Category Archives: Insights

The fundamentals of all business relationships – What’s it all about?

It’s all about Trust and Value…

I have found that many people engage in business relationships, whether with customers, stakeholders or colleagues with the aim to achieve some result or benefit. The reality is that the motivations for goals are often miss appointed or even destructive to the true opportunity exchange.

For example,

Most sales representatives engage with the goal to achieve a sales target and ultimately earn commissions.
We engage with key stakeholders to achieve personal business gain or leverage their influence […]

Culture Change in Business

A multinational general insurance company partnered with OnTrack International to address a Silo mentality culture change in the business.

Client Challenge

The main objectives were to get people thinking about great business and to change the culture from a silo mentality to become far more proactive and flexible to generate business success.

The insurance giant has four main business areas including retail and commercial. Each of the four areas were are working independently which not actively sharing information or knowledge with others. The […]

Three steps for developing effective first-line managers

Developing first-line managers gives you productivity and engagement benefits – and the highest return on your training investment, says Matt McIntyre. (As featured in Training Journal).

Which role in your organisation makes the greatest impact on the bottom line? Surprisingly, it isn’t the CEO – or any functional director – it’s actually your first-line managers. They’re the ones who’ll drive the frontline staff who will make or break your business. Without effective first-line managers, it’s almost impossible for your organisation to thrive.

Yet […]

How to create the perfect partnership

The Perfect Partnership with global pharmaceutical company Actelion

At OnTrack we are enormously proud of our prestigious client list – incorporating some of the most exciting and successful companies in the world. Many of our clients have partnered with OnTrack for many years resulting in what we call The Perfect Partnership.

A great example of a successful partnership has been our work with Actelion, a global pharmaceutical company with their HQ in Basle, Switzerland. A relatively young and innovative company with whom OnTrack have […]

Talent Breakthrough with a Global Telecommunications Company

A global telecommunications company enlisted the expertise of OnTrack International to assist in a Talent Breakthrough programme with strong requirements on a return on investment.

Think.

The client was keen to elevate some identified talent into Senior Management or Executive positions. Key to the measurement of success was a demonstration of ROI both to the business and a personal return identified by the individuals.

Believe.

OnTrack created a bespoke solution that could be run on an annual basis for the organisation ensuring a healthy […]

New Year, New You….again

With 2016 now behind us and a fresh, hopeful New Year waiting in front of you what is going to make the difference as far as your personal success is concerned?

Here’s a quick equation for you, courtesy of Dr Robert Zawacki (Professor of organisation and management at University of Colorado).

ED = RD x CD

An Effective Decision (ED) equals the Right Decision (RD) multiplied by your Commitment to the Decision (CD).

Knowing the right thing to do can be tough enough, but […]

Beating The Monday Blues…

Some employees wake up revving to go every weekday morning. Others start the Monday blues as soon as the weekend draws to a close.

With Christmas around the corner and most of us taking some well-earned time off work, I have been thinking about happiness at work and what it is that makes a difference when we return full of beans and ready for the new year ahead as opposed to dreading our return to work.

Holiday and Monday Blues are luckily a […]

When To Call For A Culture Change In Business

Calling for a full blown culture change in a business is a big task indeed. Those who make such a call need to have the authority to do so as well as the respect from their co-workers. One must first become an agent of change. Businessnewsdaily.com explains it like this,

‘Change agents are a catalyst for growth within an organisation. They stop at nothing to do what is right for the good of the company. They work across the seams of […]

How to stop toxic leadership destroying your organisation

From toxicity to trust in leadership…

Kevin Johnson examines the causes and consequences of toxic leadership – and what can be done to address it. Following the whitepaper on how to stop toxic leadership from destroying your organisation, we have created this podcast for you to listen to. (As featured on ILM).

