Businesses are run by human-beings. Human-beings make them run smoothly; human-beings create value for the company and its stakeholders; human-beings make or break a business. It’s odd then, that although so many companies talk about their people being their greatest asset, their actions don’t always align to that statement. It’s time we embraced more human-centred
For leaders
Why Human-Centred Leadership matters
The golden rule – do as you would be done by – is not correct. Just because you would like to be treated in a certain way does not mean that everyone else would welcome the same approach. That’s why asking -vs- assuming is so important when it comes to our team members. When we
Leading others through change – Part 1
The first blog in a 3 part series talking to leaders about how they might lead their teams out of the Covid-19 crisis.
Leading others through change – Part 2
In part 2 of this 3 part blog series about leading through change, Clare Norman discusses the conversations leaders might have as lock-down is reversed.
Leading others through change – Part 3
In the last part of this 3 part blog series about leading others through change, Clare Norman talks about creating connection, belonging and engagement virtually.
What is your Summer-time strategy?
The Summer holidays are almost upon us. It’s going to be an odd season, for so many reasons. And for parents and carers of school-age children, it’s going to be tough. There will likely be no home-schooling, no schooling, no childcare facilities, no Summer schools. Children at home all day every day. I’m not a
Commuting, reading, transitioning, new routines
It’s amazing how change upsets our routines and our rhythms. I no longer commute and so, I have lost my dedicated reading time. And I have lost that transition into and out of work time…
How to prepare a team to be coached – hints and tips by Georgina Woudstra
Team coaching is a two-way street. And while the coach may be experienced, well prepared and enthusiastic, if the team isn’t ready to be coached then it could all come to nothing. An important step at the start of any team coaching engagement is therefore to ensure the team is ready to be coached. I
How is team coaching similar to 1-1 coaching?
I’ve written a lot about 1-1 coaching, whether that is by an external coach, an internal one or a leader as coach. 1-1 coaching has a big impact on the individual, building their thinking muscles and encouraging them to experiment with new behaviours which create a ripple effect on the people around them. But sometimes
Team Coaching
My next series of coaching blogs is going to focus specifically on team coaching. Over the coming weeks I’m going to discuss: What is team coaching? How coaching a team is similar to 1-1 coaching? How coaching a team is different to 1-1 coaching? The team experience. And then I’ll finish this series with some
How do you build a coaching culture over time?
In the last blog of my “When to Build a Coaching Culture Series”, I discuss how do you build a coaching culture over time? We’ve said that we are starting small in building a coaching culture. One starfish at a time. But over time, as you expand this to more triads of leaders, there will
How will you know that your coaching culture is making a difference?
In the sixth blog of my “When to Build a Coaching Culture Series” I talk about setting goals and establishing the measures of success. It’s hard to measure the value of time, particularly time to think. If you want to spend money in organisations, you (more often than not) need to prove that it’s money
Who can build a coaching culture?
In the fourth blog of my “When to Build a Coaching Culture Series”, I discuss who can build a coaching culture. Anyone can start coaching, from any seat. Anyone can create a ripple effect through the people with whom they use a coach approach. Have you heard the story about the starfish? Strolling along the
What does a coaching culture look and feel like?
You’ll know it’s time to build a coaching culture when: Your organisation is going through change (see my previous post) (oh, wait, isn’t that every organisation?!) Decisions are being made at levels that are paid too much for the complexity of those decisions Strategic imperatives that affect the long-term future of the organisation are not
Want performance to get better?
In the second blog of my “When to Build a Coaching Culture Series”, I discuss how organisations face and instigate change at an increasing rate. That’s never going to change if they want to survive and thrive. But despite knowing that change is here to stay, employees still feel a sense of resistance. Every time
When to Use a Coach Approach ~ Summary: Leader as Coach
In this series for the Leader as Coach, we’ve looked at multiple conversation points where coaching – or at least a coach approach – will engage your employees more than telling them. In brief, whenever you have any of these conversations, structure them by: contracting at the start for what you each want to take
