Talking Sense

In episode 2 of the manager series, Gwen and Will focus on the evolution of the performance management process, and the reasons why the process can feel like a “tick-in-the-box” exercise. They talk about how managers need to focus on what’s most important, the conversation, and the ingredients of an effective performance conversation, including career expectations and development. They look at why...

Welcome to Season 2 of Talking Sense! The theme for this series is Management. Gwen and Will talk about the definition of a manager, what they’re responsible for, and the challenges of the leap to manager. In particular the pitfalls of being a “super doer”, perhaps something that enabled the promotion in the first place. They discuss how being a great manager first of all means a change of mindset...

In this last episode of the first series, Gwen and Will discuss how the different conflict management techniques from the last session can help us deal with different opinions effectively. Our mindset is key when dealing with other peoples’ opinions, and having an open or growth mindset will ensure we deal more effectively with our biases and adopt a more neutral state, thereby behaving less emoti...

This time Gwen and Will talk about how different needs drive the potential for conflict, and how levels of assertiveness and cooperativeness are key to identifying the most appropriate way to negotiate, using the five conflict management styles. They discuss what you need to do when entering into a negotiating-type conversation, how each of the five styles are appropriate in different situations,...

In this episode, Gwen and Will build on ideas from the previous episode, exploring how to flex your style to influence others, even when they’re not immediately on board... They break down practical techniques to reduce resistance, gain buy-in, and move ideas forward, from the power of words, pace and tone to smart, subtle selling strategies. They also unpack how influence shapes perception - and...

In episode two, Gwen and Will dive into the real driver of great collaboration: rapport. It’s easy to connect with people like us—but what about those who aren’t? They share simple, practical techniques to build rapport in any setting, whether face-to-face or remote, and explore how the right mindset can fast-track trust, strengthen relationships, and transform the way you work with others. Credit...

In this first of five episodes, Gwen and Will focus on the foundations of effective workplace communication, and how self-awareness plays such an important part in different situations, because people communicate differently. They refer to the various different behavioural assessment tools available to increase your self-awareness, and they discuss each of the four Social Styles, the simplest tool...