Welcome to the Insights Blog

According to Insights research, the best leaders have the agility to switch between a myriad of different leadership styles. They assess the issues and the needs of their people and adapt th...

With a backdrop of social polarisation around the world, for many, work is one of the only settings where people from different walks of life find themselves working together towards common ...

Insights Live Virtual 2025 recently concluded, marking a significant milestone in connecting practitioners worldwide. This three-day event was designed for participants across the APAC, Nort...

Depending on which report you trust, the number of HR professionals experiencing burnout is between 50% and an eye-watering 81% We turn our attention to CHROs… Given that CHROs must balance ...

Google's groundbreaking research back in 2016 into team effectiveness revealed a surprising yet powerful conclusion: psychological safety is the key to team success. At its core, psychologic...

The Edelman Trust Barometer for 2025 revealed a stark reality: Trust in CEOs is at an all-time low and some businesses face an uncertain future. At Insights, we recognise that business leade...

The new annual Gallup study shows that employee engagement in the USA is at a ten-year low. In Europe it remains lower still. We hear about ‘The Great Detachment’ and, post 2022 and coined b...

3 Three approaches to address the topic of change Change. It’s the constant backdrop to all our working lives. No longer an occasional disruption, but a continual force. Whether it’s navigat...

Whether it’s a shift in strategy, new technology, or organisational restructuring, the impact of change is felt at every level- from individuals to teams and to leaders. Successfully managin...

There’s been a real uptick in organisations talking about mentorship in the last year. And no wonder, mentorship is effective, low-cost and, for the most part, a meaningful tactic for high p...

How many leaders could you describe as empathetic? If you’re a leader, do you see yourself as empathetic? It’s a daunting thought to take on a leadership role - generating results, building ...

The C-suite is excited about AI. Expectations around creating efficiencies, product development and more profitable business models due to generative AI are immense. Not just the anticipated...

We’re more connected technologically than we’ve ever been. And yet the need for collaboration and communication grows. In a recent Gallup survey, 20% of US adults reported feeling lonely eve...

Information vacuums in the workplace inevitably fill with gossip or misinformation. Leaders must work to get ahead of that, especially in times of change... Yet even the best leaders struggl...

In our recent blog, The Great Detachment, we reported on Gallup’s 2024 findings showing a worrying lack of post-pandemic employee engagement in the US, and the reasons for this. Just over ha...

Gallup recently reported that employees are as dissatisfied now as they were during the post-pandemic ‘Great Resignation’, only this time they aren't quitting. This new trend - the Great Det...

When it comes to making decisions at work, are you open to hearing the viewpoints of someone decades older or younger than you? Or does it feel more comfortable to get opinions from colleagu...

Leadership can make or break an organisation But, how do you know which leadership style is right for you? Or more importantly, the people you lead... Effective leaders are able to inspire, ...

Have you asked your teams for feedback lately? How would you react if they gave it, warts and all? Could you cope with whole-team feedback fallout? Do these questions make you shudder with d...

Wouldn’t work be easier if we all spoke a common language? The language of colour energies is key to effective communications, especially when things go south... Have you ever wondered why t...

For value-led organisations, Discovery Full Circle drives performance in three main areas… 360s are making a comeback, but before you shudder, today’s version looks different from their fear...

50% of employees leave managers, not companies. 84% believe bad managers create unnecessary stress*. Include colour energies in your onboarding and see the difference... Picture this: One mi...

Picture the scene: your team has just delivered one of the best years of performance your division has ever seen, and the varied collection of characters is gelling well; all tolerant and re...

Insights went back to the drawing board and created a whole new 360 experience... Traditional 360s, where learners compare their self perception to how others (usually supervisors and peers)...

More responsibility at work, especially if it follows a promotion, is as exciting as it daunting...But what if it actually leads to a sense of decreasing control over your time, or your abil...

7. Insights Discovery initiates conversations Insights Discovery helps colleagues understand their personal preferences and behaviour better, both for themselves, and about others. It’s a ps...

There's not a sales person alive who wouldn't want to up their game when it comes to sales conversations. But how many of us can truly say that our sales technique focuses as much on connect...

How does it feel to work where you work? How would you describe your organisational culture? Is there a dominant type of personality? You might view the overriding energy in your workplace a...

Gallup’s State of the Global Workforce report The 2024 Gallup State of the Global Workplace report brings worrying developments in employee mental health to the forefront. The report feature...

Active listening is a pivotal leadership skill, essential for innovation, psychological safety and even employee retention and engagement. Most leaders think they're good listeners, but the ...

The CIPD Festival of Work is an engaging journey into the future of work, brimming with thought-provoking insights from Industry leaders. This year’s event at ExCeL London brought together a...

As a leader, how effective are you at managing conflict at work? Even the best peacekeepers among us find ourselves linked to disagreements we’d rather not be part of. It’s normal that we do...

Coping with organisational change following a defined event is one thing. We know that a new leader, a merger, a new location or a sudden crisis can all lead to stress, fear and change resis...

Should we worry about AI diminishing our contribution and impact at work? It’s a firm ‘No’ from us at Insights. Surrounded by colossal changes in how organisational processes are becoming op...

Ever wondered why certain colleagues are so exacting? They’re the ones who always want to know why and how. They love to question the rationale for decisions and plans, especially plans that...

Ah, that series of lightbulb moments when you read your Insights Discovery profile and realise why some of your workplace relationships work way better than others… Suddenly you have new con...

Pharmaceutical sales reps face big changes in their field. From stringent compliance regulations to a rising tide of generics, the present is daunting enough, yet sales reps must also consid...

Endless research exists on what it takes to be a great leader. It’s often geared to large corporations with shareholders and thousands of employees to lead. But of course, influential effect...

In today’s dynamic business landscape, where talent acquisition, retention, and development are critical to organisational success, HR networking plays a key role in driving strategic initia...

"Hey Alex, could you present this to 700 engineers at the AGM this year?" The moment you hoped would never arrive has finally caught up with you. You’ve been asked to give a presentation to ...

We need to have a conversation on why and how to measure the ROI of your programmes It’s the number one question asked at budget time: What difference has your learning and development stra...

It’s an awkward moment when a new colleague gets your back up. You might perceive them as too direct, overly critical, or overbearing. Or perhaps they’re the ‘type’ who doesn’t seem to liste...

Boosting employee engagement is often at the forefront of HR and management initiatives, resulting in countless surveys, meetings, reward schemes and other new programmes. But the simplest w...

Unlock the potential of your fourth colour energy... In the realm of self-awareness, understanding your primary colour energy is merely scratching the surface. It serves as a compass guiding...

This post is an excerpt from the Five Steps to Transform into a Visionary Leaders workbook. The full workbook is available as part of the Insights Leadership Info Pack. A recent University o...

In 2017, Google launched a ground-breaking study to figure out what drove teams to succeed. The answer was transcendent: Once considered a “soft skill”, psychological safety was now the sing...

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the multitude of events that cause workplace change. And even though it’s well documented that only a third of corporate change projects are successful*, the...

As a leader, you set the tone for the team you manage. A good leader knows how to motivate their employees, communicate well and make the right decisions, while encouraging a positive enviro...

Change can bring out intense reactions. We’ve all met colleagues who seem to relish new challenges and situations and who keep an open mind about the impact of change. They seize the moment,...

Do you still enjoy being a leader? If not, read on... Whether you took the helm recently and are responsible for a small team, or you’ve been leading large, complex teams for decades, are yo...

The landscape of Human Resources is evolving at a rapid pace, propelled by technological innovations and shifting workplace dynamics. As we head into 2024, it’s imperative for HR executives ...

How leaders can foster trust and transform employee experiences by changing their own leadership approach According to Gartner, in 2016, 74% of employees were willing to change their behavio...

“I can’t change who I am”, yet success lies in how we deal with conflicting values at work How many of us can describe the deep-rooted values and beliefs that determine how we think? Are we ...

Developing self-awareness to navigate work challenges & build confidence It’s hard to feel confident at work 100% of the time. Even the best of us have moments of uncertainty. Ask yourself: ...

