Best Recipes Ever

Blog

  • Are You Educating Your Female Workforce On How To Manage Their Performance Through Menopause?

    A recent headline “Menopause is forcing women to retire early” written in an article by Caitlin Powell on 7 December, got me thinking about this statement.

    Firstly, no one forces you to retire irrelevant of the symptoms you might be suffering whether menopause related or otherwise. In fact, no one forces you to do anything as there is always an element of personal choice. Retirement might be a choice that is arrived at through discussion with an employer, due to some work-related issues, but at the end of the day, each one of us decides our own journey.

    Andy Briggs, the government’s champion for older workers, told the Mail on Sunday, “To leave the workplace in your fifties – when we know that you’re far less likely than someone younger to return to work – has a huge impact on your retirement income.”  This comment further highlights the fact, that women can make their own choice about when they retire and can seek help for the natural body changes that menopause brings to all women at some stage in their life.

    It is common knowledge that nearly 4 million women who are in employment in the UK are aged between 45 and 55.  Women over the age of 50 are the fastest growing workforce segment. As the average age to experience menopause is 51-52 in the Western world, it is expected that peri-menopause starts around the age of 45-46, with changes to their menstruation cycle. Transitioning through menopause can take up to 10 years. This is a long time to be suffering from symptoms such as brain fogginess, lack of concentration, hot flushes, poor sleep, irritability and lethargy, all of which often contribute to poor performance. Therefore, one could say “quite rightly that organisations encourage women to retire when performance is greatly reduced.”

    This workforce segment is important to the labour market, it is important to companies and to women themselves. Social programming might want us to believe that menopause is the end of life for women. This is not true. Menopause is a natural change in the female body, male body also during andropause, and can be extremely liberating, with minimal interruptions to work-life integration and overall wellbeing.

    Why is it that some women sail through menopause and others suffer from many of the symptoms mentioned above?

    Most of us prepare for our older age and our retirement, menopause can be considered a part of that and women can prepare for this in order to limit the negative impact of these natural body changes. Taking a brief look at a 1987 study conducted with 13,996 Japanese women the results concluded that:

    • “Studies and anecdotal evidence show that after their last menstrual period and the onset of menopause, American women and other ethnicities have a worse experience than Japanese women.
    • Japanese women have less severe hot flashes/flushes, insomnia, night sweats, joint pain, urine leakage, and increased heart rate.  They generally also have fewer symptoms.
    • Plus, they have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and brain cancer.”

    Are You Educating Your Female Workforce On How To Manage Their Performance Through Menopause?This study pointed out that this is not about genetics, it is about the differences in diet and the main differences are lack of or no wheat and dairy in the Japanese diet, as well as the inclusion of soy and soy products.  As the average menopausal woman produces less estrogen, soy helps to balance the body during the changes. As soy contains isoflavones, they work like estrogen, albeit in a much weaker manner. With a healthy portion of soy in your diet, you can effectively prevent the worst that menopause presents.

    5 Key points for limiting the negative impact on personal performance during menopause

    These points can be implemented not only to transition smoothly through this period, but also will help with overall health.

    1. Nutrition and Hydration

    Limit the amount of wheat or remove wheat from your diet.

    Eat the rainbow every day in fruit and vegetables and include a minimum of 10 per day to increase fibre, vitamins and mineral intake.

    Include soy and soy products in your diet on a daily basis (with caution if you are suffering thyroid issues). Protect bone density with Vitamin D3.

    Limit convenience foods which are full of preservatives, “E’s” and other additives as they exacerbate hot flushes, brain fog and poor sleep by choking up the liver. Instead cook from fresh ingredients and choose a salad or soup over a sandwich and fizzy drink at lunch time.

    Keep hydrated. Many of our body systems require water to function including the blood, removal of waste from the cells, digestion, brain function and so on. Providing water stations in the office can go a long way to helping employees keep hydrated.

    2. Movement

    The lymphatic system which is responsible for removal of toxins from the body relies on natural body movement. Lack of exercise, whether walking, tennis, football, cycling or any other sport decreases lymphatic drainage, therefore the level of toxicity within the body increases. Help your body and mind to function well with gentle movement on a daily basis.

    3. Fresh Air

    Getting outside, irrelevant of the weather is so important to wellbeing overall. Oxygenating the blood and boosting endorphins, the feel-good factor, fresh air helps to calm the central nervous system, de-stress the mind and aid performance. As a leader, encourage your female and male team members to go outside in their lunch break as this is one of the best gifts you can give them.  It clears the head, helps with de-stressing mind and body and aids performance, increasing productivity on return to your work place.

    4. Resilience and Stress Management

    We assume that stress is something that comes from an external source. That is mostly true. However, each one of us has a choice on how we manage external stressors and therefore how they impact internally, including being assertive to voice our opinions, being assertive to say “No” when the system is already on “overload”, taking time out when things become overwhelming. Cutting out “me” time on a regular basis, eating mindfully as opposed to grabbing something quickly, as well as sharing issues and worries and asking for help when we need it, all impact whether we internalise stresses.

    Stressors are not only things that we see and experience such as conflict, lack of openness and trust, financial issues etc, but toxins in the air, water and foods that we breathe eat and drink, all add stress. Electromagnetic frequencies that we all live in due to our wifi driven world affects the signalling in both body and mind and has direct impact on how we sleep. When menopausal the body is more sensitive to these frequencies, further contributing to poor sleep. Create EMF down time and switch off wifi at night.

