Like the best Christmas presents, it’s something that stands out, leaves a lasting impression and makes others feel confident in your abilities. But unlike a gift under the tree, executive presence isn’t something you’re handed, it’s something you develop. What … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Soft Skills
Empowering public sector workers to communicate with clarity, simplicity and confidence – under pressure
Think on Your Feet® to manage diverse audiences, simplify complex topics and respond effectively in high-pressure situations. Effective communication in public sector roles is challenging due to the complexity of the environment, the audience and the work itself. Our public … Continue reading
Struggling to get your message across to a non-technical audience?
Bridging the communication gap: How Think on Your Feet® transforms technical experts As a technical expert, I’ve often found myself in the challenging position of explaining complex solutions to non-technical audiences. Whether it’s during a meeting with stakeholders, a presentation … Continue reading
Combat information overload and unlock your team’s potential
Get your message across, supercharge productivity and spend less time in meetings Information overload is a significant and growing challenge, impacting both individuals and organisations. It slows down cognitive functions, affects mental health, disrupts decision-making and reduces productivity. The constant … Continue reading
Miscommunication – how much is it costing you?
Do you ever feel like miscommunication is slowing down progress or causing unnecessary complications in your business? You need to be able to Think on Your Feet® and master clear, confident communication. Think on Your Feet® is a proven program designed … Continue reading
Effective stakeholder communication and engagement
Effective stakeholder communication is the backbone of business success, but it comes with hurdles that can derail projects, strain relationships and jeopardise long-term goals. When they attend the Stakeholder Engagement™ and Think on Your Feet® workshops, our clients tell us … Continue reading
Neurodivergents: Assemble! Superpowers for staff. How ‘Six Hat’ thinking boosts engagement with neurodivergent workers
According to the National Autistic Society, 45% of neurodivergent people have lost or left their job because of challenges due to being misunderstood. In today’s diverse work environment, embracing neurodivergence is both an ethical imperative and a strategic advantage. … Continue reading
Did your team really understand what you just said – and what you expected?
We’ve all been there – in a discussion with your team – you were sure you were being clear, yet they heard something else? They either didn’t get it or didn’t want to get it! One way to deal with … Continue reading
Talk less, say more. Why business globalisation means clear verbal communication is critical to your success.
Effective communication is the bedrock of successful professional relationships in the globalised business world. For business professionals working with English as their second language (ESL), mastering clear verbal communication is not just an asset – it’s a necessity. Being able … Continue reading
Why creativity is your most important business asset
Creativity is not just about artistic endeavours, it’s a strategic tool that fosters growth, competitiveness and sustainability. Several businesses have struggled or ultimately failed due to a lack of creativity, innovation or adaptation to changing market conditions. While it’s not … Continue reading
How Willy Wonka showed us that AI can’t always get it ‘write’!
On the 24th February this year, hundreds of excited children queued up waiting to see a spectacularly advertised ‘Willy Wonka Experience’ in Glasgow, Scotland. Their parents had paid the princely sum of £35 per ticket and all were expecting great … Continue reading
CASE STUDY – The Skilled Presenter™ – Controlling Nerves in a Challenging Environment
John experienced significant challenges in communicating as he transitioned from the military to civilian life. For many years, he struggled to communicate effectively and confidently in face-to-face interactions, often feeling extremely nervous and emotional, even to the point of tears … Continue reading
When you need to get technical – do people really understand you?
In every industry, there are technical teams with specific skills. These teams have various internal stakeholders, (executive teams, managers and other employees) and external stakeholders (customers, providers and the public)… …success or failure hinges on the team’s ability to clearly … Continue reading
Once you’ve made your mind up… changing it can be really difficult… or can it?
In business, changing your mind can be seen as a weakness and that you have a lack of clarity or direction. People who change their minds can be considered unreliable or indifferent. Changing your mind in business, known as pivoting, … Continue reading
How Lateral Thinking enriches team creativity and collaboration
Virtually every business in the world promotes ‘teamwork’. Teams play a crucial role in generating profit, gaining market share, enhancing customer service, increasing engagement and securing a competitive edge—all contributing to organisational success. Teams are the social ‘bond’ that blend … Continue reading
Ensure your sales team can confidently think on their feet
Sales can be a challenging profession and the way businesses sell is constantly changing. Effective communication is a cornerstone of success for sales professionals. Our clients tell us their sales teams consistently face communication challenges that impact their ability to … Continue reading
Collaborative Writing
Richard Morris, Accredited Trainer With the introduction of hybrid working, we are spending less time in face-to-face conversations. So when you send that business report – you may not have a chance to talk someone through it. Having great writing … Continue reading
Allowing people’s creativity to flow when writing for business
Richard Morris, Accredited Trainer Creativity in business enhances success. It fosters engagement, teamwork, innovative ideas, product and service enhancements. Breaking old thinking habits and work patterns. But how often do businesses actually promote creativity in their business writing? In creative … Continue reading
The magic ingredients behind great Project Managers
As you start working in projects, it’s tempting to think that all you need to do is buy some expensive project management software and – snap! – the project will be an overnight success! Sadly – while there is a … Continue reading
Too much to read and remember?
We all face the challenge of business reports that remain unread, emails that don’t get dealt with, time-sensitive documents that don’t get the attention they deserve. We all have to read, absorb and recall more written information than ever to … Continue reading
Agile decision-making
Although the Agile model was developed with software design in mind, two of its principles have been widely adopted by businesses in all sectors: Valuing individuals and interactions over processes. Responding to change over following a plan. These are appealing, … Continue reading
Design thinking
The business world has been abuzz with the concept of Design Thinking over the last few years – and with good reason. This non-linear, iterative process is a great way to avoid the trap of rushing in to solve a … Continue reading
Sur/petition – focus on value creation
“Sur/petition: creating value monopolies when everyone else is merely competing” Edward de Bono Competition is based on the idea of different individuals or companies striving to win a part of the same thing. Dr Edward de Bono suggests an alternative: … Continue reading
Converting from academic to business writing
Richard Morris, Accredited Trainer Remember those good ‘ole university dissertations when you were 150 words short of the minimum word count? What did you do? You added in words to extend sentences and paragraphs to get you over the line! … Continue reading
Are all graduates masters of verbal communication?
Richard Morris, Accredited Trainer When organisations develop Graduate Recruitment Days, you can almost guarantee that at the top of the assessment criteria is ‘communication’! Naturally, all employers are looking for an intake of new talent who can ‘hit the ground … Continue reading
Forget the “Big Resignation” – what about “the Big Presentation”?
Gilly Meek, Accredited Think on Your Feet® Trainer When taking on a new role, client or job, you will likely be asked to make “that big presentation!” You know the one… the career-defining introduction, the presentation that ties your stomach … Continue reading
Virtual selling – the new sales disruptor
Richard Morris, Accredited Trainer The world of the sales professional has changed. Consideration needs to be given to the skills that are now needed. The COVID pandemic has meant virtual selling has become the new reality of the sales function … Continue reading
Giving a project update
Gilly Meek, Accredited Think on Your Feet® Trainer Project updates are a key part of landing projects successfully – it’s really important to keep stakeholders updated on progress. The way you deliver your updates can be the difference between your … Continue reading
Deal with tough questions that make you feel nervous
Gilly Meek, Accredited Think on Your Feet® Trainer Nobody likes tough questions. Especially when you aren’t prepared for them! The feeling of a loss of control, that we might not be able to answer the question or that we can’t … Continue reading
Make a real difference to your organisation’s creativity
‘Necessity is the mother of invention’, as the saying goes – and we’re certainly seeing that now. The Coronavirus pandemic has led to a proliferation of new ideas everywhere. The Mercedes Formula 1 Team have worked with medics to develop … Continue reading
Robust and clear ideas to take forward
Now that Covid-19 has challenged us to work and think, more creatively, it would be a shame to lose this new ability of approaching life with an innovative mindset. Dr Edward de Bono’s ‘Lateral Thinking’ gives the tools to come … Continue reading
Crucial conversations
Gilly Meek, Accredited Think on Your Feet® Trainer There are times in our career when we all have to have difficult conversations. As Managers, we may need to have a conversation with a team member to discuss a required behavioural … Continue reading
Too busy to think?
The decision is made – two weeks later you have to backtrack! How many times has that happened to you, either as the person making the decision or as a part of the team bringing it to life. This happens … Continue reading
Soft skills are essential for strong business growth
As a seasoned communications professional with experience spanning four decades working with a variety of large and small organisations, I feel I have built up a powerful armoury of soft skills. Which is comforting, especially in light of the fact … Continue reading
A mum’s tale – Thinking on your feet after a career break.
After a career break to raise two boys, the day finally came to wave my youngest off to school. The time was right for me to return to work. I’ll be honest, although I was excited about the prospect of … Continue reading
Essential soft skills for graduates
Most newly employed graduates have the sector-specific knowledge required to hit the ground running, yet many lack the fundamental practical core skills that prevent them actually doing the job and reaching their full potential. These transferable skills, used across the … Continue reading
When you need to answer quickly and persuasively…
Gilly Meek, Accredited Think on Your Feet®, Six Thinking Hats® and Skilled Presenter™ trainer. Imagine you’re asked to present at a really important meeting. You’re ok with the presentation itself but the questions and answers section fills you with dread! … Continue reading
When your mind goes blank, when writing…
You’ve got a great idea. You need to sell your idea. Your fingers hit the keyboard. Your mind goes blank? Absolutely nothing! Your mind goes blank. You’ve got writer’s block. This happens to all of us at times. So how … Continue reading
When your mind goes blank, when responding…
Gilly Meek, Accredited Think on Your Feet® trainer. You’re stood by the coffee machine, a Director happens to bump into you and asks you how things are going with that project you’ve been working on with her team. You open … Continue reading
Selling your ideas – stakeholder communication
Our blended, computer simulation based, Stakeholder Engagement (including Simulation)™ defines a stakeholder as ‘anyone that can affect what you are trying to achieve.’ Engaging and communicating with these groups is core to business and project success. These include colleagues, customers, … Continue reading
Change – is inevitable…
Change in business is constant. The 2016 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, in Davos, focused on ‘employment, skills and human capital’. It found that successful organisations need to ensure their employees have the skills to be able to innovate, evaluate … Continue reading
