How do you lead out of confusion?

When things change we become a little uncertain for a while. With large scale organisational change, this uncertainty can become almost paralysing for some people, and right now we are all experiencing more change than any of us are used to. There is change both at work and at home, and it is impacted on almost every aspect of our lives.

We look to leaders to help us create certainty and stability, but how do you lead out of so much confusion?

Paul and Rob explore how leaders can bring people together and create the certainty that we need to move forward together.

Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash

Posted On October 15, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Change, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

Who wins (at work) when we when find new ways of working?

The way we work has changed more in the last few months than any other time in our working lives. Who will be the winners?

Political styles that might have worked well in the office may not be as effective when working remotely. However, ignoring the politics is equally as bad.

Rob and Paul explore political styles during change, asking how do we find a balance between doing the right thing and getting what we want?

Photo by Jaz King on Unsplash

Posted On September 23, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Change, Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

How do we reset targets for this year?

2020 is probably not working out quite as you had planned, that is certainly the case for us at Thinking Focus. If we carry on with our plans as if nothing has happened, then risk running out of steam chasing impossible targets.

When things go off track, you need to reset the targets and expectations, moving the focus to achievable yet ambitious goals that start moving back in the right direction.

Richard and Ricky explore how you can quickly reset the goals, help the people around you let go of the past and embrace the new challenges in front of you.

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Posted On September 9, 2020 By webadmin In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

What if my team don’t come back from holiday raring to go?

This year the summer break could not come quick enough, work has been hard this year and most of us needed a break. We hope that the people in our teams can take some time to recharge and come back ‘raring to go’.

But what if they don’t? What if, this year, teams find themselves heading into the last quarter drained and apathetic?

This podcast was recorded while we are still in lockdown. Like most people, we are working from home (kids and pets may appear at any time). We are still focused on the questions that are getting in the way.

Photo by Jonathan Farber on Unsplash

Posted On August 26, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

Will holding onto the past put the future at risk?

2020 has been a year of change unlike any other for most of us, with many still coming to terms with the different ways of working (and living) that have been forced upon us. There is little sign that the ‘normality’ that existed at the start of the year is going to return any time soon.

What is the impact of this longing for a return to simpler times? Richard and Paul discuss how leaders can help people let go and start to embrace a new normal.

Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

Posted On August 12, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Change, Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

Why do we need holidays?

2020 has been a strange year for most of us, and now, adding insult to injury, the summer break feels like it has just been cancelled; lockdown restrictions have limited our ability to get away from it all for a couple of weeks.

This podcast revisits one of our blog articles from two years ago, exploring why anyone in a demanding job really should take a holiday. Two years ago we could ignore the obvious, needing a rest, so considered the other benefits that doing something different, somewhere else have to offer.

Here is the blog if you want to read the original article.

While it might not be two weeks on a beach this year, doing something different will engage the brain and open up solutions to problems, connect the dots of the big issues, offering much needed new insight at this challenging time.

Photo by Mohammad Metri on Unsplash

Posted On July 29, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /

How can we keep people united?

Following on from considering the pace at which change can be progressed (click here for that podcast) we are looking at how you can keep people united through uncertain times.

Change creates plenty of opportunities to divide teams, as people become winners or losers in the change process. How can leaders actively bring teams together as one?

This podcast was recorded while we are still in lockdown. Like most people, we are working from home (kids and pets may appear at any time). Apologies for the quality of one of the mics on this podcast. The perils of working without a producer.

We are still focused on the questions that are getting in the way.

Photo by Jaz King on Unsplash

Posted On July 15, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Change, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

How can I ensure that people feel in control at times of change?

When the world changes around us, many of us feel completely out of control and struggle to find meaning. This struggle then leads to even the most competent people hitting a productivity brick wall as they work to resolve these feelings.

Rob explains to Ricky how to spot this happening in the workplace and how leaders and managers can help people regain control through some simple steps, helping them to process the change which in turn allows productivity to return. This is more important than ever, with COVID-19 creating change in every part of lives.

This podcast was recorded while we are still in lockdown. Like most people we are working from home (kids and pets may appear at any time). We are still focused on the questions that are getting in the way.

Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

Posted On June 24, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Change, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

Have we accidentally created two tribes?

Teams have been broken, split between furloughed and working, home-based or office-based. Teams that were once aligned against a common purpose are now divided. What does this mean for managing teams going forward? How can leaders bring teams back together?

Rich, Rob, Ricky and Paul (and Paul’s dog) discuss the implications and unintentional side effects of some of the difficult yet necessary decisions that have had to be made. How do we get back to one team and one vision?

This podcast was recorded while we are in the middle of lockdown. Like most people, we are working from home (with kids and dogs), making do and still looking to answer the questions that are getting in the way.

Photo by Mohammad Metri on Unsplash

Posted On June 17, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is, Uncategorized /

How can I get back out of the detail?

The vast amount of change that has been thrust upon us with COVID-19 has caused most leaders to have to grab control of the day to day to make sure that the business can ride the storm.

In this podcast, Ricky talks to Paul about the dangers of getting stuck in this detail for too long, and how you can recognise and do something about that when it happens to you.

This podcast was recorded while we are in the middle of lockdown. Like most people, we are working from home, making do and still looking to answer the questions that are getting in the way.

Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash

Posted On June 10, 2020 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /