Best Recipes Ever

Category: Executive Leadership

  • 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.  

  • 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

     

  • To bank or not to bank? The customer has a choice

    This morning, I travelled 25 miles to and from Reading specifically to meet with a Business manager from firstly the bank that I currently bank with, and secondly another bank that I am looking at in comparison.  Why you might ask did I travel that far to have this meeting? The simple answer is that the branch where I bank, which is 12 miles away does not have a business manager. Having tried to discuss the points by phone, it was agreed that I should come into Reading and meet with the one and only business manager for what appears to be the Berkshire area.

    This is an account of two experiences in two different banks on the same morning.

    Bank No. 1 where I have banked for more than 20 years.  The Business Manager who met me, based on the appointment made, was under the impression that I wanted to open an account.  Clearly the message of why I wanted to meet was not relayed.  Having corrected her on this topic, and explained why I was there, she immediately stood up and said that she would invite her senior, more experienced colleague to join and answer my numerous questions.

    The more experienced colleague started with the phrase “So what is your problem that I can help you with?”   Sadly, this question lacked my name in the first address.  Sincerely, if I personally had a problem, I would not be talking to a bank representative?  Again I repeated the issues that I would like to gain advice on, as well as to find some kind of solution.  The lady concerned turned to the rate sheet and began to demonstrate the charges involved in what actually is a very simple transaction.  To this, I explained “I know what the rates are, I am looking for a solution to this situation because for this simple transaction, it is costing me about 12% each time!”

    Sadly, the lady both missed my need for help and secondly ignored my frustration, which was evident from the lack of interest she showed in trying to find solutions that might mitigate some of the cost.  Instead, “Well you know we do not fix the rates!” she exclaimed.   With that I understood that my plight was neither important nor of any concern to this person, and perhaps to the company as a whole.  What’s one customer?  I tried one more time by saying “You are looking at a very unhappy customer,” in the hope that this might spur her to explore options and recognise me as an individual and a customer, rather than a number and a statistic.  Why you might ask?

    Bank No. 2 Just down the road a few hundred metres on the same high street is a competitor bank where I had also arranged a meeting, which had been re- confirmed with me that morning. This experience was so different it was a joy, despite not being 100% satisfactory due to my requirements. The business manager knew in general what I was coming for, offered me a drink and then proceeded to build rapport with me before going into the details of opening an account.  She took time to understand my needs and whilst unable to answer some of the questions arranged a meeting for me with the relevant person.

    In this bank, I watched with interest and focus on how other customers were being treated.  Each time the customer was given attention, interest and appropriately directed, or questions answered on the spot.  When the queue got more than 3 people waiting someone came out from an office and helped manage the enquiries.  It was a well-oiled team with customers at heart.

    How can two experiences with practically the same goal, be so different? We cannot attribute this to differing weather patterns, Brexit or any other reason. The end of this story is left to you the reader.  I know what I have done to ensure the bank I work with shares common values of respect, ownership, flexibility and simple old fashioned regard for me as a customer.

  • To Invest in Leadership Development or Not? That is the Question

    The Health & Safety Executive estimated that 31.5 million working days were lost due to work-related 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 it's 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

     

  • Successfully Adapting To Change

    I was out walking recently and heard green canaries chirping in the trees above. This led me to consider the meaning of “adaptability” and how important that is in our world today. Green canaries are not native to the UK. Coming from warmer climates, they have learned to adapt not only to the UK vegetation and food, but also the climate. How did they do this? 

    Being able to adapt to changing circumstances gives the possibility to see and embrace new opportunities, as well as to flow rather than block what is happening around us without becoming a “Yes” man or woman and just going along with everything, therefore being run roughshod over.

    WHEN IT COMES TO ADAPTING AND CHANGING ARE YOU PIVOTING OR ADAPTING?

    Pivoting is the ability to slightly alter your behaviour to accommodate a need created by one person or situation.  You might pivot to make a computer algorithm work, or to bring stability to a procedure or process in response to a situation that requires immediate change. It is not a short-term, superficial correction. It is a long-term solution that requires behavioural, procedure and system process change.

    Adapting on the other hand, is also about change in processes and procedures as well as adapting your behaviour to a change in business processes, company strategy or direction. When you adapt, you respond to a situation that requires change and “make suitable, make fit or suit”. 

