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
Being Theresa May
Empathy is putting yourself in another persons shoes, this is what I imagine it’s like for Theresa May 48 hours or so on from her General Election result. “What have I done? It seemed like a good idea at the time, to call a snap election, but it has gone massively wrong. I feel shattered,…
Read MoreWhat’s possible?
If we put all the knowledge in the World into a circle it would be a massive circle. If I then think about the extent of my knowledge, what I know, it would be an almost infinitesimally small segment of that circle. Then take into account that most of what I know is probably my…
Read MoreJohn and I needed to talk
John is a busy bloke and so am I. He wanted to talk with me so we scheduled a call for two weeks hence at three o’clock. I called exactly on time though he wasn’t there. He rang me back the day after though I was running a workshop. I tried him the day after and…
Read MoreEmails, meetings and travelling
Business people tell me most of their time is spent on e mails or in meetings or travelling. I’ve been reflecting on this and have some ideas: Emails In 1997 I was given my first company laptop. Within a matter of months emails had taken over my life. They were supposed to help me, were…
Read MoreThrashing around getting nowhere fast – an alternative perspective on management
As a swimming machine a dolphin is about sixty five percent efficient, Michael Phelps arguably the greatest human swimmer of all time is about eight percent. Ninety two percent of his effort is lost to friction and turbulence. This post is about management not swimming though stick with me, there is a connection. As a…
Read MoreLearning to dance – a story
Ten years ago Luis decided he would learn to dance. Along with three friends he hired a room did some stretching exercises, played a YouTube video of professional dancers and tried to copy them. Initially his “lessons” would last an hour and follow the same format. As the years went by he extended the hire…
Read MoreIf I was in charge I’d get people joined up
For those working hard right in the middle of an organisation it’s difficult to notice the gaps or overlaps or when things are not joined up. Here’s an example: you are in a busy café for lunch. You eventually catch the waiter’s attention and ask ‘excuse me, what’s soup of the day?’ He hesitates for…
Read MoreTaking my own medicine and not before time!
In the lead up to Christmas I was really excited to be starting a new Delegation4Results Programme with the leadership team of a national contractor though at the same time I was feeling quite stressed. I had had a chesty cough for about six weeks and just couldn’t seem to shift it. The day before,…
Read MoreThe calculus of teams, or is it an art?
When does 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 in terms of a team? Here the people are working against each other and the team output is less than the sum of their individual contributions. It’s dysfunctional though still producing. Getting things done is hard work and…
Read MoreFeeling tired (again)
First issued 15th December 2015 (This is my most read blog post in the last 12 months, its all still relevant so I am posting it again. I’m off to Nice again for Christmas, all the best for 2017) As Christmas approaches many of the people I am working with are feeling tired. A client…
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