Why are you here? That’s how Henrietta Royle, CEO of Fanshawe Haldin, former COO of CASS Business School and co-founder of the 30% club started off our Workplace Confidence Workshop last night. It may seem simple; blunt even, but with Workshops you as an individual need to think exactly why you are here. And no one was shy in sharing. It was interesting to see how so many people struggled with confidence and in such a variety of ways. The starter question managed to cover a whole host of problems, including
Profile building –how to project your development in your role
Stop being undervalued and overlooked
Gravitas
Being taken seriously
Sometimes seen as OTT
Confidence to value your work
Having the confidence to say NO
Appearance
Henrietta was able to answer individual worries whilst also giving valuable insight into the bigger picture. One example of this was how Henrietta addressed the way women dress in the workplace. Although it is easy to say, dressing smarter will mean you think smarter and appear smarter, it is sometimes hard to see past how appearance can really make that much of a difference. But first impressions do count. How many men in your workplace frequently wear a suit (with or without a tie) on a day to day basis? Can you say the same about your female colleagues?
It is worth looking your best, as a groomed exterior makes you appear more controlled and reliable than someone who looks like their top has been ruffled by the wind! It can even transform your perception in the workplace and turn you into a more authoritative figure- all things which can help your confidence whilst at work.
Other helpful tips Henrietta discussed to do with your own person skills was the effect talking at a slow, even keel does to your perception. It immediately makes you appear to be confident, strong and to be self assured in what you are saying – if you don’t believe in what you are saying why should anyone else?
Delegation
Another key way to boost your confidence was learning to properly delegate. It is a very current issue as the majority of our attendees admitted to struggling to delegate properly. “They will just get it wrong” and “they will take credit for my work” proved to be the major stumbling blocks in why women were apprehensive about off loading their work. But then Henrietta raised the Key point – “If you don’t develop your team, and give them new things to do –which you wanted in their position, how can you expect anyone to develop you?” Developing in your role means also developing your team and seeing their progression which can you mean good things for you and your ability as a manager and leader.
Delegating tasks which are time consuming and yet which clog up the time you spend doing things you enjoy and are best at gives the most value to your company and to yourself as your time can be used to progress and develop projects or new business leads which otherwise you wouldn’t get around to doing.
Maternity
Many of last night’s attendees also mentioned ho0w maternity leave had impacted them – as both they and their peers had taken leave. Henrietta was able to give some really great insight and clarity in what to expect and what is expected about maternity leave. Maternity coaching for both the employee and their boss has had a huge success rate for managing expectations and implementing a system where both boss, peers and the new mum can all feel comfortable and honest.
What came out of last night’s discussion was that when going on maternity leave you do need to rationalise and have to think realistically – how long away would be detrimental? A commons misconception is that once you announce your pregnancy you are immediately seen as less ambitious and less able – make sure you don’t take your foot off the accelerator until the day you leave. That is one way to convince your peers that you are the same person they have been working with, and you are still as keen as ever to progress and do well in your job.
Reliability- Henrietta highlighted the importance of staying true to your word. If you tell your company you will be away for say 9 months then stick to that, and make sure you don’t change your mind last minute. People will have been planning around your return so last minute changes of heart will not keep you in good stead with your colleagues.
Annual Leave
Everyone is entitled to their time away – to everyone, annual leave is precious. But when you are in a senior role-with a senior pay packet, certain levels of commitment are expected of you, many of which mean that you can’t completely switch off from work. Answering emails on holiday, although sounds as though you can never fully escape the office actually help in the long run. You will feel more in the loop and more controlled when you arrive back from leave having answered a certain level of emails.
Mentoring
Are women “over mentored and under sponsored?”
That was one of the key issues that arose at last night’s workshop. Women seem to be happy to have mentors who will help them along the way when needed but there seems to be a lack of sponsors or advocates who want to help you fulfil your potential and help progress your career. Having someone who is at a senior level and who supports and believes in you can really help boost your confidence levels. There are three ways which will help you find your perfect career advocate:
Pro-actively identify who can be helpful in your career
Think why someone would want to sponsor you-positivity!
Pay
Having the confidence to ask for that pay rise is essential in your happiness in your job and in your progression. So many people are doing the work and even have the title of their promotion but without the financial gains that usually go with that. If bosses aren’t asked about pay increases then they will presume that you are happy on your salary and in your role. People aren’t psychic so while you simmer away and your unhappiness builds, they won’t know how you feel.
