Management

Janet Webb Consulting – Personal Development and Management Training

Posted on by Janet Webb

We each have a version of ourselves that is our most effective, confident and capable – a position of poise. Being poised helps us to feel steady and secure, ready to face the unknown. It helps us to make better judgements. This in turn helps us to deal with conflict and to act naturally, overriding negative self-talk and managing our interactions elegantly. Superheroes have it. So can you. And you won’t need Spandex!

I am a Learning and Development Consultant and have spent 30 years training and coaching people to develop various capabilities, including:

  • management skills
  • presentation skills
  • problem solving
  • assertiveness

This can be in groups, or one to one. Many of these topics have an element of fear and anxiety and I help people overcome that, giving them flexibility in how they respond and behave. Understanding why we get scared, and what to do about it, can open new ways of working. The combination of critical thinking and emotional intelligence can give people clarity and confidence to handle anything. They can handle their colleagues. They can talk in a straightforward way to their seniors. And That Customer (the one everyone avoids – even you!)? No problem.

This is what I do; I help people work towards their position of poise.

But who am I and how did I get into management training?

On my wedding day my father described me as eccentric. I prefer idiosyncratic but, hey, it is not a label I resist. I think it comes from a lifetime of pushing at boundaries, doing things in an atypical way, looking beyond what is in front of me and being curious. Incidentally, I learnt this from my father, who was rather eccentric himself.

In 2012 I started my business, Janet Webb Consulting, after a lifetime of saying yes to opportunities and seeing where they took me. Along the way I have learnt a lot about how the brain works, project management, effective communication and emotional intelligence (particularly the impact of fear). I got to this point by saying “Yes, I can.”

A career built on saying “Yes, I can.”

Egypt, Dance Captain.

At 18, after three years training, I became a professional dancer. The following year I was working for a French dance company and when the director asked me if I could be captain for the next contract in Egypt I said “Yes, I can.”

It was challenging; very challenging. It meant managing a troupe of dancers, in a very different culture, under quite difficult circumstances. Being a young woman in the 80’s in a Middle Eastern country didn’t offer me much respect or support. But I battled on. I didn’t always get it right but I quickly learnt how to be there for my team and to negotiate with clients. My time in Egypt wasn’t the happiest but it was one of the most stretching and educating.

Selfridges, Manager.

After four years of travelling around the world I walked into Selfridges in Oxford Street, looking for a job; any job. I left after an hour with a three-month contract as a temporary sales assistant in the Christmas Greeting Card Department.  When after two months my manager asked me if I could join the Stationery team permanently, and then afterwards be team leader, I said “Yes, I can.”

Seven years later I left the store. I worked my way up through the leadership ranks and then I joined the training team, delivering everything from sales skills to management training. Managing staff was fascinating. And I discovered that I enjoyed leading on projects and training people. I had found my new home and passion.

ESCC, HR Manager of Projects.

Whilst working at East Sussex County Council (ESCC) in the training team, managing the training centre and delivering management training to outside organisations, I was asked whether I could take on the management of the HR Projects team. I said “Yes, I can.”

I had to quickly learn about HR and develop the role as an HR Business Partner.  During this time, I went through a professional assessment of competence and so gained my Chartered status with the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). I loved my time in HR, particularly managing a team of staff again.

East Sussex County Council again, Registration Service Manager.

However, after a round of redundancies across the council it became clear that staff needed to go from the HR team and my job could easily be shared out between others. In December 2010 I was given notice of redundancy; I was leaving on the 31st of March 2011. But on the 20th of March an email was circulated asking if anyone could manage the Registration Service, whilst the current manager was on long term sick. And I said “Yes, I can.”

I had previously worked with the Assistant Director who was happy to take me into her team. A three-month contract became six months. I then managed a series of other projects for her over the next year. (I broke the redundancy register software twice. Apparently, no-one is supposed to be at risk of redundancy for over 18 months!)

I repeatedly had to learn a new set of skills and knowledge and I loved the challenge. And each time, it became easier to take on something new.

CIPD, Subject Matter Expert in Critical Thinking.

When I was five years old, I watched an episode of the television programme UFO and a character made a decision based on incomplete information. I can remember the moment as if it were last year. I realised, even then, that much of the time we don’t have the full picture. As a child I probably didn’t use quite those words, but I have been fascinated by how we think, ever since. The study of this is called metacognition. I just thought it was incredibly interesting.

In 2022 I was asked by the CIPD whether I could work on a new course on Critical Thinking as the subject matter expert. I said “Yes, I can.”

Develop your critical thinking skills with the CIPD

Improve decision-making and judgement and find the best solution by learning to use critical thinking strategies.

I was happy to share a lifetime of learning on the topic; how we make judgements based on our beliefs, how we assume things to be true based on our experience (and therefore our culture), how we argue against things with faulty logic, how the state of our bodies impacts on our ability to think or take risks. The list goes on.

