Best Recipes Ever

Blog

  • Does your employee appraisal process need an appraisal?

    “The most basic problem is that performance appraisals often don’t accurately assess performance.” – W. Edwards Deming (Founding Father of Total Quality Management)

    We traditionally rely on employee management performance systems / performance appraisals to give feedback to our employees. In most organisations this is a yearly ritual after having completed the statutory probation period. If you are lucky, it might be twice yearly. How do manager’s typically view this? Do they look forward to spending valuable and productive time with an employee listening to how they feel they have performed and opening up discussion if for some reason it differs from the manager’s view. Or does the manager provide a monologue of feedback according to the question and rating on the form in some kind of awkward manner in the hope that the employee firstly understands and secondly agrees with what is being said. If the manager orients towards the autocratic style, what the employee thinks or agrees with is probably highly irrelevant. The box gets ticked, and the employee goes back to what they were doing muttering on the way about the “BS” that he or she has just been subjected to.

    I remember many years back when my then manager called me at a random time when I was travelling home from work on a Friday, having been away on the job since the previous Sunday afternoon to give me my appraisal. “Give” was the appropriate word as 10 minutes later after listening to him, he ended the monologue with “Have a good weekend.” My emotions? Disbelief, disappointment both of which later developed into anger due to the shear disrespect I had been shown for working 12 hours a day, 5 days a week while living in a hotel and eating pub grub or take aways for the entire week. Was he interested in my thoughts, questions or comments? Definitely not! The fact that he did not even have the respect to organise the call in a proper way giving me time to prepare myself. Perhaps that was what he was afraid of? It’s no surprise therefore that I managed a year before departing for greater things.

    What does the employee think about the performance management system and their appraisal? Is this recognised as an opportunity to talk openly about what they are doing and how they feel they are doing or is it something that they dread knowing that their point of view will likely be ignored or brushed off like a piece of dust on a dark-coloured jersey?

    Every organisation needs a method of understanding how an employee is doing, how they are feeling about their current role and what it is they are interested in growing into. After all this is the foundation to succession planning and can help not only the department manager, but the employee, HR team and General Director in a smaller operation saving large sums of money on search and recruitment fees.

    The best performance appraisal is one that is no surprise to the employee because they have received ongoing feedback, both positive and negative as and when required, making the formal “meeting” almost a summary of their performance and an opportunity to open up discussion around future plans and to agree a way forward to assist that employee to grow and develop their potential to be ready to assume a new position as and when it appears.

    Information gained from such a conversation has much more value to enable for succession planning and facilitate an understanding of the positions that will need recruiting in the future, linking to HR planning. It also provides information for the manager to ensure that he/she takes an active interest in his/her employees, organising and delegating accordingly to facilitate learning, helping to keep individual employees engaged and motivated as well as loyal. The latter being especially important at this time when there is a shortage of people in the market. Learning and development that cannot be facilitated through delegation of skills, role rotation and so on might need to be addressed by organised learning through courses that meet the specific skills need whether face-to-face, virtual or through specialised digital courses. Again, knowledge gleaned from the appraisal process is fed into HR or Learning and Development to enable yearly budget planning for company employees’ training and development needs according to demand for particular skills courses whether it be leadership, communicating with customers, delegation or computer skills.

    There is a standard approach to conducting appraisals that any manager needs to know, but there are also critical skills to conduct a performance appraisal effectively, including:

    • The ability to ask questions that develop open discussion and probe to understand fully and clearly.
    • The ability to listen effectively not only to the answers, but tone of voice and body language behind those answers.
    • To use appreciative enquiry to build trust, respect and openness in all aspects of the conversation.
    • To lead the discussion in a positive manner that includes all aspects of performance, while not being afraid to address issues in performance where the employee is not performing at their best.
    • To help the employee identify how they can improve their performance through invitation to help them find their own answers.
    • To encourage engagement of the employee to want to improve where required while at the same time motivating change in performance in skills and areas that require it.
    • To be open and honest.
    • To not be afraid of receiving feedback as the employee’s manager in how your style of leadership for this person could be improved to build a trusting relationship.

    Giving feedback to develop and improve performance is a skill required of any manager and leader. Them making light of the process could be an indication that they themselves do not have the necessary skills to feel comfortable and confident appraising others who are under their responsibility, or it could simply be that the senior management themselves under value this process, encouraging their subordinates to adopt the same attitude.

    “A performance appraisal that is conducted effectively leads to greater employee morale, higher productivity, creating a positive culture and improved overall performance and effectiveness of an organisation.” –  Kumar Parakala, global business leader

  • Do You Need an Attitude Shift?

    As Simon Tyler says “attitude is a choice you just keep choosing”.

    Attitude affects everything that we do. The attitude you have chosen right now may not be serving you in the situation that you are in, or indeed the situation you are about to go into. I am a great believer in creating the right attitude for each situation to generate positive energy for all involved, including oneself. Interacting with different people every day through the many communication channels means that we have the power to affect our connection at each moment of truth, to the other person.

    It is our attitude that determines how much we can affect them and how much they in turn can infiltrate and affect us, either positively or negatively. Being aware of the affect that others have on your attitude gives you the ability to become more deliberate in setting your own attitude and more resilient to the attitude of others, by consciously choosing a positive response.

