Personal Effectiveness 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.
Personal Effectiveness Skills Blogs
Your degree of Personal effectiveness is one of the most important things about you. We all want to be judged as effective. And any improvement in your degree of personal effectiveness would be of great benefit to you and your family.
You can develop your personal effectiveness by taking active steps to develop yourself in six main areas of activity:
- Setting goals and achieving them
- Communicating in clear convincing and inspirational manner
- Planning ahead, preparation and prevention of avoidable error
- Handling difficult people, setbacks, criticism and defeats
- Self-mastery: Self-control, self-motivation, and self-motivation
- The ability to inspire positive emotional responses in the minds of others. (Leadership)
If you want to improve your personal effectiveness rating take the above list and work on improving each one.
Personal Effectiveness Skills Blogs
Mental Well-Being At Work
5 March 2024
Enhanced mental wellbeing positively influences productivity, as our actions are driven by the mind. Improving mental resilience, focus, rationality, and optimism leads to better overall performance and increased productivity.
Continue Reading >The Mind-Body Connection
6 February 2024
The mind and body often seen as separate, are integral parts of our being. Actions guided by the mind influence the body and vice versa. To change feelings, change actions; acting confident fosters confidence. Similarly acting happy can improve mood.
Continue Reading >Emotional Management
14 November 2023
Mastering emotional control is vital for a quality life. Diminish fear and foster confidence through conscious thought-evaluation and developing a positive mindset. Actively managing emotions empowers, replacing fear with confidence.
Continue Reading >Why Self-Discipline Matters for Success
10 October 2023
Self-discipline is vital for success: Achieve goals, manage time, beat procrastination, stay strong, build good habits, grow, and control emotions. Start building it now!
Continue Reading >Don't Reward Yourself With Failure
15 August 2023
Celebrate achievements wisely. Opt for value, not calories. Avoid rewards that lead to pitfalls. Choose fulfilling celebrations, not setbacks.
Continue Reading >Actualising Potential: the Power of Purposeful Practice
8 August 2023
Each person holds distinct talents and untapped potential. Yet, realising true mastery goes beyond innate abilities. It entails intentional, purposeful, and diligent practice.
Continue Reading >The Essential Economic Principle to Financial Success
18 July 2023
To succeed as business owners and managers, grasping economic fundamentals is vital. Key principle: "Spend less than you earn and invest the surplus in value-generating assets."
Continue Reading >Water: your Essential Partner for Outstanding Workplace Performance
27 June 2023
Water: neglected yet essential. Beyond quenching thirst, it fuels workplace performance with biological intricacies. Don't underestimate its power in our demanding professional lives.
Continue Reading >Reducing Fear and Replacing It With Confidence
25 April 2023
Don't let anxiety and self-doubt stop you from reaching your full potential. Learn how to reduce fear and replace it with confidence. Join us for our free webinar and learn how to master your mind.
Continue Reading >The Rapid Method for Genuine Self-Esteem
3 May 2022
Good mental health is based on achieving genuine self-esteem and self-confidence. The RAPID method helps achieve this by developing rational, active, purposeful, independent and disciplined minds.
Continue Reading >How to Stop Worrying
12 March 2022
Many people spend too much valuable time, fretting and worrying over things which have happened; or might happen. Fretting and worrying doesn't change anything other than your emotional state.
Continue Reading >Active Vs Passive Mind
26 October 2021
Things don't just happen for a reason. Behind every problem, there is cause. Individuals with active minds, increase their knowledge by asking intelligent questions and by doing so will find the cause of their problems.
Continue Reading >Psychology of Success
24 August 2021
Being successful isn't necessarily about having a good education or being super intelligent. Successful people have success-orientated mindsets. These ideologies can be learnt and practised, so you too, can become successful.
Continue Reading >How to Develop a Resilient Mind-Set
3 August 2021
Being resilient allows you to deal effectively with all the situations that you find yourself in. Learn to evaluate things in a clear and rational way. Evaluate the facts logically and realistically. Learn to ask empowering questions
Continue Reading >Mind Hack to Improve Performance
26 January 2021
To be your most effective, you must concentrate your mental focus on a single thought. Do not ask whether you CAN achieve something, instead ask HOW it can be achieved. This mind hack will increase your performance, your confidence and success rate.
