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

“Johnny is useless, he needs coaching”

8th November 2024

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

24th October 2024

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

7th October 2024

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.

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Leading with emotion: tap into your team’s brain science

17th September 2024

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

5th August 2024

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)

18th July 2024

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)

11th July 2024

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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How effective communication can transform your leadership style

24th June 2024

This post is about “communication” – a topic of frequent conversation among the execs and leadership teams I work with. In it I share a little of what learnt from when I had a proper job and from the people I coach. Also, I attempt to distinguish between dialogue and debate.
… “it’s all about communication”

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How to be a great mentor

24th May 2024

I got a call from a construction leader, he asked me how to be a great mentor and then we worked it out together. This is kind of the write up, what we arrived at and the key takeaways.

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The pursuit of happiness: helping construction leaders find clarity

21st March 2024

Every now and then big stuff happens and confidence takes a hit. It seems big stuff is happening more and more frequently.
John has lost it, again, he’s frazzled and has had enough. He thinks its just him, then realises its not.
How come? and what to do about it?

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