Tag: Inspiration

Blogging, Business, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, HR, HR Blogger, Human Resources, Inspiration, Leadership, Uncategorized, women in business

February’s recommended read: Legacy by James Kerr

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on February’s recommended read: Legacy by James Kerr

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After an incredible start to this years’ Six Nations this weekend, I thought that this month’s read was incredibly apt, given that it is all about what the New Zealand All Blacks team can teach us about leadership and sustaining success.

This unique and inspiring book was recommended to me at the CIPD MAP conference last year by Matthew Crawford who spoke at the conference about the future of work from an educational (and children’s!) perspective.

This book will suit everyone, for those looking for a “how to” approach, techniques for professional standards, and practical lessons for effective leadership. It also encourages the development of leadership qualities such as accountability and ownership.

Continue reading “February’s recommended read: Legacy by James Kerr” →

Blogging, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, HR, HR Blogger, Leadership, Uncategorized, women in business

Appraisals, the dinosaur framework of performance reviews

by Natalie Ellis1 Comment on Appraisals, the dinosaur framework of performance reviews

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For too long HR and Management have relied on the good old framework known as the annual appraisal; a tool that was designed for good by our HR ancestors but is being  likened to household chores, unfulfilling, stressful and not fit for purpose.

I got rid of them completely in a previous role, I found them too rigid, impersonal and artificial. I simply used check in meetings with my team to create an open and ongoing dialogue. There’s absolutely no point waiting all year for my team to tell me that they needed support, the moment has gone by then and demotivation sets in quickly!

This week’s HR Hour widely debated if there is a place in the current world of work; most participants said absolutely not.

In some cases it seems that it is a framework which is highly misunderstood and is used as a tick box exercise, form is completed, sent back to HR and nothing of value is done with it. I maintain that a tool like this can only be beneficial if it is clearly defined and that managers have a thorough understanding on how it should be used, without this, you might as well forget it. It can also be used as an opportunity not to have regular communication with employees, using it as something to hide behind “save it for your appraisal” is a phrase we’ve all overheard in our HR careers.

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Business, Career, Career Woman, CIPD, HR, Human Resources, Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Uncategorized

What a true HR leader looks like, according to HR

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on What a true HR leader looks like, according to HR

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After another fantastic HR Hour on Twitter this week, we explored what qualities we would look for in a HR leader.

As you can imagine, this really generated a constructive conversation and it appears that many HR professionals like to see the same qualities in a leader, albeit in different ways. In this post I’ve picked some of my favourite tweets from the evening, so a huge thank you to the contributors who made the session so informative, we learn something new every week!

Having been fortunate throughout my career, I have worked with a couple of inspirational and positive HR leaders, but many involved in this week’s HR hour were convinced that a HR leader honing these desirable qualities is hard to find.

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Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, Employee well being, Equality and Diversity, Getting Organised, Health, HR, Human Resources, mental health, Uncategorized, women in business

Back to work blues? Blame the bosses…

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on Back to work blues? Blame the bosses…

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 “A bad boss can take a great workforce and destroy it, causing the best employees to flee and the remainder to lose all motivation”

After all the festivities, it’s time to head back to the office and it’s no surprise that January is notoriously known for being the most depressing month of the year (yikes, tough crowd you’ve got here January!).

However, despite the dark days, dark nights and miserable weather, January is a month of opportunity and a perfect time for organisations to review their working practices to make improvements for the future.

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Blogging, CIPD, CIPD Level 7 HRM, Getting Organised, Goals, HR, Human Resources, ICS Learn, ICS Real Stories, Student Life, Uncategorized, women in business

A new year brings new opportunities #ICSRealStories

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on A new year brings new opportunities #ICSRealStories

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Forget resolutions, make 2018 the year to achieve your goals!

The mince pies have been eaten and the parties have wound down. This is the time of year that many people sit down and write a list of resolutions to achieve by this time next year, only to be left disheartened a few weeks later; but not this year.

This year, I have decided to tear up those resolutions and break that negative cycle by doing something meaningful. As a HR professional, continuous development is really important and a priority, so I have set myself a goal to complete my level 7 Diploma in HR Management including the two exams which are set for May and September.

Continue reading “A new year brings new opportunities #ICSRealStories” →