Continue Reading >How to Get the Best Performance From Yourself and Others.
22 December 2020
If we can get other people to give their best performance, then our lives would be easier. But first, we must get the best from ourselves. Here are three ways you can be sure to get the best from yourself and others.
Continue Reading >The Importance of Resilience
3 November 2020
Resilience is what gives people the emotional strength to cope with stressful situations. Resilient people don't focus on the failures, they learn from the setback and move forward. Their resilience protects them from being overwhelmed by stress.
Continue Reading >What is Impression Management?
27 October 2020
Impression management is the art of presenting yourself in a positive way. First impressions do count, especially in interviews and business situations. Learn the art of leaving good impressions wherever you go.
Continue Reading >How to Lift My Mood
6 July 2020
Do you feel as optimistic and positive as you would like to be, or are you constantly feeling downhearted about life? Find out what makes your mind tick. Learn how to change how you feel, by giving your brain exposure to the right stimuli.
Continue Reading >How to Get Reliable Information
29 May 2020
There are plenty of ways to acquire information these days, but how can you be sure that it is correct and reliable? Here are four top tips to remember when analysing the content of any information.
Continue Reading >How to Get the Best From Lockdown
17 April 2020
You might be in Lockdown or in self-isolation, but your goal should remain the same - to get the best from yourself and others around you. A positive attitude plays an important part in getting the best from any situation.
Continue Reading >How to Handle a Crisis Situation
31 March 2020
Panic, overreaction and making irrational decisions will make a crisis situation worse. Instead, take a more rational approach and make decisions based on facts. Here are five strategies to take when dealing with a crisis.
Continue Reading >How to be More Self-Disciplined In Six Easy Steps
18 February 2020
Do you wish you could be more motivated and self-disciplined? Doing what you need to do and doing it when you are not in the mood, is not easy. Self-discipline is a learned practice. Here are six steps to being more self-disciplined.
Continue Reading >Six Mind Hacks to Boost your Confidence
14 February 2020
Being confident is something that most people strive to be. You feel able to take on even the toughest tasks when you have confidence in your abilities. Here are six mind hacks to boost your confidence, starting today.
Continue Reading >How to Use the Pleasure/Pain Principle
7 January 2020
Bad habits tend to be pleasurable. Eating unhealthily might be pleasurable at the time, but the long term consequences, could lead to pain, quite literally. This blog examines why wisdom is the art of thinking long term.
Continue Reading >How to be Successful In Six Hours
6 September 2019
Success is not an event, it is a process. By breaking your goals down into smaller steps, you will find that you achieve greater success in the long term. Try the six-hour method of breaking down your day into manageable, achievable sections.
Continue Reading >How to Handle Distractions
30 August 2019
Do you have to suffer people constantly distracting you? Or perhaps your mind just wanders off from the task in hand? Here is our guide to how to avoid being distracted and get things finished.
Continue Reading >How to Improve your Memory
9 July 2019
Do you wish you could remember things more easily? Do you struggle with remembering names? Perhaps you want to learn a new language. We share our tips on how to improve your memory and be able to recall information effectively.
Continue Reading >The Single Best Way to Improve your Brain Power
11 June 2019
Do you have trouble remembering facts and figures? Do you find that you have trouble concentrating on what others are saying? Here is a great way to improve your brain power and your active listening skills.
Continue Reading >The Memory Palace Technique
4 June 2019
Learn how to create your own memory palace with this practical walkthrough from management training expert Chris Farmer. Improve your memory today!
Continue Reading >Sustainable Success
31 May 2019
To achieve success you must work hard, but you must be able to sustain your efforts over many years to be successful. You are a limited resource facing an unlimited demand, so you must learn to find the correct balance between work and recuperation.
