Tag: support

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, Conference and Exhibition, Goals, HR, Human Resources, Inspiration, Motivation, Organisation, People Management, Plan Ahead, Uncategorized, women in business

Developing capability for shifting times #cipdmap17

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on Developing capability for shifting times #cipdmap17

With only 28 days left until the annual CIPD Midlands Area Partnership conference, which is being held at Chesford Grange in Warwickshire and I thought it is perfect timing to start talking about what we can expect from the event.

CIPD MAP 16 was an incredible event, very well organised and everyone seemed to enjoy the day. So what can we expect from this years event?

First and foremost, there are still a limited amount of tickets left so if you would like to attend then do grab your tickets via the CIPD MAP page on their website.

Secondly, if you cannot make the event, do not dispare! I will be blogging and tweeting the event as we go.

The title for this year’s event is developing capability for shifting times and with this year’s keynote speakers being Olympic Athlete Derek Redmond and Influential Professor Rob Briner, this event looks set to be one of the most successful yet.

To start the day, there will be a breakfast session held at 8:30am with Russell Deathridge from LHH Penna to discuss delivering high performance with an agile workforce in uncertain times. This is on my must see list of the day and look forward to hearing Russell’s thoughts on this incredibly relevant topic.

From 9:15am you’ll find me and a host of other branch committee members signing you all in at the registration desks, please ensure you do this in plenty of time so you can get on with some networking prior to the welcome and introduction, plus, it’s a Saturday so grabbing a good coffee is incredibly important!

The welcome and introduction to this event will begin at 10:00am before handing over to our keynote speaker Derek Redmond. Derek, as well as being an olympic gold medallist, has been a motivational speaker for 17 years and is Group Performance Director at Thomas International, so be prepared for an incredibly inspiring start to the conference.

One part of the day I am really looking forward to is hearing from Rob Robson from Tata Technologies, his session is being held at 11:55am and he is speaking about creating the employee experience, this topic is not only relevant now but will be for years to come.

Then we have the breakout sessions starting at 12:40pm;

  • A. New ways of working – myth or reality? which will be led by Professor Donald Hislop and Dr Sarah Barnard
  • B. Back from the future – is L&D ready? Led by Teresa Rose, Digital Learning Expect at E.ON
  • C. Building and developing the skills needed for organisations across the Midlands to succeed in the UK, Europe and the World. Led by Angela Joyce, CEO at Warwickshire College
  • D. The future workforce: an educational perspective, led by Matthew Crawford

I’m planning to attend sessions A and D as my work recently has been influenced by what the future holds within the education system and how that will influence the workforce.

The last but no means least, the closing keynote will take place at 15:15pm with Rob Briner; Shaking the foundations: time to challenge some common assumptions about HR;  be prepared for some fantastic quotes from Rob, he never disappoints!

Don’t forget, there is a brilliant exhibition area too, so make sure you visit the stands as well as taking the time to network with HR and L&D colleagues from across the Midlands.

I hope to see lots of you there!

 

 

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, Getting Organised, Goals, Health, HR, Inspiration, Motivation, Organisation, Plan Ahead, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business, Working Week

Get ready for the working week

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on Get ready for the working week

Organised Life

Ok, it’s Sunday and it feels like you’ve barely had a weekend (again!), and whilst we may complain that it’s nearly Monday; whether you like it or not, it is a certainty!  If this sounds familiar then by being organised and preparing for the week ahead could be the key to eliminating those Sunday blues.

A “case of the Mondays” usually comes from the feeling of having a carefree weekend, to the rigid structure and chaos of the working week. On the weekend we can eat whenever, wear whatever you please, and easily lose track of time.

The weekend is usually a time of relaxation, and it’s only when that lack of structure that we have from our working week, no wonder it fees that we are swinging from one extreme to another.

The working week brings forward structure that we generally dislike; knowing that we have to dress in a particular way, having breaks at certain times and sticking to set times especially those weeks where it seems like there’s 101 things to do and yet your diary is crammed full of meetings relating to those 101 things! This leaves us feeling ill-equipped and unprepared which are bigger dislikes than Monday’s. To avoid those situations and feel more in control, there are a few things that you can do which could help you welcome the working week and allow you to enjoy those precious few hours left of our beloved weekend.

If you’d like to give it a go, then here are some quick and easy tips to help you welcome Monday with less grumbles.

Get your to do list in order

We all have those giving us unnecessary head noise which only heightens the dread of Monday; write everything down so you can physically see what you need to do. You never know the list may be smaller and easier to achieve than you think!

There’s an app for that! Try Google Keep or Wunderlist, both are free and available across all devices.

Prepare your outfits

Believe it or not, we waste a ridiculous amount of time each morning figuring out what to wear which is stressful and makes your morning seem even more rushed when you actually don’t need it to be. Plan the outfits you’re going to wear, launder your clothes, iron them and have them together in your wardrobe ready to wear.

Create a food plan

Like outfits, we are even worse when it comes to deciding what to eat. Ditch the usual and expensive bland sandwich plan and plan your meals. Do a good food shop and get creating some yummy meals, cut up fruit, vegetables and have those as snacks. Eating healthily has a huge impact upon our motivation, so if you eat healthy in theory you should feel happier.

Try creating a simple spread sheet and populating it with meals, once you’re in the flow, it’ll take only 10 minutes to complete each week. Plus you’ll save money as you know exactly what to shop for!

Give yourself something fun to look forward to

If it’s meeting a friend after work for dinner, taking time to catch up on that TV series or having a cosy night reading a book. The week is about so much more than work so go on treat yourself!

Spruce up your social media

If you like being on social media but don’t have time to commit during the working day, there are ways you can not miss out. Prepare and schedule your Tweets, Linked In campaigns and blog posts in advance. Tools like Buffer and Hootsuite will be your new best friends!

Get your gym bag ready

Get your bag and outfits lined up and ready to go, that way you’re less likely to say “I’ll go tomorrow” which will leave you feeling disappointed and negative when you put it off.

Relax

Yes the above task sounds like a mountain to climb but do what you can to make you feel more prepared to face the week. The last thing you want to do is feel stressed after running around like a headless chicken so make sure you take time to relax and enjoy Sunday.

Even if you just do a couple of these things, you’ll be setting yourself up for a much easier, and more organised week.

Happy Sunday to you and all the best wishes for the week ahead.

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, Goals, Health, HR, Inspiration, Love, Motivation, People Management, Recruitment, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business

It’s A Level results day! Your career journey starts here…

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on It’s A Level results day! Your career journey starts here…

When we were little, we knew what we wanted to do for a career as we’d proudly stand in front of our classmates at a tender age of 5 and exclaim “I want to be a Policeman” “a vet” “I want to be a nurse” one beamed with pride.

I remember sitting there, I politely passed my turn to another child and went last. The teacher then asked me again “Natalie what do you want to do when you grow up?” I stood at the front and told her that I’d really thought about this question because when you have a job, you’re doing it for a long time. I then said to her that I knew wanted to work at Heathrow Airport for British Airways, just like my dad. She asked, “why British Airways?” I simply said “their people are always smart, they wear buttons on their uniforms when they’re good at work, they’re friendly and they always smile but most of all, I want my mum and dad to be proud of me”.

I sadly never made it in to British Airways in my dream role as cabin crew, but ironically my sister did and whilst my mum and dad are proud of me. I’m equally proud and grateful to them, my passion to perform well in my role is a driver I inherited from my dad.

To cut a long story short, my  point is that not everything in life goes to plan so prepare for the curveballs that now fire your way! whether that is choosing the university for you, getting into the world of work or simply figuring out your next steps, they may not be as you planned or first thought!

You’ve read the books, completed your coursework and faced the exams head on; today is the results day you have been waiting for and I wish you all the very best of luck and no matter what, you’re already a success story waiting to happen.

If your results are not what you hoped for there are a number of things you can do and you may need to adapt your plans slightly but you never know, you might prefer the new plan better!

