Other Skills Blog
Chris Farmer's Leadership and Management Training Blog
Welcome - the purpose of the blog page is to provide you with a never ending source of valuable, practical and entertaining information designed to help you get the best performance from yourself and others.
In these blogs you will find all the information you need to make faster progress in less time and effort. Here you will find all the information you need to achieve your goals. In addition to helping yourself to achieve your goals, you can use the same information to help others to achieve their goals.
Other Skills Blogs
All our blogs contain valuable knowledge and skills.
Here are a few that don't fit in a specific category, but are as equally important and relevant to your improvement and development as an individual.
Other Skills Blogs
Training Should Not be a Box‑Ticking Exercise
24 June 2025
End box-ticking courses. Proper, purposeful training builds communication, leadership and decision skills, raising personal and business performance today.
Continue Reading >How to Improve your Memory
17 June 2025
Improve memory by turning ideas into quick sketches. Learn why drawing lights up your brain, boosts recall by 23%, and how AI can refine your study images.
Continue Reading >Optimum Nutrition
29 April 2025
Discover optimum nutrition: a low carbohydrate, high protein and high fat plan that mirrors body composition and cuts obesity, diabetes and heart risk.
Continue Reading >April is Stress Awareness Month
1 April 2025
April is Stress Awareness Month. Learn why some stress helps, avoid harmful stress, stay in Perfect Balance and join online stress management training today now
Continue Reading >Become a Better Communicator: Three Key Questions
4 March 2025
Learn how three simple questions boost better communication at work. Clarify meaning, get concrete examples, and spot key traits for better decisions every day.
Continue Reading >How to Achieve Work-Life Balance: a Conversation Between Friends
25 February 2025
Learn practical work life balance steps: rate time use, set goals, boost health, manage stress daily. Simple tips help you stay calm, fit and productive.
Continue Reading >Cultural Differences In Communication Styles
18 February 2025
Learn how cross-cultural communication styles differ in words, status, time and body language. Get clear tips and workplace communication training to bridge g
Continue Reading >How Do you Train Leaders and Manage Change?
11 February 2025
Discover leader training for change management. Build an adaptive mindset, practical skills and emotional intelligence to guide teams through rapid tech shifts.
Continue Reading >How to Inspire People With Different Motivational Methods
4 February 2025
Learn why fear and anger fail and how positive motivation built on desire inspires teams to excel. Gain practical tips and leadership training links. Act now.
Continue Reading >Turn Worry Into Plans
4 July 2023
Learn how to turn worry into action with five clear planning steps. Cut anxiety, lift mental health and move towards your goals with proven, easy habits.
Continue Reading >What is the Oscar Coaching Model?
12 April 2022
Learn how the OSCAR coaching model turns vague aims into SMART goals, clear actions and ongoing reviews so you drive personal change and team success.
Continue Reading >Common Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
7 December 2021
Learn how to avoid common management mistakes like micromanaging, shifting decisions and unrealistic deadlines, and build trust and clear results with your team
Continue Reading >How to Improve Employee Retention
16 November 2021
Reduce staff turnover and cut hiring costs by boosting employee retention with praise, fair workloads, flexible work, skilled managers and a strong culture.
Continue Reading >How to Tap Into the Hidden Skills of your Workforce
21 September 2021
Learn simple steps to spot hidden skills, run a suggestion scheme and fund staff training so you unlock employee potential, lift engagement and grow profit.
Continue Reading >How to Create a Successful Remote Training Session
20 April 2021
Master remote training with smart tech, lively trainer delivery and prepared, engaged learners. Follow our tips to run online sessions that match classroom .
Continue Reading >How to Tell Whether an Idea is True
13 April 2021
Use critical thinking steps to test an idea, check facts and spot false beliefs. Apply our nine-point logic checklist to judge expert advice and avoid mistakes.
Continue Reading >Why Do Things Happen?
6 April 2021
Discover Aristotle's four causes and learn a simple map to uncover every root cause behind any problem, from fires to IT faults, so you can solve issues fast.
Continue Reading >10 Ways to Improve Remote Online Training
17 February 2021
Learn ten proven ways to make remote online training lively, interactive and effective. Boost learner engagement, recall and results with practical, easy tips.
Continue Reading >How to Prevent Burnout At Work
15 January 2021
Learn how to prevent burnout at work by balancing workload, prioritising tasks and building social support. Follow pro tips to boost wellbeing and cut stress.
Continue Reading >Selective Perception and Confirmation Bias
12 January 2021
Learn how selective perception and confirmation bias distort judgement, and use three simple questions to widen your view and make better, open-minded decisions
Continue Reading >Remote Teams - Management Techniques
15 October 2020
Struggle with remote team management? Learn six clear steps to build culture, sharpen virtual communication and drive performance in dispersed teams today.
