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It was certainly an unusual way to start a Wednesday morning! Four members of the Mind Tools Content team stepped into an office at the National Museum of Egyptology – and, moments later, they were locked in
Strange but true: I had both the best and the worst managers of my career – so far – at the same company. Not only that, but they managed me one after the other. It happened at a time of huge change, as the organization underwent a major restructure. None of this, of course, helped the […]
Career Skills, Change Management, Leadership, Stress, Team Management, Uncategorized
When you're surrounded by happy, motivated team mates, the working day can pass in a blur of camaraderie. Colleagues can become friends, you enjoy coming to work, and you push one another to do your best work. On the other hand, even a single day spent with a team that is disengaged, dysfunctional and fractured […]
Politics and team-building events have one thing in common: they have the power to unite or divide people. Team-building events that are badly planned or poorly executed can do more harm than good. They can cause division and conflict if participants are forced to do things they are uncomfortable doing, or that they simply can't do. On the other […]
What does "rapport" at work mean to you? Maybe it's just enjoying a bit of banter with a colleague, or perhaps it's an important part of establishing trust and deeper connections with the people around you. In our article, Building Rapport, we say, "Put simply, you have rapport with someone when there is mutual liking […]
I turn my back on the gray, drizzly high street and stand at the threshold of the store, blinking in the light of a thousand LED bulbs. The light bounces off the glossy white walls, and sparkles on the cases of a hundred smooth and futuristic-looking mobile phones. It also glints off the solid black […]
If you want to explore different ways to develop your people's skills and improve their performance at work, you may consider coaching them. Whereas coaching is seen by some as a corrective tool for when things are "going wrong," with careful planning, it can be a positive technique that will help your coachees to focus […]
All Posts, Career Skills, Communication, Learning Skills, Team Management
Imagine you're at work, sitting with your two colleagues. It's mid-morning and the company coffee bar has opened. One colleague asks, "Fancy a coffee?" You might indeed fancy one, but experience has taught you that the invitation does not extend to you. As usual, the other agrees that a coffee would be a great idea […]
All Posts, Communication, Inclusion, Problem Solving, Stress, Team Management
Do you have to love what you do for a living to be happy at work? As an editor, I play with words all day and, right now, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. I may not wake up and dread my working day now but, during my past roles, I […]
Communication, Leadership, Problem Solving, Stress, Team Management
Have you ever been in a team meeting at work and wanted the ground to swallow you up? What's your most cringe-worthy memory of a team meeting that didn't go very well for you? I have been witness to many an awkward moment in meetings, happily not always involving me directly. My awkward moment […]