    As the world is constantly changing, it is necessary for us to both pivot and adapt in response to change. Businesses, to survive need to adapt to changing external circumstances, such as new competition, economic and financial crises, lack of talent in the market, and many other reasons.  Internally within the organisation there can also be reasons, such as loss of market share, computerisation of certain processes and development of new products.   

    Change is recognising that we need to adapt or change from where and how things are now to what we want them to be.  It is not always negative.  The negativity around change is often individual perception which blocks ability to think positively and flow with the change, rather sticking with “the devil we know rather than the devil we don’t know,” even though things might not be functioning the way we would like them to function.  

    Successfully Adapting To ChangeAs humans we tend to create a default behaviour that includes routines, habits and patterns around seeking pleasure, avoiding pain and conserving energy. This is termed your “comfort zone”. The familiar and automatic ways of how you organise your life around what you know with little or no thought needed.  

    Your comfort zone will include actions and thoughts, for example actions might be getting a coffee from your favourite cafe on the way to work, checking emails every 30 minutes, taking the same route to work every day, and brushing your teeth after each meal. Thoughts might include patterns around “nothing will change, therefore why try?”, “I know I’m right”, and thoughts of “I can” and “I can’t”.  

    A comfort zone keeps you stuck in mediocrity and may even threaten your health and well-being as well as overall achievements.  Some comfort zone patterns and behaviours serve you, some do not as they can be very limiting and stop you from adapting and changing at times when it is needed. All have costs and payoffs. 

    Having grown accustomed to our comfort zones, they become largely invisible. 

    This means you have to consciously make an effort to “see” when you are in your comfort zone and question, especially in situations that require change whether a particular comfort zone is serving you or not. It is natural to struggle at some point with the unknown, preferring to stay with the familiar. It is that same comfort zone that can result in you becoming stagnant, dis-interested and lethargic. Stepping out of your comfort zone to adapt and change is what creates growth and personal development.

    WHAT ARE TYPICAL REACTIONS AND RESPONSES TO THE NEED TO CHANGE?

    Responses are likely to link to various comfort zones and other perceptions and personal goals and might include, but not be limited to: 

    • Denial 
    • Playing politics 
    • Desire to stay with the familiar – comfort zone 
    • Resistance – finding all the reasons why this is not a “good idea” because of: 
    • Fear of failure – anxiety “can I cope” 
    • Fear of job security – perceived threat 
    • Mistrust  
    • Embracing the change as it highlights potential opportunities 
    • Excitement around something new 
    • And many more. 

    Many of us struggle with the need to change on some level and these reactions are mostly natural and understandable, with the exception of playing politics. The Kubler-Ross change curve illustrates clearly the process we go through when facing the need to change:

    1. Shock – surprise or shock at the news and the fact that things are going to change. 
    2. Denial – Disbelief and looking for evidence that it is not true. Talking to others about what they have heard, why it might be the case and why it cannot relate to you. 
    3. Frustration – That you now recognise that things are going to be different. You might have some feelings of negativity, even frustration and anger. 
    4. Depression – A reaction to knowing that change is inevitable, resulting in lack of energy and low mood, which might be dispersed with bouts of anger. 
    5. Experiment – Initial engagement with the new situation. It is likely that you are hesitant and are not embracing the required change. Mechanical rather than whole-hearted, because is it something you “have” to do, rather than want to through personal choice. 
    6. Decision – Realisation that the change is here to stay, and you are coming to terms with it by supporting the process. Usually at this stage you feel more positive about it. 
    7. Integration – The change has been integrated and become the new norm. Mood and behaviour is consistent and positive as you feel “at one” with the new processes and system.​

    The Kubler-Ross change curve

    HOW CAN YOU CREATE STABILITY AROUND SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO ADAPT AND CHANGE?

    Address your attitude and approach – Whenever you are faced with the need to adapt, whether in a discussion when you do not share the same opinion or some other situation. Perhaps a decision has been made that you disagree with or there is a process, system or restructuring change needed in the work environment? What attitude do you adopt to discuss the issues that you face? Do you present a stubborn, unwilling, resisting person, or do you use enquiry to understand more before making up your mind? 