    5. Sleep

    Sleep is essential and due to hormonal changes, it tends to suffer creating a vicious cycle of not sleeping, waking exhausted, then dealing with a stressful lifestyle and work life, gorging on foods that give a quick energy boost just to get through the day.  Each time the boost wears off it leads to a lower low, and so the cycle goes on creating in its wake poor memory, brain fogginess, adrenal stress and headaches.  Improving sleep quality goes a long way to supporting women going through perimenopause and menopause. The practice of a regular sleep-wake cycle is very beneficial for most of us, perhaps more so for women who are menopausal. Getting to bed at a regular time and waking at the same regular time is important and using the natural rhythm of nature to be in bed before 11pm and up eight hours later, will help improve sleep. That in turn tones down how we react to stressful situations and work demands, limiting any negative impact on performance.

    Educating your male and female workforce in the topic of menopause and providing supportive leadership and direction, will ensure you keep your female workforce through the transition and out the other side. That to me looks like a win-win for everyone!

    For more information on our course “The Impact of Menopause on Performance,” contact on 01235 639 430 or rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

  • Are Leaders Born or Made?

    “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one that does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”  Ronald Reagan

    The question of whether leaders are born or can be made through learning and development is a question that is very often asked. This blog will explore the relationship between being a natural born leader, which certainly many people are, as well as learning the skills of an effective leader.

    Working on the premise that leadership is influencing others to want to do their job while management, also very important is getting the job done through others, the differentiating factor we could argue is how we influence those who work with us to want to do their job, to love doing their job, and to do it well on a consistent basis.

    What makes an individual want to do and love their job? Initial motivation to get out of bed in the morning has to be the responsibility of the individual, as does the positivity and excitement to turn up for work. The question then is what makes the experience between someone who turns up for work because they need the money and someone who wants to be there, enjoy the daily challenges as well as the regular tasks and duties that are a part of all roles. The answer lies in looking at the importance of colleagues who we associate with and enjoy working with as well as the person that we report to and who guides us while bringing out the best in each person. That manager and leader builds motivation and commitment in each unique individual to inspire them to want to as well as to love, coming to work. The person that builds a positive, fun climate in order to deliver peak performance.

    Characteristics and skills of an effective leader include, but may not be limited to:

    Honesty and integrity saying what you will do and doing it, being true to and keeping to your word, being consistent with those you lead and not treating one person more favourably than the other. As well as being consistent in all your actions and behaviours. Operating with high levels of personal integrity.

    Openness – being open to share feedback, both positive and constructive negative feedback while also showing vulnerabilities and encouraging and allowing others to also be open to share, to provide their feedback to you as well as other team members.

    Positivity – irrelevant of what is happening to find the upsides without being unrealistic. Remaining upbeat despite challenges and difficulties, not pulling yourself and others down.

    Ability to listen – perhaps the most critical of all the characteristics and skills of a leader. Taking time to hear others, being fully present and not necessarily finding a solution for that person’s plight, but simply listening and showing that you care. Listening is also important when it comes to listening to oneself. Knowing how you feel and acknowledging that. Addressing issues without taking them out on those you lead. Giving out the message that you are here, present and available while being able to show self-compassion and compassion for others.

    Humility – not being afraid to show your humble side. Just because you have been given the role and the job description, does not mean that you have to have all the answers. It is fine to say, “I don’t know what to do in this situation, does anyone else have any ideas?”

    Desire to see others grow and develop – Wanting to keep everything within your control only serves to stifle growth and development of both yourself and others. Trusting colleagues to deliver gives freedom to make decisions, freedom to experiment and try without fear of reprisal if it all goes wrong. Using these opportunities for assisting learning and development builds trust.

    Learning mentality – Leaders who do not have a learning mentality for themselves as well as others, will soon reach their ceiling of growth and be left behind.

    Trust – trusting yourself and trusting others creates an atmosphere of positivity, wanting to learn, confidence to take on something new and address challenges, ultimately leading to positive and constructive feedback and delegation of authority to create autonomy within the workforce. It takes time to earn trust which is an accumulation of all the little things that you do and say.

    Purpose and vision – Has a clear vision and knows their own purpose, why he or she is in the position of a leader, while also being clear about the purpose and direction of the organisation or department and is able to share that purpose and vision with others in order to build commitment.

    Self-care – Each one of us has a responsibility to ourselves firstly to ensure we are full of wellness and vitality through respect for mind, body and soul. Vitality is not just about regularly going to a gym, jogging, swimming or playing tennis it is much broader than that. Focusing only on the physical aspects of ourselves, failing to address the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects that are often the foundation to wellness and who we are, what we are experiencing and how we show up and contribute to this the world means we are addressing 25% of what contributes to wellness, vitality and general wellbing.

    Looking around the world at our “global” leaders, those nominated to lead a country, I struggle to find many of these skills and characteristics. Is it a surprise that governments are in disarray? I won’t take your time or energy to pick those apart that regularly feature in our media, sadly for the wrong reasons, I’ll leave you to do that using the above points. What went wrong in our systems? At this time, I cannot find a reasonable answer. Is it a reflection of our education system, upbringing, life experiences or culture? Probably a bit of each.

    Returning to the main question of can you learn to be an effective leader?  Do you learn integrity, honesty, how to trust and how to listen, are these characteristics and skills acquired somehow, or are you simply born with them? Integrity and honesty come from one’s upbringing while the ability to listen effectively and provide feedback are skills that can be learned if a person is interested while being given the experience of a wonderful role model in one or several job roles, through a family member or other role model who is closely followed.

    Developing your managers to become effective leaders is never too late. Giving them the skills to perform well, nurture individuals and teams to build commitment, encourage growth and development of others, while developing themselves is critical not only to the individual, but to the business as a whole. Without an effective leadership team, your ship is sailing without a rudder. It is like setting sail with all the bells and whistles, latest technology, fantastic systems, luxurious interior design, as did the Titanic when she set sail on April 10, 1912. Investing in development of your leadership team, irrelevant of seniority, makes sound, financial sense.

