TaylorMade Academy

18/08/2026

We recently decided to add a couple of kittens to the family.

Like most people, we started looking in the obvious places before stumbling across an independent cat and kitten rescue run by Yvonne from her own home.

We went along to meet the kittens and it got me thinking about something I spend much of my professional life talking about:

Cash flow.

In business, we recognise the warning signs. Rising costs. Slower payments. Falling margins. Unexpected bills. More cash going out than coming in.

And usually, we have options.

Cut costs. Delay investment. Improve collections. Increase sales. Renegotiate with suppliers. Borrow. Restructure.

There is normally a lever somewhere that can be pulled. But what happens when you run an animal rescue? What happens when the unexpected cost isn't a broken laptop or an overdue customer account? What happens when it's a sick kitten?

The small adoption fees Yvonne receives largely disappear straight back into vaccinations, microchipping, neutering/spaying and veterinary treatment.

There is no predictable monthly revenue.

But there is a very predictable outflow.

Food. Litter. Medication. Vet bills. Heating. Emergency treatment. And the animals keep arriving.

In business, when the numbers stop working, eventually somebody makes a commercial decision.

But when the "cost" in front of you has a heartbeat, where do you draw the line?

The mother of the kittens we're adopting was abandoned with six kittens. Sadly, all have been suffering from cat flu and last night one of them didn't make it.

Yet today, the others still need feeding, treatment and veterinary care.

That really struck me.

This is an organisation almost permanently under financial pressure, yet it cannot simply reduce demand, improve margins or decide that this month's "customers" are too expensive.

It is a business model powered largely by somebody refusing to stop caring.

I'm delighted to say we're hopefully adopting two kittens at the beginning of October. The little lady in the photo is one of them, with her future partner in crime hopefully joining her, and us.

Perhaps those of us who spend our working lives talking about cash flow, working capital, efficiency and financial performance can occasionally spare a thought for organisations where the most important KPI is simply:

How many can we save?

If this has struck a chord, I've put the rescue's GoFundMe link below. Even a small donation helps towards food, medication and veterinary bills.

https://gofund.me/c0e666f06

And on a happier note, this little lady still needs a name.

What should we call her?

🐾 Pippa
🐾 Flump
🐾 Nala
🐾 Willow
🐾 Fudge
🐾 Something else?

Suggestions and comments in the chat 👇

07/08/2026

Getting the sale is only half the job. Getting paid is what keeps the business moving.

Get Paid Faster is a practical course for small businesses that shows you how to prevent late payment, chase overdue invoices confidently, handle excuses and disputes, and build a simple credit-control process that actually works.

No jargon. No finance qualification needed. Just practical techniques, templates and tools you can start using straight away.

Stop chasing blindly. Start getting paid faster.

A practical, step-by-step course and downloadable toolkit to help you prevent late payment, chase overdue invoices confidently and build a simple credit-control process that improves cash flow.

06/08/2026

AI is changing finance and operations, but good managers still need to know where it adds value, where human judgement must remain and how to introduce it safely.

AI for Finance and Operations Managers is a practical, jargon-free course covering real use cases, risk, controls, pilot design and responsible implementation, complete with a 15-tool management toolkit.

Enrol now through TaylorMade Academy: https://payhip.com/b/L8mKI

Payhip is the easiest way to sell digital downloads and courses. No technical skills required. Create your own all-in-one digital storefront. Try it free!

04/08/2026

Difficult Conversations at Work
The Conversation You Avoid Today Usually Becomes the Problem You Manage Tomorrow

Most workplace problems do not improve because nobody talks about them.

Poor performance continues. Frustration grows. Standards become less clear. Other employees begin to notice that an issue is being ignored, and the manager gradually loses confidence in their ability to resolve it.

The longer the conversation is delayed, the more difficult it becomes.

Managers often avoid difficult conversations because they are worried about the employee’s reaction. They do not want to create conflict, damage a relationship, say the wrong thing or make the situation worse.

But avoidance is not kindness.

It simply transfers the cost of the conversation into the future, where the problem is usually larger, more emotional and more difficult to resolve.

A difficult conversation does not need to be aggressive or confrontational. It needs to be clear, fair and purposeful.

Instead of saying:

“Your attitude has been poor recently.”

A manager could say:

“During the last two team meetings, you interrupted colleagues several times and dismissed two of their suggestions before they had finished explaining them. This is affecting participation within the team, and I need the behaviour to change.”

The second version focuses on observable facts rather than labels. It explains the impact and creates a clear basis for discussion.

Good conversations also end with specific actions.

Both people should understand:

What needs to change
Who is responsible
What support will be provided
When the change should happen
How progress will be reviewed

Without those elements, a difficult conversation can become little more than an expression of frustration.

Difficult Conversations at Work was created by TaylorMade Academy to help managers prepare for and handle the conversations they are often tempted to avoid.

The course covers giving feedback, challenging poor performance, managing defensiveness, setting boundaries, saying no, challenging senior colleagues and closing conversations with clear actions.