    Our attitude impacts more than we realise. Not only can it affect those around us, but it can also hinder our chances for success. Shifting your attitude is possible. Read how and why an attitude shift might be the perfect solution!

    How do leaders impact the attitude of team members?HOW DO LEADERS IMPACT THE ATTITUDE OF TEAM MEMBERS? 

    By nature of leadership, the role of a leader is to “inspire others to want to do the job”. Clearly inspiration of others cannot be done through a negative attitude. Can we honestly put hand on heart and openly say that we do aim to affect others positively in every interaction with employees, peers and colleagues?

    How do you correct attitude when one of your subordinates is just not performing and his or her behaviour is potentially causing an attitude shift in yourself toward that person?

    There is a danger that this attitude shift will infect your thinking and consequently the approach that you choose to discussing the possible reasons behind the current level of performance, and to changing that performance to something more desirable.

    DEALING WITH A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE

    What can you do to change a creeping negative infiltration of your attitude, whatever the reason for this might be?

    Be grateful and be thankful for all the positive things that exist in your life including, the individual’s performance before this change, performance of others, thankful and grateful clients, the sun, other relationships in your life, nature, friendships and so on.

    The power of gratitudeTHE POWER OF GRATITUDE

    Our attitude impacts more than we realise. Not only can it affect those around us, but it can also hinder our chances for success. Shifting your attitude is possible. Read how and why an attitude shift might be the perfect solution!

    Gratitude can make us less self-centered and more open to hearing.  It can increase self-esteem, and make us more likeable by enhancing relationships, our personality, and our leadership skills.  Like any habit, after a few days of expressing gratitude it becomes natural and a part of your communication style.

    As Oprah Winfrey once said “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.  If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

    TOP TIPS TO SHIFT YOUR ATTITUDE

    Manage personal attitude by surrounding yourself with positive people and limit those that drain energy.  Read and consume articles, books, or podcasts that further support a positive outlook and attitude.

    Humans are electrical energy, we are emitting and receiving all the time.  This means we are able to attract to us what our current thoughts are giving out, in terms of people, thoughts, activities and so on.

    If you want positive people around you, and to have a constant stream of positive thoughts from within and from others, you have to set the scene by considering what you want to attract or repel.

    HABITS ARE KEY

    Make it a habit to look for at least one positive aspect of any idea, solution, suggestion, or behavior before honing in on the negative aspects of why something will not work.  We all see the weak, negative unhelpful aspects of a person, thought, suggestion and idea easily.  Train yourself to see the positive first, maintaining balance and a realistic outlook.

    Behaviour is driven by thoughtBEHAVIOUR IS DRIVEN BY THOUGHT

    Our attitude impacts more than we realise. Not only can it affect those around us, but it can also hinder our chances for success. Shifting your attitude is possible. Read how and why an attitude shift might be the perfect solution!

    All of us have mental patterns that lead to physical behaviour.  It is these patterns that cause us to repeat the same, further getting frustrated at ourselves for not succeeding, excelling, or doing, and sometimes even regretting the repetitive behaviour and result.

    Remember, what Albert Einstein said: “If you always do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got!”

    Make a conscious effort to release the thought process – thank it for serving you, and let it go.  In letting go you make space for something new to move in, and what moves in is your choice.  The sooner you let go of the irritation, regret, frustration, the sooner it ends, giving the possibility to create a more meaningful pattern that will serve both you and others better.

    ASK THE DEEPER QUESTIONS

    If you still struggle to move on with this change and experience resistance, ask questions of yourself to promote the thinking and mood that you desire, avoiding self blame or blame of others.  In other words, looking for a reason that gives you a scapegoat.

    Excellent questions take you in the direction of finding your truth and depth of understanding, for example. “Where am I at my best?”  “What do I want more of?”  “What do I need to learn from this situation?”

    Such questions are also invaluable when coaching others to excellent performance.  Finger-pointing never motivated anyone. Dipping into The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, giving a one-minute praising goes a long way to encouraging a positive attitude in yourself and in others.

    And when that one-minute reprimand is needed, keep it in perspective and give it clearly, confidently and with sincerity, and then move on avoiding dwelling on the negative.

     

    References:

    Ken Blanchard, Spencer Johnson – The One Minute Manager,

    Simon Tyler – The Attitude Book

     

    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.

  • Do you Become Ill the Moment Your Holiday Starts? 7 Tips to Avoiding Holiday Overwhelm, Stress and Anxiety

    Working hard, trying to keep up with life and so looking forward to that well-earned holiday. The destination is planned and booked, flights and hotel await, all that is left is to count the days before leaving. “Oh and of course” do everything before you go so that you don’t have a mountain of work to catch up on, on return.

    “Isn’t it amazing how much stuff we get done the day before vacation?”— Zig Ziglar

    This scenario probably resonates with you – the hamster wheel of life of organising and preparing for a well-deserved break. While rushing around, take a few moments to understand what your body is doing to keep the momentum up in order to finish everything in time. In this kind of circumstance, we likely get up earlier, start work earlier, miss out on our regular gym, swimming, running, or yoga sessions, rush meals, cut as many corners as possible in our personal lives, including meals and regular meal times with the view it doesn’t matter because it can all be sorted when on holiday!