    Cognitive Ability – The cognitive aspect of adapting is reflected through your ability to enquire curiously. The desire to know more before you create your own opinion about what is required or potentially is about to happen. Only at this point making a decision using logical thinking and then expressing your opinion, thoughts and suggestions to support the need to adapt or change. 

    Emotional Reaction – If you care about something, it is very unlikely that you will not have some kind of emotional reaction. If you agree with the change you will likely demonstrate positive emotions, if you do not agree, then you might express this inwardly or outwardly. Inwardly suppressing your feelings and not sharing them with anyone, making it difficult for others to understand how you feel about the situation. If you express it outwardly there can be an array of reactions from a raised voice that is desperately trying to protect the current situation to anger and aggression, demonstrating a “controlling” approach that is pointing out all the reasons why this is not a good idea, and why keeping everything the same is the right thing to do.

    HOW DO YOU MANAGE THESE ASPECTS OF YOUR “HUMAN BEING” SO THAT YOU CAN ADAPT MORE EASILY?

    1. Listen to what is being explained without commentary. Hear what is being said without evaluation. Make notes if you need to. 
    2. Open up the discussion, asking questions to clarify any points and to fully understand.  
    3. If you agree with what is being said, say so and clarify points around any next steps. If you do not agree, avoid needless discussion and subjecting others to a barrage of reasons that making such changes is not a good idea. 
    4. Re-frame your position – think first of the positives around the suggested change and discuss those and then if needed ask questions to see clarification around aspects that appear to be less positive. 
    5. Pose your questions that highlight your concerns in relation to the change. Allow for discussion, remaining open and positive.
    6. As a result of the discussion, define what is expected and any goals. Gain agreement. 
    7. If you feel that it is still not a good idea having heard the answers to your questions, you can express this. At the same time, give your commitment to support the changes and adaptations needed. 
    8. Accept and flow with the changes. 

     

    “Every success story is a tale of constant revision, adaptation and change.”

    -Richard Branson

     

    Our E-learning course ‘Adapting to Change’ is coming soon. In the meantime, why not view our current catalogue of E-learning courses? 

     

    REFERENCES:

    On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross M.D 

    The Bigger Game, Laura Whitworth, Nick Tamlyn

  • Swan-like leadership – a festive thought moving into 2018

    At this time of year many of us try to be the archetypal model of a swan, gracefully gliding over the surface whilst paddling like fury under the water line trying to get everything done both in the work environment and at home!  I can relate to this, especially with so many events that come one after another.

    Above the surface we may seem calm and our leadership style appears in control, but minds are racing as we try to make sure that everything is in place to ensure we can enjoy the few days off from our place of work over this festive period, whilst at the same time multi or triple tasking to do all the things for the family to make the time together special.  As minds are on ‘organisational alert,’ we risk asking the retrospective question of ‘was it worth it?’  We ask this because our minds weren’t there to enjoy it … they were on other things!  In all of this we know that this isn’t the real ‘mature’ or most effective way to live, to enjoy this season and to enjoy life as a whole.

    What should we do to avoid this trap of frenzied living?

    There are other levels in life, from deep spiritual to intense physical times.  Often these happen unexpectedly and in these times we can and do experience deep joy, a sense of perspective, a sense of peace and calm.  Frequently these times of true living are missed. When I think of life and how easy it is to fall into the ‘swan’ model, I know there is more.  There are other levels to know and live a fuller life.  I am not saying that we should ‘down tools’ and not work hard towards the good things we want for ourselves and others.  To me it is all about ‘multi-level living as opposed to triple tasking!’  Seeing clearly what is important and working with commitment and in full presence.

    In the coming year I hope to be ‘swan-like’ as I do my part to organise and put into place all resolutions, goals, events etc. I wish everyone a level of spiritual calm that puts things into perspective showing us what is and is not important, a resource that gives a deeper sense than that of frenzied paddling, leading to a sense of balance, bringing about refreshing leadership, clear decision making and a fun place to be as well as a fun person to be with.

    Wishing everyone joy whilst celebrating this special festive season and inner calm to ensuring effective and fun self leadership and leadership of others in 2018.  May all your goals and resolutions be achieved with ease.

  • Leading a Contact Centre – The Hidden Challenges

    As a manager of a support or contact centre, do you recognise any of these challenges when trying to lead your team to deliver excellent and consistent customer service, while also meeting demanding performance targets?

