Personal Effectiveness

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Micro-learning: Mastering Meetings and Groups
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Micro-learning: Leading with Stories
Critical Thinking
Micro-learning: Critical Thinking
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Micro-learning: Natural Networking
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Micro-learning: Influencing Well
If Then New
Design (and share) your If > Then statements, for a purposefully prompt towards action
Catherine Allison
How to influence decisions and boost gravitas with your voice
Video
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Upping your gravitas by silencing your inner critic and amplifying your inner coach
Video
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How to check your writing for clarity
Video
Bennew
Using the 'Rule of Three' to communicate memorable ideas
Video
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How to pause when presenting
Video
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Working with eye contact
Video
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The power of plain language in presentations
Video
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The power of 'You' in writing
Video
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What designers need to know about microcopy
Video
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Skills and mindsets for making mentoring meaningful
Video
RG
Setting mentoring relationships up for success
Video
Liz
The impact of coaching, and it's distinction from mentoring
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Practical pointers for authentic leadership
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Hilary
Coaching, and creating coaching cultures
Video
Ingrid1
Vocal confidence warm up exercises
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Vocal techniques for clearer articulation
Video
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Growth Mindset Mantras
Tool
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How to command an on-screen presence
Video
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How to start writing
Video
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The secret to a successful Tone of Voice
Video
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How to write with authority for brands
Video
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Keep it simple. Quick and effortless copywriting
Video
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Writing in the active voice
Video
NO
Course Pack: The art of saying No (and how to say Yes)
Presenting
Course Pack: Purposeful presenting
Behave
Course Pack: Behavioural Insights
Charm
Course Pack: Charm School
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eCourse: Go with the GROW model
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eCourse: Are you listening?
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eCourse: Meaningful Mentoring
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eCourse: Leadership Styles, a primer
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eCourse: Charm School
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eCourse: Owning Feedback
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eCourse: Practicing a Coaching Approach
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eCourse: Get SET with your Goals
eCourse
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eCourse: Time Management and Prioritisation
eCourse
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eCourse: Mastering Delegation
eCourse
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eCourse: Strengths to Influence
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Better Briefing: A bitesize guide from Baxter & Bailey
Tool
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Clear and simple copy
Video
MBT
Get your team talking to each other with a practical take on the Myers-Briggs personality test
Tool
Talking
Knowing me, knowing you
Tool
Tony
Course Pack: Decision Lab
Microicon
Course Pack: Micro-Habits
Mup
Course Pack: Managing Up
Feedback
Course Pack: Owning Feedback
ARC
Course Pack: Effective 1-1s
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What's your team's CAMPS score? Get a snapshot of engagement levels.
Tool
Listenup
Course Pack: Are you Listening?
Tension
And-But-Therefore — Try out a tested storytelling technique
Tool
Groups
Course Pack: Mastering Meetings & Groups
Page tosothat
To.... So That. A snappy structure to define the purpose of any meeting
Tool
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The voice in your head, and how to harness it — with psychologist Ethan Kross.
Audio
TA
Think Again, by Adam Grant
Book
The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker
Book
RSB
Root, Stem, Branch — An organic approach for telling your own story
Tool
Diff
Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss — Key ideas and takeaways from the best-selling-book on negotiation skills.
Book
Daniel
Mastering (Virtual) Presence, coach and facilitator Mike Sagun in conversation for the Conversation Factory
Audio
Circlesheila
Decoding Difficult Conversations — Sheila Heen unpacks the layers within those conversations you're probably avoiding.
Audio
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Course Pack: The Business Model Canvas
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Course Pack: Delegation. Done
Albert
Course Pack: Defining Problems
Conflict
Course Pack: Constructive Conflict and Difficult Conversations
Inf
Course Pack: Influence IRL
Gravitas
Course Pack: Presence and Gravitas
Chatter Bottom
Chatter: Practical tools to apply, and harness the voice in your head
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eCourse: A Brand called You
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Course Pack: A Brand called You
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MOM
Mitchell on Meetings — What we learned and where it led
Conf
Course Pack: Building Confidence
Scaling
Experiment with a 'Scaling Question' to better connect, learn and influence
WW
Course Pack: Writing Well
Cuddy Dog
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shares powerful, actionable insights on the impact of our body language
TFF
Watch Sheila Heen explain why we need to be regularly asking for feedback, and what stops us from doing so.
Diff
Listen to former hostage Chris Voss share practical insights on better negotiation.
Time Tool
Experiment with Timeboxing for more focus and productivity
Time Tool
Build your time awareness, and reveal ways to boost productivity, with an Activity Log
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Time in tomatoes: build productivity and focus with the Pomodoro technique
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Six practical tools for building confidence and self-belief, shared by brain expert Ian Robertson
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Great questions to ask in coaching conversations, 1-1's and other curious contexts
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Course Pack: Navigating Negotiation
MT
Course Pack: Making Time
Orange
Practice the principles of persuasion from 'Godfather of Influence,' Robert Cialdini.
Circlestwo
How to be a meaningful mentor, insights from a purposeful podcast
Breathman
Mindful breathing — the foundation of focus and flow
Setback
Smarten your approach to setbacks, by trying out a Setback Story
To Think
Don't forget to diarise thinking time — experiment with a 'To Think' list
Silent Meeting
Make your next meeting a Silent Meeting
Can If Go
Immediately build your confidence, with a 'Can-If' statement
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Build belief by recognising small wins — Try a 'Done List'
Friction
Add some friction to your most common distractions
Fly
Channel that fly on the wall. Try some purposeful self talk to mitigate moments of doubt
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Micro-learning: Keeping a coaching mindset
Rest
Micro-learning: Setting Better Boundaries
Breathman
Micro-learning: Building Confidence
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Micro-learning: Feedback fundamentals
Presenting Head
Micro-learning: Purposeful Presenting
Time Team
Micro-learning: Finding Focus and Flow
Newpencils
Micro-learning: Writing Well
Coaching Criticism
Find the Coaching in Criticism. Things to try when feedback doesn't quite land
N Ngrab
Course Pack: Natural Networking
LWS
Course Pack: Storytelling
Spring
Experiment with a Springboard Story to communicate your change idea, and take people with you towards it.
Mentorsqarer
Evolve your 'inner mentor' — a short reflective exercise to focus your development, and the ways you can better support others
Do Story
Practical storytelling principles from Bobette Buster's book — Do: Story
Homework
Homework for Life: A ten-second daily ritual for noticing, capturing and practicing stories
Hear
Try this deep listening exercise for deeper connection and better conversations
5
Discover the impact a five minute favour can have on your relationships, and network building
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Experiment with the BRAIN model for confident decision making and problem solving
VCR
Course Pack: Voice Gym. Building your vocal confidence
22
A three minute mindset exercise, to support a coaching approach
Good Qs
Smart ways to frame questions in your next mentoring session
Car Words
Try out the CAR technique, and upgrade your understanding when interviewing someone.
J Zicon
Five powerful questions for adding impact and insight to your next interview.
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Five tactics for influencing those more senior
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Micro-learning: Getting into a Growth Mindset
Premortemicon
Solve problems before they happen with pre-mortems
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A checklist for checklists — five things to tick off when developing a checklist
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Share genuinely useful feedback with the BID model
Pencilsoff
Seven things to avoid when writing at work
Meetings
Finding fortitude, and follow on experiments
Confidence Ecourse
eCourse: Confidence Mastery
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Time Blocking, and bringing some colour into your calendar
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Kas's reflections on listening and questioning well
Video
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Matteo's coaching reflections
Video
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eCourse: Difficult Conversations
eCourse
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Worksheet: Owning Feedback
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Worksheet: Time Blocking
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Raul Aparici on mitigating impostor syndrome
Video
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Book Club: New Methods for Women — With Sharmadean Reid MBE
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Mindful breathing — the foundation of focus and flow

