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
On communication
Communication is an issue for teams and organisations; as a topic of concern it gets raised in most of the sessions I do with project and business leadership teams. I have a theory on communication which goes something like this: In our current form humans have been on the planet for 195,000 years. Writing was…
Read MoreWhat are you watching?
I’ve stumbled on a great way to start a meeting. Recently, on a long journey to one, I was listening to some amazing music by an artist who inspires me. It made me wonder what the people I was about to meet were listening to, watching or reading, so when we were all together I…
Read MoreFeeling tired
As Christmas approaches many of the people I am working with are feeling tired. A client told me he’s been full on for six months, is worn out and has had a cold that he cannot shift for the last eight weeks. I’m also feeling tired – 2015 has been a challenging year though work…
Read MoreRobert and the unreasonable man
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the World; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the World to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George Bernard Shaw Here’s an example. In the late nineties I joined a national contractor as operations manager. One of the project managers I inherited was responsible…
Read MoreWho are you?
When I was a young project manager I wanted to be a contracts manager. Every time my boss came to site I would hassle him about promotion. At first he would tell me the skills I needed to develop, which I did over time, then “Dave you need to do a few more big jobs”…
Read MoreHearts and minds
In the late nineties I led a change programme for Wates Construction. Half way into the programme Richard asked me “how do we get hearts and minds buy in?” As the Board member responsible for the delivery of the benefits he was keen for all staff to commit to and adopt the new way. At…
Read MoreThe life blood of the business
As a contractors site agent I was exercised by getting the money in and holding on to it. My boss drilled it into me, he constantly reminded me that “cash is the life blood of the business”. Now, after nearly twenty years as a performance coach I have a different perspective. I think confidence is…
Read MoreChronic confusion
When you hear that someone is chronically sick what do you think? It seems we are confused about ‘chronic’. It’s not high alert, really bad, about to die, intensive care, emergency. Chronic is actually low level and over a long period of time. Here are a few of the chronic conditions afflicting the construction industry:…
Read MoreChris and the importance of social capital
Chris joined the company in the seventies as a young QS. He was quick, bright and an early adopter of what we now call information technology. Throughout the eighties he did most of his own work on a computer, creating and joining up spreadsheets into a system that made his job easier. Slowly, at first,…
Read MoreGary, you are stuck
From bitter personal experience I recognise the signs. You have withdrawn into yourself. You are oversensitive to comments and are not listening to the people that care for you, including your boss by the way. Your ‘everything must be perfect, do it all yourself’ approach is no longer serving you. The evidence is clear –…
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