normal daily routine to your favour.  Avoid trying to search for that perfect variant. Likely it does not exist.  Get up at the “normal” time, eat breakfast, prepare your lunch that you would normally take with you to the office.  Keep it to eat later. Schedule in breaks in accordance with what is on your to-do list and enjoy a virtual coffee break or lunch with a colleague. Close the working day at the scheduled time, informing colleagues that you are finished for the day with a message on the screen.
    3. Educate international colleagues who are on a different time zone that just because you are working from home does not mean you are available 24/7.  Set the parameters and inform them.  There are always exceptions to this rule when there is a crisis of some kind, as there would be if you were working from the office.
    4. Stay in contact – don’t wait for a work-related question to check in with your colleagues and subordinates.  Check in with them to “see” how they are feeling, and to share human contact.  If you feel down and distracted, call someone that you know always gives you a boost, and take 10 minutes to share issues outside of work.  Doing this helps to alleviate the “I’m on my own feeling” and pick up your spirits to return to whatever you were working on.
    5. Recognise and be open with how you are feeling – acknowledge your feelings and work with them through being kind to yourself.  Use techniques such as deep breathing, tuning into your senses for 5-10 minutes, stretching and loosening up, away from your work-space, or try meditating.  It is quite normal to feel insecure, angry and fearful.  However, these emotions when suppressed and buried only undermine your confidence taking away your self-empowerment.
    6. Use any distraction to tune into your senses.  Instead of fighting it, flow with it.  Follow the distraction for a few minutes through sight or hearing.  Be truly present to it. When the distraction naturally comes to an end, return to your work.  You will find that by being mindful and flowing with the distraction that you are now able to focus once again.
    7. Trust yourself and trust others. Systems to a certain extent are able to track productivity, but at the end of the day this is about building relations and not vica- versa.  Having trust that colleagues and subordinates are doing their tasks is important both for mind and body.  If you have agreed with your subordinates on what they are to do, trust that they will do it, being open for questions and nurturing them when they are having an off-day.
    8. Cut subordinates, peers and yourself some slack. The most important aspect of being human, has been removed.  Human beings are social animals. The social recognition given and received from others is vital to our survival.  It is normal and natural to miss that, leaving our minds and ultimately our bodies to fill the gap.

     

    To learn how we can help you and your organisation, email Rachel directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • Managing Your Workplace Stress video

    It is estimated that 12 million working days are lost each year in the UK due to stress-related illness. This worrying statistic is part of a widespread culture of workplace stress. Be it toxic environments, poor leadership or uncompromising deadlines, many workers are feeling the pressure. See my tips on manging your stress levels at work and excelling in a team environment! I filmed a video about this topic – watch the video here or read the transcript below if you prefer:

    Transcript:

    Hello, my name is Rachel Shackleton Welcome back or welcome to my youtube channel both for Green Key personal development and Green Key Health. Today I’m going to be talking about work related stress, and how to build resilience. I recently wrote a blog on this topic. I won’t be covering the whole content of the blog, but a couple of points of things that you can implement in your life to help build your resilience. Without further ado, let’s get going.

    According to UK Government website, more than 1 million people are suffering from work related stress, and it is estimated that more than 12 million days, workdays are lost to businesses every year due to work related stress. Of course, we cannot say that all stress is coming from the work environment. Of course not. There is always going to be a combination of work related stresses and stresses coming from our own lives due to life’s curveballs we all get and we have to deal with. However, there are things that we can put in place to help us to decrease the impact because long term stress on the mind and body aggravates existing disease conditions leading to more serious diseases. This is where we start to suffer and have to have sick days. There is absenteeism and so on and so forth.

