When I joined =mc as a new consultant one of the first things they asked me to do was to write a blog… So I decided that I needed to learn from my past experience of changing jobs. After all I have done this before First I noticed there are two overriding emotions I have […]
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The latest post from our new Learning and Development consultant Yvette Gyles is around what you can do to help out a new colleague. Following on from the post I wrote last week, I’ve been thinking about the support I’ve been getting in my first few days here at =mc. I’ve had great support, and […]
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In this blog, =mc’s Director Charlotte Scott shares four ways of ensuring that the learning you’ve invested in is passed on and applied throughout your organisation. If you’ve spent time and money on training and development (or are thinking about doing so), this blog is a must-read! Four Ways to Ensure Learning Transfer Ensuring […]
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In this blog =mc‘s Senior L&D consultant Philly Graham shares ideas on why certain projects fail and what you can do to avoid this. Why do projects fail? Depressing though it is, I think we can all say we have been involved in a project that has gone wrong in some shape or form. But […]
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In this blog, =mc‘s Assistant Director Yvette Gyles shares 5 ideas for improving innovation, and how these steps are already helping organisations such as ActionAid. We’re good at coming up with ideas in my organisation – the creative bit – but they never seem to get off the drawing board. Where are we going wrong with our […]
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Fundraising is about Influence – winning people over to your point of view. The starting point for influence in a not-for-profit setting should be a personal drive to achieve some wider social good. In part 1 of this this blog we concentrated on the importance of framing and organising your passion or personal motivation to help […]
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Fundraising is about Influence – winning people over to your point of view. The starting point for influence in a not-for-profit setting should be a personal drive to achieve some wider social good. To be an outstandingly successful influencer and fundraiser you need to have a real desire – a passion – for that change. […]
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The ‘Any questions?’ moment in a presentation can be the most difficult. For as long as you are delivering your piece, at least you are in control. The moment you ask your audience if they have questions, you lay yourself open to any one of a number of tricky situations. In this article, we set […]
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This article explores 5 key principles to help you manage that challenging conversation effectively to ensure a good outcome for both you and them. What’s a Challenging Conversation? A challenging conversation is one where you are anxious about your ability to handle the outcome. So for example where you know that your opinions are significantly […]
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A coaching approach to management – integrating the principles of coaching into the nitty-gritty, day-to-day business of managing staff – can transform performance. Alongside core skills such as questioning, listening, generating awareness, and giving feedback, the coaching approach to management provides a structure to our conversations with staff. Two helpful frameworks, created by =mc are […]
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Some of the most interesting psychological work carried out in the last five to ten years has focused on the issue of so-called multiple intelligences. The basic idea, developed by Harvard-based psychologist Howard Gardner, is simple. We all have access to a number of different ways of processing information, which Gardner has called intelligences. This […]
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Whether you call it a presentation or a pitch, being able to stand up and convince a number of people at the same time to support you is a key skill for anyone keen to display presence. This article explores the key dimensions of presence – what it is and how to perfect it. We […]
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Motivation is a timeless challenge that emerges in all managers’ careers. It’s a particular challenge in the public and voluntary sectors where motivation is something managers can take for granted – assuming that their staff are inherently motivated simply because they choose to work in these sectors. In fact motivation is something managers may not […]
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At =mc we are increasingly being asked by our customers to help them improve their internal collaboration. This may be the result of a recent restructure that has spurred on a change in how they need to work, or perhaps because they have analysed their latest employee survey data and identified silo working as a […]
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There has been quite a lot written about millennials lately, and their expectations about work and leadership. What a lot of this is saying is that they are somehow special, and therefore problematic, compared to their older, baby-booming colleagues. In this article, =mc Director Yvette Gyles reviews what has been said on the topic, dispels some […]
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More and more decisions in organisations are being made by groups of people rather than individuals. This trend is increasing with the move towards self-managed teams and project based management. The groups are most often ‘natural’ function teams, but may also be individuals from across the organisation that come together to undertake a specific task […]
