People, progress and the importance of making time for wellbeing

August has been a month of mixed emotions at Strategic Professionals. We’ve continued to move forward with new projects, training programmes and our podcast, while also being reminded of the importance of looking after ourselves and the people around us.

As summer begins to draw to a close, it also feels like a good opportunity to reflect, reset and think about our own development for the months ahead.

A Sad Goodbye to Alfie

We sadly said goodbye to our much-loved office dog, Alfie, this month. Those of you who had the pleasure of meeting him will know what a character he was, and he will be dearly missed by all of us. There will, however, soon be some new paws around the place. Stanley will begin his training in September – although he certainly has some big paws to fill!

Our Podcast Journey Continues 🎙️

We’ve been back in the podcast studio several times over the summer and have also launched our new YouTube channel.

We’ve already welcomed some fantastic guests, including Julie Wordsey from the Institute of Sales Professionals, Ellie Bateman, an HR Manager within automotive parts manufacturing, and Andy Leake, a SEND Tutor and manager within an education setting.

The conversations have given us the opportunity to explore leadership and management from very different perspectives – and that’s exactly what we wanted from the podcast.

The recordings have also been great fun, despite Sharon’s reservations about being in front of the camera!

One thing our conversations have reinforced is that there is rarely one single approach to good management. Different industries and teams face different pressures, but many of the fundamentals remain the same: listen to your people, communicate clearly, remain adaptable and never stop learning.

ED&I Training Gets Underway

Another exciting development has been the rollout of our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) training with Thomas Dudley Ltd. Claire has been leading the interactive sessions, with the programme set to reach several hundred employees over the coming months.

Effective ED&I training should be about much more than policies or terminology. The real value comes when people can relate the subject to everyday situations – how we communicate, make decisions, manage people and create an environment where colleagues feel able to contribute. For managers in particular, this matters. Inclusive leadership means recognising that different people may need different approaches to perform at their best.

A useful question for any manager to consider is:

“Am I creating an environment where everyone in my team feels comfortable contributing their ideas and perspectives?”

Sometimes a simple question can reveal a lot about the culture we’ve created around us.

Celebrations and Catch-Ups 🎂

It wasn’t all work this month. A very Happy Birthday to Donna! As a team, we’re always happy to find an excuse to celebrate. Sharon, Claire and Donna also combined the latest quarterly meeting with lunch in Birmingham. Getting away from Teams calls and desks occasionally gives us valuable time to talk, reflect on what we’ve achieved and discuss where we’re heading next.

And after a well-deserved holiday in France, Claire is now back at her desk refreshed and ready for what’s ahead.

Why Wellbeing Needs a Place in Your Diary

August has been a challenging month personally for Sharon, which has made wellbeing particularly important. For the past couple of years, she has attended yoga classes three times a week, and that time has become a non-negotiable part of her schedule.

Sharon readily admits that before discovering yoga, her work-life balance was virtually non-existent. Making a conscious effort to prioritise her wellbeing has made a noticeable difference to her mindset, energy and productivity. There’s an important leadership lesson in that.

We can sometimes treat wellbeing as something we’ll make time for once everything else is done. The problem is that, particularly for managers and business owners, everything is rarely done. Wellbeing doesn’t have to mean yoga, a spa day or taking large amounts of time away from work. It could mean protecting your lunch break, exercising, getting outside, setting boundaries around emails or simply giving yourself time away from a screen.

When we continually neglect our physical and mental wellbeing, our ability to concentrate, make decisions and manage pressure can suffer. Taking time away from work isn’t necessarily lost productivity – sometimes it’s what enables us to return and perform better.

So, Sharon’s message this month is simple:

Don’t just fit your wellbeing around your work. Make it part of your schedule.

September: A Time to Think About Development

As children and young people return to school, college and university, September naturally brings a renewed focus on learning. But development shouldn’t stop when formal education does.

It’s a good time for managers and leaders to ask:

What do I want to learn next – and what does my team need to develop?

At Strategic Professionals, we’ll be turning our attention to development opportunities including our CMI programmes, new academies and ISP-endorsed sales training. Professional development doesn’t always need to address a weakness either. Some of the most effective development builds on existing strengths, prepares someone for their next responsibility or gives them exposure to an area outside their current role.

As you plan for the final few months of 2026, consider having a development conversation with each member of your team. Ask them where they want to progress, what they would like to become more confident in and what support would help them get there.

Looking Ahead

August has certainly had its highs and lows, but it has also reinforced many of the things we believe in at Strategic Professionals: investing in people, continuing to learn, making meaningful connections and remembering to look after ourselves along the way.

With new training programmes underway, more podcast conversations to come and plenty of plans for the remainder of the year, we’re looking forward to seeing what September brings.

Here’s to learning, developing and finishing 2026 strongly.

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