    What is stress? Stress is defined as a situation that is forced on you that requires immediate response. This in itself can drain both mental and physical resources and particularly as I mentioned a few minutes ago, when it is ongoing this can trigger chronic diseases. Common stressors include financial issues, emotional issues, lifestyle issues, very often poor nutrient rich diet, so our body and mind is not getting the nutrients it needs in order to respond appropriately. So the question then is what can we do for ourselves to manage the stresses that we live on a day by day basis? Let’s first ask the question, what is the difference between stress and a challenge? So challenge is appropriate. It is appropriate stretching of both mind and body to achieve something. Stress kicks in when a challenge becomes overwhelming in some way. That means that stress works in the opposite way it starts to deplete mind functioning and the body in some way by developing some form of condition, whether that’s back pain, headaches, stiff shoulders, gut issues, and so on and so forth. When we look in the work environment, there are a number of areas that any leader would put for his or her team members as challenges. For example, achievement of certain goals. For example, certain deadlines, deadlines might be too short deadlines might be just right. If the deadline is too short, we can create that stressed environment if the deadline is too long we then find underperformance if the deadline is just right, we have the challenge but we don’t have the on going stress.

    Stress in the work environment can also be caused by other factors, such as a toxic working environment. Perhaps the working environment is overly competitive. Perhaps the boss himself or herself is a not a particularly good leader and is showing up one day over friendly, easy calm the next minute or the next day is completely wired and is overreacting to everything. This makes it very difficult for any team member to work in these circumstances.

    Each one of us is unique. There is no one size fits all. I mentioned some of the physical factors that might show themselves if you are under a constant form of stress due to your lifestyle, due to work environment due to personal issues, whatever it is. Some of the most common symptoms of stress are headaches, migraines, if you didn’t suffer from migraines before or headaches before and you start getting headaches on a regular basis. This could be an indicator that the body’s trying to tell you to back off or slow down, take the foot off the pedal back issues another typical one related to stress. The back is actually the support system of the entire body and if that is crumbling, or aching, not holding you up, you’ve got to look at what is causing that and ask yourself why is my back aching in this way? Some people put stress into that gut and start to suffer from things like irritable bowel syndrome-type symptoms where one day you might be going to the loo in a hurry and the next day, you can hardly go to the loo. This could also be shown in bloating after you’ve eaten and other gut issues and things like this. Of course those are physical. The mental side of being overly stressed things like feeling a little bit depressed, feeling anxious feeling overwhelmed on a constant basis, not wanting to go out, not wanting to socialise. These are all indicators that the body is suffering in some way. It’s showing you that you need to take a look at this and ask the question, why?

    In my blog, I mentioned five simple steps to managing your stress or your overwhelm. I’m not going to cover all five here. I’m just going to cover two of those in the blog and you can refer to the blog later for the other three. The first one I’d like to look at is be more assertive or be assertive. Being assertive means that you’re able to stand up for yourself. It means that you don’t compare yourself to others. Comparing yourself to someone else is actually a useless exercise because you’re unique as the other people and what they’re good at you may not be but what you’re good at they may not be good at, therefore, why go down that route. So avoid comparing yourself to others. Be aware of the areas where you communicate and you don’t actually say what it is you want to say. In other words, you say yes, when you’re asked if you can do something, maybe do an extra shift, work longer today, take on an extra task, whatever it is, and you say yes, when actually in your heart, you know that it’s “No”. You need to learn to turn around to that person and talk it through with them, find a compromise or negotiate a different solution that suits them and suits you. Do not be afraid to do that and if necessary, actually say “No”. Assertiveness also means speaking up for yourself in meetings, speaking up for yourself and one to ones sharing your opinion. Sharing your ideas, sharing your thoughts, not allowing another person to actually shout you down because you have a different opinion. You have a right to have a different opinion, as does everyone else and that difference is not a foundation for emotional distress. It is a foundation for confidence that you can think for yourself that you can be yourself. But, at the same time if a different decision was made that is not what you wanted, you have to give your commitment and work with that when you’re in the work environment and you’re working in a team so that the team accomplishes what the team is committed to accomplish.

    The other step that I would like to include today to help you manage your stress better and improve and build your resilience is setting your own boundaries and creating me time. We all need me time. Now that means time can be downtime. It can be time where that’s just yours. to do with what you want, whether that’s walking in nature, doing the gardening, walking the dog meeting friends, lying in a bubble bath. It doesn’t matter what it is. It’s that time that feeds you, feeds your mind your body and your soul and this is really important to recharging the tanks. But also, me time can be in the work environment where you set the boundaries for when you’re available and when you’re not available, giving yourself time to accomplish those tasks, those goals that you’ve committed to accomplish. Therefore you put a notice on your door, or a notice on your computer screen, whatever it is that helps your team members know you’re not available at this time. Whether that’s a regular time once a week, or whether you take each week separately and say okay, my me time this week is Wednesday afternoon or it’s Friday morning, or whatever it is. Educating your colleagues around that system and that process for you is very liberating. It also gives you time to think yourself, to clear the mind to unclutter and to really get down to a task, that task that is important and urgent, not only for you, but for your colleagues, your team and your business as a whole.