    If so, you’re not alone. Many contact centre managers face a combination of people, performance, and engagement challenges that make leading others one of the toughest, but most rewarding roles in business today.

    1. The Leadership Learning Curve

    Too often, managers step into their roles with little preparation or development for what leadership truly entails. They may have been top-performing agents, but managing others requires a different skill set entirely.

    Common challenges include:

    • Difficulty transitioning from team player to manager
    • Lack of emotional intelligence to build trust and strong relationships
    • Avoiding difficult conversations or giving feedback when performance dips
    • Struggling to coach effectively to drive behavioural change
    • Handling too many escalated calls, which may signal a lack of team empowerment.

    Leadership in a contact centre is about influence, coaching, and empathy—skills that require focused development and continuous learning.

    2. The Human Connection in a Hybrid World

    Many organisations celebrate hybrid working as a win-win: reduced office costs, better work-life balance, and increased flexibility. But there’s another side to the story—human engagement between managers and employees can easily drop when face-to-face contact becomes rare. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” too often becomes reality.

    When team members feel disconnected, motivation slips, communication weakens, and performance targets suffer. Today’s managers need new skills to lead remotely—skills in virtual communication, trust-building, and emotional presence to ensure their teams remain inspired, supported, and empowered, even when working miles apart.

    3. The Cost of Constant Turnover

    Every new hire whether in a contact centre or elsewhere typically needs months of training and coaching before reaching full productivity. When attrition is high, managers are caught in a constant cycle of recruiting, onboarding, and retraining—leaving less time for strategy, coaching, and customer experience improvement.

    High staff turnover is not only financially costly, but it also drains team morale and consistency. Customers notice when they’re dealing with inexperienced agents, and loyal employees feel frustrated when they must constantly compensate and fill gaps.

    4. Beyond “It’s Typical for This Role”: Tackling Attrition at the Source

    Attrition in support centres is often accepted as “part of the job.” But if we dig deeper, it can reveal more serious root causes and concerns:

    • A toxic work culture where stress and burnout go unchecked
    • Poor management practices or lack of employee recognition
    • Weak recruiting that places the wrong people in the wrong roles.

    While some turnover is healthy and brings fresh perspectives, excessive churn creates chaos, inconsistency, and frustration for both employees and customers. The key to reducing attrition isn’t just about better pay or benefits—it’s about developing great managers. Managers who communicate clearly, coach effectively, and build trust and motivation create environments where people want to stay, do a great job and grow.

    5. Investing in Manager Development Is No Longer Optional

    The success of any support centre ultimately depends on the capability of its managers. By equipping them with the right skills—emotional intelligence, feedback delivery, coaching, and remote leadership, organisations can:

    • Strengthen employee engagement
    • Reduce costly turnover
    • Improve customer satisfaction
    • And create a culture of accountability and empowerment.

    In the end, great customer service starts with great leadership. Developing your managers isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s the foundation for a healthy, high-performing contact centre.

    The key lies in developing managers who can:

    •           Lead with empathy and accountability

    •           Coach effectively to build competence and confidence

    •           Maintain engagement in hybrid settings

    •           Model the culture you want your customers to experience

    Strong leadership remains the cornerstone of every high-performing team, department, and organisation.

    Looking for learning solutions to support development of your managers, here's a recent case study:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/improving-support-centre-effectiveness

    More reading:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/blog?p=thriving-call-centre-culture-wellbeing-success

     One of our solutions:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/bundles/management-skills-in-the-tech-sector

     

  • The impact of a toxic job

    Recently I have been deeply saddened by the number of people that I know that have a toxic job in a toxic environment whether physically in the office or remotely. When listening to the news over the last few months that staff are scarce and it is difficult to hire personnel for the many job vacancies, I am beginning to wonder if there some correlation between leadership and the way employees are treated and the scarcity of people, and therefore the inability to hire to fill vacancies?

    Everyone has bad days at work, but there are signs that employees and employers need to watch out for before a bad week “at the office” turns into never-ending, debilitating work stress that is ruining their personal health.  

    Too many people are trapped in toxic jobs. Jeffrey Pfeffer, an organizational behaviour professor at Stanford wrote in his book  “Dying for a Paycheck,”  (March 2018) that research has found that poor management in U.S. companies accounted for up to 8 percent of annual health costs and was associated with 120,000 excess deaths every year. Are employers really asking employees to put up with poor management and a toxic work environment at the cost of their health?

    As a Naturopath, Kinesiologist and Medical Herbalist, when consulting private clients about their health it is clear when the body knows subconsciously that their job is to blame for feelings of stress and overwhelm and it is that that is leading to the very symptoms they are consulting me about.

    What are typical symptoms when subjected to stress for long periods of time causing overwhelm, feelings of being over-stressed and potentially burnt out?

    Poor Sleep

    Very often poor or lack of sleep is one of the main symptoms. Clients report either not being able to sleep because their mind is racing or not being able to stay asleep, waking up in the middle of the night thinking about their to-do list or how to address a “conflict” issue with their boss. A few restless nights is not a big deal, but if it becomes a pattern, that may be a sign that job stress has become toxic.

    Waking night after night feeling more and more exhausted is a recipe for increasing mistakes when at work leading to re-work, which then affects the achievement of agreed goals and deadlines, causing a downward spiral to ill-health and poor performance.

    Headaches 

    I remember having a job many years ago, that literally made me sick. I would stand outside the door and all my muscles would tense up to guard my body from injury, causing chronic tension in my neck, shoulders and head. Chronic tension in this area is often associated with tension headaches and if it continues for weeks, may result in migraines, both being extremely debilitating, but migraine having the power to shut down the body and mind for up to 24 hours before the person begins to feel a little better.

    Digestion Issues and Nausea

    When in a job that is toxic, it can feel like you’re fighting off a wild tiger at your desk. Under a perceived threat, your brain floods the system with adrenaline and other stress hormones.

    A nervous system constantly under stress, can cause feelings of nausea, issues with digestion such as diahorrea or even constipation, as the body holds on to something that simply it cannot let go of. Notice how you and your employees are sitting when working at their computer? Are their shoulders hunched and jaw clenched most of the time as this might be a sign that the job is impacting health. 

    Indigestion, constipation and bloating can all be associated with stress, but not always the main cause, as stress impacts what and how the gut digests foods. Stress due to circulating stress hormones has the ability to impact healthy gut bacteria which in turn impacts mood due to the gut-brain axis. 

    Poor Mental Health

    At the moment, there is great emphasis on poor mental health and how organisations are to address this to prevent employees from suffering with mental health diseases, such as anxiety, mood swings, low mood and depression. Could it be that the toxic workplace and/ or boss is actually causing the mental ill-health in the first place?

    In 2019 depression was the leading cause of mental health related diseases and major cause of disability worldwide affecting approximately 280 million people and accounting for more than 47 million disability-adjusted life years in the same year. In fact, post Covid, a World Health Organisation (WHO) study published in April 2022 states that “global prevalence of mental health disorders increased by a massive 25% across the board”. Young people and women being the worst hit.

    Suffering from Regular Sickness

    If you are catching colds constantly, or don’t seem to be able to shake off a cold, ask yourself “Why this might be so?” If you have employees that seem to be constantly sick, have a closer look at what they are doing? Are they constantly working under pressure and stress, or very long hours just to keep up? Are they happy and fulfilled in what they are doing? How do you encourage and lead them? Do you give positive feedback on a regular basis or are you quick to criticise and highlight all the things that they are doing wrong?

    There is a direct relationship to living a happy fulfilled life and health. Chronic stress, whatever the source will compromise the immune system, making the individual more susceptible to illness, therefore that cycle of illness-exhaustion-unhappiness repeating over and over. This obviously increases sickness and absenteeism within a department, putting stress on those that are working, and the company as a whole.

    Tired all the Time

    A feeling of being tired all the time, having no energy and the desire to sleep is fatigue, a bone-deep weariness that no nap or weekend lie-in seems to cure. Toxic jobs and a / or a toxic work environment or relationship can create a cycle that drains us. When feeling overwhelmed we tend to lack focus and concentration and therefore require longer working hours to achieve the same result. This in turn leads to a downward spiral and results in time off to recuperate.

