The most important management role; building competence through coaching
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

One of our 4 C’s of being a high functioning team is ‘Competence’.  It’s the domain expertise, skill element of the team.  It’s something we all need, the manager, but also every single member of the team.  However for the manager there is something really important to understand; no matter how brilliant you are, how great your competence, if your team isn’t up to the required competence then two things become very evident:   You can’t go and have lunch because your people will be addicted to you, and  you will never be able to empower your people with confidence.

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Why developing competence is the managers responsibility  
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the advent of self directed learning - in other words creating the environment where staff take control of their own learning, often supported by the organisation.  I’ve nothing against this approach, it’s great if people take charge of their own development, however my word of caution is concerned with this becoming the only approach.

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Managers, stop trying to motivate your staff!
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

For much of my management career I was under the impression that one of the requirements of a good manager was to motivate their team members.  In recent years I’ve begun to wonder if that’s altogether the wrong thing!  My doubt first manifested itself when reading Prof Steve Peters suggesting that motivation was worthless - WORTHLESS!  Yes, really, the British Olympic cycling teams psychologist tells his athletes to forget it, it’s a waste of time.

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Building a high functioning team
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

There is a clear difference between high performing teams and high functioning teams. Put simply, many high performing teams are not necessarily high functioning. They achieve what they achieve through effort, blood, sweat and frequently tears. Performance in these organisations is exhausting, often stressful, there is fall out and discontent.

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How close should managers get to their team members?
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

How important is the relationship I have with my team?  Pretty vital I’d say!  But what does that really mean?  How well does my team need to know me? What’s that balance between being familiar, one of the team and being professional, being their boss?   These are valuable questions to ponder.

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Squeeze!
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

We’ve got some exciting news to tell you.  Next week at World of Learning, we are launching a brand new shiny podcast called Squeeze.  Here’s what the blurb says about it.   Squeeze is a management training podcast designed to help squeeze the best out of you.

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Building Comfortable Communities
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

Harvard has recently published a number of papers with some interesting titles. They include the following: Sleep Deprivation Can Make It Harder to Stay Calm at Work Time for Happiness Why You Should Work Less and Spend More Time on Hobbies Treat Your Weekend Like a Vacation Prevent Burnout by Making Compassion a Habit Stressed at Work? Mentoring a Colleague Could Help The Pros and Cons of Perfectionism What Makes Some People More Productive Than Others How CEOs Manage Time Are New Graduates Happier Making More Money or Having More Time? The titles alone make interesting reading, providing lots of food for thought.

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Learn effective tricks to build your personal resilience
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

We think that building personal resilience is a management foundation skill.  During your management career you are going to face many stressors, both people and situations that are going to test you, potentially to the limit.  Being able to ride these storms doesn’t happen by chance, it is a skill you can develop.

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5 tips for new managers
Bob Bannister
by Bob Bannister on

So you have been promoted or have just got that new management job.  Well done.  Here are 5 management tips for you that I wish I had been told in those early days.  There is of course loads of things that would be helpful to tell you, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, so these five make a great starting point.

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