Continue Reading >How to Improve your Life
3 May 2019
Do you want to be more successful, productive and healthier? Then you need to adopt the attitude that if you should, you must. This simple rule really is a game changer, but many people follow their whims, rather than logic.
Continue Reading >The Art of Clear Thinking
23 April 2019
Being able to think clearly is a useful skill. Learn how to distinguish the difference between arbitrary and possible statements. Seek evidence to support claims that others make, and back up your own points with facts.
Continue Reading >How to Respond to a Negative Situation
9 April 2019
Many people do not respond well to negative feedback, feeling that it is personal criticism. Sometimes feedback may turn to conflict, which in turn can lead to anger and upset. Take a look at our guide as to how to handle these negative situations.
Continue Reading >Having the Last Word
22 January 2019
Many people have to have the last word in an argument, maybe it makes them feel powerful, or perhaps they just like arguing. By letting them have the last word, you then become the one with the empowerment, indicating that the discussion is closed.
Continue Reading >Do you Know When to Stop?
11 January 2019
Do you know when it is time to stop arguing? Do you joke at other's expense? Are you inclined to eat or drink too much? Perhaps you are a workaholic. Whatever your weakness, it is important to know when to stop.
Continue Reading >How to Manage your Emotions
18 December 2018
If you want to control your emotions, you first have to understand why you feel the way you do. Only then can you start to make positive steps towards taking control of the way you feel and react. Be the master of your emotions!
Continue Reading >How to Think Straight
23 November 2018
Thinking straight is the ability to analyse and interpret the facts, in a rational and logical way. Training yourself to think straight, will help you avoid jumping to incorrect conclusions, and keep your head while all about you are losing theirs.
Continue Reading >How to Make the Most of your Journey to Work
6 November 2018
Commuting to work can be tedious and mind-numbingly boring. So, we have put together some suggestions on how you can make the most of your down time stuck in traffic, or waiting for the train. Use your down time to improve yourself.
Continue Reading >What is Autosuggestion?
19 October 2018
You can improve your negative thoughts by conscious self-talk. Overwrite your disempowering thoughts with positive new instructions. Improve the way you feel and act, in situations you have previously found difficult.
Continue Reading >Theory and Practice
28 August 2018
You can make some progress using trial and error, but it can be fraught with danger. To achieve a more reliable outcome, it is far better to use a proper theory and intelligent practice. So what is a proper theory?
Continue Reading >How to Improve your Personal Initiative
17 August 2018
Are you waiting for your life to improve, or for someone else to help you up the ladder? There are many benefits to be gained from acting on your own initiative. Don't wait for someone else to give you permission, do it for yourself, today.
Continue Reading >What is Common Sense?
3 August 2018
Do you make decisions based on instinct, rumour, guesses or fake news? Or do you take a practical, factual approach to life? If so, you have common sense. Common sense is the ability to think logically.
Continue Reading >Problem Solving Skills
31 July 2018
Learning how to analyse problems and working out effective solutions is important to our survival. Teaching problem solving skills to employees will improve workplace efficiency and co-operation between co-workers and customers.
Continue Reading >How to Persuade Someone to Do Something
3 July 2018
There will come a time at work or in your personal life, where you will need to persuade someone to do something, in order to achieve a goal. Here are a few simple tactics you can use next time you need to use your powers of persuasion.
Continue Reading >How can I Stop Feeling So Tired All the Time?
22 June 2018
Are you wondering why you are feeling tired all the time? Would you like to have more get up and go? Instead of giving in to the lack of energy and that sluggish feeling, fight back with these top tips.
Continue Reading >How to Respond to Any Situation
15 June 2018
Many people tend to be irrational or emotional when faced with a problem or tricky situation. Unfortunately, this approach will not lead to the best outcome. Evaluate situations by being logical and rational when assessing all the available facts.
Continue Reading >How can I Make People Like Me?
29 May 2018
Everyone wants to be liked by others. Being honest and trustworthy, is a good start. Here are ten tips to remember if you want to be liked and admired by others. Try one today, you will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Continue Reading >The Power of Personal Initiative
13 April 2018
Personal initiative is a powerful thing, which everyone possesses. By using your initiative you will achieve success. But don't let procrastination get in the way of your personal initiative.
