Welcome to Module 1 – Creative! 

In this module I’ll share some insight into what’s going in our brain when we’re feeling frazzled and some practical tips for you and your teams, that you can start implementing straightaway. I’d love to hear in our first live session, what you’ve experimented with, and how that’s gone. 

Listen to each of the short videos within the module, then look at the the downloadable worksheets at the end of the module – I’ve summarised some of the key content along with some extra reflection questions. Some of them have notes sections where you can jot down what you’ve implemented and how that’s gone. Finally, there are some reflection questions to prompt your thinking. 

Welcome to Module 2: Coach!

We started out thinking broadly about creating a positive work environment where you have the space to be creative. Now we’re really going to focus down on some key skills to support you to have powerful conversations, not only with your team members, but with your colleagues.

The skills and mindset of coaching have many applications, they aren’t just for 1-1s. Sit back and enjoy the videos in this module, there’s PDFs to support you here too. Then, go out and practice the skills and mindset of coaching before live session two. Notice how you feel, what’s the impact? And we’ll ensure we have lots of practice when we get together. 

Welcome to Module 3: Confident!

This module is about arming you with the knowledge you need to get the best out of your team. I’ve picked three models here which will enable you to:

• Choose the best approach for conversations with each of your team members.
• Get an insight into what is already, or might, cause stress for your team members (remember stress = not as productive).
• Start working towards creating a truly high performing team.

There is a video and a worksheet relating to each of the models, watch the video then use the worksheet to reflect. If you are a visual learner, download the PDFs first so you can be looking at the models on the PDF as you listen to me explain them.

Then use the reflection questions to think through your response to the models, your experience of working in teams, or when you’ve felt stressed at work and what may have been going on then.

Commit to at least one action from this module that you’re going to put into practice and share with the group and bring to the module 3 live session.

P.S. I’ve added in a bonus PDF to this module full of team building ideas, so you are never short of an activity for a team day ever again. These are all picked because as well as being a bit of fun to do, they will help you build trust and understanding between team members.

Welcome to Module 4: Calm

Getting comfortable with giving feedback, or indeed any conversation that we might frame in our mind as ‘difficult’, is one of the most powerful, and liberating, things we can learn as a leader. I struggled with this as a junior manager, and only through practice did I get anywhere near comfortable with it. I still don’t like it very much, but know how critical it is to be able to move my work, and the work of others, forward. 

Let’s start by re-framing ‘difficult conversations’ as ‘opportunities for direct communication’. Now, doesn’t that feel better already? 

The techniques and models I share in this module will support you in many types of conversation, not just giving feedback, but influencing conversations with senior stakeholders or peers too. 

Let’s start at the beginning with laying the foundation, then work through the four videos where I’ll share thoughts about what we can do, both to prepare for a conversation and what we can do to stay on track in the conversation too! There are then two worksheets to help you lay the foundation for giving feedback and for preparing for a specific feedback conversation. 

Please listen whilst understanding that there is no judgement attached to any of the roles we might take in the model described in video 2 - staying out of the drama. All behaviour is created within a system, and is informed by all we have experienced in our life. If we have experienced oppression on account of race, religion, gender, disability, neurodiversity or something else, we will bring this with us. Even more reason as leaders to take the coach role, and listen, whilst understanding that sometimes we won't have the capacity or energy to do that, and that's ok. 

Welcome to Module 5 - Communicator!

So far we have focused primarily on the skills we need to manage our own teams in a thoughtful and effective way. But there is so much more to being the head of a team, isn’t there? The strength of our relationships with our peers and with senior stakeholders can be a great source of frustration, or indeed joy and support. Let’s focus together on making it the latter!

There are many different ways we can think about communication skills, we could fill a year of study on the subject, but I’m going to focus our attention on one diagnostic – Emotions & Behaviours at Work, which I know from work with 1-1 coaching clients, is really helpful to give our self-awareness and insight into our relationships a turbo boost and understanding ourselves is a great starting point. 

The EBW focuses on a series of scales based on different preferences we have at work. In videos 2, 3 and 4 I will talk you through this model, so please have the self assessment sheet handy and as I talk please give yourself a number from 1-10 based on where you think you might be on these scales. This is not a test! There are no right or wrong places to be on each scale. There is no ‘right’ profile of a leader. It is not ‘better’ to be at 10 than 1 or the other way round. Context is everything and how I might make a decision on Tuesday might be different to how I need to make a different decision on Wednesday. Understanding our own personal preference or starting point, is very helpful insight. 

But let’s start with some influencing tips in video 1.

This is the final module in From Frazzled Boss to Inspiring Leader. I do hope that you’ve found the content engaging and useful. If you have any feedback for me so that I can improve the content in this programme, please let me know. And if you’ve enjoyed the programme, please do help me in my mission to help managers find joy in their work by partnering with them to build their confidence, skills & resilience: you can do this by sharing a review of this programme on social media, telling your colleagues what you got from this programme, or sharing details of my free 5 day Work Relationships Fast Track and From Frazzled Boss to Inspiring Leader with friends and colleagues. 

I have loved having you as part of this programme – thank you!

Check out these additional resources and videos to help you with topics including how to avoid burnout, shifting limiting beliefs and principles of action learning.