LEADERFUL ACTION

Where will your next book take you? Reading is not the only way to learn, but it can really help us to explore new perspectives and new ideas. What are you reading at the moment that is making you think? #Leadership #ProfessionalGrowth #LifelongLearning #DrSeuss #StayCurious

Just one week left! Natalie, our voluntary sector L&D expert wants to remind you that our Charity of the Year scheme closes on 1st August, so get your applications in asap! Not sure if it's right for you, book a short chat with Natalie to have your questions answered! And please share to help us reach more charities. #charity #learning

🌟 Happy International Self-Care Day! 🌟 Taking care of yourself is essential for a healthy, balanced life. To celebrate, we've put together a Quick Guide to Self-Care, packed with tips to help you prioritise your well-being. Check it out and start your self-care journey today! We'd also love to hear your top wellness tips - what do you do to recharge your batteries? #SelfCareDay #Wellness #SelfCareTips #HealthyLiving #QuickGuide

How far in advance do you make your work plans? 🗓️ As a team we are constantly moving through change and we are always planning the next stage or stages. But how far into the future should we go? Do we focus on a long-term vision, setting goals months ahead. Or do we rely on spontaneity, adapting to changes as they come? The reality is we have to embrace both. The days of 3-year business plans may long gone, but if we don't have a view on the horizon at all, and if we only live in the moment - how will we know where we are heading? And if we spend too long creating a plan for the future, by the time we get there the landscape may have already changed. It helps that we have people in the team with skills in both - someone who is on the look out for the possible changes, someone who is great at questioning the status quo, someone who thrives on flexibility, someone who can create plans and drive them to fruition. This helps us to find that balance. What about your team or organisation? How far in advance do you plan your work and what are your tips for adapting when the landscape changes? #change #planning #leadership

This weekend brought yet another shift in the global political landscape. US President Joe Biden's decision to step away from re-election comes after weeks of speculation, where he initially was insistent that he was the right person for the job. Over time, we've heard that message slowly soften and change, and we can only assume this comes reflection and listening - to the polls and to his advisors. Whatever our personal politics are or how we feel about politicians as a whole or as individuals, we always look for the lessons that we can learn from leaders across the world - both how to lead and how not to. ☑ It shows us that we can all sometimes think we know the right way forward, that we hold a strong belief in what is needed, but that sometimes that belief may be blinding us to what is going on. ☑ It highlights the importance of listening to those with wisdom and experience, and the value of reassessing our own perspective. ☑ It reminds us that true strength and leadership lies in adaptability - that rather than doubling down on our decision, it takes courage to change your mind and admit that there is another way. ☑ And it teaches us that sometimes, stepping back is the most powerful step forward. #Leadership #Humility #Experience #Adaptability

A quick post to celebrate these amazing people who recently completed Leaderful Action's sixth Talent Programme for Gwent Police. At their closing event we heard how their personal change challenges/projects had resulted in improved performance, significant savings and new ways of engaging colleagues. And maybe even more importantly how they now have the confidence and skills to lead themselves and others to continue making a positive impact. Hats off to you all!

It's been pretty hard to believe that it is indeed summer for the last few weeks, but whatever the weather, summer seems like the time we all think about slowing down. For us in the L&D world, summer is a time for catching up, consolidation and collaboration. Our partners rarely want to think about learning - in fact clients in the Nordic countries have a wonderful approach to summer, with many people taking a whole month off to make the most of the nicer weather. We won't be taking it quite that far, but we will be using the summer to take some time as a team, enjoy some family time and also to get to those tasks that have been patiently waiting on our to-do list. We will still be around for our learners and for organisations looking to chat about autumn plans, but bear with us if you contact us and get an out of office message - we may be out in the sun.... 😎

What does wellbeing mean to your organisation? Wellbeing has become a hot topic over the last few years, with more focus on it than ever before. But there is more to wellbeing than a bowl of fruit or an annual staff event. If you want to get serious about supporting your staff, you need a structured, best practice approach to wellbeing. The Investors in Wellbeing framework is a proactive approach to wellbeing, with the robust assessment that you'd expect from the Investors in People team. The framework comprises three indicators: Leading a culture of wellbeing, Supporting a culture of wellbeing, and Improving a culture of wellbeing Its perfect for any organisations that want to benchmark their wellbeing approach, as well as those just starting out on their wellbeing journey. If you'd like to know more, get in touch

It's not just about eating the frog... Last week we posted about procrastination and shared a few thoughts on how to tackle it when it was the result of fear of making mistakes. This week, let's look at dealing with feeling overwhelmed and not knowing how or where to start. Our team can get stuck in this just like everyone can from time to time, but these are some of the things we remind each other to do to help get us unstuck ☑ Create the right environment - clutter in the workspace can intensify the sense of overwhelm. Take 5 mins to make the space more inviting, maybe even consider some aromatherapy and concentration music. Bring in a plant or some flowers. Try a mixture of standing, sitting and walking around. Go to a different space to work if you can, like a cafe or even outside if you can. Break the mental link between your desk and the lack of work to help to clear away the fog. ☑Make a list - yes, it's an obvious one, and you may already have a to-do list but if you're struggling to know what to do first, it probably isn't serving you as well as it could. Use ratings to show which items are urgent or which ones can wait. Use an app that helps you to sort your tasks, set deadlines, etc. There are plenty of ways we can make a list more useful so that you can get clear on what there is to do and where the priorities lie. ☑ Break it down - another often quoted one, but so important. Sometimes looking at something you've never done before (or not done for a while) or when tackling a big piece of work, it can seem like too much. So we have to break it into chunks and tackle one bit at a time. Try asking 'what's the quickest or easiest thing I could right now that would take me a step towards completing this?' and then do it! ☑ Find a partner to work with - no, not like in primary school PE class! Working collaboratively with someone who shares your sense of purpose for the task and who will enthuse you, who will have discussions and will encourage you to think. Maybe pick someone who has a different way of thinking and working. Meet up to work through things together or have regular touchpoints during the day There's so many more we could share, but we'd love to hear yours. What are your top tips for getting started? hashtag #procrastination hashtag #tacklingoverwhelm hashtag #easiestfirststep

We had a great session last week with a group of aspiring managers from a Welsh Local Authority. The delegates reported a 37% increase in confidence and knowledge in the key skills we explored, and they also gave us this lovely feedback. #learning #learninganddevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #newmanagers #careergoals