    What does the “all sorted” refer to? Switch the adrenal system off – in other words allow the body to regulate the sympathetic and para sympathetic nervous system and therefore switch off the flight and flight mode to more rest and digest, that is of course once we have packed, cleaned the house, taken out the rubbish, driven to the airport, gone through security and finally come to the realisation that the holiday that has been on the horizon is finally here in the present moment. The washing cycle that you have been in for the last few weeks has finally finished spinning and come to the end of the cycle. Phew, you heave a sigh of relief and congratulate yourself for getting to this point.

    When under prolonged duress or stress, the body perceives this overdrive as potential danger and initiates the fight and flight response.  On receiving the alarm from the amygdala, (part of the brain) that triggers the release of stress hormones including cortisol to prepare you for the fight or flight mode; dilation of the pupils, blood supply is channelled away from less important bodily functions into the muscles. Your heart rate quickens in response to the sympathetic nervous system kicking into full alert. Glands release a mix of hormones into the bloodstream, especially adrenaline and cortisol.  The heart sends messages to the brain via the Vagus nerve supported by an increase in neurotransmitters. All this before the neocortex has had a chance to identify the nature of the emergency, whether life-threatening, joyful or something in between.

    The second phase that occurs within seconds, for want of a better description, is the receipt of information through the senses to the neocortex. As a result, an understanding forms about the situation and the fight or flight impetus is either modified or countermanded. During this time, more complex feelings may take the place of urgency, such as worry and concern at how are you possibly going to complete everything in time.

    As consciousness begins to take control the fight or flight reactions will slowly be returned to normal through reversal of the extreme arousal process. This often leads to expressing excess energy amassed seconds earlier through laughter, tears, or a raised voice at someone who is not performing correctly, a driver that is going too slowly, or at you yourself for making a stupid mistake. Normally we would express these pent-up emotions through some form of activity – sport, walking, gardening or talking to friends and family, thus resetting the amygdala’s warning light, but because there is so much to do before going on holiday, the normal way of expression has been parked.

    When the fight and flight system is in full force, the body utilises energy to sustain us through the difficult period, thus draining necessary energy away from the hormone system, the immune system, the brain as well as the digestive system. Ever got a runny tummy just as you are going on holiday, a horrible cold or even flu-like bug a day or so into the holiday? Perhaps now it all begins to make sense. Whenever we over-draw on one system, we drain another to compensate. In the short term there is little to no impact, it is over prolonged periods that things don’t go well and start to run down other systems as well as overall health.

    In periods of prolonged duress and stress, what might not be reset is the hypothalamus-adrenal-pituitary (HPA) stress system. Actions of this system, especially the release and reabsorption of cortisol take considerably longer to reset, particularly when the threat is perceived to be overwhelming and/or chronic.  In this case, instead of the feelings of stress, overwhelm and urgency being overridden, modified or followed through, they become suppressed inside the body as we override the system to get everything done, leading to a crash in our health with a horrible cold, lack of libido, flu, or upset stomach just after or a few days into your well earned holiday.

    This is all very well, I can hear you saying, but in order to go on holiday I need to be sure everything is in order for those covering and for when I get back. In other words, you are convincing yourself that this is the price you pay for having a holiday!  In that case perhaps it’s better not to have a holiday? Below are some suggestions on how to manage the workload and be able to go on holiday without pre-holiday overwhelm, stress and anxiety leading to that temporary crash affecting your holiday down-time taking away from the enjoyment:

    1. Plan your workload (in as much as you can) to take on extra tasks over the full month before your break so that there is not a last-minute overload.
    2. Write everything down that has to be done before your holiday. Cross items off the list as you go. This is motivating and helps your brain to rationalise about what is still to be done, thus avoiding feelings of overwhelm.
    3. Re-schedule meetings that can be re-scheduled or delegate to a colleague.
    4. Get up one hour earlier to take your “me” time and to do your exercise, in this way you manage the additional workload in a less stressed manner.
    5. Avoid eating foods that put additional stress on the brain, especially wheat and gluten containing foods, sugary foods and foods laden with preservatives and additives as these slow the brain and in some people may lead to brain fogginess, burden the digestive system, providing little or no nutritious content to provide the energy you need.
    6. Keep yourself hydrated – drink at least 1.5 litres of water daily. This will help keep your brain alert and your body active.
    7. As you close the suitcase and load it into the car, realise that what has not been done, will have to wait. If it is important, call someone who can take care of it for you.  Do not fret and worry about what you should have done but didn’t do. This is no longer within your control.

    Finally, the best thing you can do for your body and mind is to completely switch off from all work-related issues and enjoy yourself. Remember, you have earned and deserve this “me” time.

    “A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.”—Earl Wilson.

  • Do Bonus Schemes for Executives Drive Company Performance

    End of the year is the time not only for Christmas parties, but it is also when many companies pay out bonuses based on performance for the year for senior management and either 6 or 3-monthly bonus pay outs for middle management and team members. I have often heard the comment, “I am waiting for the year end to get my bonus payout before I put in my notice.” Hand on heart, I would do the same. Working hard all year to earn a lovely Christmas bonus to spend on the family, a holiday or something that needs doing around the house makes complete sense. Does this work for the company? While it might leave a bad taste in your mouth, the person has done the work and therefore the payout was budgeted. The only gap is the vacancy the person leaving creates. The reason why they have decided to leave can be many and varied and is not the topic of this blog.

