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
Feeling 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…
Robert 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…
Who 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”…
Hearts 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…
The 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…
Chronic 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:…
Chris 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,…
Gary, 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 –…
Engineering, Art and Leadership ….. I’m trying to work it out ……
http://upandcomingart.co.uk/pages/time-exhibition Engineering is rational, logical, linear and governed by proven laws of physics. If I take the back off my watch I see an intricate combination of springs and cogs working in a precise predetermined way – engineering is complicated though it has been solved – it’s a “tame” problem. Art on the other…
What coaching means to me
Firstly what it’s not: Telling someone what they should do. I think we should ban the word should. Giving advice or my opinion Judging – good or bad, right or wrong. Providing technical information Counselling – helping to ‘heal’ the past Shoulder to cry on A “course” of formal learning or training Definitely not ‘agony aunt’…