Continue Reading >How to Decide
23 March 2018
Decisions, decisions! We are faced with them every day. From what to eat, to whether we should change jobs. Instead of keep going over the reasons in your head, use this great method to make your decisions easier.
Continue Reading >How to Feel Great Everyday
16 February 2018
The words you use have the power to change how you feel, both in positive and negative ways. Find out how important it is to use the right words, to make yourself feel great everyday and enable you to perform even better.
Continue Reading >What is your Purpose?
12 December 2017
Your purpose is to add value to others, either your boss, your organisation, your customers, or friends and family. If you are able to give value to others, you will get others to willingly cooperate and work with you. A win-win situation all round.
Continue Reading >Distinguish Truth From Falsehood
22 August 2017
Just because a lot of people believe something, does not make it likely to be true! The truth has been argued about since the dawn of time. But how do you determine the truth?
Continue Reading >Self-Control
15 August 2017
Be the master of your own destiny. You need to master yourself before you can master a situation. Therefore you need self-control. Your success is dependent on two things: everything you do, and everything you say.
Continue Reading >The Difference Between an Asset and a Liability
21 July 2017
Do you have anyone in your life who takes a lot, but does not give much in return? Do you have any habits that are holding you back? Are you maximising your assets? Try a quiz to discover how good your work habits are.
Continue Reading >The Benefits of Following a Good Exercise Programme
2 June 2017
Irrespective of who you are, your situation would be better if you improved your physical health. And your health will be improved by the right exercise programme.
Continue Reading >How to be More Efficient
26 May 2017
If it feels like you haven't got enough hours in the day, take a look at these tips in order to make your life easier by becoming more efficient.
Continue Reading >Habit Pattern V Thought Process
9 December 2016
We all develop habits. Habits tend to eliminate the need for conscious thought. Which is fine, if all our habits were GOOD habits, but unfortunately they are not all good.
Continue Reading >How can I Improve My Performance At Work?
22 November 2016
If you want your career to progress, you need to improve your performance at work. Find ways to add more value to more people, and you will succeed.
Continue Reading >Better Emotional Intelligence Training
23 August 2016
Emotional intelligence training is intended to help you understand why people do the things they do, as well as handling negative emotions in yourself and others.
Continue Reading >The Seven Habits of Highly Defective People
22 July 2016
Learn the seven habits of highly effective people.
Continue Reading >Get Better Results by Taking Better Actions
21 June 2016
If you want better results you need to take better actions. So how do you take better actions?
Continue Reading >Make Every Day a Work Day: Every Day a Study Day
14 June 2016
Success is not an event. It is a step by step process. But before you can have success, you have to be willing to pay the price, in advance.
Continue Reading >Be Committed, Consistent and Progressive
27 May 2016
Don't rely on others to improve your current situation. Rely on yourself to make your life better. Commit one hundred percent to improving on your current condition.
Continue Reading >Don't be Afraid to Ask for Help
1 April 2016
Asking for help is not a sign of failure or weakness. On the contrary, the ability to ask for help and to avail oneself of the combined brainpower of the team is a sign of maturity, intelligence and power.
Continue Reading >Operate According to your Plan, Not your Mood
22 March 2016
In order to achieve your goals, it is important to operate according to your plan, not your mood.
Continue Reading >Self-Discipline: Mind Over Mood
17 November 2015
Self discipline makes a big difference to your success. Self discipline is the act of placing the power of your mind OVER your mood.
Continue Reading >How to Develop More Motivation
6 October 2015
We all need sufficient motivation to carry us through the day.The starting point of all motivation is a goal.
Continue Reading >How to Remember People's Names
2 October 2015
If you want to make a great first impression, learn how to remember people's names. This simple 3-step method will help every time.
Continue Reading >Take Pride In Yourself
23 June 2015
Don't confuse pride with arrogance. You can feel good about yourself without being big-headed. Don't let your thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy, use self-determination to empower yourself.
Continue Reading >Emotional Intelligence
15 May 2015
Emotional intelligence is the ability to empathise, or understand and appreciate how another person feels, given their context. Learn how to develop your emotional intelligence.
Continue Reading >Happy At Work
3 March 2015
Your organisation runs best when employees are working in cooperative, happy teams. Teams that possess a "positive mental attitude" are happier and more productive.
Continue Reading >Seven Habits
6 January 2015Seven Habits You are what you habitually do. Your life is composed of a set of routines that you habitually do in response to certain triggers. For example, on most work days, you set your alarm to wake you up at the same time in the morning. And when that alarm
Continue Reading >Know When to Stop
12 December 2014
Everyone needs to know went to stop; waiting for things to change, talking or eating too much, working or playing too hard.
Continue Reading >What Does It Take to Develop Personal Effectiveness?
20 April 2014
Personal effectiveness is a measure of your ability to make good progress.
Continue Reading >Four Personal Effectiveness Training Skills
10 April 2014Four Personal effectiveness training skills In order to get the best from yourself and others what are the skills and knowledge you need to develop? There are many skills relating to personal effectiveness. But we will focus on four essential skills. Four essential personal effectiveness skills. There are four major
Continue Reading >How Good are you on a Bad Day?
31 March 2014How good are you when you are having a bad day? Anyone can be good on a good day. On a good day, when the sun is shining, and the sky is blue, you have lots of cash, all your plans are working, and you are making terrific progress, then it
Continue Reading >What is Self Discipline?
24 March 2014What is self discipline? Self-discipline is the act of mentally overriding your own mood, or momentary desire, and making yourself do what you think you should do, as opposed to doing what you feel like doing. In the sixties and seventies, and even today, Self-Discipline, is not a particularly popular idea
Continue Reading >How can I Have More Energy At Work?
1 November 2013
If you wake up feeling tired, or run out of energy in the afternoon, you clearly need more energy. We take a look at the things that can help you boost and maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
Continue Reading >How can I Improve My Performance?
19 September 2013How can you improve your performance? Question: Do you think that you have reached the peak of your possible potential? Or rather would you like to think that you have yet to discover and actualise the true extent of your powers? Are you as good as you can get, or have
Continue Reading >Personal Effectiveness - Emotional Intelligence Training
7 May 2013Emotional intelligence has two major components. The first element of emotional intelligence training is developing the art of being able to manage your own emotions, so that you are able to achieve the optimum emotional response that is appropriate to the circumstances that face you. The second element of emotional intelligence
Continue Reading >How to Improve your Personal Effectiveness
12 April 2013How to improve your personal effectiveness Your personal effectiveness is a measure of your ability to add value to yourself and others. How can you improve your personal effectiveness and thus make yourself produce more valuable work, per day, in less time and effort? Let us say first that personal effectiveness
Continue Reading >How are you Doing? What an Excellent Question
17 August 2011How are you doing? What an excellent question Last week, my friend greeted me with the question: "Hi, Chris, How are you doing?" The thought struck me "THAT is an important question": "How are you doing?" It is an excellent question I decided to do an experiment and note the various
Continue Reading >How to Cut Costs and Become More Efficient
5 July 2011How to cut costs and become more efficient Here is a good motto to memorise "Complexity and waste thrive on each other" You want to achieve your goals. In order to do that you must: Maximise your productivity Minimise your costs Efficiency is the ratio that relates your productivity to your
Continue Reading >Improving your Personal Effectiveness
7 December 2009Improving Personal effectiveness How to make more progress in less time If you want to make more progress in the least amount of time, then it is important that you work in the most efficient manner possible. How can you ensure that you work in the most efficient manner possible? You
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 (4)
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 (15)
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 (8)
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 (76)
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 (5)
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 (39)
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 (21)
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 (7)
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 (143)
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 (32)
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 (36)
Whilst interesting and informative in their own right, these blogs don't fit into a category.
People Management (11)
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 (72)
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 (85)
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 (8)
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 (3)
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 (6)
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 (16)
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.