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Managers Make or Break Wellbeing

In today’s work environment, where stress levels are high and uncertainty is the norm, the role of managers in supporting employee wellbeing is critical. It’s no longer enough to have a few token wellbeing initiatives in place – what really matters is the day-to-day impact that managers have on their teams. Whether it’s managing workloads, creating a positive work environment, or being a supportive presence, managers make or break employee wellbeing. Why Managers Matter We often hear that people leave managers, not companies. This is backed up by research showing… Read More »Managers Make or Break Wellbeing

Team Building: Eight Ways to Build Exceptional Teams

There’s a lot of buzz about teamwork and endless models on how to achieve it. However, this blog is all about eight simple, practical things you can do to build exceptional teams in your workplace. These ideas are easy to implement and make a significant difference. What is Team Building and Why Does it Matter? Team building refers to various activities, exercises, and practices that aim to enhance relationships between team members and improve performance. The benefits are numerous: improved communication, increased trust, better problem-solving, and a stronger sense of… Read More »Team Building: Eight Ways to Build Exceptional Teams

Let Us Be Your GUIDE: Going Beyond Training Needs Analysis

Effective development programmes are essential for your people and your organisation to grow and achieve success. Conducting a thorough Training Needs Analysis is just the beginning. At Willow & Puddifoot, we have designed a robust process called GUIDE to ensure that every step of our training and development is tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients. Whether you partner with us or use this process independently, the GUIDE framework can significantly enhance your organisational development efforts, providing a clear path to improved performance and growth. What is the… Read More »Let Us Be Your GUIDE: Going Beyond Training Needs Analysis

Management Development: Essential Skills for Manager Success

The role of a manager is vastly different from that of a regular team member. Managers need a distinct set of skills to lead effectively, which requires targeted management development. Surprisingly, many organisations fall short in adequately preparing new managers for their roles. This blog will delve into a six-step process we call STICKS, designed to ensure your managers are well-equipped to succeed. Step 1: Selecting the Right People to be Managers Choosing the right individuals for managerial roles is crucial. It can be tempting to pick those who have… Read More »Management Development: Essential Skills for Manager Success

How to select the right people to be managers in a fast-growing business

Developing Leaders: How to Develop Leaders in 12 Steps

The development of effective leaders is crucial for organisational success and growth. This blog post delves into a comprehensive 12-step process for developing leaders, ensuring your efforts in leadership development are as impactful and efficient as possible. Preparation Step 1 – Define Leadership Competencies or Behaviours Start with a clear definition of the competencies and behaviours your organisation values in leaders. These could include strategic thinking, effective communication, emotional intelligence, change management and the ability to inspire and motivate teams. Tailor these competencies to reflect the unique values and goals… Read More »Developing Leaders: How to Develop Leaders in 12 Steps

Are your employees Closet Quiet Quitters?

Quiet quitting: have you heard this buzzword being touted around recently and wondered what it means or whether it applies to you? It’s really a catchy soundbite label for an age-old phenomenon in the workplace – the idea of an employee not actually formally quitting their position, but losing the motivation to go above and beyond; putting in the bare minimum required and becoming a lot less productive as a result. The likelihood is most of us will have experienced the feeling of quiet quitting at some point, even if… Read More »Are your employees Closet Quiet Quitters?

Acing your End-of-Year Reviews

It’s that time of year again… Whilst we’re not quite into the Christmas countdown just yet, it certainly is the season to plan your End-of-Year Reviews. Evaluating employees’ performance, assessing skills and development areas, and reviewing goals: it’s a process many leaders and managers find daunting. How do you deliver feedback in a way that will genuinely help the individual and the company? Having a powerful conversation Knowing how to have a good one-to-one conversation is key. Making your feedback come across more as coaching than criticism, with a two-sided… Read More »Acing your End-of-Year Reviews

Live 😊 Laugh 😄 Work 🤷‍♂️

In this month’s blog we have exciting news, and we share our thoughts on worklife balance. It’s also National Inclusion Week from 26 September, so we’ve been looking at our inclusivity workshop and thinking about what inclusion means to us.  An announcement!  We are so excited to announce that we are sponsors of the Sifted Summit at Magazine London on 5 and 6 October! With hundreds of founders, start-ups and investors, we’ll be taking our management and wellbeing programmes out to the world! We look forward to meeting some cutting-edge… Read More »Live 😊 Laugh 😄 Work 🤷‍♂️

Is it time for your summer stocktake?

With things slowing down for many of us at this time of year, it’s an opportunity to review how you feel about your work and what you need to do to keep on track with your goals. Time for reflection I used to work in a college library and the summer at work was very different to the rest of the year, transforming from a buzzing, busy hub (yes, libraries have changed!) to a calm retreat, with just one or two of us working. It was a time to have… Read More »Is it time for your summer stocktake?

Happy New Year!

A RAY OF LIGHT Happy New Year! Does it feel like an exciting start for you? Are you happy to look at the year ahead? I think there’s something about the bustle of festive season, some light in that very dark time of year, for relaxing and contemplation after all the hard work of the year. In the UK it’s been cold, damp and dark this winter, but those could be said to be perfect conditions for some deep thinking. Time to cosy up with a hot drink and decide… Read More »Happy New Year!