    I hope what I’ve been talking about is useful for you. And I urge you to go and read my whole blog, which is on www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com. There you’ll find all the other steps and more detail around what I’ve been talking about, which I hope will feed your mind and your soul and that you’ll have some techniques that you can put into practice to build your resilience and therefore manage your stress more effectively.

    I thank you so much for listening, and I look forward to welcoming you back to my YouTube channel.

  • Why is Leadership Development Important?

     The Health & Safety Executive estimated that 31.5 million working days were lost due to work-related physical and mental health in 2022/23. If including work-related non-fatal injuries the figure is a staggering 32.5 million days lost to organisations and businesses. Think about the impact of lost workdays on your business?

    Is management of stress a function of leadership?  One could argue that it is up to the individual to regulate their own stress levels in order to manage what life throws at them, and therefore does not fall under the leadership role or umbrella.  However, if workdays are being lost from absenteeism due to overload and stress, it becomes every leader’s concern and issue. Surely, therefore, it is better to help employees manage their stress levels before it gets to the stage where they call in physically or mentally sick, thus increasing the urgency and pressure that someone going off sick creates on daily operations as well as those left behind to pick up the pieces. 

    Working with individuals on work-life balance, as well as with groups on self-leadership and leadership of others, I am seeing more and more people with adrenal stress, very often worked-related. Reasons for stress vary, some can be self-inflicted, such as striving to be a perfectionist, the inability to say “No”, poor time management, inability to delegate as well as procrastination by putting things off. As for external factors that might cause stress, the first one that springs to mind is living in a blame culture, thus creating an environment of fear. Inappropriate leadership styles and habits such as a boss who doesn’t listen, or a boss who can only influence and get things done by using manipulation techniques, a boss who lives in crisis due to poor planning and time management or a boss who is unable to communicate effectively, displaying chameleon type behaviours, swinging from one mood to the other, making employees’ lives hell when they are not sure which persona they will be greeted with at any moment in the day. 

    Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal system struggles to maintain homeostatic balance, leading to depletion and dysregulation of the adrenal glands and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis after a long period of emotional stress and/or chronic illness. Adrenal stress presents in different ways. Early signs might be intermittent lack of energy, headaches, cravings for carbohydrate or salty foods, low motivation and poor sleep feeling tired and exhausted on waking up. More advanced stages of adrenal fatigue may include these symptoms, and others such as night sweats, brain fog, lack of energy to do anything, poorly functioning immune system, resulting in catching every cold or flu bug that is flying around, as well as cravings for stimulants including coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks all giving that quick, short lived, hit and energy boost that only leads to an energy low within a very short period of time. 

     Effective leadership walks a fine line, on the one hand between challenging team members enough to ensure they are not bored, and that they grow and develop, to on the other hand over challenging and therefore causing undue and unhealthy levels of stress, which due to constant pressure may lead to sickness and the inevitable time off work. Continued over-stress can lead to diseases such as hypertension, anxiety, depression and various forms of chronic disease, as well as mental ill-health whether anxiety, complete overwhelm, brain fog or depression. Many of these conditions will lead to the individual taking sick leave, leaving managers responsible for managing the gap this creates, picking up the pieces and somehow inspiring other team members to compensate for their colleague’s absence.

     Surely its worth getting this right from the beginning and investing in managers and leaders who are able to lead effectively through creating an environment where employees want to work, love working and consequently are heathy and happy? Does this mean there won’t be conflict or times when everyone has to step up due to peak periods in the business or additional demands for extraordinary reasons, of course not! Investing in leadership development gives leaders the confidence, skills and ability to rise to the occasion and support their team members fully during these extraordinarily demanding periods. 

