It’s around 15 years since I ran my first workshops on remote working and “Managing remote workers”. The company was looking into how it could cut office costs, but the Managing Director and others on the board were nervous about letting people work from home. They wanted to know how they could move to remote […]
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Are there too many business experts?
The world – and LinkedIn in particular – seems to be full of business experts. People who have the ultimate solution to your problem, whether about leadership, coaching, sales, hiring, AI and technology, and countless other issues we all face as business owners, employees and individuals. Some of them, no doubt, have earned their expert […]
Read MoreIf 2% of your staff drive value in your business. Do you know who they are?
Talent Wins, the book by Dominic Barton, McKinsey&Company’s Managing Partner, suggests that as few as 2% of your workforce create the most value in your business. And those people are not necessarily in the top-tier of your organisation chart. So, do you know who they are? Those crucial people in pivotal roles can be the […]
Read MoreLockdown Employment Survey – the results
Almost 1200 people completed the bfpeople Lockdown Employment Survey during June 2020. We received responses from most industries and most job roles – people who were employed (working on site, working from home and furloughed), self-employed and unemployed. Their views offer a snapshot of employment in Lockdown Britain in 2020 – more than 99% of […]
Read MoreLeadership coaching topics: the most common leadership challenges
We looked at the leadership coaching topics that are most frequently covered with our executive coaching clients. These are the most common leadership challenges that we deal with in working with new and experienced managers and leaders in a range of industries. It gives a clear indication of the competencies and skills that sponsoring organisations […]
Read MoreDeath of a (good) salesman?
Having just spent several long days at a sprawling trade exhibition, I’m left with the sense that good sales skills are harder to find than ever. It’s seems that we really are witnessing the death of a (good) salesman to paraphrase Arthur Miller. New business is tough to find. Almost every company I speak to wants to […]
Read MoreBad sales calls
It’s early in the morning and I’m in the office – the only one here. The office phone rings, so I answer it: Caller: “Mr Hamilton, please”Me: “Yes, that’s me.” There follows several minutes of scripted monologue from the caller about how I “can’t afford to miss” the opportunity of entertaining 10 guests at a […]
Read MoreRecruitment Lessons from the Scottish Referendum
In 48 hours or so, I (and around 4 million others) will cast our vote in the Scottish Independence Referendum. A simple “Yes” or “No” stating whether we believe Scotland should be an independent country. I make binary, Yes or No decisions every day. Many are important – my decision whether to reject or shortlist someone […]
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