What is all the fuss about Brené Brown? Ever since someone asked for one of her leadership titles to be bought for our Learning Resource Centre at Roffey Park, I have noticed her name seems to be cropping up everywhere in the field of organisation development and leadership. Bookshops have her titles on bestseller displays, and internet…
When I was 29 someone thought it sensible to give me the keys to an organisation. And so it happened that authority and responsibility was conferred to me for lots of people and slightly more predictable things like finance, governance and organisational processes. I remember walking to work on the first morning of my newly…
HR is perfectly positioned to create a thriving innovation culture For many years, innovation was the domain of the research and development department. It was a mystical activity that took place behind closed doors, only revealing itself when a new product or process appeared, which everyone was expected to get behind. As an HR director,…
It’s an old adage but a good one: people don’t leave organisations they leave managers. Successful managers have strong people management skills to know what their team needs to work effectively and how they can encourage them to be more successful. As a result, strong and effective people management skills are crucial for organisations to…
By Julia Wellbelove – Head of Research, Roffey Park Walking recently along a Devon beach on a warm autumn day, with my hand being grasped by a little hand, I reflected that this was surely what life was all about? And yet, I thought, this was just a fleeting moment, a short relaxing break, punctuating…
At Roffey Park, we start most development programmes and workshops by a process of so-called “checking-in”: the invitation to participants to speak in the group, and share anything that might get in the way of them being fully present to each other. Often, these are thoughts, niggles, feelings, worries, unresolved tasks from a previous meeting, or from…
A guest blog by Corporate Rebels In both popular and academic management literature, self-managing teams are identified as one of the key innovations in progressive organisations. But successful self-management is not an easy task. It requires both a good grasp of the key elements, and an understanding of the factors that influence them. Recently we wrote that…
We all know that England didn’t make it all the way and that football, on its way home, is enjoying a well-deserved layover in France… For now. The real win might well be for the role of compassionate leadership in teams. Whilst compassionate leadership is no new thing, it has often been relegated into a lower category…
As a leader there is endless debate about what you need to do, change or be in order for your leadership to be more effective and impactful. Your mindset has an integral role in your personal growth and the growth of those around you either at home or within the teams you lead at work.…
As organisational hierarchies and layers diminish, developing personal effectiveness and influencing skills is essential in today’s workplace. Success and outcomes can only be achieved through, with and from others. Being able to influence without formal authority is an essential skill, and we cannot do this without confidence, clarity of purpose and the communication skills to…
Books To Improve Influencing Skills In our collection of the best books to help you influence others, we’ve gathered a selection of classic books on influencing skills, as well as modern approaches to influencing people in a digital age. Exploring all the various ways to exert power and influence in the workplace, from mastering non-verbal…
Inspirational Leaders come in all shades, from despots to mystics. They start wars and stop them, invent religions and persecute them. They inspire millions of people to give their lives to a cause, whether it be Nationalism, Socialism or Buddhism. Many great leaders throughout history have not wanted to be leaders or even known in…