Regardless of your result, now is an incredible time of opportunity, with an increase in demand for apprenticeships, universities opening their doors to welcome new students and a buoyant employment market, now is the time to get that first foot onto the career ladder.

Good luck and all the very best wishes from me.

 

 

 

Administration, Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, Conference and Exhibition, HR, Human Resources, Inspiration, Love, Motivation, People Management, Uncategorized, women in business

Time to write my own chapter; my first HR book is in progress!

by Natalie Ellis1 Comment on Time to write my own chapter; my first HR book is in progress!

Books

Hello everyone,

I’m back in my writing chair with my tea companion (yes finally!)

I’m looking forward to sharing all of my new blog posts with you (and there’s quite a few!) that I have been working on behind the scenes. I’ve been exposed to varying situations over the past couple of months that has required a high degree of reflection to allow me to bring the situations to life on the blog; so thank you for being patient with me.

As many of you know, I adore books and always have since I was a child; naturally, it has always been an ambition of mine to write my own book but I never thought I would have anything to write about! Then I started my career in HR and my life changed, so what better subject to write about?

Therefore, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share the exciting news that I am in process of writing my first HR book, which really is a dream come true and I cannot wait to share it with you.

This book has taken various experiences that I’ve had to inspire those new to HR, the seasoned professionals, people considering HR as a career or those who have simply hit a career slump and want to bounce back. This book is about the practical realities of the profession to truly bring it to life; the practical pieces that cannot be taught in a classroom.

I started writing the book in March and it has come on a long way since then; I’m hoping it’ll be ready for release at the end of this year/beginning of 2018.

Watch this space and I look forward to releasing my next blog post tomorrow morning!

Best wishes,

Natalie

 

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, Employee well being, Health, HR, Human Resources, Inspiration, mental health, Motivation, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business

Taking care of your mental health wellbeing #MHAW17

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on Taking care of your mental health wellbeing #MHAW17

Whilst it is important to promote the wellbeing of others, you cannot adequately support other people without having your own mental health as a priority. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and on the blog I am releasing some quick references to generate awareness of the subject but also to present practical advice for you to use, regardless of your profession.

Mental health awareness is something we can all promote and actively be a part of, whether it is for you or to support someone close to you.

How we are feeling can vary in our day to day lives, it often depends on circumstance in that present moment, or it can be impacted by significant events such as the anniversary of a bereavement. According to the Mental Health Foundation statistics; one in three of us will experience a traumatic event at some point in our lives, this is not just an incident, it is something that stays with us for the rest of our lives.

When we are in good mental wellbeing, we are able to cope with the stresses of everyday life, are able to adapt to the environment and situations around us and feel engaged with the environment around us. If we are not in a good mental state, it is easy to feel detached from people and the environment, lack confidence in our abilities to cope with daily life and most of all, unable to freely express emotions and maintain relationships.

Keeping this in mind, it only underpins the importance on supporting your own mental health, here are some quick and easy tips to help you support your mental health wellbeing:

  • Talk about your feelings; if you are experiencing a difficult time, having an open conversation with your friends and family can halve the problem and they may be able to offer help and guidance to support you. Just by having a conversation can make you feel a lot better
  • Learn to accept yourself; this is such an important part of our mental health wellbeing. Don’t compare yourself to others, this only damages self-esteem. This is so difficult with the influence of social media and this “perception of perfection” is not realistic, be yourself and acknowledge your positive qualities
  • Exercise; I run three times a week now and have done since January. I’ve never felt better, I’ve never been a gym bunny but getting out in the fresh air can really change your perspective on things and has a positive impact on my mental health, I find I worry less, sleep better and most of all, it’s an activity I enjoy
  • Diet; having a well-balanced diet has really complimented my new exercise routine and it makes me feel healthier and happier
  • Relax; as with everything these days there is an app for that! You don’t need expensive yoga classes or massages (although these are great too!) try Buddhify which can really help you to switch off and relax. This app has really helped me especially on those days when it’s difficult to clear the mind of the working day