Could a motivating team building session work for our Health and Safety Group?
Before Christmas we were asked this question by Linden Ruskin the chair of Avon Occupational Safety & Health Group (AOSH). She wanted to know if we were able to deliver a Facing Challenges, circus skills session for her group, but with an emphasis on Health and Safety issues. We like a challenge, so after a little research, I designed a session that addressed the issue of how attitude and approach impacts upon changing attitudes to how health and safety is viewed. The session went brilliantly well and here are the comments from Linden. Photos from the session can be viewed at...
Read MoreHow do I organise a team building away day?
It would seem it has never been easier. A quick google search using the terms “ team building away days” produces 13,100,000 results in 0.58 seconds. With so much choice, how can you be sure you are going to achieve the outcomes you want? Why not before you work your way through page one of Google, ask yourself, What is this day all about? Is it the annual bash for the organisation? Is it a reward for a team that has done well? Is it about assembling a new team for a specific project? Are they the remains of a team after a restructuring programme? Each of these scenarios require a...
Read MoreCold Calling – another top tip
I expect we have all been cold called by someone who didn’t worry too much about getting our name right before launching into their prepared speil. What sort of impression are we left with? Is that inattention to such an important detail an indication of how good any after sales service will be? For me the starting point of effective cold calling is all about being organised and making use of a carefully managed database. I believe in keeping great records and before every call I have a read through which not only refreshes the mind but also gives a focus to the call. Is it a call to keep...
Read MoreCold Calling – some more top tips
As mentioned in a previous blog doing the research is a key element to our success with cold calling. I probably spend as much time researching as I do calling. When I started out, research meant hours spent in the library consulting business directories such as Kelly’s, but the internet has changed all that. So what is your strategy? What sort of organisations do you want to do business with? What scope is there for repeat business? I would suggest developing a couple of different strategies, – perhaps a medium term for SMO ‘s and a longer term for the larger organisations? When...
Read MoreAway Days for GP surgeries
A couple of months ago we were contacted by a freelance journalist, Alison Moore who had been commissioned by the magazine Management in Practice to write an article about the value of away days for GP surgeries. She was a lovely lady, easy to talk to and it was a pleasure sharing my knowledge with her. The article Pulling Together” was published in issue number 39 (Winter 2014/2015) and here are some of the things I said and that of Sarah Day, a Practice Manager in Chesham. “A social gathering can be great for people to get to know each other but probably won’t resolve specific issues...
Read MoreRed Nose Day
As most will know last Friday 13th March was Comic Relief Red Nose Day. Sainsburys make a huge commitment to supporting the day and Pushpa Kasinather from 1st Choice Speakers contacted us to see if we would be interested in doing our bit for Red Nose Day in partnership with a local Sainsbury’s store in Chesham. The plan was to have area immediately outside the store and in the morning someone else would raise money by demonstrating Zumba and in the afternoon for a donation of £1 to Comic Relief we would teach some basic circus skills, to those who wanted to have a go. Of course we...
Read More