A few weeks after a management training programme, there’s often a quiet question in the background: Has anything actually changed?

It's the question all Learning & Development professionals wrestle with - does the training we use actually result in tangible change? When it comes to changing culture or behaviours, how can we measure that anyway? I've spent the last few days trying to get to grips with the what the research tells us, so you don't have to. And I've found that actually, despite the pitfalls being numerous and widespread currently, the solutions actually help simplify the process - they're ea

The Engagement Crisis The landscape of leadership and management is facing a pivotal challenge in 2024 – an engagement crisis triggered by the pandemic and the widespread adoption of hybrid work environments (as beneficial for work/life balance as that has been). The crash in employee engagement persists, demanding leaders to tackle a fundamental question: How do we foster sustained engagement and trust in an era where face-to-face interactions are limited? The key to the sol

If I could give one piece of advice to leaders and managers, it would be this: Simple things can make a huge difference. If you aren't sure where to start when it comes to improving as a manager, or the things you've read seem quite overwhelming or esoteric, remember that it only takes very small adjustments in behaviour to generate big changes in the engagement and productivity of your team. A great medicine for imposter syndrome is seeing instant improvements too. Think abo

Balancing the Power of Inquiry with the Need for Authenticity and Trust In the dynamic landscape of talent development training and coaching, the use of leading questions can be seen as a way to help the coachee navigate their thoughts and provide a structure for the conversations. However, beneath the surface, a paradox lurks - the potential for these carefully crafted queries to inadvertently stifle conversations and erode the foundation of trust. At ZEN Coaching, we delve

There's a wonderful book by Matthew Syed, "Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice". It could be written as a training and talent development guidebook. It explodes the myth that success comes through innate talent and explores how it is PRACTICE that makes us better. Those who seem like child prodigies are often just the ones who started practising very early, Mozart being a prime example. He was an incredible composer at 5 years old. But then again, he was made