Practical tips. Prompts to get you thinking. The odd rant.

Ever been in a situation where you are defining your goals (objectives, outcomes) and you seem really keen and fired up to do what it takes to reach the goal?  Of course.  And then…have you ever been in the same sort of situation but somehow, you don’t seem that motivated to take the necessary steps… Read more

How do you respond to the stuff that happens?  What do you notice about your motivation and energy levels, and the effect you have on those around you?  We’ve all encountered drains, with their world-weary, seen-it-all- before, tired and often cynical manner.  Drains can sap the energy out of a team at work, or a personal… Read more

Surely it’s obvious, right?  Duh, the people in the room??  Well, maybe.  And who will they be presenting to?  Think about it: the audience for your presentation of course includes the people you will have in the room, but if you want those people to act on your presentation then remember that they in turn… Read more

Kevin Duncan reckons that we could make life – and particularly our working life – so much simpler and easier if we just learned from children.  Children are constantly learning, naturally curious and always asking questions.  Yet as we grow older, we can become hesitant about asking questions, in some cases to the point of… Read more

The sub-title to this book is ‘leadership lessons from the great Antarctic explorer’ – and they’re not kidding.  I’d preface the sub-title with ‘massively inspirational’.  This is first and foremost a ripping yarn, a stirring true story of determination, loyalty, teamwork and extraordinary human courage in enormous adversity.  Even better, the authors draw out the… Read more

Surprise, surprise.  Older workers are seen as less optimistic and more realistic than their younger colleagues. In a recent Department of Work and Pensions report, Professor Dominic Abrams (University of Kent) and colleagues surveyed 6000 UK respondents.  48 per cent of this group viewed age discrimination as a serious issue.  One in four respondents reported… Read more

According to Daniel Pink, carrot and stick methods of motivating people are soooo last century.  So now what are employers, leaders, managers (and for that matter parents) supposed to do? Make some radical changes, according to Pink, because as he says, “there’s a gap between what science says and business does.”  Only when we take… Read more

You want to develop, both personally and professionally.  You’ve asked for training and been told there’s no budget left.  You’re not alone.  Many a budget holder has got part-way through the year to find there’s not enough budget to go round. If you’re affected by this, what can you do?  Here are some thoughts:  Identify… Read more