    If you want to optimise your leadership skills or develop the leadership skills of a manager then please drop me an email to rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com or book a zoom call.

  • Are Bots Really The Best Option?

    With the ever-advancing fast pace of technology, more and more customer support functions are being taken over by bots.

    WHAT IS A BOT?

    As defined by www.Techterms.com, “A internet bot, also known as web robot, www robot or simply bot, is a software application that runs automated tasks (scripts) over the Internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone.” 

    There are many types of bot, the most common being Web Crawlers, Chat Room Bots, and Malicious Bots.

    Bots are becoming ever more popular for small and large businesses alike. While they have some clear benefits, do they really outweigh the negatives?

    Do bots provide the best customer service?DO BOTS PROVIDE THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE?

    Why do we think that a robot can do the job of a person in areas of customer interaction?

    Perhaps I am the dinosaur here?   The impact of using a bot in place of a human has some advantages certainly, but also many glitches, not to mention inabilities.

    A bot cannot answer anything that is non standard.  In my experience there are few customers that want to be classed as “standard”.  Certainly, there are questions that customers ask that are common to many customers and these can easily be handled via search or frequent questions on the same web page.

    However, non-standard questions, which for me seem to be the norm, cannot be addressed by a programmed robot.  In fact, what ends up happening is a deep frustration on the part of the customer who spends a great deal of time chatting with Philip, the bot, who is chatting to lots of other customers at the same time.

    Ultimately, you find ‘Philip’ either gives you an unsatisfactory answer that does not address the question because he does not understand it in the first place, or you stop the chat out of shear frustration due to slowness of response. 

    THE POSSIBLE IMPACTS

    Has anyone stopped to assess the impact of these so-called improved steps on:

    • Customer satisfaction?
    • Loss of customers due to lack of human contact?
    • Whether or not the customer’s issue was addressed?
    • Whether or not the customer’s issue was resolved?

    It seems to me that evaluation of the use of a bot is done from a cost effective position only.  However, I will be glad to stand corrected on this point.

    What drives a company to use bots?WHAT DRIVES A COMPANY TO USE BOTS?

    Bots are becoming ever more popular for small and large businesses alike. While they have some clear benefits, do they really outweigh the negatives?

    Asking the question in another way – Why do company’s wish to avoid or be uncontactable by its customers? There are several answers that I can think of:

    • Companies want to avoid a training cost that is inevitable to ensure excellent customer service.
    • Companies don’t want to invest in hiring and training management who lead the support team.
    • The operators, support team etc. are afraid of customers’ questions because firstly perhaps they do not know the answers to the questions asked and secondly do not know how to get the answers.
    • The companies believe their own product and service to be perfect and therefore there is no reason for customers to contact us.
    • The customer is not a priority or important, therefore why have personnel to provide a service to the customer.

    There are probably many more answers to this question.  However, just looking at these possibilities is both scary and thought provoking at the same time. 

    CUSTOMER SERVICE BUILDS LOYALTY

    Is it just me who wants to talk to a person because I believe in the human ability to solve the issue they are faced with, and if not able to, can at least share some empathy to your dilemma or difficulty?

    Perhaps I need to think differently about customer service and how I work with my customers to train team members – team leads, managers and leaders to inspire and drive excellent service in their teams. This is both enjoyable and essential to building customer loyalty and therefore business sustainability.

    ARE WE LOWERING OUR EXPECTATIONS?

    My expectations of banks, airlines, suppliers, shops and similar businesses, is one of excellence; of genuine interest in the client and customer base. I also expect these businesses to have the ability to communicate effectively, irrelevant of the issue, and have the desire to resolve the issue, provide the answers and ensure that the customer is overall satisfied.

    Are we really expected to accept mediocrity because a bot can only do what a bot is programmed to do? In other words a bot can only deal with issues that fall within the area of bot-expertise.  On either side of this expertise it is necessary to have human skills.

    Bots are becoming ever more popular for small and large businesses alike. While they have some clear benefits, do they really outweigh the negatives?

    Are we lowering our expectations?

    THE BENEFITS OF HUMAN CUSTOMER SERVICE

    In drawing a parallel to the current level of bot-expertise, you can say that humans have the same issue if untrained.  In any event, a human can respond and express empathy, respond at a normal pace of conversation and through human logic and expertise suggest a suitable way forward.  A human customer service expert can also be proud of what they do, how they do it and of the company that they work for.

     

    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.

  • Anyone got a plan b?

    The General Election results have for the second time in recent history demonstrated the importance of having a Plan B.  What I am referring to is the Brexit vote – for most people there was little thought to the fact that Britain would vote “out” seen through comments such as “If I had known we would be out, I would have voted to stay in!”  The Conservative government at the time, also did not consider the fact that the British people would vote “out” and therefore create a Plan B, or contingency to kick in if the unspeakable happened.  Thus, the hasty resignation of David Cameron immediately afterwards and the chaos that ensued to find another Prime Minister.  Not to mention the “no man’s land” that we all seemed to feel with no leader at the helm and the potential impact that had on business both nationally and internationally.

    Again in the recent election results, there was no thought to the fact that the Conservatives would not win.  How can any leader be so confident, or we might say egotistical?  In this blog I am not advocating any particular party preference or view.   It is strange however that on both occasions, not too far apart from each other, it is the Conservative leadership who have fallen into the same trap of not expecting the unexpected.

    Where was Plan B?  In other words why, in both cases was there no apparent discussion on the possibility of the vote going in the opposite direction to firstly the planned goal and secondly the desires of the leadership party?   Effective leadership is certainly about driving towards a specific goal by inspiring and motivating those that are responsible for making it happen, but we should never be so overly confident as to not ask the question “What if…..” and have a plan B for that eventuality.