It was written by Paul Taylor, who has spent 30 years leading teams and operations across major international organisations. His career has involved managing complex performance issues, organisational change, customer operations, transformation programmes and teams of more than 350 people.

The aim is not to make difficult conversations comfortable.

The aim is to make managers capable of handling them properly.

Difficult Conversations at Work is available now through TaylorMade Academy on Payhip.

Every manager eventually faces a conversation they would rather not have. An employee’s performance has declined. A colleague’s behaviour is affecting the team. Someone has missed another deadline, responded defensively to feedback or failed to complete an agreed action. Avoiding the conversatio...

03/08/2026

ADHD at Work: A Practical Guide for Managers
“I Need to Talk to You” — Five Words That Can Destroy an Employee’s Concentration for the Rest of the Day

A manager sends a short message:

“I need to talk to you.”

The manager may think nothing of it. Perhaps they want to discuss a deadline, clarify a report or ask for help with a customer issue.

The employee may read something entirely different.

They may spend the next several hours wondering whether they have made a serious mistake, upset someone, failed without realising it or placed their job at risk.

For an employee with ADHD, uncertainty can sometimes lead to significant overthinking, distraction and difficulty moving attention away from the perceived problem. A vague message intended to save time can therefore create hours of unnecessary anxiety and lost productivity.

Clear communication does not require a lengthy explanation.

A better message might be:

“Could we meet at 2pm for 20 minutes to review the Williams report? I want to clarify the revised deadline and agree what support you need. This is a planning discussion, not a disciplinary meeting.”

The subject is clear. The purpose is clear. The employee knows whether they need to prepare, and unnecessary uncertainty has been removed.

Supporting an employee with ADHD does not mean lowering standards, avoiding difficult conversations or removing accountability. It means understanding where workplace barriers may exist and managing the individual rather than relying on assumptions or stereotypes.

Managers still need to address missed deadlines, quality concerns, inappropriate behaviour and inconsistent performance. The difference lies in how they communicate, how they explore the underlying issue and whether practical support could help the employee meet the required standard.

Written instructions, clearer priorities, structured check-ins, fewer competing communication channels and better-defined deadlines can make a significant difference. In many cases, these practices improve performance across the whole team, not just for employees with ADHD.

ADHD at Work: A Practical Guide for Managers was developed by TaylorMade Academy to give managers clear, practical guidance on communication, workplace support, reasonable adjustments and fair performance management.

The course was written by Paul Taylor, a globally recognised financial operations leader, educator and speaker with 30 years’ experience leading large and complex teams across international organisations, global matrix structures and outsourced operations.

Managers do not need to diagnose ADHD.

They need to know what to say, what to do and how to manage fairly.

ADHD at Work: A Practical Guide for Managers is available now through TaylorMade Academy on Payhip.

Managing an employee with ADHD can feel difficult when you are trying to balance support, performance, fairness and the needs of the wider team. You may be unsure what questions you can ask, what reasonable adjustments might look like, how to address missed deadlines or inconsistent performance, and...

31/07/2026

Business Communication Under Pressure
Pressure Does Not Create Poor Communication — It Exposes It

Most people communicate reasonably well when the conversation is easy.

The real test comes when a customer is angry, an employee becomes defensive, a deadline has been missed, a senior colleague disagrees or the outcome matters commercially.

Under pressure, people often stop listening properly.

They interrupt. They become defensive. They rush to justify themselves. They hear criticism where none was intended, or they focus so heavily on winning the argument that they lose the relationship.

Pressure narrows attention.

The person becomes focused on what they want to say next rather than what is actually being said.

That is why strong communication is not simply about choosing impressive words. It is about remaining composed enough to listen, question, clarify and guide the conversation towards a workable outcome.

Consider a customer who says:

“Your company never gets anything right.”

A defensive response might be:

“That is not fair. We have followed the correct process.”

The customer is unlikely to feel heard, and the conversation will probably become more difficult.

A better response might be:

“It sounds as though this is not the first problem you have experienced. Talk me through what has happened from the beginning so I can understand what needs to be resolved.”

That response does not automatically accept blame.

It creates space, gathers information and reduces the temperature of the conversation.

The same principles apply when managing employees, negotiating with suppliers, challenging another manager or influencing senior leaders.

Business Communication Under Pressure was developed by TaylorMade Academy to help professionals communicate more effectively when the stakes are high.

The course covers listening, rapport, objections, difficult messages, expectation management, negotiation and maintaining control of challenging conversations.

It was written by Paul Taylor, a globally recognised financial operations leader, educator and speaker with 30 years’ experience leading large teams and complex operations across international organisations.

Throughout his career, Paul has managed customer operations, major change programmes, senior stakeholder relationships and teams operating in demanding, highly pressured environments.

The course reflects a simple reality:

Communication matters most when it is hardest to get right.

Business Communication Under Pressure is available now through TaylorMade Academy on Payhip.

A practical and academically grounded course for professionals who need to manage challenging conversations with customers, suppliers, colleagues and other stakeholders. Learn how to listen more effectively, uncover the real issue, overcome objections, manage expectations and guide conversations tow...