David recently read an article by Mike Myatt for Forbes, which caught his attention – ‘10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders‘. It mentions ‘secrets’ in it’s title but when you read the article content it makes [brilliant] common sense.

He was hooked by the opening line: ‘It is simply impossible to become a great leader without being a great communicator….‘; we hope you’ll enjoy it too! Let us know your thoughts, use the comment box below or send us an email.

Caroline recently picked up a gem of advice from Roald Dahl’s ‘The Twits’: ‘Think good thoughts and they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.’

We all like to look lovely but it got her thinking about those people who seem to exude sunbeams and that mystical aura that is charisma…

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’Play your second shot first’

Watching the US Masters last week made James think about one of his favourite Japanese proverbs, which suggests that you should ‘play your second shot first’.

The phrase refers to our state of mind and comes from something that all golfers, of any standard, will have experienced. It’s also directly applicable to everyday life, be it personal or professional – to want your perfected second attempt to be your first. 

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David recently attended a ‘you’ve been naughty but this way you don’t get three points on your licence’ driver training session. Although feeling cynical on the way there, David’s eyes were opened by the passionate trainer who conveyed her purpose in doing what she did was to save lives.

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When teambuilding it can be cool to build more than just the team… why not create something the business needs?

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Can you keep smiling even when times are tough?

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Did you see Sarah’s insight into recruitment from last week? If you missed it, take a look at this, otherwise read on for the next set of tips to make you rethink how you tackle those all important job applications: 

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They say that feedback is the food of kings and it’s true to say that the most effective teams we have worked with have found a way to live a culture of honest and open feedback. We say ‘culture’ deliberately, as at Rambutan we see feedback as a way of working and not a process.

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So what makes the difference between getting that all-important interview and getting your CV automatically thrown in the ‘no’ pile? In this first part, Sarah shares a few handy tips, based on recent experience of recruiting for the Rambutan bunch… Perhaps this blog is worth sharing if you know somebody who is looking for a job and is struggling to even get a first interview…

Based on what we experienced when recruiting for James, Caroline and Fiona I can see why people say things like: ‘I’ve sent out loads of job applications and haven’t even got an interview’. If I was to offer one piece of advice from the employers side of the fence, it would be this: think about a job application as part of a sales process… you’ve got to sell yourself and what you offer to potential employers.

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As the latest one to climb the ladder into the Rambutan tree, Caroline has toppled* the newbie crown from James’ head and has had a fascinating first week discovering what makes the branches rustle here in the treetops.