    It was a couple of years ago I read an article in the Sunday Times (Business section) “Bosses:  Is the Party Over?” by Ben Laurance. The article was about Neil Woodford of The Woodford Patient Capital Trust, who after many years of paying bonuses to his fund managers had decided to scrap them altogether and compensate his team members with a rise in base pay instead. The question this begs is “Will these actions enhance or discourage performance”?

    Woodford believes there is very little correlation between bonus and performance, which in his opinion, can lead to short term decision-making and wrong behaviours. I would suggest the terms of the scheme and method of measuring performance impacts decision making and incorrect behaviours. Without knowing the content of the Woodford Patient Capital Trust particular scheme, it is difficult to validate his comment either way.

    A very recent article by Esa Employment Law Solicitors – Weighing the pros and cons of Big CEO Bonuses clearly outlines the dilemma. “These big CEO bonuses are controversial because excessive executive pay often comes at the expense of workforce pay, exacerbating income inequality and potentially harming employee morale and trust in institutions. Critics argue that these high payouts are not always linked to improved company performance and that the incentives within the pay packages don't always encourage long-term stakeholder interests.”

    In the banking and larger finance industry, bonuses are commonplace. One could argue they are expected, particularly by senior members of management. In recent years we have seen massive bonuses paid out to senior executives despite doing a poor job. Channel 4 (2024) is a case in point: “Bosses took hundreds of thousands in bonuses despite the broadcaster suffering its steepest revenue fall in 41 years, leading to significant job cuts,” reported Mark Sweney in the Guardian (October 2024). 

    Thames Water (2023): “The CEO and CFO initially agreed to forgo bonuses due to poor service to their customers, but the former CEO had received a £496,000 performance-related payout the previous year.” (Ref BBC)

    Advantages and Disadvantages of Bonus Schemes

    Benefits to the organisation for paying such rewards, apart from the supposed incentivisation is to focus team members to the goals and if the incentive is well thought through and set within achievable limits, financial targets will be achieved and perhaps even overachieved.   Thus, driving company growth and market share. Other benefits include:

    •    Attracting and retaining top talent

    •    Aligning interests with shareholders 

    •    Driving company performance – which as mentioned earlier might not always be the case on senior level.

    •    For senior executives rewarding risk and responsibility for overall company performance.

    What are the down sides of paying these rewards?  Large bonuses as seen in the banking and financial sectors experienced reckless behaviour by individuals who were taking huge risk chasing their reward with little regard for the stability of the bank or institution. This is when the EU stepped in to limit bonuses for bankers to no more than double the base pay. Research on the impact of this move by Irem Tuna of London Business School and Anya Kleymenova of the Booth School of Business in Chicago, suggest that this move did indeed reduce risk-taking. However, at the same time turnover of executives in financial firms increased. It is not clear if this is the only factor for this apparent negative spin off. Other apparent disadvantages include:

    • Weak link between bonus payout and company performance. Perhaps because the scheme guidelines are unclear, force majeure circumstances where the top executives have no control. For example, being reliant on imports from a country that has been sanctioned for whatever reason.

    •   Overly focused to short-termism and financial targets that drive their personal reward.

    •  Short-termism in making decisions for investments that will benefit the company and employees within the company in the medium to long term.

    •   Negative impact on employee morale and company culture due to the massive divide between executive pay and bonus payout and that of their teams.

    •    Short-sighted priorities by focusing on executive reward when these funds could be used for training and development or other investments within the company.

    The question around senior executive bonuses is reflective of broader questions about the purpose of leadership, fairness around reward systems, motivation and morale. Well-designed bonus schemes can be powerful tools: they attract forward-thinking leaders, align executives with shareholder goals, and motivate outstanding performance. When structured effectively, these incentives recognise the scale of responsibility and risk leaders carry, while projecting confidence and ambition to the wider market.

    The downsides are just as significant. Inflated CEO bonuses can damage employee morale, deepen income inequality, and at times reward leaders even when true business performance falls short. When these incentives are poorly linked to long-term objectives or robust performance measures, they can encourage short-termism and weaken trust both inside organisations and in the wider society.

    The question I will leave you with is “Can we solely attribute performance or non performance to a bonus scheme?” Surely leadership plays a part in creating the right environment for effective performance in meeting department and company goals whether financial or otherwise?  

    References 

    https://www.theemploymentlawsolicitors.co.uk/news/2025/08/28/ceo-bonuses/

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crg33l5rpp3o#:~:text=Water%20firm%20bosses%20forgo%20bonuses%20over%20poor,progress%20over%20customer%20service%20and%20sewage%20discharges

    Want to discuss your training needs for 2026. Contact: https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/contact

  • Do Financial Bonuses Enhance Performance?

    I read with interest the article in a recent Sunday Times (Business section) “Bosses:  Is the Party Over?” by Ben Laurance.  The article was about Neil Woodford of The Woodford Patient Capital Trust, who after many years of paying bonuses to his fund managers has decided to scrap them altogether.  Woodford is compensating his team members with a rise in base pay.  The question is “Will these actions enhance or discourage performance”?

