Understandably (and with honorable intent) some folks are wrestling with unpleasant decisions they are ‘compelled’ to make just now. Furloughing, redundancies, cost cutting and the raft of other tough calls. What creates a lot of (unnecessary angst) is the assumption that this decision will wreck, upset, upend, finish or ruin...
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Do you know the secret of Being a Good Coach? The secret of being a Good Coach is… ‘Being able to Coach – when you are knee deep in your own shit’ To Coach, add boss, manager, leader, parent, mentor, confidante – in fact, any role where people look to...
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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...
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Some 18 years ago my supervising Coach said ‘Paul, the issue the client comes to you with is never the issue’. As it turns out, she was right and that tip has served me well time and time again, whether facing an individual human being, a Leadership or Project Team...
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The very fact that we call a pause in conversation an ‘awkward silence’ points to a root belief that inhibits our ability to really listen, create rich conversations and hear well. Awkward, therefore bad, therefore needs correcting, therefore fill that space as quick as we can. Nature abhors a vacuum...
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Social capital is defined as the inclinations that arise from networks that want to do things for each other (norms of reciprocity). Shooting the breeze about Social Capital is not the most common conversation you hear in the contractors corridors, the design studio or the partners meeting – but the...
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This is a Huffington Post article on the 6 things you were wrong about introverts. I have made so many of the mistakes and misjudgements it was painful reading. Highly recommended reading for all managers of people. (Don’t click until you’ve finished this piece!) Two bigger issues are at play...
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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...
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The prize for the most disruptive work environment goes to… the work environment! The rush to open plan heaven has created a disruptive hell for some salaried thinkers. People relate in two ways to their working environment. Inwardly focussed people are not phased, disturbed or drained by untidy desks, chatter,...
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Just who is the smartest guy in the room? (male or female definitions apply) There are two types of smart guy in the room; the guy who is the smartest and the guy who is trying to be the smartest. Is Trying to be Leads with questions Leads with answers...
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