The ‘Long Pole’ Approach
The ‘Long Pole’ Approach
What Does Having a Long Pole Have to Do With Managing a Team for the First Time?
Strange question, right? But stay with me — because this simple metaphor might be the one thing that helps new managers “get it” faster than any textbook ever could.
In this week’s Tea Break Coach video, we’re sharing one of those training ideas we invented, loved, debated changing… and ultimately kept exactly as it is. Why? Because it works. It makes the concepts click, the learning stick, and the transition into management suddenly feel far less overwhelming.
If you’re stepping into leadership for the first time — or supporting people who are — this is a quick watch with a big payoff.
And an exciting side note: the book that accompanies our coaching cards, written by me, Sarah Wright, and Laura Barker, is now with its pre-readers. Early feedback has been 🤩
“Short but deep on science and really practical — not sure how you’ve done it but it’s fab…”
Grab a cuppa, hit play, and see why a “long pole” might be your new favourite management tool.
The Threat Response at Work
When certainty disappears, the brain shifts into threat mode — reducing access to rational thinking just when leaders need it most.
SAFE Feedback: Creating the Conditions for Learning
When feedback feels unsafe, learning shuts down. The SAFE approach focuses on creating the conditions people need to hear feedback clearly and use it well.
Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail..
New Year’s resolutions get a bad reputation, but the problem isn’t the goals themselves — it’s how we set and follow through on them. This post shares simple, proven ways to turn good intentions into achievable actions.
