Be The Change

Tag: management

  • Difficult conversations – mistake #3

    Having difficult conversations Mistake #3 Muddying your message Perhaps you’ve avoided procrastinating about holding a difficult conversation with a third sector colleague or direct report. (Congratulations!) Maybe you’ve been crystal clear about the changes you’d like to see. (Well done, it’s not always easy) But then, you blow your advantage by muddying your message with…

  • Difficult conversations – mistake #1

      One of the most challenging aspects of being a third sector manager is that you sometimes need to have difficult conversations with people in your team. This is a recurring issue for my third sector coaching clients. They can see what’s going wrong (poor performance, unreasonable behaviour, and so on) They know they are…

  • The right way to delegate

    Your in-box is overflowing, you have a million unfinished jobs, there’s a huge deadline looming – so, it’s time to delegate a few bits and bobs, right? Um, no… you may feel marginally better about how much you have to do, but this approach is not a great strategy in the long term. How engaged…

  • New leaders – how to flourish in your first 90 days

    The first 90 days in a leadership role are important. This is when you create an impact (or not!) and set the tone for the way you’ll be leading in the future. Whether you’re chief executive or team leader, everyone is watching to see how you behave and what you can do. You want to…

  • The A-Z of a great meeting (Part 2)

    N is for Non-verbal clues. Show your colleagues you’re listening by using non-verbal messages such as nodding. But not nodding off. O is for Outcome or Objective – be absolutely clear what success will be before you go into the meeting. P is for Planning and Practice. Know what you want to say and practice…

  • The A-Z of a great meeting (Part 1)

    Recently, several of my coaching clients have been telling me of their frustration with meetings in their organisations. Too many. Too long. Not relevant. Not condusive to speaking up. No clarity about next steps. So, I’ve been thinking about the whole issue of how to create a successful meeting culture and how to get your…

  • Help! I’m too corporate for my team

    My last blog Help! My manager is too corporate for my team resonated with quite a few of you working in the third sector. This post takes the perspective of a recruit from the corporate sector. Joining the sector from elsewhere can be a bewildering experience, so here are my four golden rules for avoiding…

  • Help! My manager is too corporate for my team

    You’ve just heard that your newly appointed team leader is fresh from the corporate world. Images of power suits and top-down decision-making fill you with fear. There are grumblings of resentment… But hang on a minute! Increasing numbers of people with business backgrounds are now working in charities and voluntary organisations, and in my experience of…