Bernadette Rothwell’s Post

Take a look at this event from a trusted fellow SME - Tim Jenkins and team are another example of the abundance of top-notch talent sitting outside of your big-consultancy supply chain! This promises to be a great event... ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

🚫 The Power of Hearing No: How high-performing teams respond, matters...🚀 I listened to a talk by Guy Raz today, the author of How I Built This. One story was how young Mormon adults undertake a 2-year service, going to new places, knocking on doors, to spread their message. They return from those trips with an abundance of resilience, knowing they’ll hear no 99 times out of 100, and yet staying focused on that one yes. They are in it for the yes. Every team hears no. It’s inevitable—whether it’s no to a new idea, no to extra resources, or no from leadership. How do high-performing teams respond? ✅ They don’t stop. ✅ They don’t settle. ✅ They adapt, push back when necessary, and grow stronger through the process. In my latest video, I explore how the most successful teams use no as an opportunity to innovate, challenge assumptions, and reach new heights. 🎯 When should your team accept no as a boundary, and when should you challenge it to unlock even better solutions? #Leadership #TeamCoaching #Innovation #HighPerformingTeams #Resilience #GrowthMindset #Collaboration #ProblemSolving #TeamDevelopment #BusinessTransformation ✨🎯 At Mélange Coaching, we work with leaders and teams so that they can be their very best https://lnkd.in/eS8A3f8q ✨🎯 We aspire to transform leadership and team potential in UK industry, to unleash organisational and societal betterment: better productivity, better outcomes and greater care and joy into the art of leading. We do this because we care deeply; our vocation is to make leadership a better place to be.

Habits are things we do unconsciously. Some habits nourish us, some undermine our hopes and goals. Are you habits helping or hindering your leadership and team success? ⬇️ For me, reaching for sugar became go-to response to the stress and busyness of daily life. So, I thought, “I'll just focus on this one habit and break it.” But without a real goal behind it, I found myself struggling and slipping back into old patterns... by day 2! Having reflected, it was obvious that this approach wasn't working for me. So I linked my desire to cut back on sugar to a longer-term goal: feeling fitter and energised for an upcoming trip to Sri Lanka, which is going to be busy and active. Suddenly, it became easier to make wise decisions in the moment because I am focusing on the type of person I want to become, rather than the outcome. Habits impact leaders and teams, some positively, some as a hinderance to gaols, hopes and ambition. Just like individuals, teams can develop unproductive habits that hinder their performance, for example... ➡️ Poor communication ➡️ A lack of accountability ➡️ Resistance to change As team coaches, we often help teams identify and break these negative patterns by tying desired changes to collective goals. When teams align their habits with a shared vision or objective, they find it easier to adopt behaviours that are going to drive them towards their intended future. #Habits #AtomicHabits #JamesClear #Leadership #TeamCoaching #GoalSetting #Wellbeing #Mindset #PersonalDevelopment #TeamSuccess ✨🎯 At Mélange Coaching, we work with leaders and teams so that they can be their very best https://lnkd.in/eS8A3f8q ✨🎯 We aspire to transform leadership and team potential in UK industry, to unleash organisational and societal betterment: better productivity, better outcomes and greater care and joy into the art of leading. We do this because we care deeply; our vocation is to make leadership a better place to be.

Leaders, would you like a simple way to create connection, improve psychological safety, and build trust with a simple check-in in your next meetings...? 🚀💞💫 At Mélange Coaching, Ivan Beaumont and I like to start our meetings with a simple check-in: 1️⃣ It begins by inviting everyone to take a deep breath… inhale deeply, exhale slowly. This creates a moment of calm and focus, helping us settle into the space together. I encourage each person to reflect on how they are feeling in that moment. 2️⃣ I then ask each attendee to and share two words - just two - that describe how they’re feeling. Just listen to those words and move to the next attendee, knowing you have provided room for each person to arrive fully to the meeting, having expressed where they are at and offering them a moment to feel heard, seen and understood. This is a powerful way to connect with our emotions and with each other. This check-in isn’t just a nice-to-have—it builds trust. Acknowledging our emotions creates space for vulnerability, and that vulnerability strengthens team dynamics. When we feel safe to express ourselves, we’re more open, authentic, and ready to collaborate. #TeamCoaching #Leadership #Vulnerability #EmotionalIntelligence #Trust #Collaboration #Teamwork #LeadershipDevelopment #Coaching #MindfulLeadership #HighPerformingTeams #Connection #PsychologicalSafety ✨🎯 At Mélange Coaching, we work with leaders and teams so that they can be their very best https://lnkd.in/eS8A3f8q ✨🎯 We aspire to transform leadership and team potential in UK industry, to unleash organisational and societal betterment: better productivity, better outcomes and greater care and joy into the art of leading. We do this because we care deeply; our vocation is to make leadership a better place to be.

Last night, I had the pleasure of connecting with some inspiring rail professionals at the Women in Rail East Midlands Summer BBQ at The Mixing House in Derby! ☀️ It was a joy to catch up with Emily Stringer and Lindsay Cooper, who both continue to do amazing things in their professional lives. I am always so proud to see how they continue to flourish, as prior colleagues, turned-friends, that have now been in my life for a long time. I am grateful 💞 It was a joy to see Amanda Mackie, especially since we had last connected online. As a fellow coach, Amanda’s journey is one I’m particularly excited to watch unfold. Her progress is a reflection of the growing importance of coaching in the rail industry, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her. And equally lovely to bump into Lisa Angus in person after a very long time and hear she's now in System Operator in Network Rail focusing on weather, an area that's never been more pressing or urgent than it is today. We enjoyed talking about some shared connections in Chris Curtis and Karen Hope! I met the inspiring Donna Hoffman whose LinkedIn wellness group, Keeping Ourselves On Track, has already made me think I need to prioritise exercise a bit more: https://lnkd.in/e_NEhu6d We share a passion for living our lives alcohol free too, and her journey and mindset on this really resonated. We met Rosie Brown (Assoc CIPD) from East Midlands HR. Mark Budden MBE QCVS and team are lucky to have her. Her passion, ambition and deep joy for her profession shone through. I really enjoyed hanging out and hope you got your train on time after a A52 detour courtesy of the lovely Lindsay Cooper! A special mention to Louise Leigh. I know not a lot about welding however I would like to know how to bottle you infectious energy and storytelling. You had the whole group transfixed with your charisma! 💫 Thank you Nicola McGuire and Nicole Ireland for leading this group and making these events happen. How did I not get a photo with you! It was as ever really lovely to see you and in days of teams working remotely and being spread wide and far, these events take on a new significance for its members. See you at the Christmas do! #WomenInRail #RailIndustry #Networking #Coaching #TeamCoaching #EastMidlandsRail #Leadership

Reflecting on Habits, Gratitude, Acknowledgement and Lasting Change.. 💫 During a 5-mile walk yesterday, I reflected on habits while listening to Atomic Habits by James Clear. I thought about how hard it is to change habits and how we can apply this to team coaching. Walking past the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, a familiar landmark soon to disappear, reminded me that while change is inevitable, we can choose our habits. In that spirit, I offer the habit of gratitude... Thank you Tim Jenkins for your time and insights on bidding. Your hilarious message helped Ivan Beaumont and me reassess how to best use our energy in the coming weeks. Your honesty is always refreshing, and I recommend my network follow you for practical, joyful content and training. P.S. I owe my 5-mile walk to you—I saw your gym post and chose walking over biscuits! Thank you to Ivan Beaumont for supporting my "next-mad-idea" offering to work weekends to make it happen. I am glad we've moved away from it and I wish you a restful weekend with your family. You do a lot to keep me grounded and focused on what's important, and I am very thankful. Laura Wright, thank you for putting me in touch with your brother—both of you jumped into action at impressive speed! It’s a real testament to your level of engagement and focus. And, as always, it was a lovely excuse to reconnect too. Where does the time go! It was lovely to see previous cohort members from our Leaders That Coach Teams programme this week at out first cohort networking event. Thank you to James Paviour, Jenny Wykes, Helen McBride, Helen Rowe and Donna Geoghegan for joining us. We really enjoyed immersing ourselves in what's going on in your leadership journeys and we will get the next one set up soon! A heartfelt thank you to Helen Cavanagh and to Sue Noble, Coaching, Training, Change, Consultancy who both sent me beautiful messages when I shared I'd been unwell, both offering support. And to Paul Murrin CMgr FCMI for sharing concern with his wife who made contact too. The thoughtfulness really touched my heart when I was feeling low. Who would you like to thank and acknowledge this week? Go and do it - do it now! 💫 #TeamCoaching #AtomicHabits #Gratitude #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #ContinuousImprovement #LeadershipDevelopment #HabitChange #Teamwork #LeadersThatCoach #Wellbeing #ProfessionalGrowth #SupportNetwork #Resilience #EffectiveTeams ✨🎯 At Mélange Coaching, we work with leaders and teams so that they can be their very best https://lnkd.in/eS8A3f8q ✨🎯 We aspire to transform leadership and team potential in UK industry, to unleash organisational and societal betterment: better productivity, better outcomes and greater care and joy into the art of leading. We do this because we care deeply; our vocation is to make leadership a better place to be.

Is stress sabotaging your leadership and your health and what can you do about it... For the third time this year, I’ve experienced severe and painful inflammation around my eyes, ears, and nose. At first, I thought it was an allergy, but what if it's related to how I manage my day-to-day. I spoke to a nurse about it today and she asked a question that stopped me in my tracks: "Are you #stressed?" With my busy family life and running a business, it would not be surprising. Each time this happened, I was preparing for something major that involved getting childcare in place—a child-free ski weekend, a two-day work event, and a family gathering. Am I allergic to leaving my kids!? Or is it the stress of managing packed schedules while preparing for these moments. Today, I listened to a podcast by David Epstein where he talks about the myth of multitasking. We're not multitasking really, we’re just switching quickly, often very quickly, between tasks—often because we are interrupted by emails or notifications. 📨📱 Research shows this constant task-switching increases stress and impacts our immune systems. I am absolutely guilty of working at this frantic pace. As leaders, we need to be mindful of this not just for ourselves, but for our teams. We can model healthier work habits, creating a culture that values focus and well-being. Some ideas... 💡 Don’t start the day with emails. 💡 Turn off notifications when you can, encourage your team to do the same. 💡 Schedule uninterrupted focus time at least once per day. This photo is post-medication but a bare me - no makeup, no mask. Just a commitment to my body - and it seems what is most needed, to my mind - that I will aim to do better, that productivity can be achieved with less stress and less of a toll on my immune system, when I put in systems and habits in place to make it so. #Leadership #TeamCoaching #TimeManagement #StressManagement #FocusTime #Productivity #Mindfulness #Resilience #WorkLifeBalance #MultitaskingMyth #HealthyLeadership #TeamSuccess ✨🎯 At Mélange Coaching, we work with leaders and teams so that they can be their very best https://lnkd.in/eS8A3f8q ✨🎯 We aspire to transform leadership and team potential in UK industry, to unleash organisational and societal betterment: better productivity, better outcomes and greater care and joy into the art of leading. We do this because we care deeply; our vocation is to make leadership a better place to be.

Leaders, see how to... 🚀 Take some of the pressure off yourself! 🚀 Practice active listening and encourage your team to do the same! 🚀 Gain fresh insights from those around you! Effective leadership means creating space for everyone to contribute, not just the loudest or most senior voices. Here’s a simple exercise you can try that breaks common habits of interrupting and rushing through conversations: ❶ Present a challenge or question to your team in 5-10 minutes. ❷ Ask each team member to share their thoughts, feelings, and ideas giving them two to three minutes each. Time it. No interruptions from you or others. Allow each person to think and speak fully. ❸ As the leader, ask any clarifying questions to individuals—don’t let it turn into a group discussion. ❹ Reflect on your observations, insights, and actions from what you’ve heard to the whole room. 💫This process encourages patience and mindful listening, breaking the habit of jumping in and interrupting at the expense of letting others fully share their ideas. It allows others the space to fully think and contribute, which often leads to richer, more thoughtful insights. Enjoy the process! I’d love to hear about any insights you gain from this activity! #TeamCoaching #Leadership #TeamBuilding #ActiveListening #LeadershipDevelopment #Coaching #InclusiveLeadership #TeamCulture #CommunicationSkills #MindfulLeadership #Empowerment #TeamSuccess #LeadershipTips ✨🎯 At Mélange Coaching, we work with leaders and teams so that they can be their very best https://lnkd.in/eQdVUt4N ✨🎯 We aspire to transform leadership and team potential in UK industry, to unleash organisational and societal betterment: better productivity, better outcomes and greater care and joy into the art of leading. We do this because we care deeply; our vocation is to make leadership a better place to be.

