leadership

Be honest, who’s been annoying you this Christmas? You’re there, trying to get into the spirit of the season, and someone undoubtedly makes you seethe with irritation. Maybe it’s your nagging Aunt. Maybe it’s your aloof partner. Maybe it’s your demanding kids. Maybe it’s your intrusive boss. Maybe it’s your depressing neighbour. Maybe it’s your worrying sister. There’s so much potential for some festive friction. Throw alcohol into the mix and you’ve got yourself a recipe for some spicy situations. Boozy Lions can become very direct and throw themselves into confrontation (which they thoroughly enjoy). Put them face-to-boozy-face with a Hedgehog, who gets a little more sensitive with every glass of port, and they can feel like they’re being personally … Read more

Strangely, mushrooms grow best in the dark. Fungi feed off the darkness, using it to sprout, grow and multiply. And what do mushrooms have to do with leadership? Like mushrooms, conflict also grows and multiplies when left in the dark – not the darkness of a damp cupboard, but more the metaphorical darkness of your silence. You see, conflict thrives in your avoidance of it. It feeds off your inner monologue (it’s ok – you’re not the only one who argues with colleagues in your head). And it risks exploding into a mushroom cloud of rage if not brought into the light (especially if you tell Freddy in Finance and Helen in HR about it while you’re avoiding actually addressing … Read more

At The Training Rock, we talk a lot about TRUST. And no, the capital letters are not for dramatic effect. For us, TRUST is an Acronym: And the first T stands for: T – Talk to the right person  The simple rule here is: Talk to the person you’re talking about. Go on, be honest, how many times have you been at the coffee machine talking about what Susie said to Deirdre and how wrong she was about… bla bla….. In the meantime, Susie is talking to Gary about what you said and when Gary explains what Susie thought to Deirdre then the brown stuff hits the fan. Am I right? Worse still, when you’re in conflict with Barry, rather than … Read more