Our blog
In our occasional blogs, we take a look at current team development trends, related items in the news or one of our training topics. Here is the collection of our thoughts to date:
Handsome Weeping Boys
Thursday, 1st Sep 2016
Last week we came across a feature on the 'handsome weeping boys' in Japan. Bizarre as it may sound, companies bring in a man who cries in order to encourage their own employees to cry. It works like this...
End Of The Financial Year
Friday, 25th Mar 2016
It's nearly the end of the year. The end of the financial year, that is, for many organisations.
At this time of year many budget holders are checking whether they have spent their budget. If they haven’t, there can be a mad dash to use it up. Because, strange as it may seem to some people, those who haven’t used up their budget not only face the ‘use it or lose it’ situation for this year, they also can be hit with a double whammy where the following year’s budget is also reduced to match this year’s lower spend.
Over a third plan to change jobs this year
Friday, 30th Jan 2015
If staff turnover is something that keeps you awake at night, it may be best not to read on...
A recent survey of 1,000 workers and managers revealed that over a third are planning on leaving their jobs this year. Now, whilst it's obviously easier to say that in a survey than actually do so in reality, the trend is upwards and so it's vital that employers investigate what they can do to hold onto their employees.
Don't Panic!
Wednesday, 10th September 2014
Earlier this week one political reporter described the mood in Downing Street as, "Don't Panic!!" in relation to the forthcoming Scottish referendum.
Which led us to thinking… how easy is it to not panic? When a crisis looms or hits how do you stay focussed and think clearly about the best course of action?
The power of teamwork – watch this
Wednesday, 6th August 2014
Here's a brilliant example of the power of teamwork from Western Australia...
Officials asked commuters to work together to tilt a train so that a man whose leg had been trapped between the carriage and the platform could be freed.
What do we actually do?
Thursday, 17th July 2014
Sometimes we're asked questions like these: 'So what is it that Red Penguin actually do?', 'You do training courses don't you?' and 'What area is it that you train people in?'
Well, yes, we do run training courses. And we deliver facilitated workshops, team building events, away days and one-to-one coaching. But that's not really what we "do". Those things are a means to an end...
Last week's “The Apprentice”
Wednesday, 12th June 2013
Last week's edition of "The Apprentice" saw the two teams designing and delivering a corporate Away Day. Neither team covered themselves in glory, with Lord Sugar saying to the leader of the one team, upon winning, "I bet you're wondering how you did that!"
It's easy to criticise when all we see is a one hour synopsis of two day's work, edited for T.V. In the final analysis the losing team were criticised for spending money on a motivational speaker and not having control of their costs. Lord Sugar's comments included, "you lost by £500, charged £600 for the motivational speaker... the motivational speaker is the killer..." and, "finance is why they lost this task." Actually, we disagree.