    Woodford  believes there is very little correlation between bonus and performance, which can lead to short term decision-making and wrong behaviours.

    In the banking and larger finance industry, bonuses are common place and one could argue expected, particularly by senior members of staff.   Benefits to the organisation for paying bonuses, apart from the supposed incentivisation is to focus team members to the goals and if the incentive is well thought through and set within achievable limits, financial targets will be achieved and perhaps even over achieved.   Thus, driving company growth and market share.

    What are the down sides of bonuses?  Large bonuses as seen in the banking and financial sectors experienced reckless behaviour by individuals who were taking huge risk chasing their bonuses with little regard for the stability of the bank or institution.  This is when the EU stepped in to limit bonuses for bankers to no more than double the base pay.  Research on the impact of this move by Irem Tuna of London Business School and Anya Kleymenova of the Booth School of Business in Chicago, suggest that this move did indeed reduce risk-taking.  However, at the same time turn over of executives in financial firms increased.  It is not clear if this is the only factor for this apparent negative spin off.

    The article by Ben Laurance focuses mostly on well paid executives in the finance world, but this question is still relevant to all industries and positions.  What is the solution to ensuring a company is able to recruit good people, and give an incentive to firstly do a good job and secondly remain focused to the goal, without taking undue risk as well as working effectively within a team if this is required?

    I am of the belief that poorly designed bonus schemes will drive poor performance of individuals and teams.  In my time and with personal experience, I have seen many situations where the financial incentives for one department, usually sales, creates problems for other departments who have to deliver what was promised, irrelevant of timing and other specifications of the sale.   This has the effect of creating tension, driving poor communication and teamwork as well as resentment, leading to de-motivation.    In addition, poorly set targets can have the adverse effect if the targets are set too high or too low.  In the first instance, giving up before the person has even started and in the second not trying particularly hard which again means teamwork suffers at the expense of the few.

    Some of the most effective bonus schemes I have seen and worked with have had a balance between quantitative and qualitative targets, for example financial targets and targets around positive customer feedback or decreasing customer complaints and some team goals that encourage all team members to communicate effectively and work together whilst also focusing on their own personal goals.  This means the company/team shines as a whole and not just an individual or group of individuals.

    The last question I will leave you with is “Can we solely attribute performance or non performance to a bonus scheme?”  Surely leadership plays a part in creating the right environment for effective performance in meeting department and company goals whether financial or otherwise?  It would be interesting to analyse Mr Woodford’s leadership style.

  • Depression, physical activity and performance – is there a link?

    What would happen to a dog if you kept it inside, gave it water and fed it processed foods while providing a nice bed in front of the television or other electronic device, only letting it out for a few minutes several times a day to do the obvious?

    The answer I believe, is predictable – The dog would soon become miserable, overweight and perhaps even aggressive. In the western world, this is exactly what we do to ourselves – feed ourselves on instant, very often highly processed foods, sit in front of the TV or other device to entertain ourselves and only go outside on the occasion that requires we go from A to B or need to do some shopping (which we can now order in!), or another chore. Why do we wonder that chronic ill health is escalating, as is mental ill-health – anxiety, depression, low mood, and lack of energy amongst the list of symptoms and conditions.

    How can we unravel this state of affairs?

    The answer to that question is complex, and as we are all individual, the approach will be unique to each person. However, let’s make a start by looking at something as simple as movement and exercise and the difference it can make to mood, anxiety and depression. As a naturopathic practitioner, I recommend to clients on a regular basis to get outside into mother nature and to bring some form of exercise into their routine that will get them moving. The type of activity advised carefully depending on the situation of the client, symptoms and overall wellbeing. It can be anything from walking, swimming, and dance, to yoga, stretching, Pilates and Tai Chi. Many of which can be practiced in the great outdoors.

    From my own experience, I know that physical activity makes a difference to how I feel, how the day unfolds, as well as the tone and flexibility of my body, even if when I’m on my way to the gym and really don’t feel like going, that when I’ve finished my session that I feel so much more energetic and positive.

    I was very proud the other day when challenged to touch my toes that I was able to touch the floor with relative ease when my teenage godson, 40 years my junior, could barely get passed his knees!  Not sure whether his performance has encouraged him to work on flexibility as well as building muscle strength or whether his mood was affected when he realised the current state of his body is well below optimal when in his teenage years. It showed that we can’t take for granted that a younger body is naturally subtle; it takes movement and practice to achieve this.

    A recent research article published in Jama in 2022, “Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of Depression. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” published using the research of numerous scientists, indicates that whilst it is difficult to draw this association, 15 prospective studies showed a greater risk of depression in those that have lower exposure to exercise. Adults doing the equivalent of 2.5 hours a week of brisk walking had a lower risk of depression compared with those adults who reported no physical activity. That means that on five days of the week, 30 minutes of exercise and brisk movement can dramatically impact mood and lower the risk of depression.

    The sample size for each study was 3000+ participants over a period of 3 years or more and was based on leisure-time physical activity, either alone or combined with other activity domains such as housework and getting to and from work. Approximately 64% of participants were women and included six studies in the USA, six from Europe, one from Australia and Japan and one study that included India, Ghana, Mexico and Russia. The conclusion of the meta-analysis found an association between physical activity and incident depression and assuming lack of exercise as the causality, 1 in 9 cases of depression might have been prevented if everyone was active in line with public health recommendations. Public health recommendations suggest that 30 minutes of physical activity on all or most days of the week, even if undertaken in brief repeated episodes, is beneficial for health.

    In 2019 depression was the leading cause of mental ill health-related diseases and a major cause of disability worldwide, affecting approximately 280 million people and accounting for more than 47 million disability-adjusted life years in 2019. These figures are pre-Covid and, therefore, reasonable to assume that this figure has increased due to fear, isolation and loneliness as a result of lockdown. In fact, 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.

    What is the cost to your organisation not only in loss of revenue but also in levels of service, morale and medical aid costs if the individual is provided company medical aid?

    • Depression makes it difficult for employees to focus and engage with their day-to-day tasks. As a result, it lowers their productivity and contributes to the cost of presenteeism
    • The effects of depression can also be so severe that employees find it difficult to go to work at all. 
    • Despite nearly 1 in 5 employees reporting a current mental health diagnosis, less than 1 in 10 are currently seeking support for their mental health. Just under a third of employees have previously received support for their mental health and 61% of employees have never received support for their mental health. (Champion Health

    “Workplace depression is responsible for 109 million lost working days in the UK every year, at a cost of £9 billion to organisations,” according to Champion Health UK.

    Mental ill health including depression are complex, multi layered conditions that require attention on all layers, including addressing the emotional foundation through an approach such as counselling, addressing lifestyle changes that are contributing to mental ill health, diet and nutrition as well as movement and exercise that is in the form of leisure exercise and not simply about things that have to be done around the house, getting to and from work, and other daily chores.

    How easy is it for you as an organisation and employer to encourage support for those struggling with mental ill health to speak out and admit they are struggling and need help? To achieve recommendation of exercising 30 minutes a day, is it possible for employees take some form of exercise as part of the working day, irrelevant of their location which is considered an essential aspect of the working day and part of the company culture? Below are some suggestions that might easily be added into a typical working day:

    • Hold meetings while walking, preferably outside
    • Allocate a couple of time slots each day for exercise and movement, for example 30 minutes of Tai Chi, Yoga or Qi gong in an outside area to encourage employees to take a break from computers, from equipment and enjoy exposure to “mother nature” and not only move, but also focus on breathing techniques which is a fabulous way to reduce anxiety and stress. If you don’t have the luxury of an outdoor area, these activities can also be done inside. Doing exercise together in a group adds the additional dimension of fun and support.
    • Provide showering facilities for those who use bicycle or run or walk to work or for those that want to do these or similar activities at some point during the working day, but who hold back because there are no facilities when they can freshen up.
    • Dedicate an area for movement and exercise that might include table tennis tables and other options for those that wish to be a little more competitive when exercising.
    • If you have a multi-floor office, stop the possibility to access an escalator from the different floors, instead encouraging all to use the stairs.
    • Organise 30-minute dance classes or simply a room with music to stimulate the joy of dancing and free movement
    • Sponsor a time slot at the local swimming pool for your employees a couple times a week.
    • Have a “bring your dog to work day” once a month, to encourage walking at break times
    • Create a “mood” room that allows for free flow movement and creative dance.
    • Create a 10-minute system, whereby for 10 minutes in every 90 minutes everyone stops to stretch away from their desk.

    These suggestions are by no means exhaustive. What you can do to support your employees to remain mentally and physically well will depend on the type of business, the available space and the desire of top management to breed and live such a culture that embraces mental and physical health. Research has shown the direct link between exercise and mental ill health, therefore proactively building a policy into your organisation to minimise mental ill health, can only be a “winner” for employees, employers and all the organisation stakeholders when presenteeism decreases, absence and sickness (mental and physical) decreases and productivity and performance improves.

    While there is more to consider when treating mental ill-health, being proactive and minimising the risk of it developing in the first place is common sense. Putting practices in place to “breed” a healthy workplace, starting from the top and rolling it down is definitely easier and more cost-effective receiving a good return on investment through stable productivity, minimal illness and presenteeism, good staff morale and overall performance that results in bottom line success.=

    References:  

    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter-Reaburn/publication/269598423_The_mental_health_benefits_of_regular_physical_activity_and_its_role_in_preventing_future_depressive_illness/links/5539aa010cf226723aba31ea/The-mental-health-benefits-of-regular-physical-activity-and-its-role-in-preventing-future-depressive-illness.pdf

    Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of Depression A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Matthew Pearce, PhD; Leandro Garcia, PhD; Ali Abbas, PhD, et al https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2790780

    https://www.ioshmagazine.com/2022/04/11/pandemic-responsible-25-increase-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide-who-study-finds

    https://championhealth.co.uk/insights/depression-statistics/#:~:text=52%25%20of%20employees%20are%20experiencing,currently%20seeking%20mental%20health%20support

  • Dancing on the Same Spot?

    “There is more to life than just increasing its speed.”  Gandhi

    Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with your workload and issues in your personal life, that you don’t know where to start?  Consequently, you find yourself dancing on the same spot, further increasing your heartbeat, cortisol and stress levels?