    Most leaders are motivated to avoid failing, because firstly we plan to succeed, but secondly we need to manage the emotions of disappointment and self shame which often turns to self anger and self-beratement when we realize that we did not achieve that goal, and therefore are imperfect, and consequently everyone else suffers in the same manner.  OK, we had no Plan B.  Now what?

    Failure is an opportunity.  In a crisis many leaders want to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders – “I got us into this mess, I will get us out”  (Theresa May) when actually the way forward is to work with your team with humility and collaboration to find a new way forward and to learn from the experience.  Failure helps to re-visit and re-define priorities.  This might mean giving up the original goal or re-defining the goal and then moving forward.

    Columbus was looking for India, Alexander Graham Bell was trying to invent a hearing aid, and Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame was planning to sell his chicken recipe to restaurants.  Often what we are planning to happen leads us to something very different.

    Plan B is not only for large scale situations, such as running a country, but for smaller situations where the impact of if it goes wrong carries high risk on business operations – the server crashes, your main supplier goes bankrupt, your tanker transporting goods damages it’s hull etc.  Whilst it might not be the most sexy task, it does help provide calmness in the ensuing chaos, focus, and ultimately a framework and goals to continue to exercise effective leadership.

    Sir Ernest Shackleton, The Great Antartic Explorer and his men survived the wreck of their ship “Endurance” coming home in good health and good spirits all because of Shackleton’s leadership.  He later wrote “The disaster had been looming ahead for many months, and I had studied my plans for all contingencies a hundred times.  The task ahead was likely to be long and strenuous, and an ordered mind and clear program were essential if we were to come through without loss of life.”  (Shackleton’s Way, Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell)

    Perhaps its time for us all to take a leaf out of Shackleton’s book and ensure when the risk is high to our operations that we have a Plan B?

  • An Attitude of Gratitude

    Today is International Women’s Day. This is a day where women all over the world are celebrated for the many roles they play – mother, daughter, wife, aunt, chef, general director, receptionist and so on. Women are everywhere, you could argue the same for men and I would agree. My question is why are women only given formal recognition on one day of the year? Why 8th March? The answers to my questions will be many and varied depending on country and culture, your level of acknowledgment of this day and so on. But underneath the meaning of this day is appreciation and gratitude. Both worthy actions to show someone, whether male or female that you value them and that you are grateful for what they do and how they contribute to your life.

     

    Gratitude and appreciation are the foundations to showing employees whether male or female how much they are valued and how much you appreciate what they do within their role in your organisation, however large or small. Gratitude is for both large and small actions that contribute to the collective outcome of achievement of goals, to teamwork and to organisation profitability. As in the April 2022 Oak Engage report, “Not feeling valued is the top reason for unhappiness.” Therefore, it is safe to say that feeling valued is the foundation to happiness in the workplace and that according to an Oxford University 2023 study, “Happy employees are 13% more productive”.

    https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-10-24-happy-workers-are-13-more-productive

     

    Who is responsible for giving appreciation and showing gratitude in an organisation?

     

    Gratitude when coming from a boss makes employees 50% more successful”.  (Forbes, April 2022)

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2022/04/24/how-to-create-a-culture-of-gratitude-at-work/

     

    As in the quote above from the Forbes April 2022 report, the obvious answer to this question, is the supervisor, manager and direct boss. If they want to lead and manage a motivated and inspired team of individuals, showing appreciation regularly is a top priority. That can be a simple “Thank you for…….” given directly to the person with presence showing authenticity through facial expression and body language as well as words used, or more elaborate in the form of “Employee of the month,” or other similar award. In all cases the person needs to recognise what they have done and the value it brings. Sometimes we might refer to appreciation as giving positive feedback on the spot, rather than in a formal situation, such as performance appraisal or other form of performance management.

     

    Is it just a manager that is supposed to or can say “Thank you” and show appreciation? Actually not. Fostering collaboration within teams is based on appreciation of the role that each person is responsible for and how that person takes responsibility to meet deadlines, commit to and fulfil actions and tasks, jump in to support or cover when someone in the team is struggling, share ideas, help developing those who are not as experienced and encourage fellow teammates in achievement of the goals ahead. We can all share our appreciation of each other by saying a “Thank you” and meaning it whether directly to the person or in a regular meeting where the opportunity is taken to show appreciation and give gratitude in front of the rest of the team.

     

    When we show appreciation and give gratitude, we create an environment that thrives on support of one another. It is positive, warm and fuzzy, like drinking a mug of hot chocolate in your pyjamas, while still being focused to the job in hand. It is an environment that thrives on individual employees who want to go to work because they love what they do, feel supported and valued. And the benefit according to Forbes 2023 report found that, “Happy employees are 20% more productive.”

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/12/13/promoting-employee-happiness-benefits-everyone/

     

    How does working in such an environment help organisation performance?

     

    There are many research papers and reports that show positive outcomes for all concerned, for example,

     

     “Highly engaged teams experience 59% less turnover compared to their disengaged counterparts.” (Gallup, November 2023)

     “Highly engaged teams experience 59% less turnover compared to their disengaged counterparts.” (Gallup, November 2023)

     

    Companies that actively engage employees have customer loyalty rates 233% higher.” (Aberdeen group, 2015)

    https://www.verint.com/Assets/resources/resource-types/white-papers/aberdeen-employee-engagement-paving-the-way-to-happy-customers.pdf

     

    5% increase in employee engagement can lead to a 3% jump in revenue.” (AON, 2015)  5% increase in employee engagement can lead to a 3% jump in revenue.” (IN, 2015)

     

    Doubtful that I need to add anything further to answer this question as the quotes above do this vividly. I hope that by joining the dots and making genuine appreciation a regular occurrence and making a habit of giving gratitude that you and your organisation will discover and see the list of positive benefits for both the individual and the organisation when you make “An attitude of gratitude” common place.

