Leadership
Is The Monkey Still Relevant? In the world of modern management, the concept of "Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?" by William Oncken Jr. and Donald L. Wass still resonates deeply. Originally published in 1974 and revisited multiple times, this seminal article sheds light on a perennial issue: managers overwhelmed by tasks while subordinates seem to have ample time and energy. Understanding Management Time Today Managers today face a quartet of time demands: Boss-imposed time: Tasks directly mandated by superiors, non-negotiable and swiftly penalised if neglected. System-imposed time: Requests from peers for support, vital for organisational harmony and efficiency. Self-imposed time: Initiatives and tasks originating from the manager themselves, including tasks delegated by subordinates. Team member-imposed time: Requests, questions, or tasks initiated by team members that require the manager's attention or input. The challenge lies in balancing these demands to maximise discretionary time—time not governed by external pressures and crucial for strategic decision-making. The Monkey Metaphor in Today’s Workplace Imagine a manager walking down the hallway, stopped by a subordinate with an urgent issue. Initially, the problem is the subordinate's ("the monkey is on their back"). However, as the manager engages without immediately resolving, the monkey leaps to the manager's back. This shift represents how subordinates can inadvertently burden managers with their tasks and decisions. Practical Leadership Takeaways Empowerment through Initiative: Managers should foster a culture where subordinates take initiative and responsibility. This not only lightens the manager’s load but also enhances team autonomy and morale. Clear Communication: Setting clear boundaries and expectations prevents monkeys from leaping onto the manager's back. Discussions should clarify who owns the next steps and when they should be completed. Time Management: Effective time management is not just about personal efficiency but about strategically using discretionary time to focus on high-impact tasks and strategic priorities. Implementing Modern Strategies Today's managers must proactively manage their time and responsibilities: Appointment-Based Support: Engage with subordinates by appointment rather than ad-hoc interruptions to manage tasks effectively. Documentation and Follow-Up: Use technology and structured communication tools to document tasks and progress, ensuring clarity and accountability without burdening the manager. Training and Empowerment: Invest in training programs that empower subordinates to handle tasks independently and make informed decisions. Conclusion The timeless lesson from "Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?" remains clear: managers must reclaim control over their time by preventing subordinate tasks from becoming their own. By fostering initiative, setting clear boundaries, and leveraging technology, modern leaders can achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in their roles. This approach not only reduces stress but also enhances organisational productivity and employee satisfaction—a win-win for managers navigating today’s complex business environments. You can read the original HBR Article here. Further Enhance Your Leadership Skills If you find yourself grappling with the challenges of balancing managerial responsibilities and empowering your team effectively, consider exploring our Leadership Dynamics Program at Revolution Consulting Group. Designed to equip leaders with modern strategies and practical tools, our program focuses on fostering a culture of accountability, enhancing team dynamics, and maximising leadership potential. Whether you're looking to refine your leadership approach or empower your team to take on greater responsibilities, our tailored coaching and training solutions can support your journey towards becoming a more effective and influential leader. Click here to book an free Triage Call to find out about how our 12 week Leadership Dynamics Program can benefit you. Click here to join our mailing list to get more tips, advice and updates on all things HR and Leadership.
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Do Affirmations really work?
Changing yourself requires ongoing improvement, time, effort, and energy. How many times have you put of a change until Monday, then Monday comes and goes, and you decide to wait until the following Monday to try again? Don’t sweat it, we’ve all done this! The good news is that you can steadily move forward without needing to make a large radical change and scaring yourself in the process. Where should you start? I recommend you begin with your daily routine. The first step is to ask yourself where you want to develop, then ask yourself what is preventing you from doing this? Have you really made the decision to act on your desires or are you still deciding? You wont get traction until you've actually made the decision to take action. Top 7 tips on how to improve 1% every day 1. Just Begin Beginning is the hardest part of anything that you do, but once you have decided on what you want to do (a goal) and put a plan in place, commit to your goal and respect yourself and your goal, as if it was for a client or customer, and follow through. 