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 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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Get fit for management by developing ‘real’ skills

22nd February 2024

Fit for management is showing up as your best self and getting the best out of others. It’s about the so-called ‘soft skills’.
But wait, you’re not soft and soft doesn’t cut it in construction. Let’s not call them soft skills. The necessary skills are ‘real’ skills

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How a ‘coaching style’ of management will transform construction

29th January 2024

The culture of telling people what to do and how to do it is stifling the construction industry. Instead, project managers should become coaches

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quantity surveyors at work

Can a site quantity surveyor work from home?

29th December 2023

Remote working has become increasingly common post-pandemic. But can quantity surveyors effectively oversee what is happening on site if they are working from home?

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How to inspire your people to achieve a shared vision for success

4th December 2023

First step to inspiring your people, you have to be inspired yourself – so notice where you get your inspiration and get more of it. It’s not a one-time event, a conference or a roadshow. This is how you show up day after day as a leader, and this is who you are as a leader

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