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Recruit, develop, retain

Recruit, develop and retain is a simple mantra and something that all HRD professionals and people managers are passionate about – so why is it that recent research conducted by the CIPD shows that 25% of UK employees don’t receive adequate support with their personal development?  The same survey showed a drop in overall job satisfaction and an increase in the number of employees seeking alternative roles – all very costly to a business.  It could be argued and we […]

Leadership Skills at Work

Qualities That Show Leadership In An Organisation

There are numerous ways in which one can show leadership in an organisation. It is important to remember that certain qualities are virtually always shown by leaders, and these should be embraced by those who seek to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Ability To Delegate Responsibility

A leader has to be able to delegate some of the responsibilities of work to others. It is impossible for any one person, leader or not, to take responsibilities for […]

Five Tips on Developing Business Talent

Finding the right talent to work with in a business is a daunting task.

Developing that talent can be even harder. Even though it may be difficult, it is an essential part of any growing business.

By developing talent, you are ensuring that every worker is working towards their fullest potential. This will help to promote consistent results and to create a company culture that will separate your business from thousands of others.

Here are 5 tips that will make your hard work a […]

Financial responsibility – First Capital Connect

“Our people are excellent at running a railway, but we need some to think about their processes in pounds and pence – and many weren’t able to do that.” Richard Patient, First Capital Connect

This is a story about a normal challenge faced by businesses all over the world. It’s about simple numbers and complex financials and a group of people who are all given responsibility to manage budgets. The problem was that employees just didn’t know what the business was asking […]

Effective mentoring – five golden rules

The idea of using a wooden horse to break the siege of Troy reputedly came from Odysseus, king of the Greeks and hero of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey. Before leaving for the Trojan War, Odysseus asked a loyal friend to guide, teach and look after his son. That friend was Mentor – and his name has since become synonymous with a wise and trusted advisor who helps a less experienced protégé to learn, develop and grow. (Article Originally published on […]

Global Leadership with professional services company Turner & Townsend

Clients Challenge

Turner & Townsend employs around 2,400 staff and operates in 63 offices in 28 countries. It is a global professional services organisation that provides consultancy, delivery, operations and programme management services to businesses that invest in, own and operate assets.

 

The key business objectives were to enable each board of directors in each key global location to:

Increase income and profit
Improve staff survey outcomes
Enhance the talent pipeline
Believe the business is investing in them as individuals
Increase staff retention
Strengthen the brand in the […]

Anyone for Coffee??

This is a familiar question asked in workplaces right around the globe. It is a particularly poignant question at this time of year when we again recognise the great contribution Macmillan nurses make to the care of cancer sufferers. Thousands of people around the UK, including OnTrack and many of our clients will raise awareness and funds for this wonderful work. It is of course an incredibly important cause as most of us will have been touched by cancer in […]

The art of thinking independently together

Malcom Forbes, the American entrepreneur, once described diversity as exactly that.  It is therefore quite timely to consider the value in recognising and embracing diversity as the Paralympics GB Team smash their medal haul from London 2012 and we are about to enter the post-Brexit era.   

As more and more organisations focus their efforts on attracting, recruiting and developing a diverse workforce, how ready is your organisation and its people managers to support and manage a diverse and inclusive population?  […]

Why you can’t ignore digital learning

The business case for digital learning used to be about cost effectiveness, saving travel time, increasing the uptake of learning and tracking usage, so you can more easily evaluate your return on investment. Yes, these benefits still apply. But there are now two much more compelling reasons why you need to embrace a digital learning culture. (Article originally published  on www.hrreview.co.uk)

Firstly, your learning provision should reflect the way that people want to learn. Knowledge is no longer restricted to a select […]

Learning and Development for Flag carrier airline Gulf Air

Clients Challenge

Gulf Air is the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The airline operates scheduled services to over 40 destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Far East. Its main base is Bahrain International Airport. The fleet comprises 29 aircraft and has the distinct advantage of possessing the strongest network across the Middle East.

As part of a new strategy, Gulf Air were looking to develop and implement a “Best in Service” Culture Skills programme, to complement their existing award […]

Marvellous Games in a Marvellous City…

The 2016 Olympic Games has been heralded as a huge success in general and in particular for Team GB. Our tally of 67 medals putting us in second  position in the medal table is an incredible achievement.

Some detractors have questioned Team GB’s success and are wondering why there has been such a significant increase in our medal haul since our rather paltry 15 medals in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. The reasons are simple – funding has increased exponentially. This […]

How to stop toxic leadership from destroying your organisation

Kevin Johnson examines the causes and consequences of toxic leadership – and what can be done to address it. (Article originally published as a series of three features on TrainingJournal.com)

How to stop toxic leadership from destroying your organisation?

