Trevor-Roberts Articles

7 Tips for Successful Technical to Leadership Transition

Chris* worked in Technical Support and had been with his organisation for almost 7 years. He was a skilled and diligent worker, popular with his peers and trusted by his bosses. When a team leader role became vacant Chris was the obvious choice....

Who are my people? [Meaningful Work Series #3]

Humans are social creatures. We want to be part of a group. This innate need to belong arose from our primate ancestry, as it served us better to organise and live in groups than it did to live alone. First, it was safer as together we could ward...

Who are you at work? Some musings on identity.

"…forms of organizing, the institutional structures of employment, and the experiences of workers are intimately tied to what people do, how they do it, and to the social order that shapes and is created by work" - Prof. Stephen R. Barley,...

The (organisational) career is not dead

This was the argument of Professor David Guest, from Kings College London who spoke recently to a group of HR Directors at a joint Trevor-Roberts/Griffith Business School event. Professor Guest gave three pieces of evidence to back this.

What is the difference between coaching & mentoring?

Despite there being endless information available on the difference between mentoring and coaching, we are continually asked about the nuances of both and which one is more suitable in certain situations. In this blog, we have simplified the...

How to use design thinking for an extraordinary career

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It is a question that I was asked countless times as a child and it is a question that I am not sure I can answer, even today. To be more precise, I am not sure that I can find a single answer that will be...

Is a career development framework the missing link in your talent management strategy?

As most HR professionals and leaders are now aware, money is not the primary motivator when it comes to your employees wanting to stay in their role. Instead, it is intrinsic factors such as a sense of meaning and purpose, contribution,...

Enhancing employee performance through growth mindset

The role of an individual's mindset in driving positive outcomes such as recovery from stress, persistence in tasks and goal achievement has long been established. What may be more surprising though is the role of a leader's mindset in influencing...

A simple way to increase employee productivity & growth

Whilst the difference between transactional conversations and capability building conversations is subtle, we find that experimenting with capability building questions is much more likely to increase employee productivity and growth.

5 benefits of career conversations for employees and organisations

Effective career development practices build healthy organisations (O’Donnell, 2007). In recent years, research into career conversations has demonstrated the value of career development practices, generally, and the benefits of career...

5 tips on how to have a career conversation with your employees that is effective and meaningful

Whilst it is widely accepted that employees must take charge of their own careers, career conversations are a two way street and organisations must get on board. Understanding the importance of getting these conversations right is vital for both...

When should career development be used?

"So, what do you do?"….. The classic (and not to mention sometimes cliché and awkward!) question we've all faced many times at BBQs and other social gatherings. But imagine for a moment that everyone was clear about their career direction, had the...

What skills do your managers need to hold effective career conversations?

In all our time working in the careers space, what we have come to learn about career conversations in the workplace is this: they're not happening nearly as much as they should.

How we designed our career development programs

Our premise here at Trevor-Roberts is very simple. People are more productive, engaged and committed when they understand what drives and motivates them, have a clear sense of career direction, and know how their organisation contributes to a sense...

Where, when and with whom do effective career conversations happen?

It is well documented that career development efforts within the workplace significantly benefit organisations and are an important part of driving performance improvement.

Why is career development important and how does it impact engagement?

For more than two decades, research has shown us unequivocally that greater employee engagement leads to increased productivity. We even know what boosts employee engagement: employees’ relationships with their managers; job clarity; sufficient...

What are career conversations and why should you be having them?

With the changing nature of careers in today’s society, it is more important than ever for employees to manage their careers effectively. As downsizing, right sizing and offshoring become the norm, employees are often concerned about what they...

How Our Inner Conversations Build Our Careers

We all talk to ourselves. In our heads there are constant thoughts and reactions, aspirations and intuitions flitting about. These inner conversations are what propel us forward, for the most part. But in the busy, cut-and-thrust world of work, the...

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