    John C. Maxwell once said, “The single biggest way to impact an organisation is to focus on leadership development.” Avoiding investment in development of your leaders is short-term thinking, indicates lack of foresight and is overall detrimental to your business in terms of ROI, growth and quality of service delivered to your customers and reputation, as well as employee physical and mental health and wellbeing.

    References

     https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/dayslost.htm

     

  • Who or What is the Heartbeat of Your Organisation?

    Usually we talk about the heart in relation to our health or the health of someone else. The heart can be physically sick, such as a heart attack, angina, arrhythmia or heart failure. We also talk about a “broken heart” referring to emotional trauma of some kind. In the English language this means that someone or something has broken our heart and could be referring to the loss of a loved one, an accident or collapse of a relationship. But what about the heart of an organisation? Would you describe the heart of your organisation as emotionally and physically healthy?

    Who or what is the heartbeat of your organisation? An interesting and perhaps even unusual question. As I see it, an organisation is a living entity, it breathes and has a strong or weak heartbeat. The health of this living breathing entity is based on morale within the team, employee engagement, leadership openness, interest and ability to inspire those who are working with them, clarity of direction, communication consistency, positivity and honesty, teamwork through sharing the wins and openly discussing situations that require change or improvement in order to strengthen strengths and learn how to build and change performance that is not as successful as the organisation leadership or team in question want it to be.

    In answer to the question – the people are the heart and the heartbeat of any organisation and depending on how they are treated physically and emotionally will either result in a healthy or an unhealthy heart that misses a beat, struggles to function in some way or is clearly and obviously down-right sick!

    Let’s take an example: The British government. Most people whether British or otherwise will be able to diagnose the current government as definitely sick because the heart health of this government and the government heartbeat is erratic, slow, possibly due to hypotension and is showing signs of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms). Are the arteries furring up due to poor flow of communication, lack of openness and trust? I’ll leave you to decide. This is not about whether you vote Conservative, Labour or otherwise, this is about the obvious lack of heartbeat from the head down within the government, which essentially is an organisation whose role it is to run a country.

    To fix the government or your organisation is it a case of going to the doctor? Probably yes, if those in charge are 1. Unable to see the problems, 2. Have no interest in solving them either due to lethargy or ego. 3. Lack the necessary leadership skills to address the issues constructively and fairly to keep blood flowing through the veins and the heart healthy. Going to the doctor will likely result in being put on medication or several if symptoms are varied. Does this solve the issue and lead to a healthy heart and heartbeat? Unlikely, but it will seem like things are back to “normal” functioning for a short period or until such time as the system can no longer tolerate the medication or requires a larger dose. And we all know that famous quote by Henry Ford, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you always got.” What has to change?

    To quote Forbes “No man can deliver the goods if his heart is heavier than the load.”

    Fixing the heartbeat in an organisation requires clear goals that are shared openly and with everyone, leaders that are interested in achieving agreed goals while supporting and empowering individuals and teams to perform at their best through active coaching, nurturing and fairness. Finding individuals doing things right and encouraging more of the same. Openly addressing blockages and issues constructively to firstly understand and then work collaboratively to solve them, not just temporarily, but permanently. A short-term fix, if needed can hold issues satisfactorily while the long-term fix is put in place. Think of a short-term fix as a sticking plaster, it will at some point come off. Just as managers and leaders look at weekly and monthly reports on financial performance it is important to also check the organisation heartbeat in the same way. This can be done through some form of assessment tool or wellness report. When the relevant indicators are showing there is an issue, or might soon be an issue, be proactive in addressing this before the issue takes hold.

    How do you know the heartbeat of your organisation is struggling? The answer is the same as when a doctor looks at a blood test, it shows markers that could be related to different undesirable heart conditions.

    • Low morale – arrhythmia, furring up of the arteries, hypo or hypertension, a “broken” heart
    • Negativity and toxicity – hypertension, angina, pericarditis, myocarditis, fatigue, anxiety
    • Poor teamwork – furring up of the arteries, hyper or hypotension, anxiety
    • Poor performance – the heart is not in it! The blood is pumping, perhaps not optimally, but it is still pumping, just enough to get by with nothing to spare – Hypoxemia (a low level of oxygen in the bloodstream), lack of recognition – a “broken” heart.

