A question for Tim Peake

See my post over on my Landscaping Your life blog inspired by BBC Radio 4 PM programme's request for questions for Tim Peake's, UK astronaut, first press conference from the International Space Station.

Q: "Standing in the shoes of the earth what advise would you have for its inhabitants?"

Enablers for effective team working

I facilitated a session with a team last week that explored the many aspects of effective team working. Much of the content covered has been covered in blogs over recent years, and so I share here an index of those blogs.

• Unconscious incompetence through to unconscious competence
• Standing in the shoes of other team members - such a great tool for providing insight when struggling with understanding how to deal with others. Something I've even asked Tim Peake, UK astronaut, to do from the International Space Station - stand in the shoes of the Earth and provide advice to its inhabitants.
• What motivates others in your team
• We see others through our own lenses - we had such a great debate on this subject, and it perhaps also links to There's 3 versions of any story - your's, theirs, and the truth and the map is not the territory. Hard to remember and yet so valuable when we do.
• The subtleties of influencing

• Communication styles
• We treat people as we like to be treated - not as they would like to be treated
• Having a chocolate moment - based on an exercise I often use with groups
• How our values impact our relationship with others
• Looking for the worse in people  - which links to other blogs on Don't spend time with miserable mackerels and 5:1 positive to negative interactions
• Developing relationship trust
• We also touched on "I don't do soft fluffy stuff" and the case for soft skills.

As ever I'm reflecting on topics covered I'd like to write future blogs on:

• Problem reversal - a great technique for problem solving.
• Bolton and Bolton's people styles

Do also see recent indexes of blogs sharing the enablers for Category Management and Supplier Management. Again arising from recent workshops I've facilitated directly with clients, or via other procurement consultancies.

Alison Smith

Inspiring change inside and out (more here on why that's important)

It's a conspiracy

My menopause post has moved to my new site