Articles

Effective Communication is of vital importance. The effectiveness is based on goal oriented behaviour, so if the communication reaches the goal, then it is marked as effective. Communication Competence is a complex construct and refers to an individual’s knowledge, skill, and motivation to accomplish a particular goal. Communication Competence is an expression about a person’s […]

What is a consistent message? In relation to internal business, a consistent message involves communicating the same message across all facets, including departments. Corporate communication has grown exponentially and is now more complex. There are more people, processes, technologies and media channels required to orchestrate the development and delivery of a correct, consistent and constant […]

In today’s climate for business excellence, we suggest, that to come back stronger, companies should reimagine their business model as they return to full speed. Those who ‘step up their game’ will be better off and far more ready to confront the challenges and address opportunities. In the race for competitive advantage, it is imperative […]

In the business environment today, a lot is both written and spoken of a ‘new way’ to work. Hybrid working means that employees work both in the office and remotely when remote work could be done from home or while travelling. Hybrid working schedules often vary depending on the industry and individuals involved yet, the […]

There are emotions and actions that look like the real thing but really aren’t. Plenty of research has documented manipulative misuses of emotional intelligence. The most common misuse of emotional intelligence are subconscious, and are result of unaddressed, unhealthy emotional needs. One of the most common counterfeits you can spot in well-intended leaders is manipulating with […]

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is highly linked with the ability to actualise basic talents and skills and can distinguish between those who are more able and those who are less able to self- actualise. EI is more important than cognitive intelligence for self-actualisation. Emotional Intelligence relates to the process of an individual’s self-actualisation through realization of […]

In recent years, the issue of integrating the Millennial generation into the labour market has become an increasingly important theme among employers. Interestingly, by the year 2025, Millennials will account for 50% of the global workforce. Therefore, their professional aspirations and attitudes towards their workplace, as well as their digital skills will redefine organizational culture […]

Assurance Group provide you with a deeper appreciation of the impact each non technical skill has on you, your team, or your business/organization. We are therefore running a series of ½ day workshops in September.

Over the past year and the half, the offline world slowed down, while the online world flourished. The pandemic and the resulting social and economic impacts have been difficult. It also has held some of the most challenging lessons leaders have witnessed in decades. With all that has happened and severity of changes, it is easy […]

When we think of motivators and de-motivators, we are usually thinking of the different ends of the same continuum. Well, that’s wrong. The factors that influence job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dis-satisfaction. Job satisfaction and dis-satisfaction are not opposites of each other as the motivators are not opposites […]

When you find efficient people, who share the organisation’s values and beliefs, you need to make sure they ‘stick around’. Whilst, of course, money and benefits are important, they are not on top the list of motivating factors. Some of the most important factors tend to be peer motivation and feeling encouraged and recognised. Improving the […]

Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviours. It is what causes you to act and involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behaviour. People often have multiple motives for engaging in any behaviour. Motivation might be extrinsic, whereby a person is inspired by outside forces like other people or […]

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a resourceful skill to have and nurture. It can help easing the relationships in, as well as providing the grounding elements, to emotional impulses. Mindfulness is in general a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling ‘in the moment’, without interpretation or […]

Well-being is the state of being or doing well in life. At its simplest level is about feeling good and living safely and healthily. Well-being has great impact on our core life needs, on our mind, body and soul. It also has broad implications for quality of life. Well-being refers to a positive mental state […]

Common sense is a term everyone has heard of and which is used to describe sound judgement based on simple observation backed up with reasonable behaviour and good decision making. As it applies to workplace safety, it is something that everyone has but not everyone uses. That’s why we have safety rules all around us. […]

In an increasingly global and diverse workplace, sometimes the heart of the problem is that people differ from each other in age, gender, ethnicity or personality type. Conflict has been acknowledged as an important aspect of modern management. Despite the negative effect of conflict, it can achieve productive outcomes if managed effectively, such as improved […]

Conflict resolution is a vital skill that involves handling confrontations tactfully and constructively. There are numerous types of preventative measures that can be used to promote positive relationships, minimise conflict risks and at the same time eliminate the need to spend valuable resources. Training and educating are the most effective preventative measurements that will help […]

Assurance Group have been delivering workshops throughout the world over the last year and we are taking it stage further. We will be delivering workshops here in Aberdeen in the classroom in July.