🛫 Shoutout to the Pilot of JET2 Flight LS628! 🛫 A big thank you to the pilot of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays flight LS628 on August 4th, from Dubrovnik to East Midlands, for turning our return trip into an unforgettable lesson in leadership and team spirit! ✨ This photo is of my three smallest children on our outward journey. From the moment we boarded our return flight, the pilot had us all engaged with the words "Welcome on board to your flight to Edinburgh!"—a great way to grab the attention of everyone expecting to land in East Midlands! He utilised that moment, knowing he had the attention of all of the passengers, to introduce his crew. He reminded us that they weren't just there to serve drinks and snacks, that their key role was to maintain our safety. The respect and warmth he showed for his team made the entire cabin feel valued and appreciated. He encouraged passengers to pay attention to the safety briefing. It wasn’t just a routine, he said: it was a performance that they carried out passionately, day in and day out, with energy and dedication. He asked if we could show our appreciation at the end of the safety-brief, which concluded with an entire flight providing a resounding applause at the end! Throughout the journey, the pilot kept us informed about the route and sights, turning what could have been just another flight into a memorable experience. As we prepared to land, he publicly thanked the crew again in such a genuine and heartfelt way that you just knew he meant it, making sure their hard work didn’t go unnoticed. His leadership brought the crew together as a cohesive team, and that sense of unity and appreciation spread to, I suspect, every passenger on board. It certainly did to me. With the added benefit that its customers got a sense of its organisational values: heart, care, respect, safety. This was a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t just about guiding a team—it’s about lifting a team up and recognising their efforts, with heart, genuine appreciation and purposeful communication. It's about acknowledging the strength that every person brings to the team, that every person is important. This ethos radiates out - people notice, and feel. To that inspiring pilot—if you see this, thank you for leading with heart and setting a fantastic example for all of us. You’re a true role model in aviation and beyond 💫 #teamcoaching #Leadership #Teamwork #Inspiration #Jet2 #RoleModel #CrewAppreciation #AviationExcellence #CustomerExperience This is Team Coaching ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️ ✨🎯 At Mélange Coaching, we work with leaders and teams so that they can be their very best https://lnkd.in/eQdVUt4N ✨🎯 We aspire to transform leadership and team potential in UK industry, to unleash organisational and societal betterment: better productivity, better outcomes and greater care and joy into the art of leading. We do this because we care deeply; our vocation is to make leadership a better place to be.

Last night’s full blue supermoon illuminated the sky and reminded me of the saying from Hermetic philosophy "As above, so below." A belief that the energy we cultivate within mirrors the outcomes we create in our world. 🌕 This wisdom connects to another powerful analogy: ↪ Imagine you’re holding a cup of tea. ↪ Someone comes along, bumps into you, and you spills your tea everywhere! ↪ Why did you spill the tea? ↪ You might say, “Because someone bumped into me!” ↪ But the truth is, you spilled the tea because that’s what was in your cup. If it had been coffee, you would have spilled coffee. Whatever is inside the cup is what spills out when it’s shaken. The same principle applies to our team dynamics. When challenges arise and our team is under pressure, what spills out is what each of us carries inside. It’s easy to maintain a positive front when things are smooth, but during tough times, our true emotions, attitudes, and mindsets are revealed. So, as a team, we must ask ourselves: What’s in our collective cup? When the pressure is on, do we spill over with collaboration, support, and resilience, or do we let frustration, blame, and negativity take over? We can choose - with work, with support, with guidance and with intention - to fill our team’s cup with positivity, mutual respect, and a growth mindset. That way, when life inevitably shakes us, we respond with strength, unity, and a shared commitment to success. 🌟 This is Team Coaching ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️ ✨🎯 At Mélange Coaching, we work with leaders and teams so that they can be their very best https://lnkd.in/eQdVUt4N ✨🎯 We aspire to transform leadership and team potential in UK industry, to unleash organisational and societal betterment: better productivity, better outcomes and greater care and joy into the art of leading. We do this because we care deeply; our vocation is to make leadership a better place to be. #Leadership #Teamwork #PositiveEnergy #FullMoonInspiration #GrowthMindset #AsAboveSoBelow #HermeticWisdom #TeamSuccess #Collaboration