    Appetite Changes

    Appetite is closely linked to your brain. Under acute stress, your fight-or-flight response releases adrenaline, telling your body to suppress digestion to focus on saving you from the perceived danger. Under long-term stress the body’s adrenal glands release and build up cortisol, a hormone which can increase hunger. When your job is causing long-term emotional distress, you may turn to food for comfort or completely lose your appetite.  

    Sugary foods and caffeine-based drinks are often the type of food craved when under stress because the body and brain are burning masses of energy just to sustain an even keel. Sugary foods, often known as comfort foods, as with caffeine-based drinks, give that quick energy boost to get you through the next task. Doing this occasionally will not cause too much harm, but when locked into this cycle the downside is a sugar low, and over time that low gets lower and the energy boost lower also, feeding a craving for more and more sugar, but resulting in less and less energy.

    What is Your Responsibility in Staying Healthy?

    As an Employee:

    Address the toxic boss – Go straight to the horse’s mouth and lead an open conversation about how you are feeling and why. Calling your boss “toxic” certainly will not win you any brownie points but, pointing out that his or her leadership approach is inappropriate to lead and encourage to be at your best and most productive, just might. If it doesn’t you know where you stand.

    Reframe your negative thinking – One of the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy, is that how you think can change how you feel. Perhaps changing jobs is not an option for you. Therefore, reframing the situation might just work. Using mindfulness to manage unhelpful churning thoughts about how a recent presentation went, what you should have said in a particular situation, instead of what you did say, or what a colleague said to you, can be very useful in stopping these unhelpful thoughts that create dissatisfaction and drain energy while they are at it!

    Create personal boundaries – Create boundaries for how many hours you work each day. Don’t be overly pedantic about this in being sure to observe the exact start and finish times, but generally stay within the parameters. Take breaks for lunch and get away from your work-station, computer or regular place of actual work, so that you can enjoy your break without interruption. Educate others around your boundaries so that they too can organise themselves.

    Be clear on goals – Clarify anything that is not clear before embarking on the task. Fumbling through tasks that are not clear in the hope that you might get it right uses up much unnecessary energy through generating feelings of lack of confidence and circulating self-talk, while also running round trying to find information from others who are themselves not clear on what they are responsible for and therefore don’t have what you need.

    Leave – On recognising that you are in the “wrong” job for you, see these things as a warning that you need to get a new job. Long hours, absence of autonomy, uncertain scheduling, poor management and economic insecurity of a job are all factors that contribute to a toxic workplace environment that employees need to leave behind, not just cope with. If you have tried to solve the issue with your direct boss, perhaps HR as well, and nothing has changed you need to fix the underlying problem, not continue to deal with the symptoms in the hope that something will change.

    As a Leader:

    Listen to your employees – If they are providing feedback about you or the way in which the department is functioning, whether positive or otherwise, listen. Take it as positive and constructive, understand what is relevant and address it.

    Give regular positive feedback – Positive feedback is one of the most important tools you have in your management toolbox. Be sure to give to all your employees regular, positive feedback and make negative feedback constructive to motivate the person to change.

    Address conflict in the team – Avoid pushing conflict under the carpet. Bring it out into the open with relevant parties and get commitment to change. Conflict in the workplace causes those not involved to either discuss it in the corridor, thus becoming involved and adding fuel to the fire, or to withdraw. Both strategies are unhelpful to maintaining a productive environment and healthy teamwork.

    Dare to ask employees how they are doing – Asking this question will build trust and an open environment to discuss things that might be causing difficulty and therefore stress. When asking this question be sure to listen to the answer! Not listening may make the matter worse.

    Follow up – Show your interest in your employees by following up on conversations and changes as a result of those conversations. This shows respect to your employees and shows that you really care.

    In summary – a toxic work environment is caused by many factors. Living with it is not necessary and therefore be prepared to address it one way or another with the relevant parties. If you are a manager and leader, have close contact with your employees to know what aspects of the job might be causing too much stress and loss of productivity and then to proactively do something about it before complaining and unhappiness contribute to making a toxic work environment.

  • The Impact of Employee Health and Wellbeing on Your Bottom Line?

    Working with individuals on work-life balance, as well as with groups, I am seeing more and more people with adrenal stress, very often caused by stress from work.  Reasons for the stress vary, however these can be self inflicted, such as wanting 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 springing 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, a manipulative leader who can only influence 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, practicing chameleon type behaviours, swinging from one mood to the next.