How to stand out amongst your peers
That is often the main dilemma faced by women in the working environment (not excluding men!) –how to appear ahead of your peers without alienating them or causing your workplace to become a hot bed of competition and rivalry. You don’t want to be seen as ruthless but neither do you want to be seen as pushover who let other people through whilst you stand back. Important pieces of advice that Henrietta shared was if you have won new business be positive about it!
You have to think about who the key people in your company are who need to know how good you are. Thinking about the relationships that could be useful to you in your current & future jobs is an excellent way of making the right connections at the right time. People often under estimate the power and value of networking and meeting the people who can help you get ahead.
Problems
Other problems discussed included a reluctance or confidence to say “I”. Being seen as an excellent team member is definitely a top priority in the workplace but you also need to value your own work. Think about what you have contributed within your team set up.
Women can be their own worst enemy but just have faith in yourself. If you can’t then how do you expect anyone else to? Stop being so apologetic and identify if you need to apologise – don’t let it become an automatic pilot, as others will let you take the blame if you appear willing to apologise readily.
Tip for presentations
Again, no one will know you are nervous but yourself
Preparation is key!
Rehearse –with friends, partners, anyone!
Triple check I.T
Fake it
Our workshop addressed the current issues affecting confidence in the workplace. Henrietta really inspired people to think about themselves and identified ways of dealing with the main problems. It was a great start to our Career Development Programme and are excited for our next one. If you would like to be kept updated about our events please contact anna@hansonsearch.com for more info.
Last night team Hanson donned their glad rags and set sail (or rather flagged a taxi) to the annual Recruiter Awards being held at The Grosvenor Hotel. Among the serious business of practicing acceptance speeches and limbering up the champagne hands there was some light speculation surrounding our prospective comrades. Having air kissed our way through the Hedgehogs the month before and the PR Week Awards before that; were we prepared to head to overly-firm handshake city? The question of whether small talk would swiftly degenerate to KPIs after half a glass of bubbly was somewhat on my mind as we descended the staircase whist narrowly avoiding treading on and consequently ripping off an excessively long dress train (which to be honest might have livened things up a little pre-emptively…). All thoughts were banished, however, as we were faced with an incredible turnout; no seriously, we recruiters really know how to smash it when it comes to awards! As the drinks flowed and comedian Ed Byrne made the crowd howl-definitely saw a tear or two, it quickly became evident that this could definitely get out of hand…
However the commendations and awards were swiftly executed – a blessing in disguise as they were somewhat numerous-29 in total! The food was delicious, the atmosphere buzzing and I was sad to pull the Cinderella card at midnight to catch the last tube home. Safe to say Hanson will be back next year and just you try and keep us from winning!
I came out of Last week’s Media Tel “Video Upfronts” event with a refreshed view of Youtube, an admiration for a new generation of “Vloggers” and about ten Youtube channels to want to get involved in (Fashtag, Earth Unplugged, Foodtube and Mixmagtv to name but a few).
Video is so far from being TV re-runs and catch up channels, the possibilities are endless. Unlike television, content creators online are unrestricted by network guidelines, budgets or regulations. As demonstrated by Dominic Smales of Gleam Digital – there are social media superstars with millions of subscribers. Young people who “vlog” about their day to day or run make-up tutorials. Cheryl Cole has 112k followers on her official Youtube channel. Tanya Burr, a YouTuber and makeup artist from Norwich has 800k. These vloggers have a direct line of communication and influence over their expansive audience. They are relatable, “real” and in touch with the times. Can brands successfully attach themselves to these video stars or would that alienate the advert wary fanbase? Is there space for adverts in the booming video diary format?
A particular highlight on the day was Philip DeBevoise’s explosive presentation on Machinima. I say explosive because the vast universe of video games is completely off my radar. That is about to change. Machinima’s audience is 30-35 year old males; this makes sense when the “machine cinema movement” finds it roots in gamers-turned-filmmakers creating and uploading original content. The hype inspired peer to peer recommendations and did huge favors for publishers who saw their game sales soar. Today Machinima is teaming up with Ridley Scott to produce 12 short sci-fi films. In an age of binge viewing where you can watch the whole of House Of Cards in 3 days (challenge accepted) we can expect to see more webisode format shows and films as they are accessible, instant, cross screen, relevant.
