Who are you under (or over) estimating?
Publication: learning | performance | personal brand
In the binge-worthy Netflix TV series, Anatomy of a Scandal, you watch how the relationships between the characters unfold as a politician’s affair unravels and plays out in the press. One of the lead female characters, Sophie Whitehouse, is the politician’s wife. She is trying to figure out what’s happened and the reality of her husband’s […]
Where will you give the gift of time?
Publication: communication | performance | stakeholders
We all know that time is finite, and once it passes by, you can’t get it back. During the COVID-19 enforced lockdowns, we discovered the benefits of a slower pace, and yet a typical lament is that there is never enough time in the day. As the pace of life picks up again, time seems […]
When was the last time you changed your mind?
Publication: decision making | performance | Success
Many years ago, I worked with someone who constantly changed their mind, making working for them exceptionally difficult. While they were a nice person, they never seemed to know what they wanted. Everything required multiple iterations and lots of dead ends. It resulted in loads of wasted time and energy. Worst of all, I never […]
How to make the exit a good one
Publication: organisations | stakeholders | workplace
People joining and leaving teams and organisations is a regular part of the working world. Often, there is a focus on ensuring a person’s entry to the organisation is seamless and welcoming. Yet, a person’s exit isn’t given the same level of care and attention. When a valued employee leaves an organisation to work […]
Never enough? Contentment is the answer
Publication: emotions | habits | motivation
In Anthony De Mello’s beautiful book, The Song of the Bird, he tells the tale of the contented fisherman and a wealthy industrialist. The industrialist is horrified to find the fisherman lying beside his boat and not working. “Why aren’t you out fishing,” he asks. “Because I have caught enough fish for this day”, comes the reply. The […]
What’s your part?
Publication: communication | habits | stakeholders
When your working relationship with your boss is challenging, it’s easy to lay the blame at their feet. Perhaps you have judged them to be ineffective, unethical, power-hungry, a bully, a narcissist, a perfectionist, a micro-managing control freak, or some other not so lovely adjective that defines how you see them. They may be all […]
How do you do leadership?
Publication: influence | leadership | power
The true character of a person’s leadership comes to the fore in times of a crisis. None more so than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose words when offered safe passage to the US were, “The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride.” Some people in leadership roles play politics for their own gain, so aptly […]
Six Steps to Avoiding Burnout
Publication: happiness | motivation | resilience
2022 is well underway, and for many of us, it feels like we are starting the year with an emotional hangover. Two years of COVID induced uncertainty and lockdowns has left us feeling tired and drained. Even the summer holidays didn’t leave us feeling recharged. While it’s not yet time to write 2022 off, there […]
Do you know what pigeonhole you are in?
Publication: Career Leap | careers | motivation | strategy
Recently, I was helping a friend who was recruiting new people into their team. As we were sifting through the applications, we saw people we had worked with in previous roles. There was an immediate reaction – either positive or negative – to the person. The immediacy of the reaction was there despite it being […]
Are your hiring practices damaging your brand?
Publication: HR | organisations | workplace
Imagine this scenario. You’ve applied for a role with a company you’ve always wanted to work for and it’s your dream job. You rock up to the interview prepared. You walk away from the interview feeling great. You progress to the next round with more interviews and more preparation. It all appears to be going […]