Performance management is often conflated with how to manage poor performance. But it is also about managing good performance, and developing the people who are already doing well. Sometimes as managers it’s easy to focus on fixing the issues within your team, rather than nurturing the people that appear to need less attention. But if […]
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What’s the Big Idea? If you want to have a good relationship with your colleagues, managers and leaders at work, the best thing to do is to perform your job well. But there will be times when you need to actively influence someone – to get help or resources, to get buy-in for your ideas, […]
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5 ways to make the most of your away day As restrictions lift, more and more teams are coming back together, working in a hybrid way and thinking of ways to reconnect. We have been asked to help facilitate several team away days and team sessions across numerous charities and social good organisations. Often we […]
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Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, issues, challenges, and worries. In this regular feature we share some of those challenges, and our advice, for dealing with them. […]
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Let’s talk about scope creep. One of biggest (and most infuriating) issues affecting project managers. Imagine: you firmed up the scope of your project months ago, you’re knee deep in delivery, everything should come in on time and to budget… and then a key stakeholder suggests an additional output. “Wouldn’t it be great if we […]
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Managing a team and maintaining – or even upgrading – their performance is a big, time consuming job, however experienced you are. Supervision sessions, coaching, advice, support all take up big chunks of your time – time away from your ‘own’ work. So the question is, how can you maximise the positive impact you have […]
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Winter is finally over. The days are getting longer. The trees are blossoming, bulbs are flowering and all around us birds sing hallelujah. …Not quite accurate? Are you struggling to find the joys of spring at work? Feeling a bit flat or stagnant? The last 12 months have been tough, so it is totally understandable […]
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Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, issues, challenges, and worries. In this regular feature we share some of those challenges, and our advice, for dealing with them. […]
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Help! I need to manage my stakeholders and I don’t know where to start. As a project manager it’s important to know and understand who your stakeholders are and how to manage your relationships with them. People can make or break a project so handling your stakeholders well is essential. At =mc we define stakeholders […]
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It’s February. That special time of year when our resolutions are a distant memory, the decorations have all been packed up, and we’re back in the thick of things after a winter break. We’re getting busier and busier, and things are piling up. Whilst love may well be in the air for many towards the […]
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Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, issues, challenges, and worries. In this regular feature we share some of those challenges, and our advice, for dealing with them. […]
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In our coaching practice and on our personal effectiveness programmes we often help people who are getting ready for interviews. These could be interviews for new jobs, or meetings with new supporters, or pitches. Here, Yvette Gyles, =mc Director and coach explains how to prepare for such meetings with confidence. Why we need to make […]
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January is traditionally a time of looking forward and looking back. A time to consider the challenges – and failures – of the year before. To set resolutions and plan for a better year ahead. Full of good intentions, these resolutions are usually broken by the end of the month. I have never been a […]
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Leadership is multi-faceted and complex. That’s why there are so many books on the topic as well as blogs, videos, articles, training courses and podcasts. At =mc Learning we know this from our leadership courses, which often start with the following questions: what do you think are the characteristics of effective leaders? Who do you […]
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Starting a new job always comes with a mix of excitement and trepidation, as you wonder what it’s going to be like. Working in multiple locations also comes with its own challenges. Here at =mc we’ve always worked in a hybrid model: some office time, some home time, some on-site time. And that model seems […]
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Throughout any project there are challenges that can spring up, and attempt to take us off track in progressing our projects. Even when we’ve carefully laid out our project plan; the context, our stakeholders, and even our own project team can throw a spanner into the works. Throughout our Project Management training programmes, we find […]
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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]
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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]
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Learning is important because it keeps us motivated, keeps our minds active and means we are more able to manage change. Change is a constant and therefore so must be learning. And during this time of upheaval, we are needing to adapt to change quicker than ever. Suddenly there seems to be a plethora of […]
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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]