    The health of your organisation is dependent on a healthy heart with a strong heartbeat and is as important as the health of your own heart and heartbeat. Zig Ziglar once said “Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.” A simple message for any leader.

    If you would like to ensure that your corporation is fit enough to tackle current and future challenges then contact me (Rachel Shackleton) for a free no-obligation chat.  

  • Where is the Honesty in Modern Leadership?

    Watching and listening to the various world leaders, no less my own, if “Boris” can be referred to as that, how important is it to work and lead your nation, your organisation, your department and most of all yourself with honesty and integrity?

    It was several days ago that “Boris” was photographed briefing his cabinet on the upcoming new and altered Covid rules which are to be rolled out to the nation.  There they all were sitting closely together around a table supposedly listening intently to what was being said.  Not a mask in sight.  Does that matter when the rules have been relaxed and masks are no longer compulsory?  Actually not, except for the fact that Boris was saying that masks in confined spaces, such as public transport, shops and offices are to be worn.  Is this a case of “Do as I say and not as I do”?

    This subtlety was not missed by our over eager press, and the health minister was later interviewed on the BBC about the message the photograph and particular incident was imparting to the general public, who incidentally, pay government representatives their wages, one would reasonably assume in return for doing their jobs.  In answer to the question from the interviewer, our health minister explained it as “The prime minister did say masks are to be worn if you are in confined spaces with strangers!”  Did we all miss something? Has the Corona virus suddenly found the ability to know who are strangers and who are not?

    Where is the Honesty in Modern Leadership?Where this is going, I have no idea.  However irrelevant of whether you like the current party’s politics or not, surely speaking the truth and working through honesty and integrity is vital to developing trust in those who follow you, not only in your leadership, but also in your goals, policies and direction?  That trust leads to a commitment to follow and implement recommended actions through a clear understanding of the reasoning behind what is being asked.  When there is no trust, it leads to the leadership style becoming more authoritarian and dictatorial in nature.  Perhaps this is the reason why governments have begun to micro-manage people through policies and processes around how to live our lives?

    In the example shown by “Boris”, leadership has drifted a long way from being honest with the general public.  In other words the people he leads. It seems that the leadership characteristic of being trustworthy is unimportant.  The fact that our prime minister is not referred to as Prime minister, Boris Johnson, or in the very least Mr Johnson, but simply “Boris” is reflective of the respect he has on the one hand earned and on the other is given by all he leads, meets and has dealings with. Even President Biden when talking about the new nuclear submarine deal referred to him as “Boris” and the Prime Minister of Australia as Prime Minister Morrison and not “Scott”.

    In an article featured in the IHCAN magazine (Integrated Healthcare and Applied Nutrition, September 2021) written by Ronald Bailey, the Science Correspondent for Reason and the author of several books, I was appalled to read the headlines “Zombie trials” and outright fraud: Why medical research is mostly fake news.  It further read “In a blistering editorial, former editor of the medical journal the BMJ, Dr Richard Smith has asked whether it’s time to assume that health research is fraudulent until proven otherwise.”  Smith continues, “We have now reached a point where those doing systematic reviews must start by assuming that a study is fraudulent until they can have some evidence to the contrary.”

    In his BMJ editorial work, Smith cites the work of Barbara K. Redman, author of Research Misconduct Policy in Biomedicine: “Beyond the Bad-Apple Approach.” Redman insists that the problem is not a problem of bad apples, but bad barrels, if not rotten forests or orchards.”  Redman points out that research misconduct is a systems problem as the system provides incentives to publish fraudulent research and does not have adequate regulatory processes.  She further explains that the research publication system is built on trust and peer review and is not designed to detect fraud. In other words, it is a system built on trust to be professional, and further science through this attitude and approach.  Apparently, journals, publishers, funders and research institutions have little incentive to check for fraud and a big disincentive against damaging their reputations by retracting studies.  This last point is staggering.  Surely, earning a reputation of being a fraudster and having your reputation desecrated is even worse?

    One of the greatest leaders of all time, Nelson Mandela once said “A bright future beckons. The onus is on us through hard work, honesty and integrity to reach for the stars.”

