Coaching Archives - Mary Rafferty

Effective Team Meetings: Summary, Key Takeaways, & Next Steps

Previously in this series, we delved into the principles of meeting purpose and process, offering practical suggestions to enhance meeting structure and amplify attendee participation. Today, we are bringing the series to a close by outlining the key takeaways, and exploring the benefits of drafting a charter or mini-contract with your team to ensure effective …

Effective Team Meetings: Summary, Key Takeaways, & Next Steps Read More »

Transform Your Team Meetings with the ‘Step In/Step Out’ Approach

Effective meetings are one of the cornerstones of a successful team, but it can be a challenge to keep discussions on track, engage all participants, and ensure constructive outcomes. Previously, we’ve looked at some aspects of the ‘how’ or meeting process that you might consider in advance, as well as setting ground rules for interactions …

Transform Your Team Meetings with the ‘Step In/Step Out’ Approach Read More »

Creating a Psychologically Safe Space for Effective Meetings

Communication Skills, Leadership Coaching, Team Coaching / By Mary Rafferty

In our previous two blog posts, we’ve looked at the importance of having a clear purpose and clear objectives for your meeting, as well as ensuring time and attention are spent on the process as well as the content. Today, we will delve deeper into process management, particularly in relation to how people interact with …

Creating a Psychologically Safe Space for Effective Meetings Read More »

Top Tips for Structuring an Effective Team Meeting

Communication Skills, Leadership Coaching, Team Coaching / By Mary Rafferty

From the hum of bustling team huddles to the high-stakes decisions made in boardroom discussions, meetings serve as the lifeblood of any organisation. They provide a collaborative space where progress is assessed, goals are set, and crucial decisions are made. Yet, we’ve all experienced the frustration of sitting through an ineffective meeting—a room filled with …

Top Tips for Structuring an Effective Team Meeting Read More »

Unlocking the Key to Effective Team Meetings

Executive Coaching, Team Coaching / By Mary Rafferty

As a corporate manager or team leader, you know how critical it is to have effective team meetings that bring greater alignment, creativity, and synergy to your organisation. Every meeting is an opportunity to build relationships and develop trust and collaboration capacity within the team, which in turn can facilitate greater cohesion and alignment outside …

Unlocking the Key to Effective Team Meetings Read More »

Does Your Team Have Meetings After (or Before!) the Meeting?

Executive Coaching, People Management, Team Coaching / By Mary Rafferty

Listening to a podcast recently, I was struck by social scientist Brene Brown’s response when asked about the culture of her organisation: “The culture of our organization is, there’s no meeting after the meeting” To what extent could you say that in the case of the team you lead there are no meetings after (or …

Does Your Team Have Meetings After (or Before!) the Meeting? Read More »

Problem solving in Conversations Mary Rafferty Consensus Mediation

Problem-Solving Conversations – Drop the Advice and Help People Think for Themselves

Coaching, Executive Coaching, Leadership Coaching, People Management / By Mary Rafferty

Facilitating people to come up with their own solutions rather than telling them what to do is probably the number one challenge most participants in Mediation training courses identify. The skill or rather combination of micro-skills encompassed in an ‘Ask and Listen’ rather than ‘Tell and Sell’ approach to problem-solving are also essential competencies in …

Problem-Solving Conversations – Drop the Advice and Help People Think for Themselves Read More »

Persisting Behaviour despite Feedback Mary Rafferty Consensus Mediation

What If Someone Persists In A Behaviour Despite Your Feedback?

Difficult Conversations, People Management / By Mary Rafferty

You’ve asked them once, you’ve asked them a second time and yet the behaviour still keeps happening. How to address behaviour that persists despite your feedback about it… Transcript Hi Mary Rafferty here Today I want to talk to you about a question that came up yesterday in a seminar I was delivering to a …

What If Someone Persists In A Behaviour Despite Your Feedback? Read More »

Chinese Whispers in Difficult Conversations Mary Rafferty Consensus Mediation

Don’t Play Chinese Whispers In Difficult Conversations!

Communication Skills, Difficult Conversations, Interpersonal Conflict, People Management / By Mary Rafferty

“I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant” (Alan Greenspan, American Economist) It’s so easy to mishear and misunderstand what others are saying to us and vice verse, particularly when tensions are starting to rise. Here’s a simple …

Don’t Play Chinese Whispers In Difficult Conversations! Read More »

Trying To Get Your Point Across But They Won’t Listen?

Communication Skills, Difficult Conversations, People Management / By Mary Rafferty

Ever feel you’ve hit a brick wall (or an iceberg!) when trying to get your point across to someone? No matter what you say they just won’t listen. Here’s another way to think about how to handle this situation… Video Transcript Mary Rafferty here, in today’s video I want to share an analogy that can …

Trying To Get Your Point Across But They Won’t Listen? Read More »