Julie Allen Consulting

15/04/2026

Only 1 in 5 employees is engaged at work.

That's the headline finding from Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2026 Report, and the cost to the global economy is $10 trillion in lost productivity every year.

The biggest driver of falling engagement isn't frontline workers. It is managers.
Since 2022, manager engagement has dropped by 9 points. And when managers are struggling, everyone feels it.

The good news? In best-practice organisations, 79% of managers are engaged, nearly four times the global average. The gap between 22% and 79% isn't a mystery. It's an opportunity.

I've written a summary of the key findings for managers and business owners who want to understand what's really going on, and what they can do about it. https://julieallenconsulting.com/the-global-employee-engagement-crisis/

30/03/2026

What a way to finish! 🎉

On Saturday, Marilyn Henderson and I wrapped up the final session of the 2026 Elevate Programme with a look at Course Management Strategies — and it was a brilliant way to close out five weeks of learning together.

We covered everything from nutrition and hydration on the course (Golf Ireland recommends eating every 4 holes — who knew?! 😄), to the rules that can genuinely save you shots, to making sure you're properly kitted out for whatever the weather throws at you.

We also pulled everything together with the pre-shot routine: Assess → Decide → Commit. Simple, but game-changing when you use it consistently.

It's been such a pleasure delivering this programme alongside Marilyn. The group's enthusiasm and commitment across all five sessions has been brilliant to be part of.

The fun continues! ⛳

27/03/2026

Yesterday I had the privilege of presenting to the team at Miscampbell & Co, a firm that's genuinely walking the walk when it comes to employee well-being. They gave their staff the time, the space, and the honest choice to decide whether The Art of Living a Satisfied Life programme is right for them.

I asked the room: how many of you have ever felt like you're running on a hamster wheel — working hard, ticking boxes, but something still feels off?
The response said everything.

The programme isn't about feeling better before you can act better. It's about developing the inner flexibility to live and work in ways that truly matter, even when the uncomfortable stuff shows up.

Seven bite-sized online modules. One individual coaching session. Eight weeks. Skills for life.

Grateful to Miscampbell & Co for investing in their people. Watch this space. 🌿

27/03/2026

What Does a Successful Employee Well-being Pilot Look Like?
Last autumn, I ran a pilot of my online programme, The Art of Living a Satisfied Life, with employees at Clarke, a facade construction company based in Ballymena.

Clarke has kindly given permission for me to share the results, and I think they're worth reflecting on.

The numbers
🔹 100% of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with the programme
🔹Net Promoter Score of +60 - 60% would actively recommend it, with zero detractors
🔹100% rated the one-to-one coaching as valuable, with several requesting additional sessions
🔹40% had already noticed tangible positive changes in their lives
For context, an NPS of +60 is considered excellent in any sector. In employee wellbeing, where engagement and scepticism can both run high, I found it particularly meaningful.

The numbers only tell part of the story
What stayed with me most were the words of the participants themselves.
One wrote that what they had learned was: "That I, myself, am the most important person in my life."

Another described gaining "clarity that work-related stress is the biggest factor in determining my mood and mental state" - the kind of self-awareness that, once present, can genuinely prevent burnout before it takes hold.

These are not small shifts. This is people developing a fundamentally different relationship with their own thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, which is precisely what the programme is designed to do.

How the programme works
The Art of Living a Satisfied Life is a seven-module online programme based on Acceptance and Commitment Training/Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based psychological framework that builds psychological flexibility. Modules are bite-sized, totalling under an hour of content, with two to three days of home practice recommended between each one.

For organisations, the programme is offered as a voluntary employee well-being benefit. Staff self-refer after a short informational briefing session, which means the people who participate are genuinely motivated, and that shows in the outcomes.

Individual coaching sessions can be added alongside the programme for those who want deeper, more personalised support.

Why this matters for organisations
Well-being initiatives are only as effective as the behaviour change they produce. What the Clarke pilot demonstrated is that a relatively short, structured intervention, grounded in robust psychological science, can produce measurable, meaningful results for employees across different roles and backgrounds.

If employee wellbeing is on your agenda for 2026, I'd welcome a conversation about what a pilot might look like in your organisation.

You can reach me at [email protected] or connect with me here on LinkedIn

Most organisations now recognise that employee wellbeing matters. The challenge is finding programmes that actually work, not just tick-box training that employees sit through and forget, but something that creates genuine, measurable change. That's why I created The Art of Living a Satisfied Life,....

12/03/2026

The mental game is often the last thing golfers work on — but frequently the one that matters most.

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of facilitating the first Inner Game workshop for the ladies of The Royal Belfast Golf Club as part of our 2026 Elevate Programme. We started with a simple challenge — don't think about a pink elephant. 🐘

Of course, that's all anyone could think about.

It's a deceptively simple illustration of why telling yourself not to miss a putt, not to go in the water, or not to play badly so often makes things worse. We explored the foundations of Awareness and Acceptance — and how staying present under pressure is a skill that can genuinely be developed, rather than something you either have or you don't.

What struck me most was how quickly the conversation opened up. These are golfers of different abilities and experience levels, but the mental challenges they face are remarkably universal.

This is the second year we've run the Elevate Programme at Royal Belfast, and the engagement from our ladies continues to grow. Workshop 2 will focus on mental strategies for match play and scoring — two of the toughest psychological tests the game offers.

