For those that follow Star Trek, you will know that when Captain Kirk and the Star Ship Enterprise were facing their enemy, the first consideration was what state the force field was in. This was the energy field around the ship, which protected it from attack. If it was low for some reason; often from [...]

Inspiration can come from strange places. I came across a good game at a party and used it with great success on our Achieving the Best from Your Team workshop last week. (Thank you Linda for the idea).  Like so many things, although simple, it had a powerful message.
Two teams stand facing each other with [...]

“Once in a century, a man may be ruined or made insufferable by praise.  But surely once in a minute something generous dies for want of it” John Masefield
How easily we could give praise and it costs nothing. Too often I hear from delegates, that at work, they are frequently told when something is wrong, [...]

We were very privileged to provide a whole team training day for a furniture company, which was entitled ‘Working with Pride’. This firm certainly could be proud, having designed and made beautiful bespoke furniture for Buckingham Palace and Dover Castle.
In researching the topic, I found an interesting aspect about pride. Pride appears to have mixed [...]

A sign seen in a Paris hotel elevator said
Please leave your values at the front desk

How easily we can change the meaning of a message by a small misinterpretation. This can happen even in our own language. In terms of leadership, there is a more serious aspect to consider.
Do you leave your values at [...]

What do Genghis Khan, Lawrence of Arabia, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Allan Leighton and Sir Richard Branson have in common?
They were/are all successful leaders, but with very different leadership styles. They all had a strong determination to deliver. They have all had impact in their time.
A recent interim report by the Chartered Institute of [...]

In the ’spirit’ of New Year’s Eve, you may have made some resolutions, or you may have agreed goals at your appraisal. In the cold light of reality, how long will you keep them up? Here are  8 tips to maintain your motivation to succeed.
Start with the end in sight
Set yourself a [...]

On the recent ‘Dealing with Difficult People’ course we ran, there was a great aha moment. Quite early on in the day, one delegate realised she actually is the ‘difficult’ person. This is something that is not always easy to accept. I remember the first time I ran this course; I made the mistake of [...]

If you have done the ‘graveyard’ slot, you will know it is rarely a good time for creativity. Last Wednesday in Oxford, I was on after lunch at a seminar for fifteen women. The topic was creative thinking!
They needed to be energised and find their child like state. ‘Genius is the ability to retrieve childhood [...]

Last Friday, I gave a joint talk at the BusinessXChange Co-Operation Event with Rebecca Fordham (Real People Solutions HR) on coping with pressure at work. It ended with a relaxation technique, which went really well until someone’s mobile phone went off at a critical moment. Thank you to whoever that was for demonstrating the pressure [...]