The challenge for agencies, as demonstrated by Matthew Breen (head of digital at Havas Media) is proving that video works to clients. A perfect client would ask its media agency “what should we do for our video strategy?” and not just want to put a TV advert online. The content has to be in context and work across platforms. The likes of Red Bull have got it right: creating events around their brand like Felix Baumgartner’s jump which lead to a social buzz. The “going viral strategy” isn’t always the best solution either. Evian’s rollerbabies ad broke a Guiness world record but sales plummeted so they lost market share. Video is a brilliant tool but finding the perfect way to use it is far from easy.
The very charismatic Hamish Nicklin gave us a Youtube refresher which went down a storm.
Firstly, a reminder of the Youtube we think we know: Gangnam Stlye, Felix Baumgartner, Charlie Bit Me, Harlem Shake… in other words unpredictable content that could be risky to advertise around.
Secondly, the Youtube advertisers want: broadcast, professional, controlled. Top Gear, Game of Thrones, X Factor… but that it can’t be ONLY another platform for TV content
Finally, the Youtube you need to engage with: people creating their own channels, content created entirely for Youtube – High quality, episodic and a close relationship to the audience: mixmagtv, fashtag, Jamie’s foodtube…
Youtube is so much more than a platform to see dogs on skateboards, it’s a place where truly creative people can reach worldwide audiences with funny, relevant, completely original videos. Students watch more catch up online and Youtube channels than TV- it is becoming the normal way to watch anything.
Nomura did a fantastic job hosting the event; breakfast overlooking a sun soaked Thames bank garden and a fantastic networking lunch with paella and lamb steak. Those who stayed for a drink and mingle were treated to tea as well as drinks and canapés. All in all, a very informative, thought provoking and well put together day. Looking forward to the next one!
Simone has joined Hanson to recruit marketing positions across a number of sectors. This growth is to meet the growing demand from clients for broader marketing people to work alongside their PR and Communications teams. “Joining Hanson to set up this wider offering to clients is a fantastic opportunity that I’m excited to be taking. Having spent a number of years building a network and knowledge of marketing, I am looking forward to working with Hanson’s clients to help them secure the best marketing talent to drive their businesses forward.” Simone Timcke, Hanson Search
Simone has over ten years’ experience in recruitment and prior to joining Hanson spent five years at Ambition recruiting senior level marketing and business development positions within professional and financial services, and headed up the Marketing Division. Prior to her career in recruitment Simone spent five years in financial services.
“Hanson Search is delighted to have Simone on board. She has an excellent understanding of the marketing industry and we are looking forward to be able to service our clients across a great breath of roles. The Marketing and Communication space has evolved considerably over the past 10 years since Hanson Search was established, so it was a natural progression for us” Alice Weightman Hanson Search
CommsChat is a weekly Twitter chat on Monday evenings from 8 to 9pm with several “guest Twitterers” discussing topical subjects in PR, comms and marketing. It’s the largest Twitter chat of its sort in Europe, with one recent chat generating 1,961,806 impressions, reaching an audience of 217,244!
The communications job marketplace has always been a competitive one. Now, with the rise of apprenticeships and training-based qualifications, a competitive industry has become an even more crowded one.
On Monday 8th April Alice Weightman will be joining Comms Chat to discuss the latest trends and challenges facing communications hopefuls.
The topics are below:
• How is recruiting for communications specifically different than acting as generalist recruiters?
• What are the challenges facing the UK & European communications industry?
• Do specialisations within the industry – content, SEO, social media – present a challenge?
• Has the growth of the tech industry in Britain created different kinds of jobs and encouraged different kinds of people into communications?
• Where is recruitment headed over the next five years?
Women can often seriously under estimate their skills and experience, or don’t feel comfortable engaging in conversations about their own career.
Following on from our Gender Balance in Communications study, we have been working with The Women in Public Affairs Network to look at issues that affect women at work and one of the key issues that has arisen is that women lacked confidence in the work place to push forward their careers compared to their male counterparts.
Hanson Search will be running a series of professional development programmes, and our first workshop is designed to help women progress in the workplace.
Our first seminar “Confidence Building in the Workplace” will take place at 5.30pm on Wednesday 17th April.
This will be led by Henrietta Royle, CEO and Executive Life Coach of Fanshawe Haldin who has worked alongside clients such as Lloyds Bank and Editorial Intelligence. Henrietta until recently was Chief Operating Officer of City University and previously Chief Operating Officer of Cass Business School. Henrietta is an active and co-founding member of the 30% club and a regular speaker raising awareness on issues effecting women in a working environment.