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This article explains how to use a powerful and simple psychological technique called Anchors to adopt a more positive and flexible approach to any situation. Commonly used in sport they are now popular in management settings to deal with challenging situations. Anchors You may remember the famous experiment of Pavlov, the Russian scientist. Pavlov noticed […]
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This article, written by =mc Director Yvette Gyles, explains the thinking behind one of the latest organisational development tools – Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Building on stories of success? Organisations are full of stories and story telling. What people say to each other in corridors and canteens will often become the accepted reality. Unfortunately, this can […]
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At =mc we are increasingly asked by our clients to deliver ‘some training on change.’ The challenge with such a request is that organisational change is a big topic. At =mc we are increasingly asked by our clients to deliver ‘some training on change.’ The challenge with such a request is that organisational change is […]
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This article introduces some key elements of emotional intelligence to help you enhance your performance by being more confident, and in control of your emotional responses to situations in the workplace. What is emotional intelligence? The term Emotional Intelligence (EI) is increasingly well known and often cited as the key to effective workplace relationships. It […]
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As any seasoned manager will tell you, the transition from colleague to manager is tough. The first step on the managerial ladder is not without its obstacles and challenges – even more so if you are managing your former colleagues. You want to be respected, you want to be liked and most of all, you […]
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NSPCC has an extraordinary achievement behind it – the transformational Full Stop campaign. But they are committed to stepping up to the next level of performance with a new fundraising target and strategy to ensure they deliver on their commitment to children. This case study explains how =mc helped develop an integrated innovation programme- including […]
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The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is one of the most famous theatre companies in the world. They work to connect people around the world with Shakespeare through innovative and distinctive theatre and education. As well as Shakespeare’s work, they also produce bold, ambitious work with living writers, actors and artists. This includes the multiple award-winning […]
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Driving culture change at Housing & Care 21 Housing & Care 21 are the UK’s largest non-profit care provider and a national leader in providing innovative, affordable housing for older people. Their strong belief that later life should be happy and fulfilling, has lead to them supporting over 28,000 people across the UK with essential […]
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The Manchester Museum is unique. In no other university can you find such an encyclopedic compendium of human creativity from every corner of the globe, alongside evidence of the evolution of the planet over the last 4.6 billion years. Breaking down silos was a key goal and =mc was able to help in a number […]
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Different organisations do – and define – project management in different ways, from a ‘whole organisation’ skill that everyone needs to understand and share at some level, to a specialism practised by a few people on behalf of the many. Whatever the tactic, how well projects are managed contributes to the culture and reputation of […]
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Gateway Housing Association is the largest provider of sheltered housing in Tower Hamlets. Their name came about because of their unique role in supporting people in a borough which has, throughout history, been a ‘gateway’ for migrants coming to live and work in London. It also reflects their core belief that decent affordable housing is […]
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Marie Curie is one of the UK’s largest national charities, providing care and support for people living with any terminal illness, and their families. They’ve been carrying out this vital work for over 65 years – and last year alone cared for over 40,000 people across the UK. Challenge In 2015 Marie Curie Cancer Care […]
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What makes us successful? Inside Concern Worldwide’s competency framework Concern Worldwide is an international non-governmental organisation “working for a world where no one lives in fear, poverty or oppression.” Established over 40 years ago it works in over 29 countries. As well as responding to humanitarian emergencies, Concern also provides longer-term assistance in the areas […]
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Learning & development consultant working at =mc There isn’t a typical working week at =mc. In any given week you can be involved in delivering a one-off training session online, interviewing stakeholders for a piece of consultancy, facilitating a team away day, delivering modules for a leadership programme or holding telephone calls to sense check […]
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In this blog post, Philly Graham, Senior Learning & Development Consultant at =mc discusses teams, and considers 5 key elements of effective teams. When I joined =mc I was made to feel very welcome by my new team and I was reminded just how much I value good teams. And I believe I’m not alone in this. […]
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How do you stay productive when you have lots and lots of different streams of work coming at you at the same time? We asked =mc’s Marketing Manager, Anna Esslemont. Anna often has to manage many different streams and types of work at once, but she keeps her cool. Here are her top five tips […]
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