    Science is fundamental and affects so many aspects of our lives, starting with the obvious Corona Sars – Cov2 virus. If we can no longer believe our scientists as well as our world leaders, where does that lead us and where does that leave us?

     
    References

    Bailey, Ronald. (2021). Zombie Trials and outright fraud: why medical research is mostly fake news. IHCAN The practice and science of natural medicine, September, 42-42.
     
    WANT TO MAXIMAISE YOUR LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL? SEE OUR LEADERSHIP E-LEARNING COURSES!

  • Where is the Blue Ocean Strategy to “Beat COVID”?

    The current national and international lockdown is impacting individuals in ways that may not yet be obvious. Most organisations with the exception of those that are classed as “essential” are either working from home or closed, such as the hospitality sector including hotels, pubs, clubs, restaurants and sports centres as well as many small businesses that are either temporarily or permanently closed as their cash flow could not stand the “forced” closures.

    Whilst Covid19 has taken the world by storm and led leaders in governments to make extreme decisions by closing the economy to protect the vulnerable, what is the actual impact on individual health due to fear, anxiety and lack of social contact?  Is this being measured and is there a plan to address this?

    It is easy to be critical of our leaders for taking decisions that most leaders will never have to face, but assuming that these decisions to close economies are correct, where is the plan to manage the situation, and more importantly deal with the fallout from anxiety caused by firstly the fear of getting the deadly virus and secondly fear of the unknown due to potential redundancy, continued furlough, health of loved ones and so on that is increasing the number of people suffering from mental ill health on a daily basis?  How come this has not been addressed by our governments?  Are our leaders really blind to this?

    WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF FEAR ON A PERSON AND ON SOCIETY?

    During the last year, certainly in the UK we have been told to stay home to protect the vulnerable and our NHS (national health service) therefore, to avoid mixing and socialising, to not visit family members and to keep grandchildren away from their grandparents so that they do not pass on the virus, consequently protecting them. Whilst this is protecting them from Covid, could it be possible that we are negatively affecting both the grandchildren and the grandparents and possibly “killing” them with separation and isolation?

    The definition of fear according to the Cambridge dictionary is “an unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful or bad, that is happening or might happen.”

    Fear is the underlying issue that stops us from making change, from taking risk and most importantly from “hearing and seeing” what it is we need to see and hear.  It drives behaviour that we would not normally exhibit when we use our logic and think clearly using our left-brain function of analysis, calculation and logic. Infact fear paralyses the ability to think and therefore those being led through a fear situation often look to their leader/s to provide direction, surety and calm in the way forward.  This opens the door for an autocratic leadership approach during a crisis.  Followers are told what to do, and in most cases follow blindly during the time of uncertainty and chaos.

    Where is the blue ocean strategy to "beat covid"?As the chosen style of leadership has so far been the autocratic style surely it is time to address how we are to move forward in order to generate confidence and trust in both our leaders and the future?  As we have been under the Covid threat for almost a year now, and probably more than a year as there are reports of people suffering with Covid type symptoms in December of 2019, is it not time to pull together a plan of action to:

    1. Balance the Covid threat with everyday life enabling businesses to get on with business and for people to live and go about their business “normally”?
    2. Restore the economy from the devastation the pandemic has caused?
    3. Deal with the fallout from the fear that has led to the massive increase in mental ill health, anxiety and depressive disorders in all ages within our societies?
    4. Bring families together to support each other as would normally be the case in a crisis, rather than dividing them creating additional fear and insecurity, which in turn weakens the immune system?

    Surely leadership is not only about fighting fires, but putting in a plan to get everyone out of the fire, even in an unknown situation?  It is clear now that the current government adviser group are not coming up with answers to address most of these issues, simply hanging their hat on a vaccine that even they admit does not stop transmission of the virus nor does it make you immune against the virus. Therefore surely it makes sense to invite and listen to other expert bodies of people who are not within the usual adviser group to get some different perspectives and inputs on how to move forward out of this situation?

