Posts by Suzi McAlpine
3 common myths of coaching (and what’s true instead)
Coaching is a leadership superpower. Coaching saves you time. It helps you delegate. It improves performance, builds capability and helps tap into everyone’s creative process. It’s also pretty good for organisational performance. A comprehensive study on the effects of an organisation adopting a ‘coaching culture’ showed some startling results. Coaching led to: A 10 to 20%…
Read More4 great questions to help with your decision-making
4 great questions to help with your decision-making Not long ago, I was coaching a leader who was faced with a big decision he had to make. The decision had huge implications not only for the organisation – but also, if he was honest, for himself. The stakes were high. The pressure palpable. And he…
Read MoreWhat a little bathroom karaoke reminded me about moments of joy
I suck at singing. Like, I’m ‘dogs howling at the assault of the sound’ bad. But I love to sing. Correction. I used to love to sing. Belting out a tune at full volume in the car on the way to pick up Sienna from school. Letting rip in the kitchen with my rendition of…
Read MoreValues aren’t just for companies
A global study found that consumers are 4-6x more likely to purchase from, and champion, a purpose-driven company. 4-6 times! Those are compelling stats. The future belongs to purpose-led organisations who authentically embed their purpose and values into everything they do. If nothing else, it makes commercial sense. But it’s not just a company’s values…
Read MoreFeedback tips for the conflict-avoidant
My dad was so conflict-avoidant that he once chewed through half an avocado at a dinner party, even though he detested the things with a vengeance. He couldn’t bring himself to let the host know he didn’t like them, even though they had asked everyone prior if there was anything people didn’t like to eat.…
Read MoreThere’s one simple (but significant) thing that’s undermining your wellbeing efforts at work
Wellbeing at work is a hot topic right now – and rightly so. It’s estimated that 1 million workers are absent every day globally due to stress, causing losses for larger companies of more than US$3.5 million per company, per year. The good news is that most organisations are waking up to the fact that…
Read More4 conversations to have with your new team member
There are a few crucial conversations that we often overlook when we’re leading a new team member. We’re so gung-ho on diving into the ‘what’ of their work, that we sometimes forget to pause and talk about the ‘how’. A bit of time spent, up front, focusing on the following things can save you (and…
Read MoreStep into the spotlight
Recently I sat down (albeit, over Zoom) with my clever friend Russell Pickering, who also happens to be the Founder and Managing Director of The Pickering Group. Russell and The Pickering Group help teams and individuals find their spotlight – and step into it. From presentation training and public speaking skills (both virtual and in-person)…
Read MoreFalling prey to groupthink? How to encourage healthy debate in your team
Have you ever been part of a team where people are too afraid to speak up and challenge an approach that’s being taken? Maybe everyone’s gung ho on a way forward with something, and you’re the only one who thinks it’s a bad idea – but there’s no way in hell you’re going to pipe…
Read MoreWhy body language matters in leadership – and how you can improve yours
This week, Elizabeth Jett from The Management Training Institute is our guest blogger on something that we’re often unaware of, but which packs a big punch – body language. I’ll never forget a colleague gently ribbing me for the fact that when I was in front of clients and I was concentrating hard, I’d close…
Read More