Best Recipes Ever

Tag: Leadership

  • Workplace Wellbeing Series – Productivity and Wellbeing

    Wellbeing and productivity course image

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

     Main Causes of stress chart

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

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

     

    Productivity and Wellbeing – Programme outline

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

    Programme Outcomes· 

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

     

    Delivered by:

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

    ·         Lyndsey Segal, Heads Up Coaching

     

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

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

     

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

     

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

    www.linkedin.com/in/rachelshackleton/

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

    References

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

  • What does death, dying and change have in common?

    I have just finished reading “On Death and Dying” by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.  Sadly this lady is no longer with us, however the work she did whilst on this planet is so very special in many ways.  Through her medical work she not only created a model for working with the death and dying to help with, what for some is a very difficult time, the acceptance that their journey on planet earth is coming to a end, but also providing the corporate world with a model for handling change (Kubler-Ross Change Curve).  Who would ever put these two things together?

    Whilst this book is not the easiest read, simply because of the subject, it highlights many things which as leaders we could do very well when applying it:

    Communicate Openly

    Holding back information from a loved one about their terminal illness, may on the surface feel the right thing to do.  However, the mere fact that you know means you subconsciously change your behavior, which means your loved one knows they are seriously ill.  As in business keeping the topic “closed”  does not mean those around you do not understand there is something going on.  Be open, don’t leave subordinates guessing.  Try to understand how they feel, what is important to them.   Avoid assuming you know how they will feel and react on hearing the “bad” news.  Communicate openly and make decisions together.   The beginning of coming to terms with something, is firstly knowing about it and what options there are, if any.

    Avoidance Does Not Help Anyone!

    Even though, the topic of dying is difficult, we should avoid burying our heads in the sand in the hope that it will go away, or that something miraculous will happen.  As leaders there are many situations which we would prefer not to deal with, for example handling conflict with others in our team, with our boss, dealing with difficult situations, making team members redundant and so on. These situations tend not to go away, nor does something miraculous happen, other than the situation becoming more urgent, in the very least, but more likely getting worse!  Have the courage to address and inform those involved, and then find the way forward together.  The result, as for the terminally ill is very often a relief as it is now in the open.

    Help Others Prepare for Change

    We all react differently to change.  Change tends to stir negative emotions.  It is quite normal and natural to ask the question – What does this (change) mean to me?  This then drives the questions – How do I feel?  What is stopping me from embracing this change?   Talking these questions through can be very powerful therapy and can help us all, irrelevant of the situation we face, to move on with commitment, and a  level of comfort.  Whilst for the dying, with peace and joy to let go.

    As leaders – How are you helping your subordinates, peers and colleagues go through change and embrace it positively, with commitment, despite any fear and an understanding that change is necessary both for them as well as the business?

    Don’t be Afraid to Let Go and Move On

    It is easy to sit at my lab top and think when the time comes, which it surely will, that I will end this life journey with ease.  Probably not!  The idiom, “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know springs to mind.”   For loved ones knowing that you can let them go with love, light and joy is so important to helping them stop the struggle and to let go.  Talking openly about this will help enormously.  As leaders in businesses,  we also have to have the courage to let go of the comfort zone we have created and move into the unknown for a short period of time whilst things once again find the norm.    Hanging on does not ease the pain.   It just prolongs it!

    Move into 2016 with courage, with passion and with enthusiasm.  Those that are meant to be with you will be with you.

    Best wishes for 2016.  Wishing everyone a fun journey, warmth and a compassionate heart.

  • What happens to information gained from the obsession with feedback questionnaires and surveys?

    Can someone tell me what happens to the feedback that customers provide companies via electronic surveys, brief telephone surveys at the end of a call as well as the odd hard copy feedback questionnaire?  I have completed many in the last three years, both positive and not so positive and to date have not received any follow up, comment, notification to say certain action is being put into place or indeed an apology, if due!

    The feedback survey as a tool to gaining insight into how your customers feel about their experience/s they have with your business and therefore how you are doing, When put together to gain insight and achieve defined goals, administered effectively and analyzed against those goals to understand “how are we doing” is a wonderful tool for management decision making as well as for building and motivating individuals and teams.

