All articles by Sue Mountstevens
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Comment & Opinion
Personal Coach: is it OK to share your vulnerability as CEO?
Much is spoken these days about leadership styles and particularly the idea of authenticity….
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News
Sue Mountstevens: on managing change and being promoted
Change is indeed the only constant in successful businesses….
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Comment & Opinion
Mending fences and dealing with referees
Q I’ve fallen out big-time with a colleague and it’s affecting the team. Should I swallow my pride, or hope it will improve over time?…
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Comment & Opinion
Redundancy and motivation: take emotion out of the equation
I’m being made redundant next month. I feel anxious and angry. What’s my next step?
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Comment & Opinion
Celebrate and interact with your team: if they are happy, it will show
While your business objective is not to win awards, used well they can be a potent message and a powerful cause for celebration.
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News
Personal coach: giving feedback and going home
I’m glad that you want to make feedback part of your management style. Great managers are good at feedback.
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Comment & Opinion
You can fake confidence... but don't get complacent
Too often, I find I lack confidence and I can’t help noticing that the confident types seem to get promotion…
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Comment & Opinion
An 'impossible' boss might well deliver results
My job is about helping those who want to change, and not about wanting others to change.
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Comment & Opinion
Impact and interest: how to make the most of your job situation
There are some easy pointers to making an impression: maintain eye contact, have a firm handshake, introduce yourself with confidence and smile.
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Comment & Opinion
Psychometric testing and pessimism: how best to deal with them
I have got through to the last round of interviews and been asked to undergo a variety of tests.
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Comment & Opinion
Time to change roles? Follow your instincts and do your research!
I have been offered a job that looks perfect on paper, but my gut reaction is that something is wrong. Should I follow my head or my heart?
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Comment & Opinion
A new year means time to make plans and be inspired
This is going to be my year. I feel really positive that this is the year I’m going to make a difference in my career, but where do I start?
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Comment & Opinion
An interim manager can take a fresh view and shake up a business for the better
Don’t be surprised if your interim manager takes a very different view on the best way to get things done.
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Comment & Opinion
Planning for an internal job interview and administering a kick up one's own backside
Prepare and plan, just as you would if applying for an external role. You need to shine don’t believe this will be a shoo-in and a friendly chat. You will be up against a very hungry group of candidates and you must not be ill-prepared.
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Profiles
Don’t rest on your laurels in your career - or in helping your business save pennies
I’m 27 and have recently completed my graduate training scheme with a food retailer. What’s my next step and how do I find out what is out there?
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Comment & Opinion
Don’t worry about lacking charisma, other leadership qualities are more important
I run a large food business, and it’s dawned on me that I haven’t got the leadership qualities of pizzazz, Obama-style oratory and charm. Can I learn these?
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Comment & Opinion
Careers file: Assertiveness has its place in the workplace right next to courtesy and respect
Assertiveness has its place in the workplace right next to courtesy and respect Q 'Manners' seem to be in the spotlight recently. Is there a place for being polite in the business world or is aggression and direct speaking...
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Comment & Opinion
Careers File: Tell your boss his jokes at your expense are no laughing matter
My boss is forever cracking jokes, normally at my expense. Some of them are quite funny but there is a vindictive undertone. If I need to change the way...
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Comment & Opinion
Careers File: Don't bombard staff with senseless office jargon
I've just sat through a team meeting full of clichés and management speak. I blame the consultants that we were using. I think we might have caught it from them or watching too much of The Apprentice.
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Comment & Opinion
Careers File: When is it time to move on?
I run a smallish food supplier, which I set up about 10 years ago and have made decent headway with. We seem now to have achieved a size whereby middle management are happy to challenge the culture of the business and even tell me what I should or shouldn't do.