Hi there, I'm writing this from Newark Airport, waiting for my flight home after spending the last week in New York with my sister and her family. There's no YouTube video this week - I've been firmly off-duty - but I had two conversations over the past few days that stuck with me, and I wanted to share them with you before I lose them in the noise of getting back to normal life. Both conversations were about the same thing, from completely opposite ends of the work experience spectrum. And...
14 days ago • 3 min read
Hi there, I recently asked you all on YouTube what you struggle with most as a manager, and over a third of respondents said the same thing: following up with your team consistently. I think we've all been there - that point where you're driving home after a long day and suddenly have that ‘oh gosh moment’ when you remember something you planned to follow up on. And you didn't do it. That little spike of stress. That frustration with yourself. That guilt. And then you get home, and obviously...
28 days ago • 2 min read
Hi there, I've been thinking about what matters most for managers right now, and I keep coming back to one thing: coaching. I know there's a lot competing for your attention, AI is coming like a train though the world of work, meanwhile you need to make sure they year end goals are hit. All of that matters. But if I had to choose where to put my energy right now, it would be coaching. Because in a world that's uncertain, relentless, and fast-paced, your ability to connect with people and have...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello, I've been thinking a lot lately about how wrong we can be about people, and how wrong they can be about us. In 2019, I broke my hip during an exercise class. One minute I was doing lunges, the next I had this shooting pain down my leg. For two weeks, I convinced myself it was just a pulled muscle. I mean, I hadn't fallen over or done anything dramatic, it couldn't possibly be broken, could it? Turns out, assumptions work both ways. When I finally got to A&E, the doctor decided I must...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi there, There's one conversation that determines who gets promoted and who stays stuck. Your manager should be having it with you, but they're not. So I'm going to teach you how to have it yourself. Let me ask you something... Have you ever had those awkward conversations with your manager about next steps, only to walk away feeling more unsure than when you started? The truth is, everyone is busy, including your manager. Careers are changing fast, and the skills needed to be a leader are...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi there, There's no video this week, as I've been on holiday with my lovely family, and life has been busy since I have come back. But I wanted to share something with you, a story that might feel familiar if you've ever found yourself questioning your direction or wondering what comes next in your leadership journey. There I was, kneeling in the mud of our newly landscaped garden in Lincolnshire, trying to fill empty flower beds and wondering what on earth I was doing with my life. Six...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi there, Last week, I had a manager tell me something that simply captured what so many others tell me: "Helen, I spend more time chasing my team than actually leading them." If you've ever felt that knot in your stomach when you realise you have no idea if that important project is on track... or found yourself hovering over your team's shoulders because you're terrified something will slip through the cracks... you're not alone. Here's what's really happening: You're not a bad manager....
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hi there, You're delivering results, hitting your targets, but here's what managers like you tell me: "I sit down for a one-to-one, and it turns into a a big status review. I leave thinking, 'I should have coached them, but I’m not sure how to go about it.'" Sound familiar? The truth is, coaching conversations are what separate managers who get promoted from those who stay stuck. And it's not because you don't care, it's because you haven’t learned the best questions to actually ask yet. Why...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hi there, You know what good leadership looks like, don't you? You've got a mental list of all the things you should be doing - more coaching conversations, better delegation, strategic thinking time. The problem isn't that you don't know what to do. It's that you never seem to have the time to actually do it. You've watched the videos, read the articles, maybe even attended those workshops about accountability and strategic thinking. But here's what's happening: you're trying to layer all...
3 months ago • 2 min read