Due to the nature of the workshop, places are limited so please RSVP to anna@hansonsearch.com with your name or team members name and we will confirm availability.
This workshop would suit individuals at midlevel in their career Account Directors/Associate Directors, Communication/ Senior Communication Managers.
It is a 5.30pm arrival for a 6pm start and the Workshop will take place at our offices – Burleigh House, 357 Strand, London, WC2R 0HS. It is expected to last about 90 minutes. Refreshments will be provided.
Prepped with my entry badge and an over-priced cup of tea I entered the Confex Exhibition with an open mind. Within five minutes I was laden with more carrier bags and brochures than was feasible – especially when also balancing said tea and trying not to shower the entry stewards with business cards whilst trying to retrieve my pass- a piece of multi tasking genius!
This obstacle overcome, I began the epic adventure of locating the brand experience arena. This may sound easy, especially judging by the number of those on hand to shepherd lost event sheep to their rightful destinations and the signs-on-mass! Mission accomplished I entered one of the many lecture theatres dotted around the arena to accommodate speakers away from the hubbub of the main event.
Without a doubt I was completely bowled over by the intelligently crafted and brilliantly delivered session by RPM. Not only was it engaging but it was jargon free: a treat by all accounts. It was a fantastic opportunity to understand the strategic decisions behind some of the best work in the experiential business and for a moment I felt as if I were the CEO of Diageo!
This was followed by an equally impressive presentation by TRO on their Lucozade festival activation. For many festival goers – I included; being handed a free bottle of cold lucozade is a total accidental win especially following three hours sleep and the dread of queuing in the sun to buy a drink. What surprised me was the thought that goes in to this; the strategic planning of this sampling the where and when and who to. In fact it is no accident that at the lowest point of your festival experience when your head is throbbing, your feet are tired and the worst band is playing – that some bright eyed and smiling brand ambassador is coming to your rescue with the perfect product to save the day. I left this talk more than a little enlightened about their work and perhaps a little lamenting the fact that I hadn’t been handed my own pair of ‘Lucoshades’.
All in all it was a fantastic insight to some of the major players and their creative genius. I would not hesitate to go back again.
“If you’re going to vibrate in someone’s pocket – you’d better have something important to say” – Good point well made by Michael Bayler of SapientNitro during the afternoon Mobile Advertising debate.
One of the many stand out quotes to be tweeted and re-tweeted in real time during a debate; along with the term #Phablet (phone meets tablet). The audience remained glued to their ‘second screens’ as they listened to experts discuss that very medium – happily tweeting away and interacting with the panel on subjects including: Social Media, Data, Mobile Advertising and of course, Screens: TV, Phone, Tablet, Cinema, Laptops…
These well put together and insightful talks were interspersed with relevant Start Up presentations and a keynotes from Wired Editor David Rowan. The latter left even the highest achiever reaching for the stars and the outer stretches of the universe as David demonstrated the power of small companies and start ups and technology, including one which is to start mining asteroids in the near future – what have you achieved this quarter? Evidently the sky is far from the limit.
Back on planet Earth, Media Tel had jam packed plenty into one day without being exhausting. Between talks there was the opportunity to mingle in the foyer and discover interactive stands from the likes of Smooth Radio and the Start-ups. There was plenty of opportunity to speak to the panelists during the day or over drinks in the terrace bar afterwards.
At the end of the day my main concerns were:
- Are cinemas soon to have second screen interaction – the cinema going experience to me is sacred, not a place I want a dialogue with brands thank-you very much.
- How soon will my house have cloud TV and what will I do with my Sky box when it gets here?
- It’s true mobile advertising is not where it needs to be yet (apps that take you to websites that aren’t mobile ready) so who will be first to fix this?
- Who’s data is it anyway? There is little that Facebook doesn’t already know about me, what’s being done with that data?
- Do I want adverts targeted to me personally or is that a bit stalkerish?
- And most importantly, is there anything cuter than a baby boy hearing his mother’s voice for the first time thanks to technology? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTzTt1VnHRM clip from youtube, Wired Keynotes)
None of these questions were answered because they all demonstrate ongoing changes in the way in which we interact with technology and social platforms. Great day, fun, interactive and on the right level for a would-be-geek or average consumer like me.
Our very own Alice Weightman was asked to sit on panel of extraordinary women who were asked to bring their own experiences to LEYF‘s Annual Margaret Horn debate.
Find out more from June O’Sullivan‘s blog about The Great Women’s Trade Off: Helping Women Succeed at Work.