What saying “Yes, I can” has taught me.

Various shots of Janet delivering management training and problem solving skills.
Something to say?

I have developed a number of crucial skills and attributes through all of this activity:

  • an ability to embrace and cope with change
  • being undaunted by working in unfamiliar territory
  • a massive breadth and depth of experience
  • having an objective yet unrestricted outlook
  • great project management skills

One of the main things that I have learnt is that if someone of good sense believes in you, then you should trust their judgement and have a go. Stepping into the unknown is one of the most developmental things that you can do for yourself.

And sharing this breadth and depth of knowledge is one of the best things that I can do for you or your staff. It’s what I am here for.

If you need management training, better presentation skills or just some understanding on how to deal with people, then give me a call.

Note: I originally published an article on this in the Sussex Chamber of Commerce’s Business Edge magazine  This is a fuller version.

Luke, I Am Your Training Department!

Posted on by Janet Webb

Do you have a training department? You might have a finance arm, or a marketing team or even an HR department. But how do you get your staff developed?

You have a team of staff. Your organisation is growing. You’re navigating through change and you are thriving – or at least surviving.  But you are not yet big enough to have a team of in-house trainers.

And yet…

…to keep your staff working effectively, feeling engaged and able to deal with change, they still need skills development.

That’s where I come in.

Who Is Janet Webb?

Janet training a group on critical thinking and problem solving. She's sat on a desk and her banners are to the right. Thet read - working with your brain the way your brain works.
Janet training – her happy place.

As a trained and experienced trainer, facilitator, mentor and coach I can offer you the skills that you need, when you need them. I have managed training and development functions; this means that I have managed the whole process from learning needs analysis, through the development and project management phase, through to delivery and evaluation.

So if you or your staff need training but you have no learning and development team, then give me a call.

  • Assertiveness
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Presentation Skills
  • Creative Thinking
  • Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
  • Management Skills
  • Train the Trainer

And I am good at it. Have a look at others’ testimonies about me, at the bottom of my LinkedIn page.

Being poised; finding our inner diamond.

Posted on by Janet Webb
A simple line drawing of a diamond

What is it to be poised?

If more people felt poised the world would be a much better place. Feeling poised means having balance, feeling secure, being sure-footed, enduring with ease.

It comes from having confidence, mastery and inner strength.

And it allows humility, resilience, serenity, authenticity and wisdom.

Poise is not just about how we stand – it’s also about what makes us stand well.

It’s not just about the words we use – it’s also about the thinking behind those words.

It doesn’t just lead to confident behaviour – it leads to effective behaviour and good judgement.

 

A simple line drawing of a diamond, illustrating being poised.
We are all diamonds underneath

How do we develop it and why should we?

When we understand how our emotions work, we can control what we do about them.  Fear in particular can hijack us. Getting to grips with our fear allows freedom from it. See this post for more information about how this happens.

Understanding how our brains work gives us the liberty to respond effectively and efficiently. Difficult situations, like giving a presentation, become much easier. Managing staff becomes more effective as we grow a wider management toolkit. The ability to manage change increases as we develop flexibility and agility. Resilience, the ability to bounce back from stress, grows.

 

The perfect version of ourselves is like a diamond; tough but shining brightly and perfectly matched for the job in hand. But we can be covered in stuff that weighs us down.

Being poised is about finding that inner diamond. Through developing mastery, knowledge and confidence. My job is to facilitate that. To teach about our inner workings, how the brain functions and how our emotions impact on our behaviour.

 

Management skills development through mentoring.

Posted on by Janet Webb
West Beach, Littlehampton

Management skills development is essential for organisational development and team success.  It can make the difference between a team thriving or not. But when and how should it be accessed?

The Problem

Staff often get promoted into management positions because they are great at something completely different; the chief widget maker becomes the Head of Widget Making. And then the problems begin. Why? Because management skills are a very different skill set. But they can be learnt.

Traditionally new managers are sent on a course to develop these management skills.  This can be a good starting point. However, there are a number of potential difficulties with this approach:

  1. You might have to wait for a good course to become available.
  2. Such a course covers what it has been designed to cover, when it has been designed to cover it. This may not meet the manager’s needs.
  3. A course doesn’t take into account the skills that the manager already has.
  4. There is little or no support to help the learner develop these skills once the course is over.
  5. There is no on-going advice on specific problems, just general principles

The answer to really effective management skills development is to use a mentor, with a vast array of experience and knowledge, to provide bespoke support and training. Good learning comes with input, practice, reflection and repeat, spaced over a period of time. Bespoke training delivered through mentoring can do this.

West Beach, Littlehampton; a great place for skills development
Mentoring – a place to learn, to reflect and to breathe.

Mentoring can also give clarity and space for reflection. Problems can be dealt with as they arise.

