Blog

Our guest blogger this month is Rachel Frost, an Occupational and Coaching Psychologist with extensive experience in personality profiling across public and private sector organisations. Rachel works closely with Understood to deliver the Big Five Personality Programme. _______________________________________________________________________________ For decades people have been told to polish their CVs, stack…

Every time a new strategy on preventing men’s violence against women and girls (VAWG) comes out, I ask the same question: What actually changes on the ground? It is encouraging to see growing national focus and calls to treat VAWG as a national emergency. However, strategies alone do not…

We’re delighted to welcome Jon Stokes, one of Understood’s brilliant consultants and training facilitators, as this month’s guest blogger. A former actor and director, Jon combines strong commercial insight with deep psychological curiosity and more than 20 years of leadership and development experience. He brings a fantastic blend of…

Bus travel remains one of the safest and most reliable ways to get around the UK. Every day, millions of people use buses to get to work, school, or the shops. While most journeys pass without incident, violence against women and girls (VAWG) can occur anywhere – whether that’s…

Over the years, I’ve worked with many organisations and teams, and one thing has become crystal clear. When people understand themselves and each other through the lens of the Big Five, everything changes. Collaboration flows more smoothly. Communication becomes clearer. The day-to-day work feels far less stressful. Even small…

We’re delighted to welcome Sandra Thompson, one of Understood’s brilliant consultants, as our guest blogger this month. Sandra is the UK’s first Goleman Emotional Intelligence Coach and Director of The EI Evolution, and we’re lucky to work with her on many of our projects. The silent leadership skills that…

In the age of Teams, Zoom, and a never-ending scroll of social media, it’s easy to believe that we can build every business relationship online. It’s fast, it’s efficient, and in many cases, it works. But communication, real communication, isn’t just about speed or convenience, especially in business. It’s…

Communication without connection is just noise. Controversial, or correct?  A growing number of corporate leaders are wrestling with this very question. From employee apps to internal newsletters, many companies are investing in tools to ‘reach’ their teams, but far less are investing in genuine connection.   The result? People tune…

What if I told you optimism isn’t just something you’re born with? That you don’t need to be the relentlessly cheerful type to see brighter horizons, even during life’s trickier moments? Practical optimism is less about blind positivity and more about turning hope into helpful action through a positive…

Stress Awareness Month appears on our calendars every April, but what really changes when it’s over? According to the Health and Safety Executive, work-related stress, depression, or anxiety accounts for over half of all ill health cases in the UK workplace. That’s not just a wellbeing issue, it’s a…