JO RICHINGS - Blog

How often do you ask your team to give really honest feedback?

29/12/2022

If you are like many businesses, the answer could be - not often enough!

According to the book ‘No Rule Rules’, at Netflix it is tantamount to being disloyal to the company if you fail to speak up when you disagree with a colleague or have feedback that could be helpful. After all, you could help the business—but you are choosing not to.

I really love this. It shows a culture of trust, both in the management team and in each other. I often encourage clients to run either an anonymous team survey and/or a 360 survey to find out how their people are really feeling. Sometimes I come up to some very strong resistance in the beginning, usually because they are scared of what they will find out and reluctant to make the changes they know their staff will ask for.

Does your team avoid conflict?

19/12/2022

In my experience, most management teams are too 'nice.' Nobody really says what they mean for fear of upsetting one another. Whilst teams that engage in healthy conflict know that it's only purpose is to produce the best possible solution in the shortest period of time. No one takes it personally. Everyone is clear that the business success is bigger than any of the egos in the room!

Teams that fear conflict…

😴 Have really boring meetings.
😬 Create work environments where politics and personal attacks are rife.

What book has made the biggest difference to your life this year?

12/12/2022

I absolutely love reading and learning new things. Good job really as I have to keep current for my business!

My vote is for a book that's had an incredible impact on my life - The Inside Out Revolution (The Only Thing You Need to Know to Change Your Life Forever) by Michael Neill.

Totally life changing stuff! It gave me a completely different perspective on life and helped me to really see how success and happiness can be effortless. I can't recommend it highly enough!

What about you? What book has changed your life this year?

Happy 90th Birthday Dad!

5/12/2022

My dad is 90 on Sunday and he is fitter than most people 20 or 30 years younger, despite having COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). He's never smoked - the COPD came from years of crawling around in attic spaces full of asbestos for his job as a self employed electrician. ☹️

Dad has always looked after himself. His mantras are 'a little of what you fancy does you good' and 'everything in moderation.' 😀

When he was shielding during lockdown, he created an obstacle course in his back garden. Up and over beer crates, and up and down steps -everyday, he does 10-20 laps of his obstacle course!

How good are you at praising your team?

28/11/2022

Interestingly, a LOT of managers and leaders really struggle to praise their team.

This can often depend on their DISC profile (if you are not sure what this is and manage a team - we REALLY need to talk 😊).

D profiles will struggle to praise unless you go way above and beyond their expectations.

I profiles will be over the top and possibly even praise you for arriving to work every day. 😉

S profiles will take giving praise seriously and will probably be pretty good at it.

C profiles probably won’t think to unless your work is perfectly perfect. It’s your job after all.

How good are you at praising?

Let's talk about 'problem' staff...

22/11/2022

Passive aggressiveness in particular. Team members that are passive aggressive express their discontent in indirect and subtly hostile ways.

❓ Do you recognize any of the behaviors in any of your team members?

1. Agreeing with a request that they don't really want to do and then deliberately failing to follow through.
2. Giving you the silent treatment or one word answers to show they are annoyed.
3. Saying something derogatory followed by 'I was only joking.'
4. Rallies the troop by stirring up trouble. 'It's not really for me to say but...' (and then says 'it' to everyone.🤦🏼‍♀️)
5. They give you a backhanded compliment - 'I noticed you stayed late last night, I was really surprised.'

Breaking and creating habits

22/11/2022

Who has either a bad habit that you want to break or a good habit that you want to create? Pretty much all of us, I think!

Here are some bad habits you may want to get rid of and some good ones you may need to adopt!

Bad habits that you may want to stop since they are likely to be hindering your success:

-Flitting from one thing to another

Managers...Do you have the right bums on the right seats? (Otherwise known as the right people in the right jobs)

21/10/2022

I'm still surprised how often I come across people who are really struggling in their roles.

It's usually because they have...

⛔️ The wrong skill set for the role
⛔️ The wrong personality type
⛔️ The wrong attitude
⛔️ No support

...or sometimes all of the above.

Having the wrong person doing the wrong role can have a hugely negative impact. On the rest of the team, on customers, clients or stakeholders and often, on the overall business or organisation.

Any other smart phone addicts around?

14/10/2022

Whilst on a beautiful meditation retreat to Greece a couple of months ago, I had to finally admit that I was an addict. A smart phone addict. I was advised to spend the day without touching any electronic device. No smart phone, no kindle, no iPad.

This will be easy...I thought to myself.

It wasn't! In fact it was bloody hard. 😫

At first I started counting how many times I went to reach for my iPhone...

So… How good are your management skills?

7/10/2022

Honestly?

Or maybe a better question could be...

If your son, daughter, niece, nephew, or any other favourite person ended up working for someone with your level of leadership and management skills, what would THEY say about of you?

If it’s anything but the first option, and you are currently managing others, or about to - we need to talk! The team you are managing will always be made up with someone else’s favourite people.