The language of colour energies will help you communicate what you’re feeling and get the support you need Stress and change go hand in hand, and both are on the rise. As the pace of change ...

The impactful partnership between Insights and Indeed Read the full ROI report here. In the dynamic and fiercely competitive world of corporate culture, innovative L&D solutions have emerged...

In the pursuit of building diverse and equitable teams, it is crucial not to overlook the critical step of fostering inclusion and belonging. Verna Myers aptly stated, "Diversity is being in...

The Insights Global Report: Managing Hybrid Teams Download the full report here. The world of work is undergoing a profound transformation. So, what’s at the forefront of this revolution? Th...

We’re all unique individuals in life, with different likes, dislikes and perspectives on the world. When putting a team together, having various strengths, weaknesses and areas of expertise ...

The Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2023 report is here. What are the trends and challenges in the working world this year? Read on for Insights’ recap on the annual findings from the w...

This year, Insights are delighted to partner with Kanzen Karate, as a sponsor of the World Karate Championships 2023 in Dundee, Scotland… “The very essence of martial arts is the thirst for ...

When designing training programmes to develop teams, lead with people; not technology In the era of digital transformation, organisations are increasingly leveraging technology to deliver tr...

Awareness = the industry’s biggest theme & biggest blind spot At Insights, we build high performing teams using the power of awareness. Some may say that the high-performance comes from the ...

Why a growth mindset is key to leadership success Fact: Developing a growth mindset is critical to thriving in today’s technological world. AI is quickly becoming ubiquitous in the workplace...

LinkedIn 2023 Workplace Learning Report Recap The last few years have made one thing crystal clear: resilience is crucial. And with resilience, goes the need to empower people by providing t...

Change how you communicate, change the relationship There’s a saying that people don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses. While there are times when an exit strategy is the best move, there are al...

Meta’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg declared that 2023 would be the “year of efficiency” at his organisation. So far, ‘efficiency’ has translated to hiring freezes and mass layoffs. Two r...

Harnessing the power of your fourth colour energy, and other Jedi mind tricks If you’ve participated in an Insights Discovery workshop for building self-awareness, you’ll know the power of u...

Effectively navigating hybrid teams is a balancing act. Is your team at crisis point? Read on to discover the solution to happy hybrid teams… When instructions to ‘work from home until furth...

The proverb ‘every day is a school day’ rings true. Learning is a never-ending process we all experience throughout our lives. After all, how do we grow if we don’t learn? Different learning...

As we got used to slower mornings, working in our comfiest clothes and walking the dog on breaks, it’d be easy to assume that remote work would be the future for most employees in this new e...

Change is hard, but it’s inevitable. There are times in life when the weather takes a turn for the worse and the waters get choppy. It’s how we navigate these winds of change that defines us...

Picture this. You’re communicating with a work colleague, or client, and you hit a wall. They seem off. Their emails are short and curt. You haven’t spoken with them before, and you don’t un...

“It’s fashionable for organisations to speak about their digital mindset, but in reality, it’s not about the company, it’s about the individuals who work there...”   In his recent LinkedIn a...

Parents want to work hybrid or remote, but there are risks to mitigate Flexible working is here to stay with countries like the UK and USA leading the pack in supporting hybrid and remote wo...

New ways of working. New era for teamwork Intentional Collaboration: 5 tips for improving collaboration in the hybrid workplace Hybrid collaboration is something that just ‘happened’. We log...

The concept of ‘Superteams’ in the workplace has been emerging over the last few years, and it’s one that is set to completely transform the workforce in the future. Although the concept cen...

Humans are naturally social creatures, relying on each other for support and wellbeing. Even our ancestors needed good old teamwork to survive and thrive. They lived in groups, sharing food,...

From soft skill to power skill, why awareness can make or break sales success Awareness is like the scrawny neighbour’s kid who went away to college and returned home the 6’4 football star. ...

Why amping up your sales teams’ relationship skills could be the most profitable thing you do this year People buy from you when they know you, like you, and trust you. But is that all? If y...