    This brings to mind the book, “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne published in 2005 which is primarily the study of Cirque de Soleil and several other organisations including Starbucks and North West Airlines and how they created new market space. Instead of competing in a red ocean, they created their own blue ocean of tranquillity and success and in so doing appealing to a new market, leaving competitors behind.   We have been in the Covid red ocean for too long, competing for who supplies who with what to fight the fire and “beat Covid”.  Where is the strategy to leave this red ocean and move on into calm and normality, whatever that might look like?

    Remember, “if you do what you always did, you will get what you always got”?  Cirque de Soleil came out of the red ocean it was in by analysing what others were doing, taking the best from that and creating something completely different, thus creating a market audience so that years later they are still very successful.

    When can we expect to see a Blue Ocean Strategy that our leaders use to lead us into calmer and successful waters?

     

    To find out more about how Green Key can help you and your leadership journey, contact Rachel directly. 

     

    References:

    Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne, published 2005, Harvard Business School Press

    NHS

  • What We Can Learn About E-Learning, From A 5-Year Old

    A guest blog post by Shaheen Sajan

    Interface, home screens and gamification truly enrich the learning environment and entice the learner to learn more and more. I recently purchased Osmo Genious kit for IPad which is bundled with activities that teach children reading, mathematics and problem-solving skills. 

    While I specialize in adult learning theory, every now and then I have that ‘aha’ moment when I notice certain universalities exist in terms of how both children and adults learn.  Playing Osmo with my 5-year old was one of those moments. 

    When my Osmo set first arrived in the mail, the packaging looked great and I couldn’t wait to get enough memory on my iPad to start installing all the large apps that are required to play each game.  Yes, looking at the cardboard and plastic pieces that came with the set I did feel the heavy price tag for this learning tool was steep.  I was determined however to prove Steve Jobs wrong when he said he would never give his kid an iPad as it would stifle their creativity. 

    I was excited about the possibility of my son playing games on a tablet that enabled him to still build his fine motor skills and that his attention would not be fully fixated on a screen. 

    We started with the Tangram game. He enjoyed watching the puzzles he created on the desk being mirrored onto the screen and receiving real time feedback on his success rate.  As the game unfolded, we realized there was a map on the home screen and solving each puzzle led us closer to rescuing a kidnapped figure locked in a castle tower.  We must have solved at least ten puzzles before we realized there was this gaming element to the app.  I blame the interface for not making that immediately obvious.  I observed while my son enjoyed Osmo Tangram, it was far from his favourite game in the kit. 

    We proceeded to play the Word game. He guessed the letter that was missing at the start of each word and then we were done with the junior level.  It turned out there are more activities we can download but it was such a struggle getting enough space on the iPad to install the Osmo app’s I really don’t know how I am going to find more space to install these add-ons.  In a debacle of parental sacrifice, it always seems to be my app’s that get deleted when we are trying to make space for his games.We can all learn a thing or two from children. My five-year old recently taught me about the importance of gamified e-learning. Read about what I learned, here.

    What we can learn about e-learning, from a 5-year oldGamified learning works for adults and children alike

    The prize winner by far was the Maths game.  I wouldn’t put the reason down to some stereotypes of boys excelling in mathematics or in them having a natural affinity towards it. I am a firm believer that such traits are socialized.  Simply put, he loved the maths game because it was an excellent example of gamified e-Learning.  I would go so far as to say if the elements in the Osmo maths game were replicated in an e-Learning module for adult learners, the learner would be more engaged in the course and would be more likely to retain the information they consumed.

    The power of choice is very motivating

    What was it that Osmo maths did that your e-Learning module should do?  First, this was the only game in the Genious Kit that enabled the learner to choose which question they wanted to answer.  Teaching is often full of a lot of assumptions that the learner does not know what the teacher is about to put before them.  While this issue can exist with young learners, it is more acutely a challenge with adult learners and can make any learner question or resent why they are being presented with something that is so unchallenging. 

    Putting the user in control of the learning process is a very empowering technique.  It removes any condescending notion and any assumption that they don’t already know what you are trying to teach them.  In the case of Osmo maths, the user is fishing and they choose which fish they will try to catch based on which maths question they will answer. 

    The second thing that Osmo maths does well is repetition.  The learner will be asked dozens of times what combination of numbers add up to numbers like 15, 20 or 23. Of course, it is up to them if they want to answer the question but each time they do, it helps reinforce what they know and makes for better retention of the material. 

