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

So the latest CIPD/simplyhealth Absence Management Survey, published on 05 October, says that stress is now the most common cause of long-term sickness absence. Poor old musculoskeletal problems have been knocked off the top spot. Is anyone surprised? 50% of public sector organisations surveyed reported a rise in this type of sickness absence. Again, no… Read more

Once again, Mr Cook, he of ‘Sex, Leadership and Rock n Roll’, has me laughing out loud whilst underpinning his outrageous common sense with all the right theories, frameworks and models. And he makes it look so damned easy – if only! Thirteen chapters, each one two pages long – what’s not to like about… Read more

First of all, ensure you get some specific examples of where it apparently went wrong, and what a better result would have been in each situation. Keep at it until you are completely clear: too much ‘developmental’, critical or negative feedback is way too vague. Just doing this is a great practice run for your… Read more

It seems that one of the founding fathers of the Positive Psychology movement, Martin Seligman, may be moderating his happiness agenda. His new book, ‘Flourish’, marks a shift from his earlier ‘Authentic Happiness’. He’s recently been quoted as saying, “What humans want is not just happiness. They want justice; they want meaning”. So is it… Read more