My piece for The Daily Telegraph – 5 ways to be a better parent
My contribution to a ‘five experts share their parenting sanity-saving tips’ in The Daily Telegraph, Saturday 7th February 2015. Jessica Chivers is a coaching psychologist, the author of ‘Mothers Work!’ and founder of The Talent Keeper Specialists, which provides coaching for parents returning to the workplace.
Fed up of feedback? Try Feed-Forward
Has anyone told you anything useful or motivating about what you do and how you do it lately? ‘Feedback’ is a skin-crawly, stomach-tightening word to many people, which is not surprising given most folk aren’t in the habit of letting you know they’d like to ‘give you some feedback’ if they’re going to give you a moment in the sun. However, many of us clamor for more of it because knowing where we stand (certainty) makes us feel safe.
What went well?
I hope Christmas has been what you wanted it to be. For me this final week in December is a time to be as unproductive as possible. It’s a time to linger, to be spontaneous, to go with the flow and relax.
For this month’s Flourishing Female musing I’ve recorded a thought to share with you – click on the triangle to find out what the pensive look is about.
Better off self-employed?
Have you ever wondered if you’d be better off self-employed? A number of women in substantial jobs have used coaching time to explore this recently and some have approached me about becoming an associate with The Talent Keeper Specialists. Time to tackle it in a column I thought, because self-employment is not for everyone.*
How to focus on the ‘right’ (strategic/longer term) things
**First published January 2013 – bringing to the fore again given what’s been going on for some coachees**
Last year I invited you to reflect on your personal strengths, areas for development and something you struggle with that I could potentially address in my monthly Flourishing Female newsletters.
Are you using your smartphone too much?
I have been thinking about my phone. A lot. Too much. I’ve been thinking and touching it so much that before our family holiday I’m seeking to get things back in proportion. In this post I’m sharing possible solutions to my imbalance because I know many other bright, capable people are thinking too much about theirs too.
Flexible Perfectionism
‘Flexible perfectionism’ is a phrase a coachee used last week to describe how she intends to approach stepping into a promotion with ten direct reports whilst continuing to realise one of her top strengths; pride. I wonder if you too are a flexible perfectionist or would like to be?
Managing different styles at work
New to line management? Been doing it a while and not getting the best out of some of the people in your team? I produced these tips for getting the best out of different styles as part of a leader’s toolkit for a well-known brand. Whilst I’ve offered the tips as a dichotomy, we all know that line management isn’t that black and white and people fall on a spectrum and may move up and down it depending on the context.
The horse's mouth
“It’s been remarkable – a huge impact on my personal and professional life.” Nicky’s getting better results from her team, she’s confidently approaching difficult conversations and is fulfilling a secret ambition to write a book. Read how Agnes, Dani, Andrea and Emmy say they’ve benefited from a short spell of coaching.
Are you in HR?
The Talent Keeper Specialists helps employers keep, retain and develop returning talented and valued employees through workshops, 1:1 coaching and culture-shaping initiatives aimed at line managers. We provide both off-the-peg and customised solutions through our select team of experienced coaching and talent practitioners.
