by Steven Maddocks | 13 August, 2026 | Client Skills, Emotional Engagement, Marketing, Pitching, Presentation Skills, Storytelling
I thoroughly enjoyed rereading Emily Wilson’s landmark translation of The Odyssey during a recent holiday in Croatia. It felt appropriate as were just up the coast from Odysseus’s home island of Ithaca. It got me thinking about the story templates Christopher Booker...
by Steven Maddocks | 10 August, 2026 | Building Confidence, Communication, Emotional Engagement, Personal Profile
According to a major report published last week, our failure to include soft skills training in the secondary school curriculum is a significant contributor to the record levels of worklessness among young Brits. We take this seriously at MSB Executive. Over the...
by Martyn Barmby | 28 January, 2022 | Communication, Difficult Conversations, Emotional Engagement
Apologies have been the centre of attention in the UK news recently. What is a real apology, a half-apology or a non-apology? It is a topic we sometimes discuss with our clients. When things go wrong, when is an apology appropriate and how is it best done? These...
by Nicola Hainey | 30 September, 2021 | Body Language, Communication, Emotional Engagement, Networking Skills, Voice
If I were to ask you, “What part of the body do you use for listening?” most English speakers would emphatically shout ‘EARS’. Of course, that’s what gets drummed into us in our infancy. However, the Chinese symbol for listening embodies a far more complex and...
by Steven Maddocks | 8 April, 2021 | Building Confidence, Client Skills, Communication, Emotional Engagement, Presentation Skills, Storytelling
When it comes to speaking with impact, we at MSB Executive are passionate believers in the usefulness of storytelling techniques. Whether you are launching a new product, pitching for investment, or developing your personal or corporate brand, you will increase your...
by Martyn Barmby | 19 March, 2021 | Emotional Engagement, Leadership, Perception, Performance
We’ve recently been coaching a group of Directors from one of the ‘Big 4’ accountancy/consultancy firms to help them with this very thing. Emotional Intelligence (or EI/EQ as it’s often referred to) is an essential component for successful leadership. What do...