Gallup: 79% of employees are not engaged We’ve all experienced stress at work in some form or another, yet according to the latest Gallup report, global workplace stress has never been highe...

by Natalie Pearce 1. Purpose doesn’t have to be huge. Live with purpose every day. The ‘grand quest’ narrative that permeates fiction and film can make us think that our individual purpose s...

Individual differences matter in learning outcomes…but maybe not the way you think they do By Dr Tanya Boyd, Insights Learning Architect If I were to ask what your learning style is, you wou...

“Not all individuals are equally skilled at operating within a hybrid environment. The ability to effectively navigate in a hybrid environment is itself a skill and therefore a source of pow...

“If we hope to meet the moral test of our times, then I think we’re going to have to talk more about The Empathy Deficit. The ability to put ourselves in somebody else’s shoes, to see the wo...

Why culture is actually about empathy, and how you can create it in your organisation… We all know it’s something we should care about, but what do we actually mean when we talk about organi...

As we reimagine the world of work, what should we do differently this time around? After months of lockdowns, the world of work is slowly opening back up. And as we consider how that’s going...

Why is psychological safety important and how can you create it? Read on… Making people feel safe at work. It’s a phrase that’s taken on a whole new meaning in the past year in the fallout o...

Do you believe you can bring your whole self to work? Insights Consultant Ian Faulder has switched wheel positions many times over the years and wondered ‘what is causing that?’ and ‘what do...

How can you instil a growth mindset in your team – starting today? Before we start talking about how to equip your team with a growth mindset then we should probably start with the question:...

Written by: Grete Vangsø, Country Manager Insights Nordic Linkedin Many consider the summer holidays as a form of intersection – a well needed break in the middle of the year, where one can ...

Why it’s crucial to add self-awareness into conversations about stress in the workplace… Stress. If there’s ever been a few months that we can unequivocally term ‘stressful’ then these have ...

We recently spoke to Client Practitioner Experience Manager at Insights, Tony Denton, about resilience – and how we can get through the next few months using the language of colour… “What is...

If we want to tackle virtual burnout then it’s important to choose our metrics wisely, because productivity can come at a human cost… Most of us had no idea we’d be working from home for so ...

We explore what resilience is – and what it isn’t – in the context of the coronavirus pandemic… If we want to start a conversation about resilience in 2021 a good place to start is probably ...

Reflecting, adapting, and evolving. What we can learn from the pandemic one year on… It’s been a year since the WHO (World Health Organisation) first made the announcement that the newly eme...

If you don’t invest in people at all levels of the business then you risk losing them. We make the case for why learning should be for everyone… According to one expert, leadership learning ...

We’re eleven months into the pandemic, with more to do and less to do it with. We explore why a ‘bitesize’ approach may be the way to make learning as impactful as possible… It’s a tough tim...

Hitting reset on what it means to be a leader Can you be a leader if you’re not a, b, or c? We explore how great leadership isn’t about changing who you are – it’s about owning your unique p...

Head of New Markets for Insights, Mark Leisegang, reflects on how showing up in a human way can help leaders to adjust – and thrive – in a remote world… The early stages of lockdown were pos...

How the Coronavirus pandemic shifted our perception on who – and what – we value… Coronavirus has forced us to re-evaluate a lot this year. Our perception of a number of things has shifted i...

Why bringing the human touch to your customer conversations is more relevant than ever… More and more often, our first interaction with a brand will be through technology. It may be a custom...

You are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. Like a muscle you can build it up, draw on it when you need it and in that process you will figure out who you really are – and you might ...

What does remote working mean for you? Maybe it’s business as usual, perhaps you’re now working from home more than you did before, or is it a whole new ballgame that you’re struggling to ge...

This week, I’ve found myself exploring the importance of being led by purpose, and not plan. At any given moment, we’re presented with any number of competing priorities and demands. Purpose...

Lately I’ve been exploring the idea of community, because when times are tough, that’s where you should go for help. The question I’ve been asking myself is, ‘How will building community hel...

We all know that times are strange; Coronavirus is changing everything that’s familiar to us, and our working lives are central to the shift. Many, perhaps even most, of us are currently rem...

When you stop for a second and think about how our everyday lives have changed in the past two decades, one word comes to mind – disruption. Technological advancements have disrupted the way...