    Have you ever been asked (post experience) by a customer help centre, an insurance company, car company, broadband/internet provider to please “complete a short survey to provide feedback”?  This is not a rare thing in my world.  The number of surveys I have completed are certainly in the 50’s over a three year period.  Of course each survey uses the word “short” which means more often than not you evaluate this in your own terms and decide then and there whether to complete a particular survey or not.   I am not discussing is this a good or bad thing, my point is about surveys and how the results are used/or not and whether you as a customer ever get any feedback from the company to ask for further information to clarify any point, apologize or simply to thank you for the input?

    As a training professional and coming from many years of working in the 5* hotel industry, as well as running my own company for many years, I am no stranger to customer feedback questionnaires.  What did we do with questionnaires?  Every morning in the management meeting along with other regular agenda items, we discussed any negative feedback to understand the situation in more detail and decide on any relevant actions.  As for positive customer feedback this was shared by the relevant department head with his or her team to give them an understanding of how they are doing, whilst reinforcing positive behavior as well as motivating the team.

    Using the negative experience of the customer our goal was always to build customer loyalty and create a positive experience giving the customer a foundation to at least try us once again.  Actions might have included:

    • Apologizing to the customer
    • Gaining additional information if needed, to understand more clearly
    • Putting actions in place to avoid this situation happening again.  For example, training of relevant personnel, communication of information, updating or changing a system etc)

    Why is it that you can complete a survey with the rating of “fair” or “poor” in some categories, but no one ever calls you to find out “why”?

    What should I conclude from this?  Do companies not care? Is this simply an organization requirement and therefore a tick box exercise, or is it that organisations are so large now that loosing the odd customer here and there is not important?

  • What is Intuitive Leadership?

    In day-to-day operations when things go wrong and there is a problem to solve, the first place that we all invariably go is to the facts surrounding the situation. Through understanding and analysing those facts, we make a decision.  Are decisions based solely on facts combined with previous experience of a similar situation, or do we inject our intuition at some point?

    WATCH MY VIDEO ON THIS TOPIC!

     

     

    WHAT IS INTUITION?

    Intuition, considered as a neurocognitive model, as either “Deliberative” or “Creative intuition” provides a framework for considering intuition and the  importance in leadership decision making.

    Deliberative intuition – Managerial intuition, problem solving, unconscious constructive deliberation, pattern matching, inferential processing and inferential intuition.

    Creative intuition – Entrepreneurial intuition, radical intuition, experiential non-linear processing, synthesis of unconnected memory fragments, strong emotional (afferent) component, passionate attention, holistic intuition, intuitive insight and classical intuition.

    Most of you will be familiar with the psychometric models for assessing intuition, such as MBTI (Myers Briggs), Rational/Experiential Inventory (REI) and Symbolon – Thinking/Feeling, Intuitive/Concrete.  The mere fact that we try to measure the degree of intuition, indicates that this characteristic has some value and importance in the business world, especially when needing to influence and inspire others as in a leadership role.

    HOW DOES INTUITION SERVE US?

    Research amongst GP’s and Emergency doctors, (Coget & Keller) that explored through interviews the role of initiation, came to the conclusion that intuition is important and a common part of practice in the following areas:

    • A sense that something is wrong – a sense of alarm / sense of reassurance
    • Recognition leading to a quick, non linear diagnosis
    • Insight leading to eureka moments through spontaneous diagnostic realisations and sudden frame shifting
    • Quick assessment – sick or not sick
    • Mismatch – when there is a lack of coherence in the symptoms.

    This research shows that the potential advantages of using intuition appear to be speed, accuracy and confidence. Jean-Francois Coget, who carried out this research on intuition, suggests that there is a “Critical Decision Vortex” and this has analytical, intuitive and emotional components.  Coget further suggests that exclusion of any of the three components risks reducing accuracy and speed.  Nygren et al. 2002, supports the idea that intuitive decision making can be more accurate than analytical decision making.