This is one of the services that I offer.

 

A Different Sort of CV

Posted on by Janet Webb
Photo of Janet looking into the camera

Janet Webb, Chartered MCIPD, Learning & Organisational Development Consultant, CV.

Instead of giving you a personal statement, I thought I would let others do the talking – a rather different sort of CV.

If you want to see my work history, then hop over to my LinkedIn profile.  
Photo of Janet looking into the camera as part of her different CV.
Could I be your next wingman?
For a fuller CV then e-mail me: janet@janetwebbconsulting.co.uk

Key Skills

Critical, but objective, partnering.

Mentoring, coaching and training.

Project and people management.

Creativity and energy.

 

Work History

What People Said

Janet Webb Consulting

L&OD and HR services and project management

 “Janet really helped me with a new project. She is a great listener and really understood what I needed, keeping me focused and on track. She is a great strategic thinker, just the right person to help with organisational change.”Michelle Gavin, Business Development Manager

“Janet is a joy to work with. She brings high energy and enthusiasm to any project. She is straight-talking, down-to-earth and practical in her approach, yet she also brings tenacity, strategic thinking and an ability to see the bigger picture. Values-driven, generous, caring, fun. Don’t under-estimate her approachable and informal style; you can be sure that Janet knows her stuff.”Sarah Harvey, Leadership, Culture & Conflict Coach

 

East Sussex County Council

Interim Project Manager

 

 “Janet was my right hand in the modernisation of the Registration Service in East Sussex. She showed exceptional skills in change management, strategy and vision. She took the staff with her on a very difficult journey. She was so good, I used her again and again and again.”Irene Campbell, Assistant Director, Communities

 

East Sussex County Council

Personnel Manager and Business Partner

 

 “I worked alongside Janet at East Sussex County Council when she was managing the projects team in what was then the Personnel and Training department. I’m sure the role wasn’t always easy, but working with Janet was a joy. When times are tough, a smile and a good sense of humour go a very long way! Janet had a well-deserved reputation for being a safe pair of hands as a project lead, a supportive line manager, and a dependable colleague.”Tom Elliott, HR Business Analyst

East Sussex County Council

Training & Development Officer and Training Centre Manager

 

 “Janet brings both humour, wisdom and professionalism to her work. She not only delivers to meet the objectives of a project but is flexible and adaptable seeking continuous ways to improve.”Liz Felstead, Head of Corporate Training & Development 

St. Richard’s Hospital

Training Officer to Training Manager

 

 “We’ve regraded your role to reflect what you are actually delivering. You’ve gone up two pay grades!”Julie Dodd, HR Director 

Selfridges Ltd

Everything from a temp to Training Consultant and a number of management roles along the way

 

  

After a month of being a Christmas temp “Will you stay on as a permanent member?”Then three months into that role “Will you be team leader?”And after a year “I’m putting you forward for the management training programme.”

Juliet Quinton, Buyer and Department Manager, Greeting Cards

 

Dorlann Productions

Professional Dancer

 

 Michou “Would you take a contract in Cairo?”Me “Who will be team leader?”Michou “You!”Michou Dorlann, Director and Choreographer after 6 months of working for her. I was 20!

 

 

 

When The Management Policy Is “Don’t Come To Me …

Posted on by Janet Webb
Orange lifebelt ready for deployment

… with your problems; come with your solutions.”

I hear this style of management quoted often as being great practice; after all, a manager’s job is to coach.

An orange lifebelt ready for deployment by management.
When someone is drowning they don’t need a coach; they need a manager who jumps in.

And I would like to raise an alarm bell. If someone is drowning, they need you to throw a line, or even jump in with them. They don’t need you to coach them to swim.

How Would This Management Policy Work Here?

A few days ago, someone came to speak to me about a very current and desperate issue that they had been struggling with for days. They were at the end of their tether with a problem and were close to tears. If I had said

“and what do you think you should do about that? What are your options? What has worked before?”

I rather suspect that would have finished them off.

They didn’t need coaching. They did need someone to listen but they also needed some help. I wasn’t the expert but I was in a position where I could offer some ideas because I wasn’t the one drowning. I jumped in and offered a life belt. It was just enough to give them some space, take hold of their emotions and see a way through.

So What Is A Great Management Policy?

A manager’s job is to build the environment where individuals can thrive. Sometimes they need telling how to do stuff. Sometimes they absolutely do not. A blanket policy of “don’t come to me with your problems” means you never get to hear about their problems. And that’s not great either. So a policy that decides how you reply before they have spoken is no good. It doesn’t work for them and it doesn’t work for the manager.

Instead, dial up the empathy, listen carefully and then choose the right approach:  Tell, Teach, Mentor or Coach. Be the manager that people can come to and get what they need (which may not always be what they want.) You can only do that if you are empathetic enough and flexible enough to choose how to respond.

