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This book is about engaging with capable people so that they will choose to participate to the full extent of their ability to deliver something that is mutually important to both them and the organisation. They will do this for managers and leaders who create and maintain an environment that enables this to happen.

It is predominately for people managing others either as a line manager, a team leader or a project manager. HR and L&D people may find that it is a useful book to work through with line managers to help develop the manager’s abilities in leading people. My intention is to give you an informative read and practical methods that you can experiment with and make your own – all derived from my own experience, delivering leadership workshops and coaching leaders.

This book has three parts

Part I ‘Mindsets That Engender Trust and Openness’ is about developing a mindset that allows the application of the skills and tools to be authentic and enable the results you wish for. It will help you to develop an intention that engenders trust and openness which helps to increase the commitment of others.

Part II ‘Capabilities for Connecting with People’ contains various skills, which require practice so that you find your own style and become competent in them. Practice and application get results through building on what you are capable of and give you the best chance to enhance your current skills.

Part III ‘Applications to Engage People’ contains various pragmatic and effective tools and techniques, which when coupled with Parts I and II, give you the ability to deliver a step change in participation, engagement and outcomes.

Parts I, II and III together enable you and the people you work with to feel proud about, and satisfied by, the work that they, and you, do and the results achieved. 

Overall, the book seeks to develop an engaging and participative style of managing people, which brings out the best in them and where they appreciate your trust in them. The outcome of this is that everyone can now focus more energy on the work so performance naturally improves. Everyone benefits – they do, you do and the organisation does.

Available on Amazon in book and Kindle formats

Using this book

When you think “How do I …”, go to the contents pages and find the chapter(s) which will help you. The chapters vary in length depending on the amount of pertinent information required and they all include exercises/ templates to help you become competent in the topic.

It may help to have a partner on this journey with you, as you need you to practice, reflect on what went well and what you need to do differently next time. If there are two or three of you experimenting with this material, then you can learn from each other as well as give each other encouragement and support.

The book ‘Make It Stick’ says that enduring learning comes from struggling to apply knowledge to your own real applications and persevering until you can do so. In this book I hope to have given you enough information and structure to do that, so enjoy the journey and the results.

I just wanted to write and say that I have recently become a line manager for the first time and I was completely unprepared for the reality of managing direct reports.

My partner has your book and said that I might find it useful, and that turned out to be the understatement of the year... I read the whole book cover to cover, scribbled notes all over it, and then went back to read many sections again - it is a treasure trove of information and exactly what a new manager needs.

I started implementing a number of the suggestions straight away (Chapter 17 on Productive Language has been an absolute godsend!) and it has already had a positive impact on my team - one of my direct reports who was feeling unappreciated and resentful is now motivated and focussed on her progression, and another member of the team whose performance had been slipping to the point of requiring formal action is now taking ownership of her work, being more productive and noticeably happier too.

I can't thank you enough for producing such a well-structured, practical guide - I am sure I will be enjoying and sharing its wisdom for many years to come!

HR Manager

Feel compelled to ping you… Just had a meeting that went really well. The difference was not only prep and using a template, but more importantly referring to your book (Ch. 12) that was almost written to address the conversation I had.
Thank you.

Customer Experience Director (Retail)

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I’ll be sharing it with my team, and using the exercises with managers and in my coaching.

Head of HR (Corporate Services)

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I’m enjoying pouring through your book - loads of valuable material in there to keep me on my toes. I’ve already recommended it to someone I work with.

Change Director (Insurance)