How can we make decisions when we disagree?

When different opinions appear in the decision, the easy answer is to push the decision up. Let the boss decide.

There are two issues with this strategy. Firstly, while the boss will probably engage with the process, they will also hate it. They have enough to do without having to make decisions for warring teams. Plus, it never reflects well on those asking.

The bigger issue is when the team is in a matrix, and there is no obvious boss to pass the buck to. Then, the team has to find a way or risk the consequences of no (or late) decision!

In this episode of the podcast, Richard and Paul explore strategies that will help teams that disagree find solutions. From agreeing on where you agree to reciprocal behaviours, this podcast outlines strategies that you can use to create consensus and momentum.

Posted On February 19, 2025 By Paul Hutchinson In Decision Making, Influence, Leadership, Management, Podcasts, The question is /

How can I ensure my managers have the ‘big’ conversations with their team members.

Here is another podcast that examines the questions that regularly arise in our work. This time, Richard and Ricky consider why managers might avoid some of the more big (difficult) conversations that are needed between manager and team members.

Often, senior managers assume that these conversations are happening, only to find out as issues escalate that a culture of over-politeness or hoping things will sort themselves out if we ignore them for long enough has sowed ambiguity and misunderstanding.

Why do these conversations feel so difficult for managers, and what can we do to ensure that they happen early, ensuring small problems never get to become critical issues?

Richard and Ricky mention a great book on structuring these challenging conversations:

Grenny J., Patterson K., McMillan R., Switzler A. and Gregory E. (2021) Crucial Conversations (Third Edition): Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. McGraw Hill

Posted On February 5, 2025 By Paul Hutchinson In High Performing Teams, Leadership, Performance Management, Podcasts, The question is /

How can we build trust with remote and hybrid teams?

In this podcast, Paul and Richard tackle one of the questions we have been asked a lot since the pandemic ended – How do you build trust between team members and teams that don’t spend that much time in the office.
Building trust between individuals and groups is far more complex than many of us realise because we do it so easily when we are together. We build trusting relationships through the micro-moments we spend together: before meetings, over lunch, getting coffee and in quick informal interactions. We also build trust through working together. It is the combination of both these types of trust that forms the relationships that we need to work together.
As leaders, we must change how our teams interact to ensure that the trust we need to achieve our goals is actively built so our teams can leverage trust when things get tough.

Posted On January 22, 2025 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Engagement, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Mindset, Podcasts, The question is, Trust /

How can I do this all over again?

The coaching question in this podcast might not be as common as others we have covered, but it is one we can personally relate to.

Regardless of your role or expertise, there are times when we give it our all, putting everything we have to get something over the line, then we reset to the start and have to go again. Sales targets reset each year, project manager complete their delivery only to get a new project, software engineers get the release out the door, and then start working on a new feature.

Ricky and Paul explore what it take to have to reset, sometimes overnight, and the find the energy to go again.

Posted On November 20, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

How can I be less of a people pleaser?

This episode continues our series of common topics from coaching conversations. In this episode, Paul and Graham consider the idea of ‘people pleasing’ – being helpful to the point of thier own detriment.

From understanding the difference between helpfulness and people pleasing, through to how to say no to the boss, Graham and Paul talk about what might be driving some of these behaviours and shat are the simple strategies that you can adopt to ensure you find the balance between helping and supporting the people around you, and ensuring that you protect your own time and wellbeing.

Posted On November 6, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

How do I stop feeling so tired?

As we continue our mini-series of common topics from coaching conversations, in this podcast, Ricky and Paul explore why sometimes people feel drained at work, leaving them with an overall feeling of being tired.

Clearly, at times, we can all burn the candle at both ends, but in coaching situations, this is often a sign of something deeper going on. From doing work that is draining to the unintended consequences of the habits we adopt when our workload goes up, Ricky and Paul explore some potential causes and strategies to help maintain us through these peak times.

Posted On October 23, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

How will I know when it is time to change roles?

As part of our series of questions often raised in coaching conversations, in this episode of The Question Is, Paul and Graham explore the often asked, without ever being actually said, question: How do I know if I should change roles?

Being ready to move on from your current role can be challenging. From not feeling like you have finished what you needed to do in the role to not feeling ready for the next role, changing jobs can be difficult and anxiety-inducing. There is rarely a good time to change roles, with opportunities presenting in manual ways at inappropriate times.

Graham and Paul share their experience and pose the questions you need to ask yourself about opportunity, growth, and passion, which will help you understand when it is time to move, even when that might not have been in your plan.

Posted On October 9, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Podcasts, The question is /

Why is this leadership role harder than my last one?

Every leadership role you undertake is slightly different. Different people, different problems, different cultures, maybe just a different time and place. Our ability to lead can be as much about the context or situation we find ourselves in as it is the skills we bring to the party!

As part of our series of questions commonly raised in our coaching practice, Ricky and Paul explore the situation that many people find themselves in: doing the things that have always worked for them and finding that, for some reason, this time,, they do not get the outcomes they envisaged.

Posted On September 11, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

Leading to Here with Jon Dawson

Meet Jon Dawson, a keen follower of his beloved Everton Football Club and the UK and Ireland Director of STAAR Surgical, a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of the EVO family of Implantable Collamer® Lenses (EVO ICL™). Their lenses provide visual freedom to patients, lessening or eliminating the reliance on glasses or contact lenses.

Jon’s inspiring career started in the family business, a local printer. He took it upon himself to go door to door to drum up business in his local area. He navigated various sales and management roles before taking the opportunity to lead STAAR’s strategy in the UK and Ireland.

Posted On August 30, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Leading to here, Podcasts /

Why do I find giving feedback so difficult?

Feedback has been described as the breakfast of champions, but giving feedback can be one of the toughest things we have to do, with many people avoiding giving feedback if they possibly can.

In this, another podcast in our series of questions from coaching conversations, Ricky and Graham focus on why some people find it so difficult to give good feedback and how developing your technique around feedback is a vital leadership skill.

From why we find feedback so difficult, through to models and structures to make you better at feedback – if you want to help the people around you be better at what they do, then this podcast is for you.

Posted On August 14, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /