I’ve never understood why, in some fields, high performance is rewarded by promotion up the management ladder. This creates a unique anomaly whereby the system pulls you away from your area of expertise. You, and the organisation, become hapless victims of your previous success. And, of course, not only does the organisation lose a talented…
Did you sleep well last night? I hope you did – I certainly did. But was it enough? Do you feel relaxed, alert and at ease with yourself and your world? Maybe, or maybe not. Sure, your body got to regenerate, heal and restore itself (if you don’t sleep you die) but what about your…
Employee Engagement doesn’t work… This will be short and sweet: If your employees are disengaged, you’re not going to turn things around through an employee engagement programme. And you’re certainly not going to fix it by asking HR to take responsibility for it. Why not? Because real engagement thrives between people. You and me. EE programmes intrinsically treat…
“Watch out for George – he’ll be trouble…” I’ve heard that phrase, often couched in gentler language, from quite a few clients and I guess I should be grateful to George’s dark side – and that of all his counterparts – for helping to stimulate business. The warnings about George are often followed by a thumbnail…
The Power of ? I’ve been reminded a number of times over the past few months just how powerful questions can be – often more potent than the answers. A recent example of this was a management team looking for answers to some pretty nebulous issues – and I use the word nebulous in the positive…
Have you spent the last few decades striving for Success and battling against Failure? Winning some, losing some? I suspect the answer is probably a Yes, particularly given the business-orientated nature of LinkedIn. After all, we’re all immersed in the free market economy where competition thrives and survival of the fittest sorts out the wheat…
I first heard this line when I was working for a Bavarian engineering business. It was from a cameraman who had been loyal to our products his whole life. When I asked why he didn’t buy competitive products his answer was: I can’t afford to buy cheap equipment The company was uncompromising in putting quality…
Now, take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds… that’s better. Let the indignation and outrage dissipate slightly and prepare for a hopefully reasoned and balanced explanation of this inflammatory statement… Firstly, I need to make a few things clear: I’m an Engineer that has practised engineering and run businesses I couldn’t…
Understanding the simple dynamics of Facilitation can transform the quality of your meetings… Back in May I wrote a polemic (more of a rant, really) on Meetings. It got a pretty good reception, which I largely attribute to the picture I managed to find for it. Now I think it’s time to explore how Facilitation can,…
I had a very interesting chat recently in the hallowed halls of Edinburgh’s Royal Scots Club. I met with a guy who has had professional experiences not dissimilar to my own – usually a good basis for getting on. He was describing how he had taken on a business which needed its rather staid and stagnant…
In my job I come across a lot of people that feel they are Stuck in one way or another: Stuck with: a problem they can’t resolve sales that won’t grow people they don’t like their own behaviour a job they hate no job at all a life that’s unfulfilling a lack of joy and fun…
Why you should forget Charisma – and those that tell you how to get more. A while back a client of mine asked me how he could get more Charisma. I suppose a better verb would be exude – how to exude more Charisma. (It’s already sounding unpleasant). I was a bit taken aback and…