A client recently shared with me that she deliberately puts herself in energy-saving mode in January. We do it for our phones when we want to make sure they're running effectively and to save their battery for the important stuff. So doing it for our human selves makes perfect sense. Her deliberate approach gave me a bit of a tickle because my January was the opposite: relentless busyness forced me into low-power mode, focusing only on what was both urgent and important - coaching, workshops...
2 days ago • 2 min read
Networking is such a loaded word for so many people. When I mention it in the coaching room I so often see the subtle signs that someone is very uncomfortable with the idea of reaching out to people for a conversation. The grimace, the slight sideways shift of the eyes, or even an actual 'yuk' escapes the lips. I get it. From our side of the fence, reaching out to someone can feel a bit desperate or needy or it might feel like we’re inconveniencing someone or putting them in a position where...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
I'm feeling like a little squirrel as I write this, gathering my nuts, trying to capture all my snippets of information like podcasts, tools and articles in some kind of mega receptacle so I can keep track of everything. Organisation is not my strong suit, so right now many of my nuts are shoved into my little cheeks. I'm determined to find some good spots to hide them and become more organised once and for all this year. But this edition isn't about my organisational challenges. It's about...
3 months ago • 2 min read
I've always loved the idea of skinning a cat many different ways — not because I'm some kind of psycho but because I can only really think of one way to do it, so it amuses me that the phrase means that there are several ways to do something. I looked up the origins of this delightful idiom, and found some even more horrifying ways of saying that very same thing and suffice it to say, it has its roots in the 1600s when language (and possibly even practice) was often more barbaric than we...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Helping employees with wellbeing is a hot topic in the workplace these days. Some organisations do it excellently, some less so and some not really much at all. So let's look at 27 ways to improve wellbeing in the workplace. I should state, at this point, that I am not a medical doctor so please feel free to ignore my advice (not medical advice, of course!). The first one is for you, and this list is for life outside the workplace too. Sleep hygiene Optimal nutrition Movement Correct hormone...
4 months ago • 3 min read
53406 words. The sum total of many hours tippy typing away on my ugly old keyboard (now replaced with a thocky, wonderfully tactile model). Book and beautiful keyboard - not sure which one I love more.... I feel like I should feel something specific. The 'I-wrote-a-book' feeling that I'm not sure I feel yet. I think that will come at some point later, once the dust and energy has settled in my body and mind. Once I realise that I don't have to think about diagrams, and restructures and...
5 months ago • 3 min read
We often think of LinkedIn as a tool for telling people who we are and what we're up to and, because so many people dislike doing both of those things, the true power of LinkedIn gets overlooked. Instead of scrolling through posts, throwing out a like or comment here and there, you could be putting this super research tool to much better use. This is particularly true for those who score low on the Knowledge of Options dial. It's sometimes difficult to see what's possible when you've become...
5 months ago • 2 min read
In the business school part of my life, I spend a lot of time coaching executive MBA students and others going through executive education programmes. There’s something that comes up frequently in our conversations. They think that the new qualification alone, or even the practical experience that leadership development necessarily facilitates, is going to get them to the next level. But that’s missing a key point. If people aren’t well-versed in career development at senior levels then they...
6 months ago • 2 min read
I recently delivered a webinar on the subject of executive presence, which featured a character we all know and love, our inner chimp. My chimp, Dave, loves to lurk inside my brain, and comes out to play when I feel threatened - usually when I'm feeling like I'm being criticised (even when I'm not). And sometimes, when my wellbeing is low, when I'm tired or over stimulated, I pay attention and let him stop me in my tracks. If you've read Steve Peters The Chimp Paradox, you'll understand that...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Sometimes it's the most uncomfortable thing that needs doing the most. Maybe it's making those calls to the network you haven't activated in a while or having a difficult conversation to reinstate your boundaries with a tricky team member who's trodden on them (again). Sometimes the uncomfortable thing is the only thing that will lead to change. Because staying cosy, wrapped up in a little comfort zone blanket is guaranteed to slow your growth. I get uncomfortable with asking for things from...
7 months ago • 2 min read