Writing a book is sometimes a long and arduous journey, however, worthwhile. My personal experience when writing a book has recently been with a professional sportsman who as a Player won global recognition playing under a Manager who is considered as being the best ever in his particular sport. To be considered the best as […]

Disagreements, differences of opinion and conflicting perspectives on key issues inevitably arise in any context where people are working together. Whilst not all conflict is negative – creative solutions and new ideas can often emerge from the cut and thrust of debate – conflict can frequently become destructive. For example, negative emotions may be stirred […]

The foundation of every organization is people. Organizations can grow only through the people within. Individual growth is not a guarantee for organizational growth yet without personal growth no organizational growth will occur. It is a real paradox. People are the energy that steer the organization so it is crucial to dip into the potential […]

To understand organisational awareness, it is important to grasp the understanding about what the system is. Any system is a collection of interconnected elements which interact with each other and share a purpose, values and a set of rules and norms. It is important to understand the patterns and the power within because if you […]

Following on from last week’s Thought Article, I will address how those incidents I mentioned could have been handled differently as a leader in order to avoid catastrophic outcomes? These are personal discoveries in discussion with peers: 1 Clear articulation of intent: Ensure you communicate your intent clearly enough so people several layers down do […]

I have learned an invaluable lesson about the connection between the strategic and the tactical levels of a multi-national organisation, and the importance of effective communication as a leader. It is a lesson with vivid implications on the battlefield, but also one with universal applicability to today’s interconnected world. Even on the easiest days, a […]

In Thought Article 29 Simon shared his thoughts to the Uncertainty of Chaos and following on from that here are his Six Critical Things that Great Leaders can do to Stand Out. They’re kind without being weakOne of the toughest things for leaders to master is kindness. Kindness shares credit and offers enthusiastic praise for […]

There is much uncertainty in the business of war. This is to be expected to a degree and nowhere have I found more uncertainty than on the battlefield. There are too many variables and unknowns which can lead to that frozen state often known as ‘Analysis Paralysis’ if not managed correctly. I have seen a […]

Humour, the capacity to express or perceive what’s funny, is both a source of entertainment and a coping mechanism which help us with difficult situations and stressful events. Humans start developing a sense of humour as early as 6 weeks old when babies begin to smile in response to stimuli (“smiling” before that is usually […]

In today’s climate for business excellence, a key element for successful operations is creating a Psychologically Safe environment. Yet what does that really mean? There has been excellent research into the subject perhaps spearheaded by Operation Aristotle undertaken by Google and from which 5 behaviours of effective teams were identified with Psychological Safety being Number […]

In advancing our presence within many industry sectors, a partnership agreement aimed at helping high-risk industries create safe and competent workforces has been signed between digital learning specialists Mintra and competence framework experts ITB Competence Assurance Ltd. The move brings together Mintra’s market-leading learning and competence management system, Trainingportal, with ITB’s expertise in creating competence […]

AIMS TO TACKLE SAFETY ISSUES IN HIGH-RISK INDUSTRIES A partnership agreement aimed at helping high-risk industries create safe and competent workforces has been signed between digital learning specialists Mintra and competence framework experts ITB Competence Assurance Ltd. The move brings together Mintra’s market-leading learning and competence management system, Trainingportal, with ITB’s expertise in creating competence […]

The challenges faced as a family in December 1996 were without doubt the most painful in my life. The company that I owned went into Members Voluntary Liquidation. As a family we lost all source of income and lost all of our business and personal assets and property, however was left with the house, our […]

I was a professional football player for Aberdeen Football Club and had great personal success under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson (The Boss) winning numerous domestic trophies and titles, and in Europe won the European Cup Winners Cup beating Real Madrid and also the Super Cup against Hamburger SV who were European Champions. Before […]

Millennials are those born between 1980 and 2000. The Millennial Generation in the workplace demonstrate different attitudes, values, beliefs, and aspirations compared to previous generations. Research has shown that Millennials demonstrate higher levels of individualism than collectivism and have higher levels of overall company satisfaction and satisfaction with job security, recognition, and career advancement. They […]

The Government has set out new plans to Build Back Greener by making the UK the world leader in clean energy – creating jobs, slashing carbon emissions and boosting exports. A £160 million investment will see around 2,000 construction jobs rapidly created and will enable the renewable sector to support up to 60,000 jobs directly […]

To be successful, companies will have business objectives and contractual commitments to meet andusually carry out a robust recruitment processes to ensure that they employ the right person with thecorrect qualification and skills. However, are qualifications and experience enough to confirm that the employees are working within the Standards, Policies and Procedures to meet the […]