Las Vegas Grill is a fish and chip shop along Southend Seafront. And for a while, it was my worst-paid job at just £2.10 an hour. The team was an intergenerational mismatch of chaos, with workforce ages ranging from 13 to 80 - but I cherished every moment there. It was a time of laughter and fun. From the waitresses breaking...
At Laughology, one of the things we’re experts in is the use of appropriate humour. Humour can be an effective tool in most scenarios - if used properly. However, there are times when humour is not appropriate. A case in point. I’m writing this blog on Holocaust Remembrance Day. It will not be funny. Today, of all days, I can’t...
My name is Selina, and following on from the drama throughout Christmas, I can proudly call myself a reformed people-pleaser and rescuer. After all, everything intensifies during the Christmas period when there are sometimes more people than chairs, too much rich food and alcohol, and not enough toilets - it's a recipe for disaster. I used to don a cape and...
Whilst delivering a session earlier this week, I encouraged participants to discuss the ‘wonky’ thoughts that caused them stress. An interesting conversation emerged from one group about the use of technology. One person complained about the time it took to learn about, train others and establish new processes, and the other described how AI could revolutionise the way they work, prevent...
Why do people get worked up about end-of-year reviews? No one really enjoys performance reviews. We all go into them with a sense of trepidation, maybe because evolution has given us a bias towards negativity and defensiveness. Millions of years ago, it paid to be wary, what with predators and competing tribes. It’s why research shows that we remember negative experiences...
Can you remember the stock answer a few years ago when you asked someone how they were? The vast majority would say, ‘Fine.’ One or two would put their hand to their back, feign hobbling along a bit and croak, ‘Surviving.’ Unless you get in a black cab in London (where ‘surviving’ is still in vogue), those days are pretty much...
Do you blur your background? An idyllic ocean? A sleek, modern (personality-less) office? Do you even have your camera on? Or maybe you’re brave enough to have no filter, with pets, children and partners all joining in! Does it even matter? Well, yes, depending on the call you’re having, it can have a significant impact. Team values and culture Imagine this:...
Famously, Brits will dance around a sensitive subject to the point of absurdity rather than have a direct conversation about it. It’s one of the national traits that define us, like a stiff upper lip and Wetherspoons. I’ve noticed it’s also a habit that becomes more pronounced the further south you go. In the north, where I’m from, people will generally tell...
Boots weather is on the horizon, and with it comes the perfect time to take a fresh look at how you can rev up your team's performance during this natural peak of refocus. Perhaps we should consider less 'back to the grindstone' and more 'recharged and raring to go' for workplace innovation…. The secret to unleashing your team's creativity and collaboration...