Short, intentional bursts of deep breathing are the scientifically proven and surest way to bring a greater sense of control, calm and focus to your mind and body. The simple steps, and audio guide, in this resource will easily get you experimenting.
Breathman

Mindful breathing — a foundational tool for feeling focussed

Through our collaboration with neuroscientist, and author of How Confidence Works, Ian Robertson we've learned that just as serotonin is the happiness hormone, noradrenaline is the confidence hormone, and confident people have a healthy balance of it.

Noradrenaline is adrenaline for the mind; a neurotransmitter that boosts alertness, stimulates activity in the brain and readies the body for action, which — as Ian points out in his book — is the foundation finding the focus we need to get things done.

There are natural ways that you can boost your mind’s noradrenaline, and the simplest is regular breathing exercises.

Making some time for a short breathing exercise is a brilliant way to immediately find focus, and lift your confidence — particularly when you’re feeling anxious (perhaps before a presentation, or difficult conversation).

Ian explained how closing your eyes, and intentionally, deeply breathing for just a minute or two changes the chemistry of your brain; stabilising your mood and making you more alert and focussed.

A guide for giving it a go

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In the audio clip below; coach, facilitator and wellbeing practitioner Katy Kent introduces the technique of mindful breathing. It's a simple, powerful and proven practice for bringing greater clarity — especially at times when our focus naturally drifts, or we become mentally overwhelmed with 'task switching'.

Listen to Katy introduce it in the clip, and then read over the written recap before experimenting with the technique as much as you can today and throughout the week.

Your written recap

1
Think like Dave

Productivity guru David Allen says that ’the mind is for having ideas, not holding them’, explaining that we drain our energy and diminish our focus, by holding too many competing thoughts in our minds all at once. So what if you gave yourself a minute of mindful silence to arrive properly?

2
Take a minute, get comfortable

Intentionally take a minute before a next meeting (or the time you've put aside to work on an important task). Sit upright and comfortable in a posture that feels good for you.

3
And.... breathe.....

Spend a minute breathing slowly and steadily in through your nose and out through your mouth. A good rule of thumb is to exhale for twice as long as you inhale. Notice every inhalation and every exhalation intentionally and consciously. You might find it helpful to try closing your eyes.

4
Notice your breath if your mind wanders

If you get distracted by thoughts or feelings just bring your attention really consciously back to your breath. It’s that simple. The goal is to simply feel calmer and more present — and to achieve greater focus on that meeting, conversation or whatever else is in important right now.

Give this tactic a try today. As simple as it might sound, just slowing down and intentionally carving out that time to clear your mind and bring your focus to what's in front of you right now will pay great dividends in confidence, attention and energy.
See if you can do this simple 60 second exercise in the minute ahead of any meetings or 1-1s you have today — and throughout next week. Get into the mindful breathing habit!

Keen to dig deeper?

You might find this fuller eCourse on Better Breathing worth spending some time with.

Friend of You Can Now, Michael Townsend Williams wrote a brilliant (stocking sized) little book all about breathing. More on that here.

The science of breathing as a way to reduce stress. Interesting insights as always at HBR.