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On our management programmes we regularly discuss what it means to be a great manager. When we ask people what they themselves want from their managers we continually hear the five key themes: direction, openness, modelling, trust and challenge. Direction We want our managers to provide us with a sense of direction. In order to […]
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Development enables your team members to grow in their role, to feel stretched and supported, and to stay motivated and engaged. One of the main benefits people value in their role is the opportunity to increase and refine their skills. Indeed, one of the main reasons people cite when leaving an organisation is the need […]
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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]
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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]
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Fun activities to include in your online team meetings We all know how enjoyable it is when we work within a close and supportive team. A team where people know and trust each other, where energy is high and the team solves problems together, spots opportunities together and creates new approaches together. Over the last […]
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In this blog Charlie Scott outlines why motivation is important, and how leaders can encourage others Motivation is energy People who are motivated perform their jobs more effectively. They are more creative, flexible, and healthy. They have the energy and commitment to do what is needed today and to welcome what might be needed tomorrow. […]
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As we look back at 2020, we have had to handle some tough situations over the last year. A pandemic will do that to you. No doubt lots of managers in charities and not-for-profit organisations have had to have some tricky conversations in recent months, and for some managers there are more to come. Getting […]
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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]
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A crucial skill we all need at work is the ability to facilitate high quality discussions and gain agreement about the way forward. Whenever you run a meeting, you can use effective facilitation to assess opportunities, solve problems, create new ideas and action plan. With a huge increase in on-line meetings, great facilitation skills are […]
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Leading in the not-for-profit sector can be tough. Most of us hold these leaders to higher ethical standards than those in the commercial sector. We expect them to be principled. We need them to do the right thing and encourage trust. In short, we need these leaders to model the values that their organisations promote. Thankfully, […]
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What could possibly go wrong? We all know that risk management is an important part of project planning. But for many people it was seen as a useful add-on to consider when planning rather than an essential skill we all need to master. For all of us, project planning recently has been dramatically different. Covid-19 […]
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We all know that effective communication is crucial at work. When conversations are easy and free flowing, we work easily with others, solve problems and have fun. But some conversations are less straight-forward. These conversations can make us uncomfortable and put us on edge. They make us worry about what the other person really thinks […]
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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc, we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]
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We’re delighted to share with you episode 6 from Marie Curie’s internal podcast series aptly named The L&D Podcast. In this episode, Madeleine White, Learning & Development Co-ordinator at Marie Curie interviews =mc Director Laura Slater on what it’s been like to be furloughed, and how it feels returning to work. The podcast series began […]
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In every high performing organisation you’ll find brilliant leaders, and brilliant managers. Both these roles are needed for very different reasons. Why do we need brilliant leaders? Great leaders provide us with a vision we can get behind and believe in. This whole-hearted belief is necessary for us to overcome the obstacles that will inevitably […]
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Have you been keeping an eye on culture in your team or organisation lately? Admittedly for managers and leaders, there has been a lot to think about in the past eighteen months. Shifting to home working, locking down, unlocking, risk assessments, reallocating budgets, planning ahead, supporting wellbeing, making changes, introducing new ways of working. All […]
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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc, we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]
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In this article, Charlie Scott breaks down the mystery of strategy, and how to ensure your strategy is a living reality. A common mystery Chief Executives rely on their management teams to make strategy happen, from Deputy Directors, to Heads of Departments, to functional Managers, to Team Leaders. Managers need to support their teams to […]
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Last week, Matthew Sherrington wrote that managers and leaders are gaslighting their staff in the charity and not-for-profit sector by creating toxic work cultures (see Matthew’s blog here). The drive to do more, more, more – and yet never doing enough can be overwhelming as demand for services and support is endless. This is then […]
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How to ensure people learn, develop and feel invested in – no matter how small your training budget is. This time last year the CIPD released their latest learning report[1], and whilst not entirely surprising, it highlighted that charities and non-profit organisations have very tight training budgets. The Covid-19 pandemic has meant shifting resource and […]
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