My (mostly) weekly thoughts on leadership, high performance, wellbeing and more.
Have a read through, or you can see a complete index here
Traditionally, preparing for retirement has been all about finances, with the emotional, relational and psychological aspects left ignored. However, some organisations, particularly professional services firms, are now beginning to “actively prime outgoing partners for life after the firm” through coaching.
Read MoreHow could positivity be toxic? It sounds like an oxymoron. Humans do better when we experience roughly 3 positive emotions for every 1 negative one. Most of us have plenty of negative emotions without needing actively to seek them out. Yet we often do cultivate them. That’s toxic negativity… what about healthy positivity? Healthy, authentic positivity allows room for the inevitable negativity we will all experience from time to time.
Read MoreContentment comes from appreciating what I have, rather than focusing on what I don’t. Gratitude for what we have is powerfully good for us. But if that means not striving for new experiences, growth, development, achievement – and yes, material things - well, that’s a turn-off.
Read MoreI recently spoke with three separate people in very different roles and organisations, but each having work issues with some similar themes. Each person is finding significant challenge in their role. They are working extremely hard. Each is very highly skilled but having difficulty making an impact. And each is increasingly unhappy about it.
Read MoreThis week I wanted to share an article by financial planner Mark Cussen on the six stages of retirement. He says that those who “have given serious time and thought to what they will do after they retire will generally experience a smoother transition than those who haven't”.
Read MoreIf your house burns down, it is perfectly natural for you to feel a range of strong, difficult emotions. If you make yourself “wrong” for having these reactions, you are adding more difficulty to the pile. Emotional intelligence is about being able to accept and work with our emotions effectively, not about being sunny no matter what.
Read MoreWhen you envision the road ahead, what do you see? Our mind’s eye can offer valuable clues to what’s going on for us. The metaphors it offers up aren’t usually too mysterious.
Read MoreWhen I turned 38, my dad said something funny. It got me thinking. Just like parents need to remind themselves that their kids are their own person, as fully alive, thoughtful and feeling as they were at the same age, many leaders know their staff are actually people, but on some level they relate to them as adjuncts, resources, less-than.
Read MoreWhy do we wait until ‘the perfect time’ to take a break, when really, we can take one at any time. All we need do is turn off devices, rest our bodies, spend time in nature or relax with family and friends.
Read MoreToo many important sessions turn out to be a waste of everyone’s time. Here’s a few thoughts as to why, and what else is possible
Read MoreSo you don't want to meditate…
The science on the effectiveness of meditation is rock solid. But, I've worked with plenty of people who can't, or don't want to, sit down and meditate. No problem.
Read MoreI have noticed something of a pattern in people I’ve worked with. When their work requires them to focus purely on facts, disregarding things like emotion, gut feel, and intuition, they can become quite unhappy (and unproductive) humans.
Read MoreMost people intend to do a good job. Even the ones that are driving you crazy are unlikely to be doing it deliberately. You are more likely to be able to overcome an issue and maintain an effective relationship if you come at it from the perspective of assuming someone meant well when they did whatever they did.
Read More“I made a conscious effort to avoid smartphone addiction somewhat before the pandemic, but since March, my phone has become another limb. While I use it for all of its intended purposes, I also scroll unnecessarily. I reach for it randomly, without awareness, and find myself staring at the screen looking for … what?”
Read MoreThis week I’ve been thinking about fear versus growth. We’ve had to take some pretty serious physical steps back into safety lately and I’ve been feeling like things had become smaller and more contained. In many ways, that’s true. And I’d been feeling that with each step back, growth was getting further away. On reflection, though, these steps into physical safety have actually taken courage.
Read MoreI’m sure you could readily list the blind spots of multiple bosses you’ve worked for. It’s a little more uncomfortable to consider that your team could do the same thing about you.
To illuminate your leadership blind spots, you need to start with trust.
Read MoreWhen life gives you lemons, make lemonade - or so the saying goes.
But if life gives you lemons, and your eyes are really stinging from lemon juice, it’s ok to say it hurts. Real life is not all sunshine and platitudes can hold us back.
Read MoreMany people retire with a financial plan, a vague idea about a holiday, and not much else.
I’m interested in understanding how people from different lines of work, and of different ages and genders, are feeling about their retirement, and would love you to take 5 minutes to complete this survey.
Read MoreHave you been surprised by positives during lockdown?
While it’s been extremely challenging, it’s introduced some things we are reluctant to let go of.
Read MoreEffective boundary setting is so important for both wellbeing and productivity, but it’s something we frequently find so difficult.
When you say “yes” to something, what are you actually saying “no” to?
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