Case Studies...
Below are our articles on the subject of Case Studies. If you can't see what you are looking for our other categories are displayed on the left under 'Our Quick Links'...
Advice on Selecting Candidates for an Interview
The process of sifting through stacks of job applications to select interview candidates is a crucial one that requires due care and attention, otherwise you’ll end wasting time interviewing unsuitabl...
All About Teleconferencing
In helping connect employees around the world, teleconferencing helps save time, money and the environment, and also promotes more efficient working practices....
All About Web Conferencing
Meetings can be a bind when you have to travel the globe to attend them. But hope is at hand for the jet-lagged and white line weary with web conferencing....
Asking for a Pay Rise
Salary negotiations are not an aspect of working life that many employees relish but you feel you deserve a pay rise then you have to stand up for yourself and speak out....
Avoiding Stress in the Workplace
Sick leave, high staff turnover and poor performance are all symptoms of stress and the damaging effects on organisations are huge. But what can be done to avoid workplace stress?...
Beating the Workplace Bullies
Bullying is not acceptable in the playground nevermind the work environment. Nobody should have to put up with bullying and action needs to be taken to combat the perpetrator....
Common Disruptive Staff Types
The already formidable art of managing people is made even more difficult when the common difficult and disruptive employee types enter the fray....
Communicating the Benefits of a Product, Service or Idea
Anyone who wants to sell or promote a product, service or idea must explain the benefits. Communicating benefits successfully, and meeting people's needs, leads to success....
Complaining Constructively
In initiating positive changes in the workplace a complaint has a vital role to play, but only if it is constructive....
Coping With Your Appraisal Meeting
An employee may well find the prospect of an appraisal meeting daunting. Understanding the purpose of the meeting, and preparing in advance, can greatly help....
Creating an Effective Team
Creating an effective team is a tricky task that demands care and attention, but the effort is justified by the success it yields to both the organisation and the individual....
Dealing with a New Boss
Welcoming a new boss can prove an unsettling experience, but it also offers an opportunity to start afresh and boost your career with some positive changes....
Dealing with the Office Victim
Dealing with people is often the hardest part of a manager’s job because no amount of training can prepare oneself for the most troublesome employees. One such type is the office ‘victim’....
Don't Hide Behind Jargon at Work
Jargon is a serious obstacle to communication at work. It provides a cover for those who don't want to address problems, or who prefer people not to understand them....
Empower Staff and Increase Job Satisfaction
There's often a reluctance to empower staff and give them responsibility. An organisation that introduces staff empowerment, however, can create greater efficiency and improved job satisfaction....
Handing in your Notice
Handing in your notice is not simply a case of waving goodbye to your old employers, but requires a good planning, organisation and professionalism....
How Sport can Improve Team Relations
Team sports are a great fun way to instil strong teamwork values in staff that have to work effectively together off the field....
How Story Telling Techniques Can Put a Message Across
A speaker who uses storytelling techniques engages an audience's interest. This makes it easier for the speaker to put a message across....
How to be a Good Team Member
Working as part of a team can be a rewarding experience but only if everyone plays their part well, otherwise it can be frustrating and even downright miserable....
How to Communicate Positively With SCAMPER
By using SCAMPER, it's possible to encourage positive thinking at work. This leads to fresh ideas that resolve the challenges an organisation faces....
How to Deal With Rumours
Rumours can damage staff morale and the relations between workers and management. It's important, though to recognise normal banter from someone who's a rumour-monger....
How to Disagree with your Boss Constructively
No boss is perfect and will likely get something wrong every now and again. However, disagreeing with your boss can be a dangerous business, unless you do it the right way....
How to Give a Great Presentation
Being able to give a great presentation is an enviable employee skill that requires effective communication of thoughts and ideas using a sharp combination of public oratory, visual aids and purpose....
How to Handle Chronic Complainers
They are a toxic force in the workplace undermining team morale and productivity, but how can we curtail the sniping of chronic complainers?...
How to Run an Effective Meeting
Meetings are such a scorned aspect of working life because they often serve no purpose beyond wasting everybody’s time. Running an effective meeting is an art that requires good management and plannin...
Improving Staff Morale
Low employee morale is a big concern for any employer. It is a poisonous force that can have a corrosive effect on the productivity, profits and general well being of an organisation....
Interview Communication Techniques
Good communication, both verbal and physical, is the key component of any successful job interview. Here are some interview techniques to help you project your best....
Maintaining Good Management-Staff Communication
A key difference between a happy and productive workplace and a poor performing one plagued by apathetic and unmotivated staff is good communications between staff and management....
Managing Difficult Employees
Sound management procedures are needed to tackle the serious problem of difficult employees, a subject commonly underestimated and ignored by many organisations....
Managing Office Politics
It impedes productivity, kills relationships and morale, and costs UK business billions each year but how can you contain the scourge of modern business that is office politics?...
Maternity Leave Entitlement
Expectant female employees have more rights and benefits than ever, and so it is vital that you are fully aware of what treatment you should expect from your employer....
My First Presentation: A Case Study
Making a presentation to a major industry conference is not an easy feat. This is an example of how one person coped....
Negative Communication Led to Misery at Work: A Case Study
A negative style of communication, especially from a manager, can affect the work of everyone in a closed environment such as an office. This is one example....
Office Politics Almost Ended My Career: A Case Study
Office politics waste time and can spread misery among a workforce. This case study shows how one person addressed the problems she faced....
Questionnaire: Are You a Model Employee?
Being a model employee is about effective communication, and making a positive contribution at work. Take our quiz to assess your model employee status....
Questionnaire: Do You Have Good Communication Skills?
The ability to communicate effectively at work boosts productivity and job satisfaction. Test the level of your communication skills here by taking our quiz....
Questionnaire: Your Skill as a Meeting Facilitator
There's a lot to think about and do when you're responsible for arranging and running meetings. Use this quiz to assess your skill as a meeting facilitator....
Rights for Elderly Employees
As people are living longer they are entitled to work for longer, but in doing so they face a modern workplace which is still rife with ageist attitudes....
Seeking Advice about your Career
Your friends and family are ill-qualified and your employer has a vested interest, so who you turn to when seeking sound advice about your career?...
Share Ideas and Build Trust at Work
Not everyone shares ideas at work. Those who do build a sense of trust within a team and increase organisational efficiency....
Taking Responsibility for a Colleague's Error
If are accused of an error that was someone else’s responsibility then how can you avoid taking the blame without causing a scene....
Talk and Act Positively About Equality at Work
The law regarding equality and discrimination at work will change again soon. To ensure equality, however, staff and employers must talk and act positively about it....
The Communication Benefits of PESTLE Analysis
PESTLE analysis is a useful tool for helping strategic decision-making. It focuses attention on political, economic and other factors that influence decisions....
The Dos and Don'ts of Job Interviews
Job interviews are a minefield of dos and don’ts that can derail even the most promising candidate’s bid for success. Understanding and respecting them is the key to getting the job....
The Fall and Rise of a Team: a Case Study
A team that fails is bad for the company and the team members. This is an example of how an experienced team leader turned a failing team around....
The Law and Discrimination in the Workplace
Discrimination is an unsavoury and endemic aspect of working life and laws are in place to protect those employees who feel they are the subject of certain types of unfair prejudice....
The Lowdown on Paternity Leave
Employee fathers are becoming increasingly willing to equally share in the responsibilities of caring for their newly born offspring, but are employers as eager to encourage them?...
The Positives of Workplace Chat
Rather than harmful to efficiency and productivity, chat is a crucial part of a healthy workplace and its morale boosting powers should be actively promoted....
Top Tips for Conducting Webinars
A webinar is an increasingly popular way of conducting a presentation via computers. The audience logs in, listens to the speaker, reads the slides and asks questions....
Understanding Different Behavioural Types
By using the assessment model DiSC we can understand the different behavioural types and styles present in the workplace and thereby formulate more effective working relationships....
Understanding Harassment in the Workplace
Harassment is a scourge of the work environment that goes against the principle of every employee being treated with respect and dignity, but how can you define and recognise workplace harassment?...
Understanding Presentation Software
With Microsoft’s PowerPoint leading the charge, presentation software has completely redefined the way work public speaking is carried out....
Understanding Workplace Bullying
Bullying is rife in the workplace but often it isn’t recognised. Better understanding of bullying and its effects therefore vital in dealing with the problem....
Using a Critical Path to Improve Communication
A critical path is a communication tool that helps project workers complete each task on time and in an agreed sequence....
Using Win - Win Negotiation to Resolve Problems
Win-win negotiation is a useful technique for ensuring that any negotiations in the workplace between managers, staff or clients end with all parties feeling positive....
What are the Sources of Workplace Conflict?
In order to manage workplace conflict effectively, it is first necessary to understand the sources of conflict in the work environment....
What can you do about Harassment?
Harassment or bullying at work can be a stressful and debilitating experience that can completely destroy confidence, but if you are a victim what can you do about it?...
What is "Business English"?
Business English is a separate branch of English with its own distinct style. Everyone involved with communication at work needs to understand what this style is....
What Makes a Good Manager?
Managing a group of people is something many fear, but to others it is second nature. So what is it that makes a good manager?...
What to do When You're Unhappy with Your Boss
Boss dissatisfaction is one of the chief reasons for employees quitting, but isn’t there something you can do about it without resorting to such drastic measures?...
Winning Over an Irate Customer: Case Study
Irate customers are an occasional fact of life in most businesses. This case study outlines one business owner's recent experience....
Writing an Effective C.V.
Having found the ideal job, you’ve dusted down your CV only to find that its vital signs are weak. So how can you make it spring into life in the lap of the recruiter?...
Your Cv Checklist
Creating an effective CV is vital if you want to enhance your career prospects. Use this CV checklist to help you....