Stress Awareness Month appears on our calendars every April, but what really changes when it’s over? According to the Health and Safety Executive, work-related stress, depression, or anxiety accounts for over half of all ill health cases in the UK workplace. That’s not just a wellbeing issue, it’s a…
Have you ever been in a meeting where you hesitated to share an idea, worried it might sound silly? Or avoided admitting a mistake because you feared the consequences? If so, you’ve experienced what it’s like not to have psychological safety. But what exactly is psychological safety, and why…
At Understood, we believe in the power of growth. Our training programmes are built on the belief that growth and development are key to success. One of the most compelling ideas that supports this belief comes from psychologist Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset. Dweck explains that how we view our…
The other day, a visit to the hairdresser got me thinking about customer experience and the value of our time. It made me question: How should companies handle situations where a customer is dissatisfied with their product or service? Is a refund or a redo enough to compensate for…
Distraction is something we all wrestle with – even the most motivated among us. It can strike during a conversation, leaving you adrift in thought…or when you sit down to tackle an essential task, only to find yourself lost in hours of internet scrolling. In “Stolen Focus,” Johann Hari…
Would you like to learn how to regulate your emotions? Well, it’s a skill that can be learned with practice. Inspired by Leonard Mlodinow’s book Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking, it starts with understanding how to accept, reframe, and express your feelings. Step 1: ACCEPT Accept your circumstances. Focus on…
In the workplace, there’s a clear-cut difference between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills. Hard skills are the technical, tangible ones: knowing a foreign language, graphic design, bookkeeping etc. Soft skills are abilities that combine interpersonal strengths, common sense, personality and people skills. Although harder to define, measure, quantify, and assess,…
Where do your suppliers rank in your customer experience pecking order? Do they receive the same level of TLC as you shower upon those who purchase your products/services? Do you respond to their emails as promptly and politely as you would to an email sent to you by your…
Welcome back to our three-part series on communication. In our last blog post, we talked about how our poor conversational habits (e.g. judging, sending solutions and avoidance) can create communication ‘roadblocks’. This time, we’ll discuss how you can improve communication by using active and reflective listening. Let’s dive into…
What are the skills and characteristics of a fantastic customer service employee? What does it take to survive and thrive in the role? It’s certainly not an easy gig – dealing with an increasingly demanding public, day in, day out. But it’s a role that’s valuable and highly rewarding…