    That’s exactly where I have been recently, procrastinating and putting off my actions instead of beginning the process of  “Eating into the Elephant”.   I cleaned out the kitchen cupboard, wrote a couple of birthday cards, cleaned the download box in my computer, invited my neighbour round for coffee and generally filled my day with low value tasks and tasks that were not even included on my list of things to be done!   By the end of the day totally exhausted and even more stressed because I realized that I had just wasted a whole day procrastinating!

    How do you get off that same spot before you wear a hole in the carpet or run out of time?   Focus on reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed.   Eating the elephant whole is not possible, so do it in bite size pieces keeping in mind the overall goal of eating the whole elephant.  The following three steps helped me:

    1.  Create a “To Do” list – I took everything that I have to do out of my head and put it to paper.  Seeing the tasks rather than just thinking about them had a calming effect.  All of a sudden things became more manageable as I could see what was important, evaluate approximate time needed and understand the urgency of each one.

    Picking out the one that is most likely to take the largest junk of time, even though it was not the task with the closest deadline, created further calm – giving space for thinking as well as writing, creating and doing.  (If a deadline had been really close, I would have started with that task instead.)

    2.  Using the most productive part of my day for the most brain-oriented task was also helpful.  We all have biorhythms which when we understand our own biorhythmic pattern can use this to our advantage to do the most intense, difficult or demanding item on the list when our biorhythm is at its most energy dense and when having less energy, for example after lunch, using that time to clean out under the kitchen sink (if you really must!), update client files, enter data etc.  This means the lower energy time can still be put to good use, but does not take so much effort or brainpower from an already low energy time in the day.  Overall result – higher productivity, and less anxiety!

    3.  Applying Pareto Law of 80/20 helped eat into several tasks at the same time, whilst also ensuring I was working on the most important tasks on the list.  Twenty percent of my activities, achieved eighty percent of the results, as it would likely yours

    Enjoy your dance, put in the rhythm and steps that stop you from dancing on the same spot and procrastinating. Work smarter, not harder.

  • Could your leadership be causing mental ill health

    This blog takes the form of a case study that encompasses both my professional roles as a healthcare practitioner and corporate wellbeing training provider. The aim of the case study is to encourage you to decide, for yourself, what could have been done differently.

    The client in question, is a lady late 50’s who was employed by a high school as the assistant director of the school, a job she has been doing for some years already while also continuing to teach the pupils an academic subject. An active person who was working long hours every day, five days a week in school and some part of her personal time to catch up, mark papers and do other administrative tasks, she seldom did less than a 10-hour day. Her husband also works, and her children are also of working age.

    About 3 years ago, as a part of some kind of change in status and re-organisation of the school, all teachers were asked to re-apply for their jobs to continue employment at that school. Each teacher would be hired based on the new requirements. My client was not re-hired, nor was she given an explanation as to why, she was simply told that her job was no longer needed as of tomorrow. No redundancy payment was offered. That would be a dramatic shock for most of us. Lack of appreciation, feedback and thanks would make anyone angry, likely followed by sadness at having the job and career you love crudely removed with no further contact. From May to September of that year she did not feel well, she lost interest and enthusiasm for life, but tried to regain this by taking up a role as a volunteer in a local charity shop.

    At a similar time, her father died during Covid and this seemed to tip her over the edge into mental illness, specifically severe depression combined with anxiety. Her father also suffered from depression and anxiety. She stated that she remembers shaking uncontrollably at the loss of her father, and perhaps to this day has not yet come to terms with this loss through the normal grieving process.

    Certainly, we can debate if how she lost her job was according to the law? That is not the purpose of this blog and therefore we will avoid going down that route. The client is now on four medications for anxiety and depression, some of which are also negatively affecting hair growth, leading to an increase in hair loss. In addition, she is putting on weight, both of which negatively impact how she feels about herself. Her quality of sleep is poor due to twitching caused by one of the medications she is taking. To aid sleep she has been subscribed Zopiclone, a common sleep medication which can cause drowsiness during the day. In her own words, she “has no reason to get out of bed and most of the time feels blank and tense,” therefore can spend the whole day in bed sleeping with no desire to get out of bed. In order to end this cycle, she tried to commit suicide. Luckily, she was not successful.

    She had her gall bladder removed approximately 10 years ago and despite this has no  difficulty in digesting most foods. However, looking at this energetically, the gall bladder – “How can you have the gall to……?” is a representation of rage, extreme anger that has been suppressed within the body, ultimately damaging the functioning of the gall bladder until such time as it has to be surgically removed. This is an example of how suppressed negative emotions manifest on the physical level to show us what it is we need to deal with. Does removal of the gall bladder mean we have dealt with these negative emotions, or do they still remain in the body as the person’s behavioural pattern remains the same?

    She is under the guidance of the mental health team in her area, but at best is staying numb to life, at worst is not living. After several years of guidance from this team, she and her husband, whose life has also been tipped upside down, decided to try something different and on recommendation from one of their friends who was treated successfully for similar conditions, have sought a health consultation with me. The main goals for treatment are:

    • To get better from severe depression and anxiety to live her life as before.
    • To improve her quality of life and reduce medications.