It takes just as much effort to have a wonderful day as it does to have a miserable one. Why not enjoy yourself?
Want to have the best workday ever? Day after day? It’s not as difficult as you think.
These 10 tweaks to your everyday behavior will virtually guarantee you a day that’s not just enjoyable but allows you to get more done than you ever thought possible.
1. Start with 15 minutes of positive input.
It’s easier to achieve and maintain a positive attitude if you have a “library” of positive thoughts in your head, so you can draw upon them if the day doesn’t go exactly as you’d prefer. Start each day by reading (or listening to) an inspirational book to ensure that you have just such a resource at hand.
2. Tie your work to your life’s goals.
Always remember that there’s a deeper reason why you go to work and why you chose your current role. Maybe it’s to support your family, to change the world in some way, to help your customers, to make a difference: Whatever the deeper motivation, remind yourself that this workday–today–is the opportunity to accomplish part of that deeper and more important goal.
3. Use your commute wisely.
Most people waste their commute time listening to the news or (worse, especially if they’re driving) making calls, texting, or answering emails. In fact, your commute time is the perfect time to get yourself pumped up for the day, and there’s no better way to do this than to listen to music that truly inspires you and gets you in the right mood. Don’t depend on a DJ: Make your own mixes!
4. Stick a smile on your face.
It’s likely, if you followed the first three steps, that you’ll already be smiling. If not, stick a smile on your face anyway.
It doesn’t matter if it feels fake: Research has shown that even the most forced of smiles genuinely reduces stress and makes you happier. Does this mean you should be grinning like the Joker in the Batman comics? Well, yes, if that’s the best you can do. But something a bit more relaxed might be less alarming to co-workers.
5. Express a positive mood.
When most people are asked social greetings–questions such as “How are you?” or “What’s up?”–they typically say something neutral (“I’m OK”) or negative, like “Hangin’ in there.” That kind of talk programs your brain for failure.
Instead, if anyone inquires, say something positive and enthusiastic, like: “Fantastic!” or “I’m having a wonderful day!” It’s true that there are some people whom this annoys–but these are people you should be avoiding anyway. (See No. 7, below.)
6. Do what’s important first.
Everybody complains about having too much to do, but few people do anything about it. As I explained in “The Surprising Secret of Time Management,” 20% of your activities are going to produce 80% of your results. So do that 20% first, before you get to the 80% of your activities that is mostly wasted time. You’ll get more done, and you’ll get better results.
7. Avoid negative people.
If you’ve been following Steps 1 through 6, you’ll probably find that the most negative people in your orbit will be avoiding you, while the positive people will want to hang out with you and help you. Though it’s true you can’t avoid all the Debbie Downers, you can certainly find something else to do when they start grousing about stuff they won’t or can’t change.
8. Don’t work long hours.
Long hours are simply a bad idea. For one thing, as I have pointed out before: Long hours, after a short burst of productivity, actually make you less productive. But frankly, if you’ve followed Steps 1 through 7, you’ll be getting so much done that you won’t need to work those long hours.
9. Wind down and relax.
Once you’re done with the workday, fill the remainder of your hours with nonwork-related activities that bring you joy and help you relax. The analogy of “recharge your batteries” is valid. Failing to take time to relax and stop thinking about work guarantees that you’ll begin the next day with a “hangover” of resentment that will leach the joy out of what can, and should be, a positive work experience. overconcentration.
10. End your day with 15 minutes of gratitude.
As I pointed out in “The True Secret of Success,” exercising your “gratitude muscle” is the best way to make certain that you experience more success. Before you go to sleep, get out a tablet (paper or electric), and record everything that happened during the day about which you are (or could be) grateful.
You’ll sleep better and be ready for tomorrow–which will probably be even more fabulous than today.
But What About …
Now, I know some of this can sound like a stretch. It may take a leap of faith to give this approach a try. But before you push back too much, let me answer some of the questions I sometimes hear.
• What if something really horrible happens during the day? You’ll be much better prepared to deal with challenges than if you were already halfway to miserable–which is how most people go through their workday.
• What if I simply have to deal with a negative person? Tune out the negativity. Learn to shrug it off. If the negativity becomes too much of a burden, start using the extra energy you’re producing to reorganize your team or (if the person is outside your company) find a different partner.
• What if I’m too depressed to do any of this? If that’s the case, you may need professional help. None of these tricks require more time and effort than making yourself miserable, however.
• Do these tricks really work? Yes.
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