Blog

By Hamish Williams

The problem many businesses face in 2016 is anaemic growth. To operate in low growth economic conditions, organisations need to focus their efforts on innovation and productivity. The ability to innovate and develop new ideas is not an innate skill. It’s a learned skill, as is the ability to do more with less and be more productive.

We all get out of the wrong side of bed some days. Even people with the sunniest of dispositions have moments where it’s virtually impossible to maintain a positive outlook.

Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it. George Orwell

Guest post by Jessica Klein at wattsnext

Workplace culture can impact the mental health and wellbeing of your employees. I don’t think that’s rocket science to most of us, but how do you know if your culture may be harming your employees?

Here are four warning signs to look out for according to Heads Up.

Warning Sign 1: Staff eat lunch at their desk.

Great workplaces grow considerably faster than their competitors while also seeing lower staff turnover.

Have you ever been told you are an inadequate leader?

If you haven't, you're missing out. Believe it or not, the key to being a great leader may actually come from being inadequate.

Don't believe us? Well, the idea that the most successful people are those who feel inadequate actually came from an unlikely source: Sir Bob Geldof.

The traditional leadership model is one that values infallibility over admitting weakness.

The value of inadequacy

By AIM Senior Research Fellow Dr Samantha Johnson

‘To the person who only has a hammer, everything they encounter begins to look like a nail.’ Abraham H. Maslow

How hard is life, when you have to be good, not only at what you do, but at who you are?  

We’re all good at doing something, in life.  But are we good at being people, at being ourselves?

It's been a tough week. The project you've been putting extra time into has fallen through and your manager hasn't provided the support you are looking for.

Then, you see it: the office stapler. It's unguarded - no one would know if it disappeared - and there are plenty more in the store cupboard. The question is, in that week when you feel your boss owes you, do you steal the stapler?

"When it comes to ethics, we think it's a test of our moral identity, which makes us more emotional."

The ethics of the stapler

Choosing whether to hire external staff or promote internally is one of the trickiest balancing acts for HR departments. It can easily feel like walking a tight-rope, particularly when they are filling the shoes of senior managers.

Of course, there are benefits to both, and in most cases the primary focus will have to be on selecting the right candidate for the position, regardless of where they have come from.

One of the fundamental differences between a leader and a manager is the ability to mentor well. A manager is focused on productivity and results while a leader is also focused on the job satisfaction and professional development of the staff who work for them.