2. Start Planning Making plans is an essential and daily part of your life whether it’s for your family, work, health or other areas of your life. Find a way to plan that works for you such as: Writing a To Do List Blocking out work, events or other needs in your diary Using an electronic or paper diary or planner, or a combination of both. Having a project progress plan Remember the 80/20 rule of planning your day or completing your tasks on your To Do list. For more info on how to use the 80/20 rule effectively click HERE . Up the anti on your daily planning by updating your To Do list, schedule or diary at the end of each day. That way you will end your day with a plan and wake up with a purpose and you wont waste precious time each morning, wondering what you are going to work on that day. I also find that most of my client calls come in the morning, so if I try and complete my planning phase in the morning, it is constantly interrupted, and my day then becomes scattered. Read more about how to do less and achieve more HERE ! Starting the day with a plan and purpose will lessen the feeling of being overwhelmed or frustrated and lower your stress levels. Take 20 minutes and complete your daily and weekly plan on Sunday afternoon or evening (if your work week starts on Monday) and you will find that you Monday morning blues will reduce and your productivity and confidence coming into each week will improve dramatically. 3. Start with the problems that are hardest for you to solve Why? We tend to do the simple jobs first before focusing our efforts on the tough ones, but by the time the simple activities are completed, we often have little energy left to concentrate on our more challenging projects, which are mostly likely to be your most critical ones. You may then find yourself in the cycle of leaving them until the following morning, then getting distracted by the simple tasks, we use up our energy and concentration and the cycle begins again the following day. If this is your process, you will eventually be trying to finish critical tasks in little time (or missing deadlines), not doing them well and adding a significant level of stress, than if you had got them done when you are most productive and alert. If you can complete the more challenging tasks or projects first, you’ll find the others will be much easier to complete and without exerting much effort. 4. Play music Music can be enjoyable and motivating. If you are having trouble concentrating or need a boost or change to your energy, then music might be able to help. Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.. 5. Read more Reading books do not necessarily have to be about advancing your career, although they can help. There are so many types of books, including audio-books - general-interest, philosophical, cookbooks, self-help, or historical, general literature. By reading (or listening) more, your perspective on things will change and grow as you become more knowledgeable and if you comprehend the universe better, or even learn how to make a kick ass stir fry, you'll be happier. Email me to get my list of must reads (or listens) for both work and pleasure and use Book List as your subject line. 6. Use Affirmations A lot of people think affirmations are airy fairy and don't actually do anything. In fact studies have shown that affirmations have considerable force. Affirmations may feel a bit silly when you say them out loud for the first time, but if verbalising doesn’t feel right for you, then you can write them down. A study published in the journal - Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience talked about what actually goes on in our brains when we regularly use affirmations. The researchers found that we link affirmations to the reward centres in our brain in the same way that we do for winning something, doing well at something or even eating good food. The researchers used MRI to find that practising self-affirmation activates the reward centres–ventral striatum (VS) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) in the brain. To make it simple, these areas are the same reward centres that respond to other pleasurable experiences, such as eating your favourite dish or winning a prize. Lead researcher, Christopher Cascio stated “Many studies have shown that these circuits can do things like dampen pain and help us maintain balance in the face of threats.” So regularly using affirmations does activate and boost areas of your brain that make you happy and positive. If you’re an Affirmation Beginner, here’s a few to get you started: My body and mind are both in good health, and my spirit is at peace. My anger is washed away by a river of compassion and is replaced with love. I have a surge of creative energy that sparks original and interesting thoughts. I am flourishing, growing and developing I'm curious, brave and a strong advocate for myself. I have the power, will, and ability to be the leader I want to be. I forgive myself for my mistakes. It is okay if something doesn’t work out as I planned; I will find another way I am allowed to ask for help I learn from my mistakes Need more affirmation inspiration? I've put together a list of 75 Affirmations for success, work and life HERE ! 7. Choose an activity you enjoy as your reward As humans we are wired to love a reward and often do things consciously or unconsciously to receive those reward feelings in our body or mind. There are so many ways to reward yourself, however I find sometimes the simplest rewards are the most effective. When I reflect on the things I accomplish at the end of each day, while I’m planning the next day, I treat myself to a cup of fancy tea from T2 shop or make a hot chocolate. Through the day, I just have water or normal tea, but I save the fancy tea and hot chocolate as part of my reward and wind down routine. So doing this effectively releases all the reward endorphins and feelings in my body at the end of each day, and I also feel good because I’m getting my planning done for the next day. In turn this helps me close off the day with a routine and wind down much easier after my word day. Celebrating and giving yourself small rewards, actually works just as effectively, if not better than big rewards that you have to wait months to achieve. Takeaway If you start making small modifications to your routine and practices and celebrate the small wins, you will notice a significant positive impact on your productivity, efficiency, wellbeing and happiness. All you have to do is commit to improving 1% every day. Need help levelling up in your work or personal life? Book a time for a free, no obligation, chat to see how I can help you achieve your dreams or check out our most popular coaching packages here .
