Collaboration & co-creation are not the same thing. Collaboration means working with others - who often have their own goals & agendas. These goals have to be matched & if they're not, one person’s gain can be another person’s loss. Co-creation is about jointly creating

I had a conversation today about the difference between "kindness" & "niceness" in leadership so I decided to post about it. The article & graphic explain why, as leaders, we should choose kindness over niceness. Kindness is about caring enough to push people toward greatness,

Why efforts to decentralise decision making consistently fail & how to make it succeed. In the health & care sector, many organisations are seeking to reduce hierarchy, cut the number of layers, decentralise authority etc. Yet research suggests such efforts often fail, with

Seven elements in tackling complex problems in a work context (not necessarily in a linear order: all these elements are interconnected): 1. Step back to see the wider picture: we need to pull ourselves out of the details/specifics because of the interdependencies in big,

Power gradients (the gap between those with the most power & least power in a team or system) create risks, barriers to communication, a negative sense of "us & them", less innovation & poorer patient & performance outcomes. Jade Garratt says that addressing power gradients is

When we take part in an unproductive meeting, the effect isn't just the immediate impact of a waste of our time. The effect can go on for hours or even days. It's called a "meeting hangover": a period of diminished focus, motivation or productivity following a bad meeting.

We are constantly comparing ourselves to others. Social comparison can be a source of distress or development. It can create feelings of inadequacy, reduced self worth, unrealistic standards. When managers compare themselves to (& envy) team members, it can lead to abusive

How, as leaders, do we motivate people to do their most productive work? New research says that too often we make assumptions linked to "agency theory": that people need strong managerial control, targets, monitoring & regulation to work effectively. The researchers say that

🚨 Calling all UK clinicians 🚨 Help shape the future of CLTI pain management by sharing your expertise in a short survey! Your input will directly influence design of an RCT on analgesia for ischaemic pain. 5min=real impact!   Vascular Society VS PAD Specialist Interest Group Surgical Palliative Care Society docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

People's wellbeing continues to be in healing hands with Uni of Northampton Health, Sport & Behavioural Sci graduates, enhancements to our degree programmes and new courses set to start very soon! See Northampton Chron for more. northamptonchron.co.uk/education/uon-… Martyn Wyres/Rachel Love (Morris-Love)/Catherine Gibbins (Evans)/krish3

This week's In the news is out. Media coverage includes: 🖼️ Students bring the refugee heritage of Delapré Abbey to life 🎓 Lecturer Elisha Horrocks writes about networking 👩‍⚕️ deborah Amu's Nursing Times blog is about preceptorships...and more! northampton.ac.uk/news/in-the-ne…

The stage of maturity of your learning/improvement network or community of practice impacts how much difference it can make. Simon Fraser University Faculty of Science identifies three stages: 1) "Knowledge Weaving" prioritises the exchange of tacit knowledge within the network or community.

There's been a fantastic response to my post about "Creating team joy & wellbeing: a guide for leaders" by Marianne Morgan & Jessica Barker. There's also a podcast about it, with the authors in conversation with Lawrence Yang: youtube.com/watch?v=--wxHt…

The "J-Curve" of change is a helpful concept when thinking about the trajectory of a change initiative. Leaders assume that they will see early results from the implementation of change but performance often gets worse before it gets better. There are many reasons for it;

Never underestimate the power & importance of good mid-level managers. New research in a Harvard Business School working paper: the attitude & support of mid-level managers can make or break the impact of training programmes for frontline employees. Organisations invest huge sums in

“There’s a lot going on in this space. At our event, employers can talk to academics and understand what these programmes mean to them.” Next Thu, employers will find out how our Degree #apprenticeships can benefit them. 🎙️/ NLive Radio - The Station that LOVES Northampton - player.autopod.xyz/872801

I have long been an advocate of the power of small tests of change, so I am reading "Tiny Experiments", a new book by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. Some of the key ideas: 1) Systematic curiosity over linear goals: We always have the potential for growth & learning even in uncertain situations.

Facilitation skills are not just for change & improvement "experts". Every leader should have them. Organisations that integrate facilitation into their leadership approach report more productive & engaged teams, improved innovation & better decision-making. Facilitative

Energy is a topic that has been growing in traction in the field of organisational & system change. I describe energy as the vitality that enables the system and the people in it to work together in a cohesive way, develop, grow and improve. Most change initiatives don’t die

👣 We’re hiring! UniofNorthampton is looking for a Clinical Lead Podiatry to lead our clinic, support our team, and help shape the next generation of podiatrists. Closing date: 27/10/2025 Apply here: jobs.northampton.ac.uk/vacancy/clinic…