Remote working has risen over the past few years, and now stands at unprecedented levels. Innovative communication technologies coupled with the need for organisations to act globally by cre...

The last ten years have been a rollercoaster for leaders in almost every industry and country. The economic crash of 2008 had such a profound impact that levels of productivity are still low...

In response to an ever-changing business climate, many organisations are seeking new ways to gain a competitive advantage in their marketplace. Increasingly, Insights works with leaders who ...

Everything in our world is subject to constant change. The world turns while we work, live and sleep; relationships shift during important conversations; business leaders change strategies; ...

Being the CEO of Insights has brought many things into my life – a brilliant mixture of opportunities I’ve grabbed with both hands, challenges I’ve grappled with, and new ways of thinking ab...

If you enter the words ‘data is’ into Google, it autocompletes with these words: ‘the new oil’. It’s becoming quite a familiar suggestion, that data is the oil of the digital age. The analog...

I’m fascinated by the art and science of leadership, especially women in leadership. Some of the current facts about this topic really and properly bother me. For example, the number of wome...

Before organisations began to reach out across the world to new markets, our working lives were much simpler. It’s likely that we sat in the same room as the rest of our team, working as one...

The power of teams transforms; the power of organisations transcends We work with people, teams and leaders, in countries all over the world, in many different industries – healthcare, FinTe...

Did you know that, of all the data that’s ever been created in the world, 90 percent of it was created in the last few years? Or that we conduct around five billion online searches every day...

Are you able to concentrate on your day job, without distraction? If you’re anything like much of the population it’s been a while – and you’re starting to feel it. A recent Gallup study of ...

Hey there! How is your diary for today looking? Do you have meeting after meeting to go to, or will you have time for a peaceful lunchtime stroll? Whether you’re enjoying a quiet spell in th...

September 5th is the International Day of Charity. It sometimes seems like there’s a day for everything – how would you celebrate, for example, Handwriting Day or Something on a Stick Day? B...

Did you know that over 6000 apps are released every single day? So if you need an app for something and it isn’t available, the chances are it will be tomorrow, next week or next month. Ther...

When was the last time you felt alone? Or more than alone - when was the last time you felt lonely? Loneliness can creep up in small ways: when you work alone and realise you haven’t looked ...

When we talk to people about the challenges they’re experiencing at work, there’s usually some kind of bottom line involved. Some organisations are going through a change; maybe a merger, a ...

If you ever pick up a newspaper (how very 20th century!) or read any online business magazine, you won’t be able to escape the news that – look out! – the robots are coming! Every other news...

As a business leader, there are times when you can feel close to invincible. Your strategy is in place. You know who your customers are, and you’ve learned how, when and where to reach them....

When you’re a leader of people, it can be tough to make sure that you know what everyone’s up to at any given moment. If we consider the sheer number of projects, schemes, strategies and pro...

A long, long time ago (like, before we even heard of an iPhone X) human life was lived in communities. We hunted together, cooked together, ate together and cosied down at night together, fo...

As the pace of life in the 21st century seems to speed up and bring us close to overwhelm – with new technologies enabling changes in life and in the workplace all the time – it’s possible t...

Quiet. It’s a small but powerful word. A word that means different things to different people. To an Introvert, quiet might mean peace, tranquility, and the chance to hear their own thoughts...

When we talk about change here at Insights – and we do, a lot – we often quote the statistic which says that around 70% of change initiatives fail. It’s actually a pretty startling number, b...

Think back to your school days for just a minute: what language did you learn? French, German, Mandarin, Spanish? Did you play a musical instrument –the saxophone, the trumpet or even just t...

As a leader, you always need something from your team. Whether that’s engagement, higher productivity, a more creative approach to problem-solving, or just that they all damn well get along,...

At times, the demands of the workplace can feel close to overwhelming. That email must be sent today, those figures were wrong, that presentation wasn’t properly on brand, you forgot to call...

Anyone who is at the top of their game, no matter what that game may be, didn’t get there because they’ve had an easy ride. And nowhere is that more true than in the sporting world. While we...

