Common Questions and Concerns

Many workplace culture and "people-development" initiatives follow current fashion and the promotional trends of publishing houses. Although they can be exciting journeys full of promise, they too often end up in cul de sacs, with leaders unable to point to lasting achievements. Meanwhile, the pedestrian, non-sexy challenges that drain energy and productivity from everyday organisational life remain unaddressed, unchanged or in a more serious state.

People still need to learn • how to talk and negotiate with one another without creating ambiguity, confusion, antipathy or resentment • hear what others are saying and listen for what they're not • use agreed practices that can be trusted to bring about progress • support and bring out the best in others • deal constructively with differences • conduct meetings and collaborate in ways which increase capacity and minimise waste • cope with challenges arising from the structures and systems within which we try to do business.

When people return to these fundamental matters and ask for my support, their "presenting problems" are usually seriously difficult issues. As I listen to them and clarify these, their common questions become similar to these:

What can I do to provide greater strategic leadership and reduce my involvement in tactical or transactional management?
How can I best manage my time and reduce stress in my role?
How can I do anything well, when I'm overwhelmed by my workload and the constant incoming traffic that increases it?
Under these circumstances, how am I expected to develop others in their roles?
How can I make better use of the potential represented by my team?
When, how and what should I delegate?
How should I coach and develop others?
I'm being told I must "step up" to become a better leader. What does that involve?
What's the shortest route to improving relationships with colleagues and staff?
How should I respond to complex interactions and others' difficult behaviours?
How can meetings be made really useful?
What can I do to reduce damaging friction and conflict?
How can I prioritise when everything appears to be both urgent and important?

Use the menu on this page to access supportive resources if you already know where to start. If you don't, I suggest you read Paying Attention to Organisational Frogs to identify signs of the issues and challenges our materials address, and to establish your priorities.

Tom Watkins