     

     

    References:

    https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-10-24-happy-workers-are-13-more-productive

     

    https://www.oak.com/blog/employee-satisfaction-stats/#:~:text=1.,employer%20as%20the%20main%20reason.

     

  • Addressing uncertainty and morale at the start of the new year

    The start of a New year is a time of excitement for many as we embrace the new year coming in and let go of the old year and whatever that encompassed. For most organisations the new year is a time for goal setting and budget planning. After the initial shock of the first week back at work, most of us are inspired, our batteries are full and we feel ready to face the year ahead and what that has in store. The end of 2021 left many feeling exhausted, demotivated and perhaps even lost. Morale was low as dedicated and loyal employees tried to hold it together up to the Christmas break. For many organisations, the final straw that broke the camel’s back, so to say was the cancellation of company Christmas parties, which was until that point been seen as a chance to build morale and set the tone for the coming year, whether to be held in an office, restaurant of other location in line with new government guidance.

    Once again, we find ourselves in a degree of uncertainty around what is and what might be. For some the prospect of redundancy or losing their job due to coerced  personal choice around the actuality of “no jab, no job.” Uncertainty is very draining for all involved and leads to the constant questioning and worry through circulating thoughts and conversation with self and whether things will ever get back to normal.

    Living with change is an important element of doing business. Change does create uncertainty for many, but it usually has a clear end in sight. The current global situation does not share this characteristic. Leaders contradict each other, apply varying degrees of mandated behaviours for it’s citizens and constantly monitor results whilst changing the goalposts with regular aplomb deepening the levels of uncertainty and creating fear.

    On a human physiological level, this translates into fear which is very draining. Fear as an emotion is extremely damaging to health, increasing the potential for burnout. We might not realise that we are fearful of the current situation, but somewhere in our subconscious our brains are looking for ways to protect us from what might be perceived as danger. Hence it is no surprise that having a background alert switched on all the time means we are less happy, less engaged, less creative and hence unproductive and more prone to sickness and absenteeism.

    How can leaders turn uncertainty into certainty?

    For most leaders, it is not possible to predict a certain outcome in circumstances that are beyond our control. Therefore, looking at the circle of influence and control by Stephen Covey in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, leaders are advised to focus on the areas that they can influence. The first circle is the “Circle of Concern” and includes all the challenges and concerns you have in your life including your working life. The trick with this circle is to understand in the list of items the things that are inside your Circle of Control and not to worry about those that are outside your Circle of Control. The Pandemic is out of your control, and therefore spending time on worrying about it, will not bring any productive or beneficial results.

    As leaders, we need to consider how our team members are feeling in response to the pandemic, and while we cannot control the pandemic and government reactions to changing circumstances, we can influence morale and consequently work performance by focusing on the Circle of Concern and to a certain degree Circle of Influence.

    Can you influence someone’s morale through your leadership? Can you take time to listen to your team members concerns about job security, feelings of anxiety and fear? Truly listening to someone by taking time in a space where devices are switched off the environment safe and “being” with them is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Finding a solution for them is not necessarily required as they will find their own solution to whatever is causing their unrest. Being proactive, instead of waiting for something to happen to encourage these one to one conversations will expand your Circle of Influence while having a positive impact on levels of fear and anxiety.

    Drawing feelings out of your team members either individually or with your department as a team can be very enlightening as well as productive when done using the model of Circle of Influence and Control, as it provides a structure to share safely and openly. Try the following exercise:

    1. Draw the Circle of Concern on a large sheet of paper or interactive whiteboard.
    2. Ask all team members to write their areas of concern on stick-its and then add them to the circle.
    3. When complete, draw another circle that is smaller and in the middle of the first circle. This is the Circle of Control.
    4. Ask them to move any of their stick-its that they have direct control over from the Circle of Concern into the Circle of Control.
    5. Discuss those items that they feel they have no control over and ask the question: What influence can you have over this point/situation?
    6. Draw another circle between the first 2 circles of Concern and Control. This is the Circle of Influence.
    7. Ask them to explore ways they could influence issues in the Circle of Concern. In doing so you might discover solutions and suggestions coming from different group members that are useful for all to structure a way forward despite the fact that there is no possibility to control how the pandemic unfolds.

    When working in times of uncertainty, it is important to realise what you can control, what you can influence and what to avoid wasting time on. Doing this exercise helps visualise and verbalise through constructive discussion aspects of a situation that are causing uncertainty, anxiety and perhaps even fear. Transparency as a leader is critical to enabling constructive discussion, openness and a way to positively ease feelings of uncertainty and anxiety that are being exacerbated by worry and trying to control the uncontrollable. Overall through lightening the load and improving morale we improve productivity and performance and decrease absenteeism and sickness.

    The Christmas party might have been cancelled through factors beyond the control of department and company leaders, but we can still positively influence employee morale, motivation and performance.

    References:

    https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/368994

    Stephen Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

  • Active Leadership – The Benefits of Combining Movement & Leadership

    When I was a young manager, my first General Manager at the time was a very special man, sadly no longer with us. He was general manager of the Elangeni Hotel in Durban, South Africa and he taught me many things about managing and leading people in what is a demanding, but rewarding industry. He was inquisitive, asked questions not only to satisfy his own interest, but also to check your understanding of what you might have been doing at that point in time, as well as the bigger picture of why I was doing whatever it is I was doing. He was always immaculately dressed, irrelevant of time of day or night in full suit with waistcoat and a red rose in his buttonhole. I don’t think I ever saw him in any other clothing during the 4 years I worked with him. He was respectful of everyone, no matter your position, male or female, senior or younger. I never heard him raise his voice in all that time, even when annoyed. He was a fair man, I suppose strict in some ways. He gave out autonomy to his team members expecting performance as agreed, and these characteristics shone through his leadership approach. On top of this, he led by walking about. He is what I would call an “active” leader. Of course, there were times when he was in his office, but in general once the paperwork, meetings and discussions had been completed, he was out and about. His “finger was totally on the pulse”. Nothing passed him by.

    Much of my leadership approach is based on my learning from this person as well as the variety of people working in the hotel with their vast array of backgrounds, experiences, cultures and education, all doing an honest day’s work in the hotel industry while providing me a fantastic foundation on which to learn. Perhaps they did not feel the same way!

    We often read posts on LinkedIn, X or the like on how important it is to move, to be active whether a manager or not. Personally, I’m a great advocate for this. Managers and leaders generally spend too much time at the computer or other electronic device and not enough time moving, talking to employees and clients. At the same time many managers have ideal job roles that allow them to be active not only before or after work, but also during by combining movement with going around the operations and different departments. Being visible in this way enables managers to see how things are running and to check in with team members, giving individual employees an opportunity to talk, share information, difficulties and so on while also understanding if they have any challenges, what is going well, how they are etc. Being active also provides opportunities to listen to and talk to guests and customers addressing their concerns, hearing their comments and receiving feedback. All while being active and moving around. 

    What is so important about moving? It is not necessary to run a marathon, climb the tallest mountain, or cycle 10 kilometres a day to be active to enjoy the benefits, such as:

    •    Consistent focus, clarity and balanced mental health 

    •    Consistent energy levels throughout the day

    •    Positive outlook 

    •    Reduction in stress, anxiety and mood swings 

    •    Good cardiovascular health 

    •    Easier weight management 

    •    Stronger immune system to combat seasonal bugs and viruses

    •    Better sleep

    If that’s not enough, to this list can also be added building stable and healthy relationships with others, providing the social aspects of life that are so important. Humans are herd animals and to be healthy we need social connections and relationships. A perfect link to the essence of good leadership. Leadership is only possible if followers choose to follow. This requires building relations and consequently trust, understanding employees, strong skills of emotional intelligence and the ability to listen. Showing personal vulnerability, courage, integrity and honesty. A leader cannot demonstrate these characteristics from an office by email or other internal communication system. These tools support face to face communication, but do not replace them. The lessons I learned over 30 years ago from my first general manager are still the same today!

    £340 billion was lost in the UK economy due to employees’ disengagement and 0.8 million workers in 2023/24 were suffering from work-related stress, anxiety and depression according to Perkbox and Vivup. According to HSE Safety, £14.5 billion annual costs in new cases of work-related ill health in 2022/23. How much of this is due to losing contact with employees, just expecting them to perform in accordance with the job description? A recent blog on “Engage Employee” website listed the top five reasons employees go to work and which can be summarised by saying the majority of our employees come to work for the social contact and that sense of belonging. “Engage Employee” survey results with 2,000 employees ranked reasons for coming to work as:

    1.    The People 

    2.    Feeling like I am good at it 

    3.    The hours 

    4.    It’s fulfilling 

    5.    Working as a team 

    Salary was ranked in 6th place.   

    Quite clearly social connection and interaction is rated as extremely important with 3 out of the top 5 reflecting this fact. How can you encourage your managers and leaders to be more active in the workplace, not only to get their “steps in”, and improve their overall well-being and that of their employees, but also to build trust through regular and open communication, stronger teamwork, improve problem solving, and build and manage relations with customers and guests? Being an active leader, costs nothing, but there is much to gain.

    References 

    https://www.engageemployee.com/blog/top-20-reasons-we-go-to-work

    https://hcssafety.co.uk/news/hse-statistics-2024/#:~:text=The%20annual%20cost%20of%20new,22%20to%20%C2%A37.1%20billion.

  • A Lesson from Authentic Service

    “The authentic self is the soul made visible.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach

    On a recent holiday, I stayed in a Marriott hotel perched above one of the great wonders of the world. The setting was breathtaking—spacious rooms, restaurants, a golf course, gym, pool, spa. On paper, it ticked every box.

    But as most seasoned travellers know, a hotel is never just about the facilities. The most memorable experiences are created not by architecture, but by people.

    It’s easy to imagine the alternative. Sitting poolside, unable to get anyone’s attention for a simple drink. Being greeted at reception with a frown that makes you feel like you are a nuisance. A beautiful desk, a vase of flowers, and a seamless check-in system mean nothing if the person behind the counter makes you feel unwelcome.

    This hotel was the opposite. Every staff member I encountered was warm, professional, and—above all—genuine. Conversations weren’t scripted, smiles weren’t forced. Each interaction felt human, genuine, and intentional.

    It struck me that this kind of service doesn’t happen by chance. It reflects something deeper: leadership that fosters authenticity throughout an organisation.

    Why Leadership Shapes Culture

    There’s a saying: “The fish stinks from the head down.” But the reverse is true as well: if the leadership is healthy, principled, and value driven, that spirit flows through the entire organisation.

    I never met the General Manager of that Marriott, but I could sense their influence. Staff felt empowered to be themselves, trusted to take initiative, and encouraged to treat guests not as transactions but as people.

    That is the hallmark of authentic leadership: setting a tone where people don’t just perform duties, they live the values of the organisation.

    What Do We Mean by Authentic Leadership?

    Harvard Business School defines authentic leadership as a “style built on integrity, accountability, and principle-driven decision-making. Authentic leaders are guided by an inner compass, not by short-term expedience.”

    This style of leadership builds trust, fosters approachability, and improves team performance. It creates organisations where people feel safe to bring their full selves to work.

    Harvard Business Review research shows that authenticity in leadership leads to tangible benefits for employees, including:

    •    Better relationships with colleagues

    •    Higher levels of trust

    •    Greater productivity

    •    A more positive workplace environment

    While authenticity may sound like a “soft” quality, its impact is measurable. It boosts morale, retention, and results.

    Characteristics of an Authentic Leader

    Harvard highlights several traits:

    Mission-driven – they know what they stand for and why.

    Self-aware – they understand their strengths, weaknesses, and values.

    Committed to growth – they strive to improve themselves and others.

    Disciplined – they pursue excellence consistently.

    Trust-builders – they earn faith by acting with integrity.

    To the Harvard characteristics, I would add a few more qualities:

    Openness – they recognise contributions, making people feel valued.

    Consistency – their behaviour aligns with their words.

    Accessibility – they connect on the shop floor, not just in the boardroom.

    Supportiveness – they focus on people’s strengths, not just weaknesses.

    Emotional intelligence – they understand and manage emotions, both their own and others’.

    Authentic leaders are not afraid to show vulnerability. They acknowledge when they fall short and allow others to fill the gaps. They understand that true teamwork is not about one person having all the answers, but about creating a space where each individual can shine impacting performance of the whole team.

    The Impact of Authenticity

    When leaders create this kind of environment, the effects ripple outward. Employees feel valued, supported, and trusted. They take pride in their work. They learn from mistakes without fear of blame. And as a result, performance improves.

    Authenticity is not about perfection. It’s about respect, fairness, and openness. When things go wrong—as they inevitably do—authentic leaders treat setbacks as growth opportunities, fostering resilience, creativity, and motivation across the team.

    The outcome is not only happier employees but stronger organisations. Productivity rises, relationships deepen, and the culture becomes one of deep trust, positivity and a happy environment to be a part of.

    Shackleton: A Case Study in Authentic Leadership

    Few leaders illustrate authentic leadership better than Sir Ernest Shackleton. His legendary Antarctic expeditions are remembered not just for their daring but for the way he led his men through extraordinary challenges.

    Shackleton’s leadership was deeply people-centred. His values, shaped by his upbringing, guided his decisions. He rejected rigid hierarchies, treated everyone with fairness, and established routines that created stability in uncertain conditions.

    He led by example. He never asked of his men what he wouldn’t do himself. He built strong one-to-one bonds with each crew member, understanding their individuality and helping them reach their potential.

    In moments of crisis, Shackleton remained visible and optimistic—even when he harboured private doubts. He worked tirelessly to keep morale high and spirits strong. He encouraged teamwork, watched for signs of strain, and supported those in need.

    Above all, Shackleton took responsibility. He held the big picture in mind, while also being present in the smallest of details without being seen to micromanage, undermining trust. His authenticity inspired loyalty and respect that carried his men through impossible odds.

    His legacy endures as one of the clearest examples of authentic leadership in action. His approach is one of easy adoption with desire to lead effectively, while understanding yourself and others, as well as demonstrating a high degree of emotional intelligence

    Why Does this Matter in Business Today

    George Kohlrieser, in his book "Care to Dare", puts it succinctly:

    “If your starting point is that people are a cost to be minimised, your organisation might survive but it won’t thrive. But if you fundamentally believe human beings are valuable … you will achieve results in a way that also elevates the contribution and value of the human beings inside your organisation.”

    This perspective is vital in today’s world of work. Employees are no longer motivated solely by pay. They seek meaning, purpose, and belonging. They want to know that their contributions matter.

    Authentic leaders create these conditions. They act as “secure bases”—sources of safety, inspiration, and encouragement that allow people to take risks, innovate, and grow.

    When leaders operate from authenticity, even difficult decisions are received with more understanding. Trust cushions the blow. People may not always agree, but they believe in the fairness and integrity of the process.

    Final Reflections

    My holiday stay referred to earlier reminded me that authentic leadership isn’t an abstract theory—it shows up in the smallest details of everyday service. It’s in the smile that feels genuine, the conversation that isn’t scripted and the sense that people enjoy coming to work every day.

    The General Manager’s leadership approach was written into every interaction that not only I had, but other guests as well. Personnel willingly went beyond expectations, enjoyed interacting with guests and demonstrated a complete understanding of the necessity for teamwork. I got the feeling that no none wanted to be the weak link.

    And that is the real lesson: authentic leadership transforms not just organisations but experiences. It turns service into connection, compliance into commitment, and work into meaning.

    In a world that often feels transactional and rushed, authenticity stands out. It builds trust, inspires loyalty, and drives results—not by demanding more from people, but by bringing out the best in them. In other words rather than being bottom line focused which often forces robot-like behaviour and service, it is people focused and, in this way, the bottom line is taken care of through a happy, thriving empowered workforce.

    So how important is authentic leadership? In my view, it is not just important—it is essential.

    Note:

    *“Secure base is a person, place, goal or object that provides a sense of protection, safety, and care and offers a source of inspiration and energy for daring exploration risking taking and seeking challenge.”

    References:

    George Kohlreiser, Care to Dare, 2012

    Shackleton’s Way, Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell

    https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/authentic-leadership

  • A Celebration of International Women

    On the 8th March to celebrate International Women’s day it is appropriate to give credit to the many female Heads of State, CEO’s, Founders, Mothers and Grandmothers. How interesting that the world has a strong representation of female leaders, 22 countries in total including New Zealand, Denmark, Bangladesh, Lithuania, Taiwan and Norway are all led by inspirational women. This is quite a sizeable representation of women in top leadership positions, some in countries that are culturally showing more masculine than feminine qualities according to the Hofstede model of Intercultural sensitivity. It is irrelevant what you think about them, but the fact is these female and other female leaders are running governments, countries and businesses in what can only be termed troubled and challenging times.  In all fairness our male leaders are not exempt from the turbulence affecting everyone across the globe.