Continue Reading >How to Recover Economically From the Covid-19 Lockdown
24 April 2020
Learn an economic recovery plan to cut costs, boost marketing and adapt your model online. Master business recovery after covid and seize new normal growth.
Continue Reading >How to Understand More
13 March 2020
Learn how analysis, context and picture thinking help you break ideas into parts, rebuild them and boost critical thinking, understanding and quick learning.
Continue Reading >How Do you Know That What you Believe is Actually True?
10 May 2019
Learn 12 ways of knowing, see which sources stand up to logic, data or proof, and build reliable knowledge with simple critical thinking checks. Use it daily.
Continue Reading >Six Reasons Why Leadership Training is Important
5 February 2019
Discover six evidence-based reasons why leadership training boosts team performance, prevents costly mistakes and accelerates learning for managers and leaders.
Continue Reading >Understanding Human Behaviour
28 November 2017
Learn the four simple laws of human behaviour: thought sparks action, pleasure or pain guides it, and long-term thinking turns quick choices into wise results.
Continue Reading >How to be More Confident
1 March 2017
Build confidence with four proven tactics: use positive self-talk, study until you feel skilled, act before conditions are perfect, and treat criticism as data.
Continue Reading >A Christmas Tale
23 December 2016
Remember the Red Devil Action Man toy? Return to Christmas 1970 when a boy’s wish, a failed parachute and a firm dad turned a smashed gift into a life lesson.
Continue Reading >Take Back Control
2 December 2016
Stop blaming luck, leaders or your past. This guide shows how personal responsibility lets you take back control, raise results and unlock a winner's edge.
Continue Reading >How to Make More Money
27 September 2016
Learn how to make more money by producing value, trading it with smart marketing and sales skills, then saving and investing the surplus to grow lasting wealth.
Continue Reading >After Brexit Vote: What is the Plan Now?
24 June 2016
Explore the post-Brexit economy; a free market plan that swaps EU rules for choice, trims red tape and lets 65 million Britons shape their own growth story.
Continue Reading >Natural Law: Use It Or Lose It
27 November 2015
Learn why the natural law use it or lose it drives skill maintenance and personal development, and see how our Black Friday training courses boost your progress
Continue Reading >I Have Made an Amazing Discovery
30 October 2015
Learn how to persuade with ideas, not dry facts. Use the 70/30 rule to plant ideas, spark emotion and back them with proof so your pitches drive action.
Continue Reading >Onus of Proof Principle
11 September 2015
Learn why the burden of proof stays with the accuser, why you can never prove a negative, and how to push back against media claims using sound legal logic.
Continue Reading >How can I Motivate Staff?
10 July 2015
Learn proven staff motivation techniques that replace threats with rewards, goal setting and praise. Engage teams, boost productivity and retain talent.
Continue Reading >Aristotle Blog
17 March 2015Learn how Aristotle philosophy shapes clear thinking: tabula rasa learning, inductive and deductive reasoning, syllogism, and tips to use logic every day.
Continue Reading >Plato's Blog
3 March 2015Explore Plato's theory of innate ideas and perfect Forms, roots of philosophy branches and education theory, and see why he claimed learning is remembering.
Continue Reading >What Could you Learn From Socrates, Plato and Aristotle?
3 February 2015Discover how Socrates' sharp questions and the Socratic method can help you define fairness, think clearly and build better plans, the root of Western philosopy
Continue Reading >Management Training: Delegation
31 October 2014Learn why poor delegation stalls teams and how our six-step management training guide helps you assign tasks with skill, free time and lift profit by 20%.
Continue Reading >Praise and Appreciation
29 August 2014
Learn why staff appreciation and timely praise at work beat cash alone for employee motivation. Discover proven ways to boost team morale with kind words.
Continue Reading >6 Fundamental Management Skills
23 June 2014
Learn six fundamental management skills new managers need: goal setting, clear talk, planning, conflict control, self-drive and leadership. Get tips now.
Continue Reading >Seven Skills of Management Training
18 March 2014Management training gives managers seven vital skills: clear goals, strong communication, smart priorities, plans, action, resilience and the power to inspire.
Continue Reading >Communication Styles for Leaders
23 December 2013Learn why leadership communication hinges on words, tone and body language, and how blending logic with rhetoric turns managers into master communicators.
Continue Reading >Don't you Trust Me?
14 June 2012Learn how to handle 'don't you trust me' questions by shifting the talk from feelings to facts. Use logic, evidence and firm but fair limits to build trust.
Continue Reading >Front Line Management Training
23 March 2012Front line manager training builds planning, complaint handling and leadership skills that lift service and output. Learn why they matter and how to gain them.
Continue Reading >Blog Categories
Accelerated Learning (6)
Accelerated learning techniques are special methods of organising information, so that you can more rapidly memorise and more accurately recall it on demand. Accelerated learning also includes mind mapping and creative thinking techniques.