If you say don’t come to me with problems, what you are saying is “Don’t come to me, particularly when it’s really difficult” and no employee wants to hear that.

You can find other thoughts on great management practice here:

A Good Manager Asks The Target For Feedback

Help Your Team Find Some Solid Ground

What is Beyond Appraisal?

Management or Leadership Development?

Posted on by Janet Webb

What’s best, management or leadership development? Where should I put my energies?

Good leaders are really important. They give an organisation drive, focus, spirit and hope. But good leadership can’t make up for poor management. If the boss is terrific at cheering on the team, but incapable of dealing with an individual’s poor performance, then the whole team suffers. Or if the boss is great at inspiring followers but hopeless at communicating what actually needs to be done, then nothing gets done. An inspiring vision wont help a team that is at loggerheads.

Peter Drucker is quoted as saying

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

Management is often seen as a poor relation to leadership – certainly the price tag of leadership training and coaching would suggest that. But fundamentally managers need to manage well; to do things right. The right things, yes, but in the right place, in the right way, at the right time.

And they need to be able to manage themselves; manage their time, their critical thinking, their communication and their assertiveness.

What’s the Answer for Janet Webb Consulting?

Excellence in management can have a significant impact.

So I have nailed my colours to the mast and decided to concentrate on helping managers be great managers.

Yacht masts decorated with colourful bunting.
Yacht masts decorated with colourful bunting.

How I do that I’ve written about in various places, including here.  They’ll almost certainly pick up some good leadership skills along the way; if they are concerned about managing well, then they’re half way there.

I’ve worked for really amazing managers who were shy and unassuming. And I’ve worked for poor managers who had an excess of charisma and passion. I know which I preferred and I know which environment I thrived in. It certainly wasn’t the one where we got a daily dose of guano; manure is really only good for the roses.

A Good Manager Asks The Target For Feedback

Posted on by Janet Webb

How does a good manager know that they are?

Imagine you were an archer. You fire your arrow and you get feedback immediately; either you hit the target or you don’t. You can adjust your technique and get instant feedback on those adjustments. In time you become better and better as an archer.

Suppose that you can’t see the target; it would be very difficult to hit and you would have no idea of the result.  The only way you could tell how well you were doing was if someone, like a coach, told you.

Archer gets help from a good manager
A medieval archer helps a modern man to hit the target

Now suppose that they also can’t see the target – how can they give you feedback? All they could do is share with you some data about how often you fired the arrows or whether your technique looked OK or not. You might tell them how you felt; probably you would be frustrated.

Eventually the coach would stop talking about it because nothing helpful would be happening.  In turn you would stop bothering and just fire off arrows in the right direction, probably as fast as possible, to get it over and done with.

Now let’s look at managing and coaching staff. How do you know if you hit the target? You probably try various things and look for feedback through outcomes and whether the member of staff looked happy or not. You might even have a discussion with your manager about how you think it is going.

But not directly paying attention to the member of staff and getting their feedback is as hopeless as firing arrows at a board and not knowing whether they hit or not. Ask your direct reports how well you are doing if you really want to improve as a manager.

 

Of course, if you don’t care whether you are a good manager, then that is a different problem altogether.

Welcome…

Posted on by Janet Webb

… to Janet Webb Consulting. I’m an independent learning & development consultant, specialising in developing leadership and management skills, in the secular and in the spiritual arena. I help people find poise – that characteristic of being balanced, secure, sure-footed. It comes from having confidence in self, mastery of skill and inner strength. It allows humility, resilience, authenticity and wisdom.

Streams of how I provide development include:

  1. Mentoring senior leaders who don’t need management training but do need some help.
  2. Developing new managers who are exploring a whole new skill set.
  3. Helping individuals tackle whatever is daunting – presentations, giving feedback, networking.
  4. Working with those called to spiritual ministry, who have been trained well in interpretation of spiritual texts but struggle with being assertive, running a meeting or managing staff.

I am interested in how our brains work, where emotions come from and what has an impact on how we behave.

I help people to think better.

A photo of Janet Webb, leadership and development trainer, coach, mentor.As your in-house training department, my job is to help you and your team to do your stuff, by doing my stuff.

And so what is my stuff?

  • Supporting leaders and managers at all levels through transition
  • Facilitation
  • Team building and strategy days
  • Coaching people in public speaking and other high octane situations
  • Psychometric testing for development and stretch
  • Sometimes, it’s helping people to do the things that they thought that they couldn’t.

You can find out more about me here.

My LinkedIn profile will give you more information about my professional background.

Here you’ll find a different sort of CV with the words of those who have worked with me in many ways, not just leadership and management development.

You can find my blog here on my Damp Ink Page.

And my occasional spiritual blog you can find here.

What do you need? Share your story with me and let me help you explore where you are and where you are going. Call me for a chat and let’s see where it takes us.