Blog Archives

Brainstorming can work for your company

Based on the issues that will be considered later in this article, here is a check list for effective brainstorming. Select a broad and diverse group A good size for a brainstorming group is between 6 and 12 people. Diversity

Posted in Personnel & staffing

Eight ways to manage stress

Stress is an increasingly common issue in today’s work environment, affecting more than 40 million employees across Europe. If left untreated, it also has the potential to lead to longer-term physical or psychological ill health. Unfortunately many people find it

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Effective Communication Skills: Part 1

Do you make these 5 mistakes when you speak to your team? I recall one of my degree modules. It sticks in my mind, not because it was a startlingly good module but rather it was the exact opposite. I

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Top tips – conducting effective staff appraisals

  Staff appraisals are an important activity but they should be used for the right reasons to get the best out of them. They should be used to develop an employee’s skills and therefore performance, and shouldn’t be used as

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Learning the art of successful negotiation

It’s a people thing The biggest challenge that is faced in any negotiation is that we are dealing with people, and despite what they may believe, people are not logical, and almost all decisions are emotional. People have egos which

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Forming a successful business partnership

There are many ways to structure a business but if you choose to form a partnership there are a number of key factors that need to be considered to ensure its success. Often it may mean working with someone that

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Think before you fire

The most popular cost-cutting measure in a recession is to shed staff. It’s highly visible and the savings look impressive but experience shows that companies continue doing it right up to the end of a downturn and even beyond. However,

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Improve your time management

The one resource at your disposal that is totally fixed is the time you have available to do your job. There is nothing you can do to make the day any longer. Therefore, it is vital to save time wherever

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Payroll changes for small businesses

HMRC has been running a consultation on payrolling, benefits in kind and taxable expenses payments since 2007, with the aim of putting an end to informal arrangements made between employers and their tax offices. It has just been announced that

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