It’s the fairytale: the son of an electrician joins a multinational, becomes CEO and presides over a rapid rise to global dominance. But then the rot sets in. Macho leadership, lavish spending and insufficient due diligence bring the company to its knees. Under Fred […]

Women in leadership and five actions for HR

The remarkable rise of women in politics shows that it is time for a different style of leadership, says Rosie Bailey, who provides five actions for HR practitioners.
Clockwise from left: Theresa May, Hillary Clinton, Arlene Foster, Angela Merkel, Leanne Wood and Nicola Sturgeon. Photos: Jonathan Hordle/Bryce Vickmark/ZUMA Wire/BPI/NIVIERE/SIPA/Tracey Paddison/REX/Shutterstock

The rise of women in political leadership roles is a tell-tale sign that the glass ceiling has finally been broken. Theresa May has become the UK’s second woman prime minister and Nicola […]

Being at your best when it matters most

As the 2016 Olympic Games begin in Rio, the world’s attention is focused upon the athletes, their fitness, and physical ability as they strive to deliver personal bests and compete on a world stage in their chosen discipline.  These athletes have spent years preparing, requiring the highest levels of commitment, perseverance, motivation and self-sacrifice in their plight to win an Olympic medal.  For some, this opportunity will come round just once, this is their time to be at their physical peak, and […]

International Teams Lack Cultural Awareness

Teams are becoming more and more international. Having different cultures in a team offers benefits, but could also lead to unexpected challenges.

OnTrack consultant Marianne Mol argues in favour of more attention to cultural awareness.

Some years ago Rupert Melsom, founder and board member of the Melsom Group  spent a year on board a sail yacht participating in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. During the race Melsom understood that “leadership mostly is about giving others space so they can be […]

To be or not to be… or the difference between squashing and GROW-ing

In conversation with clients and colleagues, we often end up on the topic of poor management versus good management and what constitutes a good manager. A good manager has many attributes and does of course look different depending on the context in which he or she manages.

Recent conversations have touched on the fact that one big difference between good and poor management is the ability to coach. A manager with good coaching skills can offer employees tremendous empowerment to achieve. […]

When dropping the ball was actually a good thing

Creating certainty in an uncertain world

At the highest point on top of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London there is a ball. This ball provided the mariners of old with a vital piece of information that would ensure a successful voyage – accurate time.

The ball’s purpose was guided by science and the latest, greatest thinking, to create something that everyone could easily understand. The translation of science into something really simple and highly effective.

At 1pm every day the ball would be […]

4 Tips to inspire your employees and improve Business Culture

Every business wants employees that are engaged and inspired by their company and job. People that feel fulfilled are dedicated and it shows in their customer service. If your business has a dull or uninterested culture to it, customers are going to pick up on it and go elsewhere. How do you inspire your employees? Let’s look at some tips to help you develop an amazing business culture that inspires your people to do their jobs well.

1. Focus on Leadership […]

How can we use neuroscience to better engage with managers?

Why do leaders and managers still treat performance management as an afterthought? 

Whilst running a workshop towards the end of 2015 aimed at showing managers how
they can motivate and inspire their teams, the discussions amongst those taking part brought back memories. (As featured in The HR Director Publication.) It was the time of year when managers spend extra hours working on end of year appraisals worrying about how they will justify the numerical score they give to underperforming employees. These ratings are entirely […]

The Power of the Story

Have you every stayed up far too late watching an amazing film or reading an incredible book that you just had to finish?  Have you ever changed your opinion after hearing a sad or painful story?  Have you ever worked much harder after hearing a story of a colleague’s success?

If you can answer ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, then you have been on the receiving end of the power of a story.  It’s a device that has been used […]

Do your development programmes add value? How do you know?

This is a question which should be asked by every budget holder involved in learning and development programmes. It is a question I fully anticipate and am prepared for in my role as Development Partner, when I speak to my clients. It is also a question those new to our services like to ask to (quite rightly) challenge us or put us on the spot – it is important to understand that the monies spent will deliver a return.

All too […]