    Erna Solberg of Norway has been Prime Minister since 2013. Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou has been in office since March 2020, and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in office since October 2017.  These and many other women are demonstrating both success at achieving the position as well as longevity in the position.

    WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLE CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE LEADERSHIP? 

    A Celebration of International WomenCan we characterize these principles and definitively separate them from the principles of male leadership? Unlikely, because styles of leadership differ amongst men and women equally depending on education, experience, courage, individuality, stamina and so on.  However, when looking at women andLet us celebrate the female leaders around the world on International Women’s Day. men, there are differences and when women bring these differences into play, we might see a broader range of characteristics, showing feminine power. Many of which come naturally to women.  Again, I don’t want to say that men do not display some or all these characteristics and vice versa, but men usually display a more masculine power through male characteristics and therefore the following are more common in women, especially in female leaders.

    Common female characteristics:

    • Intuitive and sensitive, demonstrating fluid emotional intelligence
    • Ability to sense the emotion as well as see the facts in order to make decisions on both factual/logical and emotional levels
    • Goal achievement through perseverance and vision, but not at the cost of others
    • Patience and tolerance, promoting harmony and understanding
    • The ability to encourage and nurture to reveal hidden potential of those who are unable to stand up for themselves
    • Ability to forgive, let go, learn and grow
    • Fosters an environment of trust, cooperation and harmony
    • Quiet drive, courage and resilience, as opposed to power and strength
    • Ability to release own emotions to relieve tension and break stress often through crying, which in men is seen as a weakness 
    • Ability to relieve tension in a situation through empathy and understanding
    • Happy to be out of the limelight and just get on with the job 

    CONCLUSIONS OR QUESTIONS?

    Are we moving into a time when female leadership is more appropriate for the global and work-related challenges we face in today’s world – starvation, homelessness, loneliness, escalation in chronic mental and physical diseases, environmental damage on a huge scale and the ever widening gap between the exceedingly wealthy and those who earn under the minimum wage?

    I don’t know the answer to this, but I do know the questions:  How much longer can we, as human beings go on living in an environment that is under more and more control due to the poor, ignorant choices of our leadership and our own inaction?  One that we are determined to destroy through industrial farming methods, fracking that pollutes and destroys the very integrity of the earth and the finely balanced ecosystem on which we live as well as wasteful habits, all of which combined are removing the right to a heritage for generations to come?

    How long can we go on not seeing, or deliberately covering up the detrimental impact of processed, sugar laden foods on our health and the health of our children, which has manifested in serious escalation in chronic disease, obesity and stress, all of which we see in most of the English speaking world, with other countries not far behind, having adopted a Western diet?

    How long are we going to allow escalation in mental health issues to continue to rise, before taking a close look at our company cultures, leadership approach and work environments?  What might this have to do with the current pandemic?  Could there be a correlation between the number of Covid cases and deaths in countries with the highest levels of diabetes, obesity and other chronic disease?

    LET’S CELEBRATE FEMALE LEADERSHIP

    As we move into the Age of Aquarius with the spring equinox, let’s celebrate all our female leaders and leadership, not only on International Women’s day, but everyday whether Heads of State, Heads of Companies, Entrepreneurs or Mothers. The arrival of the Aquarian age is associated with harmony, understanding, sympathy and trust.  All female characteristics. It is perhaps the female leaders that will turn the ship to restore balance in life, becoming more caring, nurturing, and responsible in how and what we live for?  Fostering a global economy and community that sees nations support each other rather than competing and striving to be the first with the strong, fit and healthy and remembering the rest as an afterthought?

    In the words of Marilyn Munroe, “One of the best things that ever happened to me, is that I am a woman.  That is the way all females should feel.” 

     

    Happy International Women’s Day.

     

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

  • A beautiful life – a lesson in leadership from Rick Astley

    Singer/songwriter Rick Astley announced that he will be releasing his eighth studio album this year which is entitled ‘Beautiful Life’. I was listening to the conversation between Rick Astley and a well-known Radio 2 DJ about the album.  More importantly about why Rick wrote a song called “Beautiful Life” and named the album with the same name.

    Rick said something very pertinent in answer to the question “Why Beautiful Life?  In his answer he explained that in fact he has had a beautiful life, with the exception of a few curveballs.  Most importantly, he continued with words to the effect that  it is all about how you look at life and how you regard things that are thrown at you and things that happen to you, and I might add things you do to yourself.

    Personally I resonate with these comments.  How you perceive something is half the battle of working with it, solving it and overcoming it.  Do you look at “setbacks” in a negative sense, react emotionally in some way and fester on the consequences, or do you take the opportunity to understand the message, learn, grow and develop, thus moving yourself forward out of the adverse condition?

    One of the most important aspects of working through perceived negative situations is the emotional side of the situation.  In the case of “it”, what ever “it” is being done to us, the emotions experienced might be anger, frustration, bitterness, disbelief, shame and many others.  In the case of us doing something inadvertently that back-fires on our self, emotions might include guilt, shame, anger and self blame amongst others.

    Harbouring emotions is both unproductive and damaging mentally and ultimately physically.  To be an effective leader we need to be able to rise above any situation and look at the cause of why something happened, rectify it with those involved through helping them understand why this particular approach was not constructive, give guidance on a more positive way to approach the particular situation, and agree on a way forward.  Always avoiding the desire or need to blame someone or something, allowing those involved to take responsibility for their actions, change behaviour, and therefore grow and develop from the experience.

    As Rick Astely so carefully and clearly put it – “Life is beautiful”.  It’s all about how you see it?  Leadership, whilst challenging on occasions is beautiful for all concerned, those being led and those doing the leading.  It all depends on how we firstly see each situation and each person, and secondly how we react to it?