It’s the start of the New Year and, as usual, there are an abundance of blogs and articles sharing tips on how you can be at your best in the year ahead; how to remain resilient, the most po...

We’ve all known people who are professionally brilliant, but whose personal style and people skills affect their ability to make an impact and progress their careers. So says our CEO, Andy -...

Do you sometimes find that life’s smallest interactions can end up having a unexpected impact on you? I do. Let me explain. Today I stopped on the way to the office to grab a cup of tea. The...

Occasionally there are special, unique moments that come along that blow us all away – and in the world of sport, more than occasionally. There’s nothing quite like being part of the crowd w...

If there’s one thing in the business world that never goes away, it’s the quest to make teams more effective than ever before. After all, great teams build great organisations, and the press...

In our recent blog on innovation we touched on the issue of psychological safety in teams, and it has prompted me to take a closer look into what factors make a team successful. Think for a ...

Teams are the foundation of almost everything we know: most organisations, a great number of sports, even society in general. Human beings have formed teams since the beginning of time, to s...

It takes a special type of person to be a great leader. Or does it? At Insights we believe that with the right guidance and encouragement, anyone can become an inspiring leader – it’s simply...

Sometimes it can feel like the world is against you. Everything you say or do is misconstrued or met with indifference. You're surrounded by naysayers and it seems as if every idea you put a...

Even if you’re only on day one of your journey with Insights, you probably already know about the colour energies. You remember - Fiery Red, Sunshine Yellow, Earth Green and Cool Blue energi...

Learn how to be an extravert, advises the Sutton Trust in a recent report. If you are outgoing and jolly then doors will open for you. You will have better job prospects and a more successfu...

If you’re one of those world-weary cynical types, it may be time to rethink your stance on mindfulness – because it’s not a fad, or the latest trend. It’s here to stay. Companies which encou...

We have all heard these words said by leaders, and now we even see them commonly espoused as corporate values. 'We prize our people’ ‘Our people are key’ ‘Our people are our greatest asset' ...

Often these days I hear people say ‘Oh, I don’t do small talk’. Small talk has a big bad reputation! It can bring us out in a cold sweat as we remember awkward networking events where we str...

It’s a fact that every single team, in every single department, in every single organisation across the world has some issues to deal with. There is no such thing as the perfect team – there...

You may consider yourself a great leader, with a team who respects you and does as you ask, but one of the key currencies that teams trade on is trust. If trust isn’t shared between the team...

As a leader, I bet that you can easily categorise the members of your team if I ask you to. Who are the office heroes, who are the extras and who are the dreaded working dead, the office zom...

I find myself reflecting on what it means to join a company where you’re a senior leader – but also a newbie. It’s a strange mix. Striking the balance between being ready and willing to soak...

Does your workplace encourage mixing the personal with the professional? If not, it could be missing a massive trick when it comes to employee engagement. In his book ‘Vital Friends: The Peo...

Leader's can't be authentic alone What started as a brief overview of what makes an authentic leader sparked great discussions and debates between Steve and I, and made us both realise that ...

Over the past few weeks, I have seen some of the most amazing examples of teamwork that coincidentally both involve music, and both of them have really got me thinking about how the leaders ...

"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative" - Oscar Wilde Stability as a means to business success doesn’t work anymore. The past several decades have seen one thing become more an...

"That’s how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people" - Steve Jobs We all know of the great accomplishments that can be achieve...

Traditional career arcs are becoming a thing of the past - employees are no longer staying with the same organization, or even the same industry for the majority of their careers. This means...

Learning to surface and bring to life the personality traits that already exist within us, is the key to unlocking our full potential... Last week I met a very dear friend for a cup of coffe...

Geeks of the world – UNITE! No more shall we be labeled as shy and introverted individual contributors. It is time the world learns that we have more to offer than just acronyms and technica...

What a difference a day makes... Eight months ago US Marketing Manager Dina Rose began her quest in the USA to help non- profit organizations be more effective in their leadership teams. The...

Great leaders make things happen. They motivate, inspire, innovate and bring out the best in the people around them How to navigate your organisation through treacherous waters without causi...