    This gives you the background of this client. Now look at this situation from a leadership perspective and answer the following questions:

    1. How did this person end up with severe depression and anxiety when previously she was a capable, active woman who up until losing her job we can assume was able to take responsibility and get things done?

    2.  What role did the school management team/leadership play in what this lady is today?

    3. What could have been done differently from those responsible to lessen the emotional impact on this individual anticipating that redundancy for anyone is often a shock?

    4. Why is thoughtful, nurturing leadership of others so very important?

    5. How can leaders balance a nurturing style of leadership with accomplishment of organisation goals? (A school is also an organisation)

    6. What are the key things for the leadership team to learn from this case?

    7. What have you learned from this case about how you address difficult, possibly life changing situations from this case. 

    If you feel affected by this case study then you maybe interested in this new course on how to lead compassionate conversations. 

  • Conflict Management

    What is Conflict Management?

    I was looking at the term  “conflict management” the other day and realized that it is often used interchangeably with “conflict resolution”.  The difference, however is that the concept of conflict management is based on a premise that not all disputes end in resolution.  Additionally, conflict management is the practice of identifying and handling conflict in a sensible, fair and efficient manner.  Therefore, in summary “conflict management” is any collection of actions, responses, processes, and/or systems that help manage, improve, or prevent the deterioration of relationship dynamics.

    A part of effective leadership is conflict management.  When parties involved cannot resolve the dispute, leaders use strategies to manage the dispute and acknowledge the differences.  Conflict management brings awareness to the parties in a dispute of their options.  It allows examination of their own assessments, to communicate their feelings and to choose options that avoid defensive or aggressive reactions.

    Words to the Wise

    We often think that other people see the world in the same way as we do, and overestimate the degree to which they understand our approach and actions.  As leaders of ourselves and of others, it is important that rather than making assumptions, we ask for clarification.

    Be willing to take the first step in opening up the conversation.  The fear of rejection may lead to closed body language and lack of eye contact, which may be perceived by the other person inaccurately.  Go out of your way to make eye contact, and open up the conversation constructively.

    Skills for Managing Conflict

    Various skills are utilized in managing conflict:

    1. Open Communication (questioning openly, active listening, reflecting, feedback and focus)
    2. Establish Ground Rules to ensure the discussion is constructive and productive
    3. Confront Current Issues – not the people and not the past
    4. Use Listening Skills – for both logic (content) and feelings (emotions).  Listen to understand – paraphrase, repeat, summarize to check understanding.
    5. Keep Emotions in Check and be aware of the emotions of the other party.
    6. Use humour to relieve tension (when appropriate)

     

    Linda Tropp, Ph.D Director of Psychology of peace and violence concentration at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA

  • Challenge or stress – it’s a fine line!

    The dictionary defines stress as “a pressure or tension exerted on another object; a demand on physical or mental energy; or forcibly exerted influence usually causing distress or strain.”    In short stress is any factor, positive or negative that requires a response or change.  In medical research it is widely recognized that chronic ongoing stress can lead to illness, aggravate existing disease conditions and accelerate aging.

    There is a need to be in constant interchange with our surroundings and it is this interchange that creates stress.  If looking at reality this is simply a fact of life.  There is no way to avoid stresses in life.  Every organism, including man must be able to adapt to changing environmental and social conditions in order to survive.  However, over time the continual need to adapt to change can disrupt the metabolic balance of the human organism.

    Common stressors for people today include most aspects of life – family, financial, emotional and environmental, nutritional factors, as well as personal and work-related stresses and relationships.    According to research nearly half a million people in the UK have work-related stress that is making them ill, leading to the need to take sick leave.  It is estimated that 12 million working days are lost each year in the UK due to stress-related illness and in some cases even injury. (HSE.gov.co.uk)

    Stress in the work place can be a result of different factors, in general there is a mismatch between the requirements of the job, the employee’s capabilities, the resources available and the needs of the worker.

    The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge.  Clearly these concepts are not the same.  Challenge, if at the appropriate level, energizes us psychologically and physically.  It motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied, proud and perhaps even excited about what we have achieved Thus, challenge is an important ingredient for healthy and productive work. The importance of challenge in our work lives keeps us learning, growing and developing.

    A challenge becomes stressful when there is either rejection that the goal cannot be achieved because it looks and feels overwhelming or when job demands cannot be met, due to employee capability and or lack of necessary resources.  Very quickly the situation can change from focused and motivated to achieve, to exhaustion from trying and the sense of ability to accomplish has  turned into feelings of stress.

    We know that what is stressful for one person is not necessarily stressful for another because of individual characteristics, including coping mechanisms, previous experience, level of maturity and possibly personality. The questions therefore are how can we as managers and leaders:

    • challenge team members, use this challenge to motivate, but not stress them to a point of no return?
    • identify when the line between challenge and stress has been crossed?

    Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory helps to answer these questions.  His theory is ensuring that there is a sound relationship for the employee between effort and performance.  These feelings of motivation and satisfaction are further increased if the individual and or team can see the relationship between good performance or outcomes and reward, especially if it is a reward that is valued.  Feedback cannot be underestimated when challenging team members, as well as working with Vroom’s model.  Both gaining feedback and giving feedback, help us as managers and leaders to understand whether the challenge is about to become stress.