I don’t know about you but the phrase “work-life balance” actually increases my levels of stress, guilt, and shame! I actually attribute the word gaslighting to this phrase. Gaslighting is loosely defined as saying or doing something to make someone question their own reality. The term work / life balance not only infers we are doing life wrong, but if we are feeling tired, busy, stressed or burnt out that it’s all our own fault and outside contributors such as work, expectations, being a parent and other factors are not part of the problem. Studies have also shown that the term work / life balance actually decreases mental health, particularly in women. The statistics also show that across the world, we currently have all-time high levels of stress, unaddressed mental health issues and burnout. Telling someone that they need work-life balance to manage those stressors and they will be mentally healthy actually fuels anxiety, depression, stress, and eventual burnout. What is stress, anxiety and burn out? Stress - is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from an event, a person, a lifestyle and even thoughts that make you feel nervous, frustrated, angry or overwhelmed. Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts stress can be positive for example where it helps you avoid danger, try something new or meet a deadline. You may also feel stressed in situations like a job interview or performing or speaking in public. Beyond Blue states that stress and anxious feelings are a common sense response to a situation where we feel under pressure, but they usually pass once the stressful situation has passed. Anxiety - is more than just feeling stressed or worried. Beyond Blue also tells us that people with an anxiety condition is when stress o anxiety is more frequent or persistent and is not always connected to an obvious stressor such as a challenge, deadline or situation. It also has ongoing impacts on a person's day to day functioning and quality of life. While each anxiety condition has its own unique features, there could be physical, psychological, emotional and behavioural systems. Burnout - seems to be specifically used in relation to the workplace. It is a syndrome that is often related to chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is normally characterised by three dimensions - exhaustion or low energy, increased mental distance or negative feelings related to your job and reduced professional efficacy and performance. Things that can contribute to burn out are toxic workplace cultures, lack of empathy and compassion from leaders or the workplace at large, lack of psychological safety at work, unrealistic expectations. Why is stress, anxiety and burnout getting worse? During COVID and now in the COVID normal era, there has been added pressures to always to be 'on', productive, available and be perfect in everything we do. The work from home and hybrid working arrangements have also created a gap in leadership knowledge who have not managed hybrid or remote workforces before which has led to some inadvertent micromanaging or worse, absent managing, so people are feeling they are being watched too closely or not feeling engaged or supported by their leaders at all. Studies also have shown that both staff and leaders have taken less annual leave and sick leave over the past 2 years and we have been sacrificing our health and wellbeing to spend more time working or trying to figure out the magic work / life balance equation. What should we be doing? Instead of telling people they need to find or fix their work / life balance and letting them figure it out alone, we need to address the expectations of perfection, available around the clock, provide managers with new leadership skills to manage their changing workforces and provide other tools to help people recognise and manage their emotions and signs of stress, anxiety and burnout. We also need to encourage people to seek out professional support to deal with other factors that stress, anxiety and burn out affects such as gut health, sleep, hormonal imbalances etc. Supervisors, managers and leaders need to start the conversation with their people around workplace stress and get educated on the best ways to support their teams and provide a psychologically safe working environment. Until these discussions and support is normalised, we will continue to see high levels of employee stress, anxiety and burn out and the knock-on effects to businesses will be turnover of staff, difficulty in employing good staff, underperformance and inefficient work practices and increased long term workers compensation claims and absences due to extended sick leave. Ensuring a psychologically safe working environment will enhance employee engagement, foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture, boost innovation, productivity, efficiency, decrease turnover and increase employee happiness. These items also result in a better bottom line and a sustainable, future ready business. If you'd like to know more or need help improving your workplace culture or implementing a psychologically safe working environment, please book a time to talk to one of our experts in this area.
How Leadership and Workplaces are changing? The new generation of leaders are raised on rapid change, technology and the expectation of a team-based, collaborative environment and the manager / employee relationship has become more of a partnership, rather than a boss and subordinate. This new model ranges from providing input to and the execution of strategy, new ideas, business planning, completing day-to-day work and where and how that work is done. In the last 12 months, we’ve seen employees in both in leadership roles and non-leadership roles leaving their jobs and businesses that they’ve worked with for years, looking for better working arrangements, workplace culture, and where they get to have more input into their work life.
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Coach Sally
Sally, has 20 years of human resources and leadership development/coaching experience in specialist business partnering roles and leadership and executive roles. She has a wide-ranging skillset of leadership coaching, training, team and operational management, and career development support.
