Dramatic endings, new beginnings Losing my voice was a painful, dramatic response to stress when a college I’d been working with for 10 years went through whole organisational restructuring. As a coaching leader, my highly successful job that I loved, disappeared — (‘You did great, now we want you to…
As universities, MAT's and some colleges adapt and aim to survive financial changes, departmental or organisational restructuring and mergers are common. Restructuring is a paradox- it seems to take a long while and yet deadlines can feel rushed and urgent. And it takes energy to respond to, but you may…
Photo by Erik-Jan Leusink on Unsplash I’ve been revising my “Emotional Intelligence for Leaders and Staff” programme, and two areas of particular interest are ‘emotional awareness’ and ‘managing emotions’. Emotional awareness Emotional awareness is a complex subject, but at its heart is noticing and acknowledging what you are feeling in…
In an era of rush, change and fast paced life, the need for pausing and reflecting has never been more essential. Several years ago, I was learning TheoryU. On the programme, we focused on deep listening, journaling and reflective practice. On creating space, to find out what motivates and inspires at…
I’m not a medical professional, but it's clear to me that burnout is on the increase in work and in life. I often coach staff at work who reach the realisation that they have experienced burnout, or are heading towards it. Burnout may be experienced as persistent mental, emotional, or physical…
As we navigated the later weeks of the first UK lockdown a few years ago, after enduring significant restrictions, a small sense of choice returned when we were allowed more freedom to exercise and connect with others outdoors. Many found themselves not working, whether due to furlough or job loss.…
Harness the power of effective conversations to drive innovation, build strong relationships, and lead with integrity in higher education.
Here's an updated extract from my book; The Really Resilient Guide by me, Andry McFarlane, discussing what resilience is: "When I’ve looked at resilience in popular culture, it appears heroic, like climbing Mount Everest against all the odds. For most of us, real- life resilience isn’t quite as dramatic.…
Heads of People and Culture will know best that HR impacts almost everyone in organisations, affecting most staff, culture, our wellbeing, resilience and daily work every day. Prisca Brosi makes the case for how central HR is. Excellent article based on her mock lecture here.
Can we succeed at a demanding job while staying balanced? Yes. Here are 6 tips that have actually enabled that to happen! You only have a limited amount of time and energy each day, so you’ve got to set boundaries and stick to them. Easily said and harder to do, I know. But…