My Blog
This blog is for me, it’s my sketch pad where I think things through and work things out. Having worked ‘stuff’ out I think it’s good to declare it, so I am sending it to you. Hopefully you will also find it useful.
Latest Posts
Five top tips for construction job interviews
They asked for my top five tips to ace a job interview.
This got me thinking about the interviewer. Are you trying to get the best out of the applicant or are you testing them to see how they are under pressure?
Here’s my top tips to ace it.
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Relationships matter – here’s why
Dysfunction, hassle, nonsense – it’s endemic. People don’t notice it. It’s how it is. It’s all they have ever known.
I’m an outsider. I see it.
There is an obsession with all things technical and departmental – it makes leaders smaller. I think it’s sad.
When the focus changes to relationships great things start to happen.
Jim gets it.
Talking things up? Stop trying to delude yourself and us
People seem to be talking things up everywhere.
Times are tough, fair enough. But constantly talking things up doesn’t work if you are a leader, and talking things down is a culture killer. I’m going to explain why.
There’s also a ‘get real’ alternative for real leaders
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“Johnny is useless, he needs coaching”
We all have “blind spots” – things we are unaware of, opportunities to make better for us or become better.
Coaching is useful.
Here I explain what coaching is and is not and how to find an experienced and qualified coach.
Spot the Industry blind spot …
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Cleaver book review
This one is a bit different. Not written by me.
My Deep and Deliberate Delegation book sells best in the USA. I don’t know why, maybe they ‘get’ the need?
Occasionally, Americans invite me to speak on the subject – early November is my next gig.
My host Todd Stone of The Cleaver Company wrote this book review to introduce my talk. Here it is in full …
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Recommended reads: books about working better with people
People ask me for recommended reading lists. They know I read lots of books about leadership and management and people.
I seem to write a reading list every three years. Here’s my latest one.
If you are interested in giving your best and getting the best from people then this may be useful for you.
Leading with emotion: tap into your team’s brain science
I wrote this as a LinkedIn article in March 2016. It was then current brain science. I was trying to get across the need to acknowledge emotions when dealing with people. 100 LinkedIn articles later I am recycling it cos its still valid even though the brain science may have moved on (or may not have). It’s still relevant though I am concerned we are moving in the wrong direction in terms of how we deal with people.
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Five sure ways to make meetings matter
Our research suggests senior people are wasting several days every month in meetings that don’t help them do their jobs. That creates a serious lag in their organisation’s productivity, and is deadly for morale. But it doesn’t have to be that way
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Six steps to inspire joined-up leadership (full version)
Sometimes I run a programme called Curated Leadership Conversations for execs. Basically, I put a leadership concept, insight or tool on the table (that’s the curation) and we talk about it in the context of their business. It works great.
I have been thinking about how I can give it to you for the price of a few books (Full version)
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Six steps to inspire joined-up leadership (Shorter version)
Sometimes I run a programme called Curated Leadership Conversations for execs. Basically, I put a leadership concept, insight or tool on the table (that’s the curation) and we talk about it in the context of their business. It works great.
I have been thinking about how I can give it to you for the price of a few books. Here is shorter version …
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