Grant Stanley Consulting

The key to instant popularity? Make people feel good about themselves. When people around you feel good about themselves, they will like you and seek more opportunities to experience the same inner glow. If it is so simple, why don’t more people do it more often?  One simple answer is that we spend too much energy focused on ourselves and our own feelings that we end up ignoring the energy of others, if only by default. Smile   Sincere smiles from the heart trigger warm, reciprocal feelings. Praise Compliment. Appreciate. Be specific and avoid insincere flattery. Look for the best in everyone and in every situation.  Ask questions that show an interest, listen attentively Use their names. Dale Carnegie, author of the perennial best seller, “How to Win Friends & Influence People,” said “a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Empathise See the world from their perspective. Reflect ...

Each year 2.7 million teaching days are lost through sickness and unauthorised absences. Last year 2,500 teachers took early retirement on grounds of ill health. An average secondary school with an average number of absences could face annual supply teacher costs of up to £150,000. Nationally, the cost is about £300 million of tax payers’ monies. More importantly, classes are disrupted, work programmes interrupted and the remaining staff are overloaded with additional workloads. More than half of teachers took almost two weeks’ worth of sick leave last year citing stress, workload and pupil behaviour. So what can be done to boost attendance? And how do you sort the ill from the ill-intentioned? Now I'm not a Teacher (and never have been), but I have managed over 300 staff and I know from experience that sometimes a small investment, on your part, can have a massive impact.  I have offered a few suggestions below, but I'm sure many of you reading this can offer a lot...

Five reasons why emotional intelligence matters right now An emotionally intelligent workforce can help organisations meet many of their current challenges. Managers who are high in EI can help the business drive through change, stimulate innovation and get the best and most inspired performance from its people. Emotional intelligence is however a tool that is under-used and often widely misunderstood within the corporate environment. Managers are suspicious of the very word ‘emotion’ and often feel it has no place in a fast-paced competitive climate where tough decisions are being made on a daily basis. It’s important to recognise however, that being emotionally intelligent isn’t about being emotional – it’s about being able to manage yourself better and get the most out of your team while also paying attention to their welfare and individual needs. Here I share five reasons why emotional intelligence should form the backbone of every manager’s tool-kit: 1. It makes ...

For many years I have struggled and beaten off my competition through hard work and failures.   I have read many books and many articles on how to be the best Salesperson or the Best Marketer and have tried implementing all the advice.   I am sick to death of all of these How-To guides and the lack of actual real life examples of when these tips actually worked! A bit about me first so you can understand my frustrations.   I left the British Army in 1995 and having no actual trade to fall back on (well not one that would be of use in Civvy Street) I stumbled into Sales.   I found that I had a natural ability to listen to people, identify opportunities and close business, so did quite well.   For three years I worked for a small Sales and Marketing company that sold products and services on behalf of developing companies.   I managed to save enough money to put myself through University and in 1999 started a 3 year Bachelor of Science degree in Comp...

Let’s face it. Your boss might not be the most emotionally evolved mammal on the planet.   Chances are you will have to deal with (or have already dealt with) a boss that is all too like the chicanery you see from Dunder Mifflin’s leadership team. No matter what you do, it’s never enough.   Your results are never big enough or fast enough.   Even though the boss is never there, when he/she does decide to show up they “second guesses” all your decisions and keeps asking “what the hell is going on around here?” All the while you are using all your big people skills to not shout out the obvious answer — “You would know if you were here…”   But you shut your mouth and pretend to take notes on the clipboard you are holding.   Muttering to yourself if having a job is really all that worth it. Not for bosses like that! The extra stress and chaos does nothing but bring you years closer to your death.   It’s not only stupid, it’s dangerous – to you...