    The Health & Safety Executive estimated that 31.2 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2016/17.  25.7 million were due to work-related ill health!  Adrenal fatigue is when the adrenal system struggles to maintain homeostatic balance, leading to depletion and dysregulation of the adrenal glands and Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis after a long period of emotional stress or chronic illness.  Adrenal stress, due to fatigue presents in different ways.  Early signs might be intermittent lack of energy, low motivation and poor sleep.  More advanced stages will include these and other symptoms, such as nights sweats, brain fog, lack of energy to do anything, headaches, poor functioning immune system, resulting in colds and flu, as well as cravings for carbohydrate foods and stimulants such as coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks all giving that quick, short lived, hit or energy boost. (http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/dayslost.htm) 

    Is management of stress a function of leadership?  One could argue that this is personal and thus individual to each person to manage themselves effectively in order to manage what life throws at them, and therefore not under the leadership role or umbrella.  However, if work-days are being lost from absenteeism due to overload and stress, it becomes every leader’s concern and issue.  Therefore, is it better to manage the situation before it gets to this stage or wait until the person gets sick and submits a doctor’s note?

  • The Importance Of Recognition When Leading Others

    A MESSAGE FROM THE NA’VI PEOPLE OF PANDORA

    In my personal experience it is common to both use and hear the term “recognition” in the work environment, especially when referring to motivation of others. What does it mean to give recognition, and how does that differ from giving appreciation, or appreciating someone or something?

    An explanation of the word “recognition” – to recognise someone in the work environment means, ”the act of publicly acknowledging your employees for what they do.” In other words, recognising someone for what they do in their job role and the value they bring in that role. On the other hand, employee appreciation is about who you are and how colleagues, irrelevant of role, naturally recognize each other and make the workplace feel more inclusive and human. This might also be extended into knowing you as being a valuable part of the team. Since the advent of hybrid working, It is not always remembered that humans need other humans, and that being part of a group or team is one of the main reasons why we like to go to work. In other words, the appreciation that we receive from others that feeds into our feelings of belonging.

    The Oxford dictionary defines recognition as “The act of recognising; acknowledging especially” and defines appreciation as “The pleasure that you have when you enjoy the good qualities of somebody or something.”

    In the film Avatar – the greeting that the Na’vi people, living on Pandora on meeting each other was “I see you.” This greeting was not just about literally seeing someone, but really seeing them in a holistic manner – the physical presence, mental and emotional aspects as well as the person inside, the very soul of a person. What a beautiful phrase of appreciation and recognition to truly “see” someone.

    Employee recognition combined with appreciation is one of the most important factors in driving workplace engagement, productivity, performance and employee retention. At its core, employee recognition is another word for feedback, usually associated with feedback focused on an employee’s strengths and what they’re doing well, a technique that encourages more of the same. It is also an expression of appreciation and gratitude.  Living and working in an environment of gratitude when inclusive within the entire organisation makes the operation more fun, meaningful, a place where people want to “belong” and be associated, as well as an environment that is productive and employees enjoy performing at their best.

    In the work environment we mostly link recognition as being positive and connected to what an individual is doing right and has done well, however recognition can also be negative. The power of giving recognition for good performance publicly enhances the positive impact on the individual to do more of the same. Negative recognition, sadly all too often is given inappropriately and perhaps even publicly, lacking a constructive and positive approach, especially when the manager and leader has limited emotional intelligence and fails to understand that negative recognition whether given publicly or not amplifies the negative impact on that person and rather than enhancing performance actually leads to the opposite – a de-motivated, deflated and often highly embarrassed individual who has now lost face amongst his or her colleagues, thus threatening the secure and important ties of “belonging”. An individual having been berated openly and unconstructively is unlikely to be your best performing employee certainly in the short term and likely for much longer, if indeed they stay in your employ.

    What can we learn from Avatar, the film and the Na’vi people of Pandora? How does “I see you” translate into performance, to build excellence, increase productivity as well as employee retention. The latter being one of the biggest challenges organisations face today. Perhaps, truly “seeing” someone, a colleague or team member, you not only recognise them for what they do, but also appreciate and value them for who they are?