Nobody likes hearing customers or stakeholders complain. So here are some suggestions from the globally delivered Think on Your Feet® workshop. Continue reading
Calculate the readability of your documents.
Everyone loves a clear and concise document. What’s more, the easier your document is to read, the more likely your message will be understood and actioned. The Fog Index is a simple way you can assess how accessible your writing is. Follow these simple steps to calculate you readability statistics. Continue reading
It’s not what you say – but the way that you say it!
In a recent study by job website Monster.co.uk, graduates have just 6 minutes and 25 seconds to impress a prospective employer during an interview! Continue reading
Dr Edward de Bono’s Top 10 quotes on negativity in meetings
Meetings are hard work and unproductive when colleagues spend most of their time thinking of reasons why something won’t work. Dr Edward de Bono is the world’s leading authority on how to get the best out of people’s thinking. We … Continue reading
You can be Big, Bold, and Agile – Dr Edward de Bono
Large organisations can get bad press for being unwieldy and lacking in imagination and smaller companies tend to get good press for being nimble and innovative. But the story is not so straight forward. Big companies are in a unique … Continue reading
Presenting boring facts and figures in an interesting way…
One of our recent Skilled Presenter delegates (thanks John Shaw) saw this pretty impressive way of communicating those dull statistics and sent it to us. Take a few moments to view this and tell me your not impressed with Stockholm… Continue reading
Bridging the Oil & Gas Project Management skills gap
There are other areas where we need to explore new ideas and agree the best way forward, for example in filling positions in disciplines such as design engineering and project management, which are proving the most difficult to fill. Continue reading
Surviving Projects in the Oil & Gas Industry with Stephen Carver
This highly practical, engaging and interactive workshop focuses on the skills and behaviours that make Project Managers and teams highly effective. In adition to the workshop, we are proud to announce Stephen Carver – a globally renowned Project & Programme Management expert – will be streamed live for an interactive Q&A session. Continue reading
Presentation Panic! How to Control Your Nerves
Public speaking is a top fear for many people. It’s okay to be afraid as long as you try to keep that fear at bay when you give a presentation. You can be successful and be remembered by your audience. Here’s how: Continue reading
Love from Indigo – your Valentine gift from us…
With love in the air, and as Valentine’s Day approaches, we at Indigo would like to share the love by giving you a heart warming 20% off selected open workshops – but only for the next 48 hours. There are 27 open … Continue reading
Did you miss the Skilled Presenter webinar today?
If you missed the Skilled Presenter webinar, or would like to forward it to a friend to listen / watch, simply go to this link: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/430260254 Continue reading
Think on Your Feet: 3 Steps to Success – Top Tip No. 3 – Remember the rule of threes to stay on track.
Our final ‘Top Tip’ is this series looks at when we are subject matter experts and get wrapped up in too much detail. If we are passionate, our emotions override our logic and we ramble. Continue reading
Think on Your Feet: 3 Steps to Success – Tip No.2 – Identify triggers to know how to respond.
In our last blog of this series, (see http://www.indigobusiness.co.uk/blog/?p=1108), we discussed listening skills, to gain understanding before reacting. The example we used was when you are talking to your team about implementing a new process and you hear “Why is this company always making things more complicated”. A good listener will acknowledge that change can be challenging. If spoken with sincerity it will help move the conversation in the right direction. Continue reading
Think On Your Feet: 3 Steps to Success – Tip No.1 – Listen before reacting.
How many times have you been asked a question that causes ‘brain fog’ even if you know the answer? Maybe your audience is intimidating. Perhaps the topic is sensitive or emotional. Suddenly, you find yourself stammering or rambling. And after the damage is done you remember what you should have said. Continue reading
Presentation Tip: Know when to quit!
The Skilled Presenter™ always does at least one dry run to focus on timing. Be willing to remove major sections of your presentation. Ask the following questions: Do my listeners really want to know this? Is it engaging? Is it persuasive? Continue reading
How to master the art of thinking quickly on your feet.
Caught off guard by a question at work, do you blurt out the first thing that comes to mind? Or do you take a moment to marshal your thoughts? Continue reading
Make Memorable Presentations in 2014
How can an audience follow your presentation if they don’t know where you are going? If you set out a map for the destination it will be much clearer where you are and what’s next. That’s why almost all professional … Continue reading
Customer service – the make, or break, of your brand.
“Their Customer Service was awful, I’m never using that company again!” – how many times have you heard people say that? Companies spend thousands of pounds every year on their marketing budget ensuring they portray a positive image of their … Continue reading
Lean project management – isn’t that the point?
When an organisation needs to make a strategic improvement, it needs to flex its project management muscles. Good project managers get to work defining and planning the project – identifying key deliverables. The deliverables are the benefits that will be … Continue reading
Evaluation – just an add-on?
You have probably done it yourself. It’s the end of the course, people are starting to think about the train home or tomorrow’s meeting, and the trainer smiles and gives you an A4 sheet asking for your feedback.The course was … Continue reading
Your project’s failed – You’re fired!
With the Apprentice TV programme in full flow on the BBC, I could not resist using this headline for my latest blog. However, this is not an uncommon response in the real world! Projects are often high risk low reward. Often, if your projects are a success, you are then tasked with a new, higher risk project, with little praise for your success to date! If (as many can be) you have an unsuccessful project, it can be expensive and embarrassing! Continue reading
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it
Bill Barnett – 8th May 2013 I had a fantastic day training yesterday, courtesy of my good friends at Indigo, playing on their “Stakeholder Engagement (including Simulation)™” simulator. The simulator is a great piece of kit, which actually takes participants … Continue reading
What makes a Best Man?
I made some pretty big decisions around that time. One such decision was ‘who to have as my Best Man’. So what are the criteria for a good ‘Best Man’? Well, my Best Man, Andy, was first and foremost a great friend. He was (and still is!) liked by many for being trustworthy, great fun and a witty. Continue reading
Think on Your Feet – Tell ’em, tell ’em and tell ’em again!
What if your sound bite is only a minute? Isn’t this too much ‘telling ‘em’? If so, try what we call the ‘informal’ standard format. Continue reading
Do you sound like the expert that you are?
“I know everything there is to know about my product, business and industry”. We are all specialists and experts in our given field/areas. We can speak for hours on end in terms of what we do, how we do it, … Continue reading
Why should I read this?
When asked to produce a document, what is the first thing you do? Personally, mine was to turn on my computer, open Word and start typing. A professional writer however will spend up to 40% of their time planning, 25% drafting and 35% editing; that’s why their writing gets read. Continue reading
Can you laterally think?
Personally I have, until recently, considered ‘lateral thinking’ to be a buzz-phrase. Often when I hear it, my children are preparing a contrived, stupendously hard to answer question, with a blatantly obvious solution – existing only in hindsight. These playful … Continue reading
Indigo sponsor scientists through a “Dragons Den” style competition…
Indigo are thrilled to announce that, for the third successive year, we are a proud sponsor of the Environment YES (Young Entrepreneurs Scheme) competition this December 2013. This innovative scheme raises levels of entrepreneurial awareness amongst PhD students and post doctoral researchers working in the environmental sciences. Continue reading
Last Managing Stakeholders Simulation places available – London, 26 November 2012
Indigo Simulations – Because practice make perfect projects…
We are thrilled to say that we have just a handful of places remaining at our Managing Stakeholder Simulation on the 26 November 2012 in London. The one day workshop blends team interaction, expert training and live interactive computer simulations for a truly remarkable and very different learning experience. Continue reading
The Indigo Simulations Webinar: Playing computer games at work improves your management skills.
We are thrilled to announce there are a few more places available at our free “The Managing Stakeholders Simulation Webinar on the 6th November at 2pm. The webinar gives an overview of our globally delivered Managing Stakeholders simulation, demonstrates why Simulations are the cutting edge of management development, and lets you see the simulations process itself. Registration for this unique event is completely free of charge. Simply book your place at this event by going to: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/571774966 Continue reading
Solving moral dilemmas with the Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Four different-coloured hats were used to help pupils at a Tai Kok Tsui primary school grasp their first lessons in moral and national education yesterday. Fresh Fish Traders’ School headmaster Leung Kee-cheong invited parents and journalists to sit in on … Continue reading
Dr de Bono – you can be Big, Bold and Agile
Large organisations can get bad press for being unwieldy and lacking in imagination and smaller companies tend to get good press for being nimble and innovative. But the story is not so straight forward. Continue reading
Try Before You Buy – The Free Webinar Line-Up
In these cost conscious times,we appreciate that it is often difficult to get approval to attend a workshop. For this reason we have created a number of FREE webinars to help you gain a clearer understanding of our events, before you decide which one to attend. Continue reading
Mastering the art of high impact communication – a journey from ancient Greece, to 17th century France and now to the UK in 2012.
In around 500BC, the renowned Greek Philosopher and Mathematician, Pythagoras, was attributed with saying “do not say a little in many words but a great deal in few”. A message that today’s business professionals can relate to when listening to long-winded, directionless communication in the workplace. Continue reading
Edward de Bono confirmed as keynote at the Learning Technologies / Skills Conference 2012
Indigo is thrilled to partner with the thirteenth annual Learning Technologies Conference on 25th January Creativity expert and author, Dr Edward de Bono, will open with a keynote speech on one of the fundamental issues facing business: how we think! Continue reading
Free Webinars – Indigo’s “try before you buy” series.