Assertiveness (5)
Assertiveness is a both a communication style and a mind-set which, when combined, allows a people to express their meaning using just the amount of forcefulness, in relation to their body language, voice tone and spoken language.
Change Management (16)
Change management training is how to use the fact of continuous change, to work FOR you, rather than against you. It is a fact that all improvement implies change, but many people hate change. Change management is about training people to love change as a means of making the future better.
Coaching, Mentoring and Developing Staff (10)
There is a pressing need to develop the next generation of leaders, managers and technical experts. One way to develop staff is through coaching and mentoring. To be an effective coach and mentor is not an easy skill to master. These blogs discuss the skills of coaching, mentoring and staff development.
Communication - Clear Communication (82)
One to the most important facets of communication is clarity. Whenever you write or speak, your words should denote only one possible meaning. If your words can be properly interpreted in multiple ways, then you are creating the conditions for confusion, error and misunderstanding. These blogs discuss the nature of clear communication.
Communication - Listening Skills (6)
Communication includes the ability to attend to, understand and memorise what people say to you. Effective Listening is an active, not a passive process. These bloggs discuss what it takes to be a good listener.
Communication - Nonverbal Communication (8)
Communication includes a large visual component. How you appear, as you speak, makes a big difference to how your message is received. These blogs are about how to best use your body language. (Eye contact, posture, dress, hand and arm gestures, etc.)
Communication - Persuasive Communication (41)
Persuasion is the art of convincing others that your ideas are good, right, fair and practical, and in addition, persuasion includes motivating people to put your ideas into action. Persuasion is a key communication skill that everyone should study. These blogs discuss how to be more persuasive.
Communication - Written Communication (5)
A part of your communication is in the written form. Writing well is a skill that most people do not study, though it is of immense importance. These blogs discuss how you might improve your written communication.
Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People (28)
Conflict is inevitable, and when it occurs, you need to resolve it quickly and efficiently. Conflict management (and handling difficult people) is about managing your communication and your emotions, so that you arrive at a negotiated solution as quickly as possible. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can best manage conflict.
Decision Making and Problem Solving (22)
Decision making is the skill of selecting the best option from many options. And problem solving is the skill at determining the causes and implications of a problem and finding efficient remedies. This series of blogs discusses the elements of effective decision making and problem solving.
Goal Setting (9)
Success is the achievement of a worthwhile goal. And therefore, the first step to achieving a goal is to set it. Goal setting is the starting point of all achievement and is one of the most important topics you could study. This series of blogs discuss the elements of goal setting.
Leadership and Management (153)
Leadership is the art of setting a clear goal and inspiring others to achieve it. Management is the art of organising resources so as to most efficiently achieve that goal. This series of blogs discuss the details of leadership and management.
Mental Health (12)
Mental health is the skill of managing your own mind so as to achieve mental stability and a high degree of rationality. Mental ill health is the opposite, mental instability and irrational actions. This series of blogs, discusses how you might manage your mind.
Motivation (35)
Motivation is an emotion that induces action. Without motivation, nobody would achieve anything of value. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can motivate yourself and others.
Other (45)
Whilst interesting and informative in their own right, these blogs don't fit into a category.
People Management (13)
People management is a combination of skills including goal setting, communication, planning, handling conflict and motivation skills. This series of blogs discusses people management skills.
Personal Development (75)
The best investment you can make is in your own personal development. If you develop your skills, knowledge and experience, then you will maximise your potential to produce excellent results. This series of blogs looks at the details of personal development.
Personal Effectiveness (87)
You are not paid for how hard you work; you are paid for your effectiveness. It is possible to improve your effectiveness and get more valuable work done in less time and effort. This series of blogs discusses how you might improve your personal effectiveness and therefore speed up your rate of progress.
Positive Thinking (9)
The quality of your results is based upon the quality of your actions. And your actions are controlled by your thoughts. To simultaneously improve both your material results and your mental health, it is vital to develop the skills of positive thinking.
Stress Management (4)
Stress can be both good for you and bad for you. Good Stress triggers improvement. Bad stress grinds you down. Stress management is about using stress to help you to improve, and to avoid the negative effects of too much stress. These blogs discuss the various aspects of stress management.
Supervisory Management Skills (4)
Supervisory management skills are a combination of five major skill sets, setting goals, communication skills, planning, performance management and motivation. These blogs discuss the details of supervisory management skills.
Team Leadership (7)
For the most part, we all work in teams. Leading the team effectively can make all the difference to the performance of the team, as a whole. This series of blogs discuss the details of team leadership.
Teamwork (19)
Teams are often composed of people who have very different personalities and skills. In order to perform well, the members of the team must work well together and play to each other’s strengths. This series of blogs covers the importance of team work skills.
Time Management (17)
Time management is about prioritising, planning, organising and delegating, so that, at any moment, you are always adding the most value, and setting the conditions for your future success. This series of blogs investigates how you might better manage your time.