    Interface can transform the learning experience

    What makes all of this so enjoyable is the excellent user interface and gamified elements embedded in Osmo maths. The interface starts with a gradient ocean.  The top of the ocean has a light colour and 9 levels in which the math questions are easy.  As you start scrolling down, you find the ocean gets a bit darker and the next 9 levels also get a bit more difficult.  The further you scroll down, you see more and more depths of the ocean unfolding and you can see there will be a long journey ahead for the young learner starting with simple addition and ending with multiplication and division. 

    Within each level, the user has a goal, to pop bubbles containing maths questions.  There is an element of strategy involved.  Trapped above some of the bubbles, there are fish and if you manage to pop the right bubbles below them, the fish fall into the ocean at the bottom of the screen and you get to see them floating around in their natural habitat. At the end of each level, the user gets a key that unlocks the next level.  I noticed this incentive of freeing fish worked wonders at motivating my son to play Osmo maths. In fact, he spent part of his day begging to do maths. I of course used this to my advantage by getting him to eat up everything that was on his plate at dinner.  His reward was the chance to do maths, I never imagined maths can be the incentive to get a child to eat his asparagus, but this is the power of gamified learning. 

    It is this exact gamification of learning that will make an e-Learning project a resounding success.  You will captivate your learner and motivate them to keep learning.  Remember, an excited learner, is an active and engaged learner.  That is when the wheels are turning and the knowledge seeps deep into the brain.  Gone are the days when the passive reader skims through volumes of data out of hopes that small glimmers of knowledge enter their cerebrum.

    Five-year olds aside, make your e-learning gamified and your adult learners will thank you for it.

    To find out more about how Green Key can design interactive e-Learning courses, please contact Rachel Shackleton directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

  • What is the impact of morale on productivity?

    I have been working with a hotel client who has been undergoing a change in ownership from one owner to another.  Any kind of management buyout, transfer of ownership, or change of direction within an organization is guaranteed to create unease amongst the management and staff.   Fear of the unknown is always daunting irrelevant of how vital our position might be or how many times we have been through similar situations.

    Major change automatically, whether consciously or not, takes an individual out of their comfort zone and into the potential sphere of the unknown, with the ultimate impact of slowing down work ethic and productivity through comments such as “The new owners may not like it this way – lets wait.”  “The new owners will probably change this so no point in starting.”  “Why start something now when a new General Manager is coming in soon and he will for sure want something different?” And so on.  Sounds familiar?  This slowing down has its effect on the business through less productivity, less desire to sort out customer problems and more “private chats” in the corridor.  The overall effect usually sees a drop in staff morale

    My client supported the idea of a one day ‘Change Management” programme with elements of effective communication, as the foundation to sharing information – concerns, worries, problems etc   The main goals of the workshops were to:

    • Realize the new owners expect a change in service offered to guests
    • Feel excited and empowered to make those changes
    • Be motivated to want to stay with the new owner

    These goals, whilst appearing unambitious revealed an enormous amount of information about how personnel were feeling, giving them an opportunity to share in a non-threatening environment. Additionally, providing an understanding of where the real problems lay – lack of uniform, poor canteen food, unfair scheduling, the difference between how casual labour are treated against full time staff, lack of and poor communication throughout the operation, lack of working equipment, thus driving the need to hide their own equipment to avoid being embarrassed when serving the guest, to identify a few.

    What was the impact of all these points on the overall morale of the personnel and therefore the direct correlation in how they were communicating with and serving guests and clients?  Knowing you are starting the day looking worn out, with only eight hours between finishing one shift and starting the next.  A uniform that is no longer smart and fresh looking because you only have one, and on this particular day, had no time to wash and dry it before the new shift.  These examples have great impact on internal confidence and morale even before considering the lack of operating equipment needed to serve all customers in the manner that is expected and other issues such as scheduling, communication and taking responsibility.

    As managers and leaders, how can we ask “more” of team members under these circumstances?  Clearly, we cannot.  Addressing these issues and many more has provided a foundation to build trust and from this to start to excite and inspire individuals to believe in what they are doing and to work together to achieve levels of excellence expected from each and everyone in the team.