Proud to be part of a club that invests in the whole golfer. 🏌️‍♀️

26/02/2026

This International Women's Day, we're asking women to support women. 💼
At Dress for Success Northern Ireland, we provide new professional clothing to women attending job interviews, work placements, and training programmes, at no cost.

This International Women’s Day, you can make a difference:

👗 Donate new clothing, shoes, handbags, scarves or accessories — tags must still be attached
💛 Make a monetary donation to help us kit out more women for success
Every outfit donated is a woman walking into her interview with confidence. Every donation helps a woman take her next step toward economic independence.
📍 Please get in touch to arrange an appointment to drop off donations at our Belfast or Derry boutiques

📩 Make a financial donation here https://northernireland.dressforsuccess.org/get-involved/donate/

23/02/2026

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a truly inspiring training session on the Science of Hope led by Chan Hellman PhD, from the University of Oklahoma, a global leader in this field.

Chan's work challenges us to think about hope not as a feeling, but as a cognitive process, one that can be measured, developed, and taught. The distinction between suffering, surviving, and thriving really landed with me, as did the reminder that the loss of hope is a process, not an event.

As someone who works with leaders and organisations every day, I was struck by how closely the Science of Hope aligns with the work I do around psychological flexibility and resilience. When people lose hope, they move from anger to urgency to despair to apathy. Recognising that process is the first step to reversing it.

Hope is one of the strongest predictors of well-being.

Thank you, Chan, for sharing your expertise so generously. I'll be taking a lot of this into my practice.

16/02/2026

45% of UK employees can't speak up when they spot mistakes at work.

New research reveals a troubling reality: nearly half of workers feel unable to raise concerns about risks or errors. Even more concerning:
→ 35% don't feel safe asking for help
→ 49% can't express their needs at work
→ 15% have made preventable mistakes due to feeling unsafe

The cost? Errors that could have been prevented. Innovation that never happens. People who disengage rather than contribute.

Here's what the research misses:
Speaking up isn't just about having the "right" policies or procedures. It's about psychological flexibility—the ability to notice discomfort, sit with it, and still move toward what matters.

When teams lack psychological safety, people become rigid. They avoid difficult conversations. They prioritise self-protection over collective success.

The ProSocial Matrix approach I use with leadership teams addresses this differently:
Rather than simply encouraging people to "speak up more," we help teams:
🔷Notice what gets in the way of honest dialogue
🔷Clarify shared values that matter more than avoiding discomfort
🔷Build patterns of interaction that make it safe to disagree, question, and challenge

Creating psychological safety isn't about removing all discomfort; it's about equipping people to move through it together.

If your team struggles with open communication, the issue might not be courage. It might be clarity about what you're moving toward, together.

What's one conversation your team has been avoiding?

10/02/2026

Transforming Lives, One Professional Outfit at a Time 👗💼

I'm currently working with Dress for Success Northern Ireland, and I'm constantly inspired by the incredible impact this organisation has on women's lives.

The women who walk into their Belfast and Derry boutiques feeling uncertain about their futures leave feeling confident, empowered, and ready to succeed.

Here's how YOU can make a difference:
🔸 Donate NEW Professional Clothing - Blazers, trousers, skirts, blouses, shoes, accessories (NEW with tags only)
🔸 Volunteer - Help women feel confident through styling sessions (full training provided)
🔸 Become a Referral Partner - Connect women you work with to their services
🔸 Corporate Partnership - Sponsorship, clothing drives, employee volunteer days
🔸 Financial Support - Every contribution directly changes a woman's future

Whether you're a retailer with excess inventory, a professional with new items still with tags, or a business looking to make a meaningful impact in Northern Ireland, I'd love to hear from you.

DM me or email me directly to explore how we can work together to empower more women across Northern Ireland.

Because every woman deserves the confidence that comes with walking into an interview knowing she looks and feels her best.

27/01/2026

I've been developing leaders for 25 years. Here's what I've learned: The skills that got someone promoted are rarely the skills that make them effective as a leader. Technical expertise? Important, but not enough. Industry knowledge? Valuable, but not the differentiator.

What actually matters:
→ Self-awareness — knowing how you show up under pressure → Emotional regulation — responding, not reacting
→ Communication — saying difficult things clearly and kindly
→ Adaptability — adjusting your approach to different people and situations
→ Building trust — creating safety for others to do their best work

These aren't "soft skills." They're the foundation everything else rests on. The leaders I work with don't need more information. They need space to reflect, tools to apply, and someone to challenge them constructively. That's what good leadership development looks like.

If you're thinking about how to develop your leadership team in 2026, I'd be happy to share some approaches that work.

22/01/2026

Not everyone needs coaching. But some people are exactly ready for it.
Coaching works when someone:
✓ Knows something needs to change
✓ Is willing to look at their own patterns
✓ Wants tools, not just a listening ear
✓ Is ready to do the work between sessions
Coaching doesn't work when someone:
✗ Has been "sent" to be fixed
✗ Wants someone else to change
✗ Is looking for advice, not insight
✗ Isn't willing to try new approaches

In my coaching, I use the ACT Matrix a framework that helps people see what's driving their behaviour, what's getting in the way, and what actions would actually move them forward. It's practical. It's visual. And it works for people who are tired of talking about problems and ready to do something different.

If you're considering coaching for yourself or someone on your team, I'm happy to have an honest conversation about whether it's the right fit.