+44 (0) 7885 336201
enquiries@jayneconstantinis.com

listening

present_box_04
The most precious Christmas gift – no wrapping required (it’s not a scented candle)
Uncategorized

I’m going Christmas shopping today. On my list are a variety of gifts including Ferrero Rochers, a suitcase, a kettle, posh pants and a onesie. Obvs also a brace of scented candles. I can’t wait to see the faces of the recipients when they open them. These are things I know they want because I’ve been listening out all year for small references to coveted items (admittedly nobody ever mentioned the candles but who can resist the subtle aromas of pomegranate and cardamom????). But there’s one gift I want to give everyone this year, even people I won’t ever play…

December 11, 2025 Read more
Zebra
Kiss with confidence – how to engage your audience in the hybrid world
Uncategorized

Hands up who remembers the 1983 pop song ‘Kissing with confidence’ and the classic line “Do you have spinach on your teeth?” Actually, scrap that – many of you probably weren’t even born in 1983!!!!!! I was reminded of that song when I returned from a networking event last week, only to discover that I did in fact have a morsel of spinach on my tooth. It had clearly been there through most of the event, during conversations with numerous people. So why had nobody mentioned it? Why did they find this piece of communication so difficult? At the same…

August 9, 2025 Read more
Pink banana
Don’t panic about AI. You have a human superpower. Chatting
Uncategorized

Am I the only one to be a tiny bit tired of discussing AI?  And, in particular, weary of the ‘catastrophising’ around it? Of course, we know that it will and is already having an immense impact on us – akin to the invention of the printing press, and we must both understand it and learn to harness it. But it’s not the only game in town. On the Today programme this week, advertising guru Sir John Heggarty spoke about its effect on his industry. Yes, it’s going to take away some mundane tasks (and that might lead to the…

June 12, 2025 Read more
IMG_8247
Did we warm to the Easter bunny this year, and was she qualified to deliver the eggs?
Uncategorized

Many of you will, of course, have enjoyed the paper on Universal dimensions of social cognition: warmth and competence as published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences volume 11, number 2!!! I actually have read it (yes, I know I need to get out more), and I was fascinated by the conclusions and their implications for the people I work with. Academics from the universities of Princeton, Northwestern and Lawrence, including the fabulous Amy Cuddy, tell us that people who are perceived as both warm and competent elicit uniformly positive emotions and behaviour from those they communicate with. And, importantly, that…

April 29, 2025 Read more
present_box_04
Trump, the Red Arrows and an overcooked sprout – we need to get better at giving and receiving feedback
Uncategorized

So, the Donald is assembling his team of advisors and cabinet members. All loyal supporters and kindred spirits. None likely to naysay their boss. A gush of ‘yes people’. Of course, he’s not alone in disliking criticism and rejecting negative feedback (such as losing an election). It would seem to be a growing phenomenon, especially among young professionals. They, themselves are telling me in the training room that they struggle to accept constructive criticism; that it makes them emotional and overly defensive. Team leaders, business owners and HR people are confirming that something is going on. For any of us…

December 9, 2024 Read more
IMG_6192
Just one small thing today for a gold medal tomorrow
Uncategorized

I don’t know about you but I was obsessed by the Olympics. I revelled in the technical expertise; I marvelled at the feats of endurance; I was in awe of the dedication, resilience and strength (mental and physical). 32 diverse sports but one thing in common for the ten thousand individuals who took part. It’s often called the ‘aggregation of marginal gains.’ Simply put, it’s attention to detail; identifying the small things we can improve by a tiny degree, to give us an edge over our rivals. In the incredible finish of the men’s 100 metres final, Noah Lyles won…

August 14, 2024 Read more
PURPLE SNOW DROP
TWO MINUTES OF LIGHT – how will you use yours?
Uncategorized

I’ve just ‘phoned an old family friend who’s been ill. She was thrilled to hear from me. The call lasted no more than a couple of minutes. Yesterday, I posted a positive review on Tripadvisor for a hotel I stayed in over the holidays. It took around 90 seconds. Since 21 December last year, I’ve been rather obsessed with the concept of two minutes because that’s how much extra daylight we get each day. In these troubled times, when there’s so much pain and negativity in the world, this has been making me happy. But then I thought – what…

January 16, 2024 Read more
PURPLE SNOW DROP
Why the Victoria Line might not be the best place to display your dirty undies……
Uncategorized

Last Saturday, in the space of five hours, I witnessed three unusual events. Three deeply private conversations conducted in public. The first was in a packed tube carriage. A young couple were engrossed in a heated argument about his (alleged) lack of empathy in the relationship. The girl was upset and angry. He remained mostly silent, and was clearly in a state of excruciating embarrassment. Later that afternoon I cycled past a middle-aged man and his son who were having a forthright discussion while walking across Clapham common. As I pedalled by, the dad was saying “And why is it…

February 1, 2023 Read more
present_box_04
The most precious Christmas gift of all – no wrapping required (it’s not a scented candle)
Uncategorized

I’m going Christmas shopping today.  On my list are a variety of gifts including Ferrero Rochers, a suitcase, a kettle, posh pants and a onesie. Obvs also a brace of scented candles. I can’t wait to see the faces of the recipients when they open them. These are things I know they want because I’ve been listening out all year for small references to coveted items (admittedly nobody ever mentioned the candles but who can resist the subtle aromas of pomegranate and cardamom????). But there’s one gift I want to give everyone this year, even people I won’t ever play…

December 4, 2022 Read more
Inclusive and effective communication – we need to learn to ‘read the air’
Uncategorized

I’ve just finished reading Erin Meyer’s fabulous book, The Culture Map (https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-culture-map/erin-meyer/9781610392761) and I wanted to share some of its content with you because she’s opened my eyes to some surprising and immensely useful tools which can help us all communicate more effectively and more inclusively. Meyer is an INSEAD professor. Her ideas on cross cultural communication draw on three decades living and working around the globe. She’s identified the differences which exist between cultures in 8 areas – general communication, giving feedback, persuading, leading, decision making, trust, disagreeing and scheduling. And her premise is that if we understand these…

September 25, 2022 Read more
1 2