Emotional maturity


Paying Attention to Meaning.

30

Oct 2018

Paying Attention to Meaning.

‘A man’s life is not made up of the things that happened, but by his memory of them and the way in which he remembers.’ (From Where My Heart Used to Beat by Sebastian Faulks) This is important because our interpretation of memory informs our outlook and behaviours – constantly...

Read More


The Problem is Rarely THE Problem.

03

May 2018

The Problem is Rarely THE Problem.

Mannnnny Moons ago my Coach advised me that: ‘The problem the client brings to the call is never the real problem”. She has proved to be endlessly right. What to do. Start from a position of enquiry and curiosity that the person has not fully dug down to the source...

Read More


You Are Uncomfortable? Good. A Question of Empathy for the Men.

26

Mar 2018

You Are Uncomfortable? Good. A Question of Empathy for the Men.

Either in casual conversations, or, the more formal type of which I get paid, I hear men talking of their discomfort and confusion around women in the workplace. I empathise. I occasionally have those feelings too. The discomfort stems from being not sure what to say or do around women;...

Read More


Climate Changers Required – Apply Within

13

Mar 2015

Climate Changers Required – Apply Within

Could you change the Western Culture in your lifetime? Fat chance. How about European culture? Less fatter chance. How about British Culture? A 400 year project for the Romans. (Cue – what did the Romans do for us...?) How about an industry culture? (A work in progress since Latham’s  Constructing...

Read More


Selling Soft Skills for Tough (ish) Nuts….

02

Jul 2014

Selling Soft Skills for Tough (ish) Nuts….

Picture the scene. The room full of constructions male finest. The speaker extolling the virtues of soft skills capability for the new generation, for collaborating, for bringing woman into the industry for adding value and cutting costs. I despair when soft skills are mentioned. It’s like Pavlov’s dogs. Stimulus –...

Read More


18

Jun 2013

The Worst Vice is Ad-vice.

I have had some awesome advice over the years, some of it I even acted upon… The ‘trouble’ with me  is I really take  advice to heart when I’m ready for it and I ask for it – versus being told what to do or lectured with “you don’t wanna...

Read More


13

Jun 2013

Conflict zones are for losers…

…and the award for the most spectacularly overlooked and misunderstood Project Team irony goes to… “To avoid conflict, you have to confront issues ( with unbending rigour).”   Conflict is a function of the formula: Contentious issues not handled + elongated time = conflict zone. Whereas, Conflict free zone =...

Read More


27

Mar 2013

Battling With Demons.

A case to be made for the value of our demons? The nagging voice of our inner doubts can either provoke propulsion or inertia – depends on your self management choices. “Bloody hell, one day they are going to find out I’m just a standard bloke from Tyneside who has...

Read More