Introduction HR is one of the most misunderstood roles in business. Some believe HR exists to protect employees. Others think HR’s sole job is to defend the company. Both are wrong. And this misunderstanding is costing businesses money, trust, and talent. For over two decades, I’ve seen organisations sideline HR - treating them as a policy enforcer or an afterthought. The result? 🚨 Employees don’t trust HR. 🚨 Leaders fail to leverage HR strategically. 🚨 Businesses struggle with culture, retention, and performance. But here’s the truth: HR isn’t about sides. It’s about solutions. Great HR drives business outcomes by balancing people and performance. The question is: Are you using HR to its full potential? HR as a Strategic Powerhouse, Not Just a Policy Enforcer The best businesses don’t just "have" an HR department. They embed HR into leadership decisions. HR isn’t just about hiring, firing, and compliance - it’s about: ✅ Shaping culture and engagement (which directly impacts performance). ✅ Developing leadership capabilities (to create stronger teams). ✅ Driving strategic workforce planning (so you have the right people, in the right roles, at the right time). ✅ Maximising financial impact - because people are both your biggest cost and your greatest asset. If your HR function isn’t influencing leadership, growth, and profitability , you're leaving money on the table. HR as a Key Voice on Your Leadership Team Many leadership teams still treat HR as a support function rather than a core business driver. That’s a mistake. Your Chief People Officer (CPO) or HR Director should have the same level of influence as your CFO, COO, or Head of Sales. Why? Because your people strategy IS your business strategy. 🔹 You wouldn’t make financial decisions without consulting your CFO. 🔹 You wouldn’t make operational changes without your COO’s input. 🔹 So why make leadership and talent decisions without HR at the table ? And yet, in many businesses, HR reports to finance, operations, or admin - departments that have their own agenda when it comes to assessing people needs, budgets, and workforce requirements. HR should report directly to the CEO, or Business Owner to ensure people strategy is aligned with business strategy - not just budget constraints or operational efficiency. Because when HR is filtered through another department’s lens, critical workforce decisions become secondary to financial targets, logistical priorities, or admin processes. If your HR leader doesn’t report directly to the top, you may be unknowingly limiting their ability to drive real business outcomes. Are You Using HR to Its Full Potential? Take a moment and ask yourself: ❓ If you have an in-house HR team, are you using their skills and expertise across all areas of your business? Or are they stuck in admin-heavy tasks, when they could be driving strategic initiatives? ❓ If you’re a small or medium business and don’t have in-house HR, why haven’t you partnered with an external consultant? What’s stopping you from leveraging the expertise that could transform your business? In larger businesses, HR should go beyond just ‘HR.’ Under an expanded People & Culture framework, HR should oversee: ✔ Training & Development – ensuring leaders and employees are constantly upskilling. ✔ Work Health & Safety – making compliance, risk management, and employee wellbeing a priority. ✔ Recruitment & Talent Strategy – not just filling roles but attracting and retaining top performers. ✔ Major Projects & Change Management – ensuring workforce alignment with organisational shifts. In smaller businesses , these functions can be outsourced or strategically managed by an external HR consultant working directly with the business owner. This ensures a strong, aligned people strategy, while certain operational roles (finance, admin, or operations) may take on specific HR tasks - as long as they receive the right training, support, and strategic direction. HR isn’t just a department - it’s an investment in your business’s future. Whether in-house or external, make sure your HR function is working at a strategic level, not just buried in paperwork. HR’s Impact on the Bottom Line People aren’t just a cost centre - they are a profit driver. 📊 Labour is often one of the largest expenses in a business - so managing it strategically impacts profitability. 📊 Engaged employees are 23% more profitable , according to Gallup. 📊 Turnover costs 50-200% of an employee’s salary - losing top talent is expensive. When HR has a strategic voice in leadership , businesses see: ✔ Stronger alignment between business goals and people strategy. ✔ Faster, smarter hiring that supports growth. ✔ Better leadership development , reducing costly turnover. ✔ More effective workforce planning , so salaries, training, and hiring are investments—not wasted costs. Final Thought: HR is Not a Department - It’s a Business Growth Lever If your HR function feels like a compliance department , you’re doing it wrong. HR should be a leadership asset , helping your business make smarter, people-focused decisions. So, here’s my challenge to you: 📌 If you’re a CEO or MD - bring HR into the strategy conversation early and often. 📌 If you’re a leader - use HR as a coaching and development resource, not just a policy checker or problem fixer. 📌 If you’re in HR - push for a strategic role in leadership, not just operational support. Because when HR and leadership align , businesses don’t just succeed. They thrive. Want to Develop Stronger, More Strategic Leaders? If you’re serious about building leadership capability in your business, let’s talk. My Leadership Dynamics Accellerator Program helps CEOs, Business Owners, Leaders and HR teams create high-performing leaders who know how to balance people and performance. 📅 Book a free leadership triage call to see how we can help here . 🚀 Save your spot in our next Leadership Dynamics Accelerator Program here . 📩 Send us an email for more information here . Let’s build something stronger - together.
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