    Taking the example of a wild animal grazing – his or her intuition is going to warn about lurking danger, thus stimulating the necessary response to find safety.  When that danger has gone, it goes back to peaceful grazing.  Therefore, intuition is not something that is switched on and off, it is a sixth sense that is with us all the time. For example, choosing from two well qualified candidates:

    • For some reason the interviewer is in favour of one rather than the other.  However the reason is not explainable in a logical and rationale manner, but rather having an emotional element.   
    • Another example might be when looking into a problem and for some reason you are driven in a particular direction, which might not add up in terms of the analysis and the facts, but yet for some unconscious reason you are drawn to and make the decision based on that direction.

    INTUITION AND LEADERSHIP

    Harnessing and working with intuition is key to effective leadership.  Simply using our “head” brain all the time does not utilize everything in our tool-box.   It only analyses the facts together with any previous experience, discounting feelings connected with the heart as well as our gut feel.

    Understanding emotional issues through the heart, to ensure we tap into our own feelings as well as the feelings of others who are involved or who might become involved, and adding what our intuition is saying, provides a much broader picture and foundation for sound decision making.  In other words what does our gut say or feel about the person, the situation or the conversation in the present moment and therefore what questions have to be asked around the facts to deepen knowledge and understanding before making the final decision?

    As Coget says “Exclusion of any of the three components risks reducing accuracy and speed.”

     

    References:

    Coget, Jean Francois, Kellar Eugene The Critical Decision Vortex: Lessons From the Emergency Room https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492609357009

    Dorfler, Viktor, Ackermann, Fran Understanding Intuition:  The Case for Two Forms of Intuition. Management Learning 43 (5) 545-564 https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/1049255/viewer

    Nygren, Thomas E., White, Rebecca J. 2002  Assessing Individual Differences in Decision Making Styles: Analytical vs. Intuitive https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/154193120204601204

     

    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.

  • What is Self Leadership?

    After many years of working in the corporate world as a manager and leader and as a person passionate about development of others, I have come to the understanding that self leadership is essential to effective leadership.  In other words, if you can not lead and take responsibility for yourself  as a totality, how can you lead others?

    What is involved in self leadership?  Self leadership is taking responsibility for yourself, for your family and other responsibilities that you have “signed up to”.  This process begins with your inner core.  Inner core – who you truly are – your values around family, health, work, eating , leisure sport……, and the list goes on. 

    Self leadership is about what makes you comfortable with who you are – your confidence around your knowledge, your ability to share ideas, opinions, disagree with others with assertion, being creative, having the force of your convictions and so on.  However, for me self leadership is also about how comfortable you feel within your body and mind?  And how demanding you are of your body and mind?

    Having goals and direction in life and being in touch with why you are here and having the drive to follow that path, means having respect for the vehicle that carries this programming.  Would you feed your car with a McDonalds and Coke?  What a stupid question I hear you saying followed closely by the answer -“Of course not”!  Why then do you expect you will perform well on the same diet?  Peak performance includes body and mind.  The two are inextricably linked.  A healthy body links to a healthy mind which is able to assess information, evaluate situations, respond quickly under pressure, absorb information, and cope reasonably with crises as and when they occur without causing a huge cortisol rush and constant drain on your adrenals.

    Self leadership for me means listening to your body and responding to how it feels and what it needs in order to keep it on peak performance.  In a nutshell – it is about balance in your chosen profession or work with eating a healthy diet, making sure that movement is in your daily schedule, whether that is swimming, running, walking, doing pilates or anything else, but simply moving, and having adequate quality sleep.  In addition it means recognising and following your life’s purpose, having the courage to follow that path that keeps nagging, but we don’t do due to some reason, some trap or excuse that holds us back.  Is that trap money, time, lack of something, inability, fear or something else?  In fact do you realise that you are trapped?  Zhang Xin (Chinese billionaire business magnate) said “The only thing that limits us is ourselves”.

    What is limiting you from becoming what you want to be?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

     

    References:

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

    NHS

  • Where is the Honesty in Modern Leadership?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     
    References

    Bailey, Ronald. (2021). Zombie Trials and outright fraud: why medical research is mostly fake news. IHCAN The practice and science of natural medicine, September, 42-42.
     
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  • Who or What is the Heartbeat of Your Organisation?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Why is Leadership Development Important?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    References

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