Team performance

How low confidence shows up as underperformance at work. Why do capable employees underperform despite having the right skills? When leaders talk about “low performance”, the conversation often drifts quickly towards capability, motivation or even discipline. But there’s an alternative explanation that rarely gets named. Sometimes performance dips not because someone lacks skill, nor because they don’t care, but because their confidence has slipped. It creeps in slowly. It hides behind busyness. It disguises itself as personality. And because it isn’t openly discussed, it’s easy to miss. A lack of self-belief is a hidden and quiet problem affecting performance. Leaders feel frustrated. They can see that someone is not delivering as well as they could. They know the potential is there. But they’re at a loss as to how to remedy it. This is where confidence becomes relevant. Low confidence does not always look fragile. In fact, it often looks…

Does workplace confidence training genuinely change how people feel and work, or does the impact fade the moment the session ends? That’s the question Northumbria University set out to answer when it evaluated the Workplace Confidence Training delivered by Bit Famous to the College of Policing. To understand what really happens after a session like this, the researchers followed participants over time. They gathered data before the workshop, immediately afterwards and again three months later. This gave them something rare in workplace training: a clear view of both the immediate uplift and the longer-term effects. The survey results showed measurable shifts in confidence, job satisfaction, peer support and people’s understanding of the tools they’d learned. The study blended two types of evidence. Alongside the numbers were written comments from participants. These qualitative reflections revealed the human side of the experience: what people remembered, how they used the ideas and what…

Inside the study: what we’ve learned from mastermind groups in police leadership. Study into the success of mastermind groups and peer-led learning. At Bit Famous, we’ve seen first-hand how powerful peer learning can be. When colleagues come together to talk openly about their challenges, swap ideas and hold each other accountable, something clicks. Confidence grows. Problems get solved. People stop waiting for permission and start making things happen. In May 2025, our award-nominated training with the College of Policing (Finalists: Personnel Today Learning and Development Supplier of the Year 2025) became the focus of an independent evaluation by Northumbria University. The study explored the impact of our Workplace Mastermind Groups programme, which introduces leaders to a practical, peer-led approach to problem-solving and professional development. The research ran for six months, tracking more than 80 senior police leaders across England and Wales before their training, immediately after, and again three months…

Colleague-led learning. What if I told you some of the best learning and development in your workplace doesn’t need a big budget, a slick platform or an outside trainer on speed dial? Sounds unlikely, right? But it’s happening. I’ve just been working with a group at Beazley, a global insurance firm. They didn’t wait around for the “perfect” training course on presentations. Instead, they built their own. A colleague-led club, now 100 members strong, where people practise speaking, swap feedback and support each other to go from “just about okay” to truly compelling.…

Have you ever dithered over making a final decision on something? Perhaps choosing one candidate over another, or what to do about the kitchen cupboards falling apart! Maybe you said yes to something, then quickly regretted not saying a firm no. Or you held back when you meant to speak up. Well, all these moments, internal wobbles, are signs you’ve drifted from your values, the things that really matter to you, that make you you. Or, more likely, you’ve never had an opportunity to pin down your values.. Now , imagine what happens when a whole team is out of step with their own personal values. It’s not just the odd regret or misstep here and there, it’s multiple people being slower to make decisions, second-guessing why they’re going in a certain direction, not really leaning into being themselves and being brave. Everyone needs a North Star – and that’s…

Is your town hall meeting in trouble? Why your town hall meeting might be turning people off. You’ve got everyone in the business together. The slides are ready. The execs are lined up. You’re streaming to hundreds of screens. So why does it still feel like a bit of a flop? Town halls should be a highlight – a chance to bring people together, share progress, spark ideas and build momentum. But too often, they miss the mark. Instead of being energising, they’re predictable. Instead of creating a connection, they reinforce a divide. Instead of landing messages, they lose the room. We’ve all been there. Cameras off, minds wandering. A speaker droning through 30 bullet points while you mentally reorganise your weekend. And if you’re the one organising it? It can be disheartening to watch the effort go nowhere.…

Introduction: What is a workplace mastermind group? I want to share an idea with you that’s commonly associated with business owners. Actually, I think it’s something that should be more regularly used in the workplace. That is, mastermind groups at work so your people can solve their problems confidently and build wider networks across the organisation.  There are loads of reasons why they’re brilliant, and often their outcomes are phenomenal in a way that you’d never expect. I’ll go into those in a little more detail in a minute, but a mastermind group is sometimes also known as an action learning set or peer-to-peer mentoring. …

The silent workplace confidence crisis. In my experience, workplace issues around self-doubt are rarely discussed. They’re seen as a private, personal burden to bear. But I would say confidence is a people problem we can all work to resolve. And it’s a bonus to do so, because confident individuals can build confident organisations, that can fulfil their purpose. So, the solution is to actively support colleagues to re-establish their confidence and thrive in the workplace.…

We delve into the art of hosting a meeting, a crucial skill that can significantly impact your career progression. We discuss the difference between just holding a meeting and truly hosting one, and explore various strategies to engage attendees, manage time effectively, and drive productive discussions. This guide will arm you with the tools you need to turn any meeting into a platform for meaningful communication and collaboration.…

How to speak in meetings with confidence and authority. Today, I want to discuss a significant problem: a challenge, particularly for women in meetings. I frequently hear this from the people I work with, as they discuss their actions (or lack of them) during meetings. They become bothered and reflect afterwards when things go wrong. Speaking up in meetings, and ensuring people listen to you are valuable skills to learn. Let’s dive into that today. I’m going to start with five points to cover. Let’s see how we go with those.…

So I get asked all the time, “How do I beat nerves?” Do I still get nervous whenever I’m going to deliver a presentation or a talk in lots of different environments? And I always say that I don’t ever try to beat nerves. There’s no way you can get rid of them because we’re all human, right? So this blog is all about how to support yourself really well while being nervous.…

Audiences crave a more engaging and interactive presentation experience. I recommend breaking free from over-dependency on PowerPoint to explore innovative ways to captivate your audience. In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the process of embracing slide-free (or fewer slides) presentations, I hope it’ll give you some ideas to help kick the PowerPoint habit for good.…