In these cost conscious times, and with travel budgets being cut, we appreciate that it is often difficult to get approval to attend a workshop, without a full understanding of how it will meet your training requirements, and link to your companies strategic plan. For this reason we have created a number of free webinars to help you gain a clear understanding of our events, before you decide which one to attend. Continue reading
Edward de Bono Update – The Audacity of Thinking
“The motivation of politicians is to survive,” he points out as he recounts an anecdote later about when he told British Prime Minister David Cameron in a letter to appoint a Minister of Thinking. “They’re always cautious about taking an initiative which could expose them to criticism.” Continue reading
Want to learn how to survive projects? Free Webinar: 19th Ocotber 2011 – 2pm GMT
To give you an overview of our Project Management Survival Guide™ workshop, we are running a free webinar. You can watch the webinar from the comfort of your desk on the 19th October 2011 between 2pm and 3pm GMT. Continue reading
Clapham Riots – We are open as usual.
After a crazy night of destruction and devastation here in Clapham, I am pleased to announce that our team, our office and more importantly our surrounding community is OK. Mercifully no-one appears to be hurt in last nights riots, and the local community feeling around our headquarters is one of defiance against the troubles and that we ‘keep calm and carry on’. Continue reading
The de Bono Message: “100 Years From Now…”
If we take a hundred year perspective from now, what is going to be seen to be important? A lot of things which seem very central and important at the moment will be seen to be trivial and peripheral. Continue reading
You’re hired! Why innovation is the key to business success.
Every year I say I am not going to get hooked on the BBC’s hit show ‘The Apprentice’, and then it draws me in and I am there to the bitter end! But at least, this year’s record viewing figures for the show prove that I was not the only one! But what struck me with this year’s change of circumstances – with the candidates vying to become business partners with Lord Sugar – was that, as well as the ‘nice guy’ coming first; this was a triumph for innovation too. Continue reading
Is there an elephant in the office? Eat it!
Occasionally you will be asked to lead enormous projects of epic proportions. The problem is the bigger the project; the more complex they become, in every possible way. From the number of intended deliverables to the budget, to the breadth and importance of stakeholders; these are what I call ‘Elephant Sized Projects.’
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Calling all trainers – Free Webinar: 2pm, 1st June 2011
Organisations are desperately searching for proven, practical tools to ramp-up the creative thinking capacity of their workforce. Yet we frequently hear clients saying “We know we need to be more creative, but we don’t know how”. What’s the Problem? Increased … Continue reading
The Indigo Summer Newsletter is out!
FIGHT THE FLAB IN YOUR COMMUNICATIONS: We cut the ‘fat’ out of your conversations, presentations and written documents with our featured workshops – Think on Your Feet, The Skilled Presenter, Writing Dynamics and Thought Leadership, leaving only the best bits for your audience. We can’t turn you into experts, but we can make you sound like the expert you are! Continue reading
Death vs. Public Speaking – And the winner is…
I read an article the other day about the comedian Jerry Seinfeld – recalling his standup routine lampooning a survey, which found that people’s number one fear was “public speaking”, with “death” coming in second. Continue reading
LinkedIn passes the 100 million user milestone… but what now?
On the back of LinkedIn’s planned IPO, a whole raft of new initiatives and new tools and platforms are being rolled out to build a really robust and valuable tool for business professionals. Unfortunately most users miss these new innovations unless they stumble across them and manage to work out how to use them – the great mystery is why LinkedIn does not communicate better with its users when it brings out new tools, especially since they are so powerful. The only way to find out what’s happening is via the LinkedIn Blog – if you know where to find it! So apart from me, what are the other 99,999,999 LinkedIn user actually doing with it – sadly the answer is often, very little. Continue reading
The de Bono Message – Comfort for Defeat
How often do we deliberately design comfort for others? In an argument do we seek to design a comfortable way for the other party to accept defeat? Continue reading
Six Hats = Smart Business – nothing silly about it!
Recently, while keeping an eye on the virtual market place, we noticed that someone had taken our YouTube clip of Dr. Edward de Bono describing the Six Thinking Hats®, and added Arabic sub-titles to it! Continue reading
Sometimes you just have to speak up…
My 17 year old niece Ella has made it through to the final stages of Channel 4’s called www.battlefront.co.uk . Ella’s campaign is called Let’s Talk Disability. See why we need a rethink at http://www.battlefront.co.uk/the-campaigns/lets-talk-disability/feed:video/
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Indigo client is University of the Year
A small blog entry to say HUGE congratulations to the University of York; one of our premium clients recently recognised as the Times Higher Education University of the Year! (See full article at http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=414419) Continue reading
