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VW has always known that there is a commercial benefit to developing a trustworthy and reliable brand. The motor car manufacturer has used the values of trust and dependability in its marketing for years. And it has had huge success. Then, last week, the balloon went up and all that hard work disintegrated practically overnight. The German car giant admitted cheating...

This week we heard the very sad news that Cilla Black passed away. Like all Liverpudlians and everyone else in the country, I was saddened. For us Scousers Cilla is like the queen mum; a much-loved and iconic figure of the whom we are all very proud. Along with The Beatles she was one of Liverpool’s greatest exports.   An emotional...

In this blog post Dave Keeling, Laughology trainer and consultant offers you his top 10 list of teacher thinking skills to create a more free thinking and collaborative environment in your classroom.   It would appear as an outsider looking in that education is quite literally going backwards. As the Conservatives cram us all into a scholastic Delorean and take us...

For the average tourist, the Dutch village of Oudehaske wouldn’t merit a second glance. It’s a flat, unremarkable corner of Holland without the type of canals or ‘coffee shops’ that attract visitors to nearby Amsterdam. If however you happen to be a traffic management engineer, Oudehaske is your Mecca. It is to town planning what Benidorm is to fishbowl cocktails and...

Last week new guidelines from health watchdog, NICE, urged employers to make sure their staff work reasonable hours and take regular breaks along with other seemingly obvious suggestions that will make workplaces happier and healthier. Whether your called a manager, team leader, head teacher or supervisor or just 'the boss', good leaders are the key to creating happier, healthier workplaces. In...

Is it when everything goes to plan? When nobody interrupts you? When you achieve what you set out to achieve that day? If these are your criteria then you may be setting yourself up for a fall. Anyone who’s ever been to a family wedding knows that an event rarely goes exactly to plan, and that a spanner will be thrown...

In this blog post, Juliette Yardley, Laughology consultant and, sometimes sweaty, trainer, explores how 6.30 am gym sessions with 15 other giggly, dancing ladies, can encourage a positive mind-set and offers some top tips when trying something new or getting others to do the same.   Whenever I told people I was in the gym 3 or 4 mornings a week...

Did you know it’s national smile month? If not you can get involved simply by smiling and it’s really good for you. Smiling helps you feel better and it’s contagious. Go on I dare you to see how many smiles you get back this week simply by smiling at others. Pair up with a friend and see who gets the most....

(* double entendre alert) Normally, anyone in the office who implores me to 'have a go on his chopper*' gets the sharp end of an HR beasting. However, in this instance, as I was grumpy and the rest of the team were goading me I felt pressured to comply. And guess what: I enjoyed it. At this juncture you need some...