Got a different problem?
Sometimes your people-related work issue doesn’t fall into a neat category within an obvious service, like assessment or coaching. Often that’s because it’s something that’s an organisation level question, requiring a bit of investigation. You might not even be able to put your finger on what’s wrong and could do with talking it through with someone.
I don’t have any off-the-shelf services here, just an enquiring mind and some research and analysis skills. The kind of questions I’ve helped companies with include:
Why do some of our new starters thrive, while others fail?
This company started out on a quest to identify the characteristics of their ideal candidate. After talking it through with them, they realised that they didn’t want an identikit workforce. We flipped the project on its head and started looking for red flags – those characteristics and attitudes that would make someone unlikely to fit in. I helped them develop a new selection process that identified these red flags without needing ongoing involvement from me.
How do I get my techie staff to engage with clients more effectively?
I’m not primarily a trainer and I don’t have any ready-made courses to sell. What I did in this situation was to find out more about the situations that their staff found difficult and designed and ran a bespoke workshop to address those specific issues.
Why do our consultancy projects start well with clients but end up feeling awkward even when we do a good job?
With this consultancy firm, which specialises in crisis situations, I mapped out the journey through a project for them and for their clients. It became clear that they came in as heroic rescuers, leaving their clients marginalised and belittled. We explored ways they could engage and involve their clients throughout the project.
Why did we get such poor staff survey results?
The leadership team of this mid-sized firm was disappointed at their staff survey results, having made a lot of effort to create a great place to work. I ran some focus groups with different levels of staff which revealed that the psychological contract (I’ll work hard and you’ll reward me fairly) between staff and management had broken down. No amount of fruit or lunchtime yoga was going to make up for the sense people had they were underpaid and not really trusted.
I’ll also tell you if I can’t help you or if you’re asking the wrong question.
For example, a network marketing company asked how they could select more successful distributors (i.e. salespeople). I pointed out that, in a network marketing model, your distributors are also your customers, so you’re not in a position to select. You just take everyone and look at what you can do to facilitate high performance throughout the organisation.
If you’re grappling with some people related issues at work talk to me today.
“Caroline really helped us to think through what we needed to do to take the business to the next level. She didn’t just deliver what we asked her for because she didn’t believe it was what we needed and she was right.”
“I first met Caroline when she assessed me as part of the selection process for an HR Director role. Since then she’s provided invaluable support in a number of organisations I’ve worked in. She’s always delivered quality results. She has a deep understanding of what makes businesses and people tick and a great way of communicating that.”
Why do people behave badly at work? Four drivers of bad behaviour
Imagine you see someone behaving badly at work - maybe doing something ethically questionable or taking their anger out on the trainee or not pulling their weight in a crisis. If you're like most people, you'll attribute that behaviour to some aspect of their character - he's dishonest, she's aggressive, they're lazy and so on - unless you know them ...
Related Articles
Three reasons why stress is a meaningless concept - Is your job stressful? Do you feel stressed right now? Or are some of your colleagues going through a stressful time? If so, you and your organisation would be fairly typical of the modern workplace. So given that I'm a psychologist, you're probably anticipating some tips on how to deal with workplace stress. Well, sorry to disappoint, but I actually… ...
The great taboos. The legal and psychological ramifications of discussing politics and religion at work - “Never discuss religion or politics”. This sage advice has been around for at least a century. But in these days of Brexit and Trump, politics seems harder and harder to avoid and religion has got wrapped up in it in a way it hasn’t been – or at least not in the UK – for decades. So what happens when… ...
The riskiest behaviour I’ve engaged in – and I bet you have too
I don't think of myself as much of a risk taker. I'm generally fairly cautious - no high risk investments, Vegas holidays or adventure sports for me. But recently I've noticed just how risky some of my behaviour can be. I guarantee some of yours is too. To illustrate, let me tell you about my garden. When we moved into ...
Get in Touch
To find out more about how I can help you, use the form below to send a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
