Build an attitude of gratitude into your workplace. Experiments by psychologists Grant and Gino found that a simple “thank you” from a manager gave people a strong sense of both self-worth and self-efficacy.

Many think that success leads to happiness, but research shows our brains work the opposite way round. Here are seven tips to increase our levels of positivity.

We tend to judge others by their actions, and ourselves by our intent. Strive for balance, look for the intent behind other’s actions and ensure our actions are clear.

Cognitive-dissonance is only one of many biases that impact our relationships and colour our experience of life every day. We don’t like to believe that we could be wrong, so some of us may limit our intake of new information or avoid new ways of thinking that don’t fit in with our pre-existing beliefs. Psychologists call this the “confirmation bias.”

The Benjamin Franklin Effect shows we grow to like people for whom we do nice things building social support with others.

Groundbreaking research demonstrates that when it comes to social support at work the support you offer provides greater returns over time, than the support you get.

Social support has been shown to reduce the physical and mental consequences of stress, whether that support is from a trusted group or from a valued individual.

Our brains love personal and emotionally compelling stories; they engage more of our brains and therefore are easier to remember than a set of facts.

Using our attentional spotlight is energetically costly so we need to use it sparingly. The functions using the pre-frontal cortex of our brains require considerably more resources than we sometimes realise.

Committing our focus and energy to our most difficult tasks, helps us get to success a lot faster than we might imagine.

An amygdala hijack is when we have an immediate and overwhelming emotional response to an event. An amygdala hijack triggers a “fight-or-flight” response in our brains which takes over control from our logical rational faculties.

Avoid “consultantese” - the temptation to shovel a truckload of statistics and facts at your audience. Your speech should be supported by the facts and research; it should not be just the facts and research. What does the audience actually need to know?

After running presentation skills training or a workshop to build Emotionally Intelligent teams we have found it important to recap and run a debrief with the participants. This helps embed the ideas and give them an action step to take when they leave the training.

Research has found that willpower is a limited form of mental energy that runs out as we use it. Unfortunately these depleting events are all too common in our daily lives.

The best approach to the GROW model is to remember that as a peer coach we are not necessarily an expert in the other person’s challenges. The model requires us to act as a facilitator, helping the mentee/coachee reflect and select the best options for them.

Emotional Intelligence: A vital skill for leaders is to become more self-aware, and to be able to recognise their (and other’s) emotions as they happen. Effective leaders learn to perceive emotions as they come up in response to an action or situation.

Imagine coming to work each day and being surrounded by team members who truly want to do a great job in everything they do. We can’t motivate someone else, motivation comes from within, however we can inspire motivation and create an environment in which motivation thrives.

Research shows that external rewards (and punishment) can be effective for algorithmic tasks, but they can have a devastating impact on heuristic tasks. Intrinsic motivators involve engaging in a behaviour because it is personally rewarding and normally involve heuristic tasks.

Research shows that part of resilience is how you appraise the situation. Do you see the situation as a challenge or a threat?

Flow is the mental state of in which we perform an activity while fully immersed in a feeling of energised focus, full involvement, and enjoyment. Daniel Pink focuses on self-actualisation as the key to employee motivation. Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggests that motivation flows from the more demanding lower survival levels to the higher aspirational levels. Pink suggests self-actualisation be divided into driving motives of …

As emotional beings dealing with upset or disappointed customers can be challenging. Follow this step by step process to deal with difficult customers.

A clear strategic communication plan needs to be sculpted for the needs of each audience in order to communicate clearly and effectively.

Relationship management is using your awareness of your own emotions and those of others to manage interactions successfully Relationship management involves clear communication and effective handling of conflict. It is the bond you build with others over time.  You need to be able to see the benefit of connecting with many different people, even those you are not so fond of.  Solid relationships are something that should …

Social awareness is your ability to accurately pick up on other people’s emotions and understand what is really going on with them This means noticing how other people are feeling even if you don’t feel the same way.  It’s easy to get caught up in your own emotions and forget to consider the perspective of the other person.  Listening and observing are the most important elements …

Self-management is your ability to act or not act It is entirely dependent on your self-awareness and it is the ability to use your awareness to stay flexible and direct your behaviour positively.  Some emotions create such paralysing fear or cloudy thinking that no reaction seems clear. Self-management is so much more than resisting explosive or problematic behaviour.  The biggest challenge people usually face is managing …

Self-awareness is about understanding what makes you tick Self-awareness is your ability to accurately notice your own emotions in the moment and understand your typical reactions.  Becoming more self-aware requires a willingness to focus on feelings that may be negative.  You need to spend time thinking about where your feelings come from and why they are there; it is about understanding what makes you tick.   …

Questioning skills to help engage your audience. Questioning can help build relationships and coach if done effectively

Listening is not always easy. Be in the moment. In order to be a successful listener we must be physically and mentally present.

Friction between you and a difficult customer is often made worse by how you interpret their behaviour. Get the full picture. Additionally although the customer's anger may seem to be directed at you, you are just the person they are venting to and don't take it too personally.

Group presentations are often done poorly. The problem is often a combination of poor planning and coordination between group members and a fear of public speaking. Have each speaker plan their speech before you build the first slide; your slides should augment the presentation not be the presentation.

Humour can be a powerful tool if it is used to make a point Jokes without a point, in a presentation, can be distracting. Humour helps us capture attention, builds rapport, and makes our message more memorable if used effectively. Laughter also helps break tension, too much drama or tension is exhausting (Think Shakespeare’s use of line to break tension “Alas poor Yorick I knew him well”). Tips …

Keep your emails brief and focused on just one topic, this makes them more productive. Lengthy emails with multiple requests, too much information or multiple objectives hidden in the body of the text take longer to handle, are tougher to archive properly and can prove difficult to forward.

Use the Picture Superiority effect (PSE) to increase engagement and reduce boring presentations. Bullet points lead to presenters reading instead of speaking. It is easy to begin reading what is on the screen when the screen is filled with text bullets, this is really boring to the audience.

Using bullet points in your presentations can cause your audience to read ahead or switch off. Use the Picture Superiority effect (PSE) to increase retention and engagement. Pictures are more memorable than lists.

Understanding David Rock’s SCARF model can help us reduce conflict. Understanding that the brain seeks pleasure and strives to avoid pain helps us become aware of the triggers that can lead to conflict.

We have to deal with off the cuff questions daily - after presentations, when dating and in social situations. Learning to think on your feet is a great way to increase your confidence as a speaker.

Speech design tips to help you structure your thoughts so your audience can follow and understand your message.

A communication strategy can be prepared for a variety of internal and external communication scenarios When creating a communications strategy it is important to remember that it is not a one-time project. If the communication in an organisation is unclear it can lead to confusion, disengagement and poor delivery.As the environment and role players change the communications strategy needs to be re-evaluated to fit the …

Communication that is clear and understood saves time and money, improves customer scores, and helps increase employee engagement levels.

How accurate is the communication participants receive? Is the information accurate and available when required, or is there a lack of information and satisfaction with the communication available?

The facilitator must be open to ideas and thoughts from the focus group members, and not just concentrate on trying to get answers to pre-set questions or find the “proof” for theories. The facilitator should be willing to explore deeper than the surface answers offer.

A communications strategy is the tool that helps support the organisation's strategy for customers, employees and partners. It is the who, what, why, when, where and how of effective communication.

Change can be scary and adapting to change is often complex and messy. Tasks are easy to list, but behaviour and long-held habits are not always so easy to change.

Keep your message clear and simple. Develop a checklist of what needs to be communicated, to whom and when. Set clear objectives and assess whether you have met them.

In a fast moving multimedia world we need to ensure our communication is effective and clear.

Body language tips to improve your speaking Improving your understanding and delivery of nonverbal communication takes time and practice to improve. First we need to recognise the power of nonverbal communication. Facial expressions Our faces show how we feel, even when we try and hide it. Learning how to read facial and body expression gives us insight into the accuracy and honesty of communication.  We …

Before developing your call-to-action, be clear on what action you’d like your audience to take. Build the interaction around that call-to-action and point people to the next step.

We don’t care what people say, we are more likely to believe what they do. We communicate information in multiple ways (eye contact, gestures, posture, body movements, and tone of voice).

The ability to engage and retain valuable employees and their intrinsic knowledge has a significant impact on an organisation's bottom line. The attitude and actions of an employee's immediate manager can help enhance employee engagement or can sour the relationship and lead to employee disengagement and loss of key talent.

Employees that are engaged become more productive and efficient, positively affecting the company’s bottom line.

A soundbite pitch is a clear, concise and a well-practiced description of the benefit your company offers.

In a fast moving multimedia world we need to ensure our communication is effective and clear. The aim is to discover what is working, what needs adjustment and what needs to be changed.

A Mentoring Programme can be difficult to implement but have numerous benefits to the individual and the organisation. Benefits of developing a Mentoring Programme: Help with on-boarding: Mentoring can help smooth the process of bringing new employees up to speed, and help redeploy existing employees in a new area of the organisation. Studies by Gallup show that the first few weeks of an employee’s new position is critical to …

To create an effective mentorship programme certain essential elements are necessary. To avoid ineffective mentorship programmes be aware of these key elements, they can be warning signs of failure. 1. Training A mentoring relationship requires training to be effective. Without any training less than 1 in 3 programmes (30%) deliver significant results for the participants (or the organisation). By training mentors you raise the success rate to …

Start by making some notes of stories and experiences that you’ve enjoyed with the bride, groom or couple. Take into account the audience’s cultural background, age, familiarity with the happy couple, etc. By sharing a few stories that show who they are to you, the audience gains insight into your relationship. e.g. “I’ll never forget ...”

The MC helps the day run smoothly. The speeches at the wedding reception are meant to be an enjoyable part of the day, giving friends and family the opportunity to have some light fun and gain insight into the character and lives of the happy couple. To

Use stories and anecdotes to create an engaging wedding toast Long drawn out wedding toasts can put your guests to sleep. If you’re not used to public speaking don’t wing it, practice your speech (or get coaching). The speeches offer an opportunity for family and friends to gain insight into the parties involved and have some light fun. Notes on index cards (not word-for-word, but …

We believe what we see above that which we hear. Still the most powerful method to persuade or to positively change behaviour is to demonstrate the desired behaviour. For effective adult education don’t tell them what to do, demonstrate the desired behaviour and offer suggestions instead. Telling can bring out the inner stroppy child.

What are the qualities of a great Mentor? Mentorship is becoming an essential element of dynamic innovative business. It helps develop talent and with Knowledge Management – sharing intrinsic knowledge. 1. Demonstrate integrity Great mentors have credibility and live their own advice, they walk their talk. It doesn’t mean they have all the answers, but it does mean they act as a positive role model. Good …

Mentorship programmes need to be aligned with the strategic goals of the organisation. The purpose of the relationship is to develop the protégé not only for the current job, but also for the future.

The key discoveries from neuroscience that impact Performance feedback and employee engagement. Our ability to make decisions, solve problems and collaborate with others, is often directly impacted by our responses to threats. When we learn to manage these threat responses we are able to increase engagement.

Dumping a full Excel spreadsheet into a presentation makes the information less effective. Keep it simple, changes and relevant information.

Numbers can be very powerful to illustrate the story you want to share, but what does your audience actually need to see? Start by clearly defining what your message is and which numbers help make that point clear.

Presentation skills tip: if you can find it on Wikipedia, don’t say it in your speech. Use personal stories to make your point, don't dump data.

Top Presentation skills tip. When speaking practice feeling the emotion, showing it in your face and body language, then saying your line for more natural body language and sincerity.

Speech design tips, how to captivate your audience with a great opening will engage your audience for a while, while a weak opening will lose your audience's attention and dilute your message.

Always start writing your speech, or presentation, with a clear message you want the audience to remember in mind. If 5 people spoke they should remember you spoke about ... what? Your message should relate to why the audience should care, and what they should do with the information.