by ctadmin | Feb 9, 2016 | Uncategorised
This year could bring the opportunity of promotion. Working for an expanding company and in recognition of your achievements, you could be given the chance to progress your career. A promotion brings excitement, self-development, challenges and rewards. Your new position means a new job title, which can come with a sense of status and a higher salary. It can also mean that you are given responsibility for other members of the team. Becoming a team leader, a manager, a coach or a mentor is more than taking a step up in the organisational hierarchy. It is about discovering how to motivate others, encourage them to do a good job and keep them working effectively as a team. It is about recognising their individual priorities, skills, experience and aspirations, so you can use them effectively within the team. Becoming a leader is about building trust, mutual respect and a positive work environment. It is taking responsibility for those you are working with, helping them to achieve, tackling issues, being open to ideas and rewarding success. You need to find ways of empowering the others in your team, yet being willing to step in to help out when necessary. A leader has to be flexible, reliable, understanding and an inspiration to others. If you have never previously taken a leadership role, these requirements can seem daunting. There is no doubt that the role is demanding. No matter how experienced you are, there is a good chance that new challenges will continue to present themselves. Lessons will be learned along the way and what works for one person may not for another,...
by ctadmin | Jan 5, 2016 | Uncategorised
At school we are pushed to achieve academic success. We are told that working hard and doing well in our exams is what’s needed in order to get a good job, be well paid and live the life we want to lead. We are told that going to university and gaining higher level qualifications will be rewarded out in the workplace. So how come we all know of successful individuals who struggled through school and left with little to show for their school years? The reality is that a higher level of education can open more doors for you. It can give you the opportunity to apply for a certain calibre of employment. It can help make things easier to understand when you first start work. However, when you are out in the real world it is clear that your attitude and approach play a huge role in your personal success. With the right attitude and approach anyone can work their way up. Interpersonal Skills Interpersonal skills aren’t taught as part of the curriculum, but we do learn them in school and other group environments. They are all about how we conduct ourselves and engage with other people. It relates to how we think and communicate in social interactions. Being able to work well in a team and communicate effectively with colleagues, customers, friends and strangers is the route to positive and rewarding life. There are many examples of multi-millionaires who left school without qualifications, but what they did have was the right attitude. They had drive and a determination to achieve. They were able to approach things in...
by ctadmin | Dec 8, 2015 | Uncategorised
Neuro Linguistic Programming is a training method that helps you to understand how your brain works and how you communicate. It can be used to improve your interpersonal skills, so you are better prepared to tackle challenges, deal with life situations, build rapport, motivate others and negotiate. Let’s Take a Look at Negotiation. Whether we realise it or not we all negotiate. It might be with our children ‘tidy your room and then you can invite your friend for a sleepover’, with your boss ‘if I come in early tomorrow, could I take a longer lunch break?’ or with a friend ‘help me sort this out so I can come to the party with you’. Some people perceive negotiation as one person’s power to convince you to do something you don’t want to. From this perspective it might be seen as sly or manipulative. In reality, good negotiation skills are part of effective communication. They should lead to favourable outcomes for all involved. Benefits of Negotiation Negotiation skills can help us to avoid arguments, diffuse anger and get results. Whether we want to get a more harmonious home life, build a strong working team, deal with customer enquiries and complaints or plan a social event, being able to negotiate is beneficial. Negotiation isn’t about persuading people to do what you want. It involves listening and understanding the motivations, needs and desires of others, as well as challenges or barriers they may face. It combines these with an acknowledgment of your own needs and then works to find a creative solution that everyone is in agreement with. Negotiation skills can...
by ctadmin | Dec 8, 2015 | Uncategorised
Every one of us has worries and concerns, things we find difficult to cope with and challenges in our lives. It is part of human nature and an inbuilt response to ensure we are alert to potential dangers. At times we have the strength to bite the bullet, count to ten, take a deep breath and get on with it. We might be struggling under the surface, but manage to do what we need to get done. We might feel a great sense of relief, or even achievement when we’ve managed to confront and get through something that has tested us. At other times, the barriers can seem much greater and impenetrable. We may want to do something, but the challenge feels too great, too daunting. We fear what lies ahead and the anticipation alone can prevent us from even giving it a go. In this situation, we might make excuses or actively remove ourselves from situations that could lead to that fear. This type of fear can be debilitating, it can hold us back and even prevent us from doing things we enjoy. We may find ourselves withdrawing in order to avoid difficult or embarrassing situations. We may notice physical symptoms including stomach pain, sweating, fainting, eczema and nausea at the thought of our fear. It’s Good to Talk If we feel anxious, it can be difficult for us to think and respond logically. We might find it hard to express what is wrong and get angry or frustrated with others that ask if we are alright. Equally, we may feel embarrassed by what others may perceive as...
by ctadmin | Nov 9, 2015 | Uncategorised
When you’ve identified a need for additional members of your team, the recruitment process is set into motion. This can be a costly and time consuming process, so it is important that it results in the employment of capable individuals, that not only have the required skills and experience to undertake the role, but also the personality and values that fit within the workplace culture. The choice of candidate can either have a highly beneficial impact on your business or a detrimental one. If you select the right candidate, they can not only fit current requirements, but can also help your company to embrace future developments. In contrast, the wrong choice can be a drain on time, resources and your company’s reputation. When put in these terms, it is simple to see that recruitment is an important strategic decision, yet many businesses still fail to invest adequate time into the process. Job Descriptions Don’t be tempted to rush the job description or just pull out an old one from the files. The application stage is the first filter in the process and individuals will base their application form on the requirements of the job description. So, if you want to attract the right people and be able to spot them amongst a potentially large pile of applications, you need to know what specific skills and experience would be beneficial to your business. Also avoid being too specific about how these skills have been achieves, as there could be transferable skills and relevant experience from beyond your industry. Interview Process The next filter comes through interviewing the applicants that seem...
