Month: August 2016
A little of what you fancy . . .
Input and output . . .
Someone I know had been struggling with life. And while I’d heard their stories many times before, I didn’t have a good working knowledge of the particular issue they were living with. So I made an effort to find out a little more about what they were facing. It took me a little bit of time over… Read More Input and output . . .
Failing well . . .
In Harvard’s 2008 commencement speech, J K Rowling almost gave us permission to fail. And elsewhere, Imperial College’s Dr John Tregoning’s thoughts on failure in academia remind me that failure is something so many of us can identify with. So borrowing with pride from Dr Tregoning’s suggested coping strategies for building mental resilience when failure hits, I’ve generalised his… Read More Failing well . . .
Top tip . . .
“Leaders Should Be Honest About Feeling Uncertain” Harvard Business Review Management Tip of the Day, 07 May 2015
Small wins . . .
A lovely idea from David Sturt and Todd Nordstrom: “Every big win is an accumulation of many smaller wins. So why would you let those everyday successes slip by unnoticed? Keep a stack of cards at your desk so you can write a thank-you note when someone goes above and beyond for you. Bring in a… Read More Small wins . . .
To be, or not to be . . .
David Shariatmadari reports that kind-hearted introverts (in the true sense of personality theory) are more likely to get annoyed at both typos (mistakes caused by a simple slip of the finger) and grammos (errors caused by lack of knowledge of the rules of grammar). And extraverts (not a typo) are supposed to be less bothered by… Read More To be, or not to be . . .
Do you rate me?
In September 2015, David Rock and Beth Jones reported on research into companies who had ditched performance ratings. Instead of defining performance by numbers, they changed the emphasis to quality conversations between managers and their teams. If the idea of moving away from ratings makes you nervous, this is why Rock and Jones suggest that a… Read More Do you rate me?
Green light . . .
The next time someones scribbles on your work in a red pen, don’t be surprised by your reaction . . . A 2007 study found that exposure to red was associated with a significantly worse performance than exposure to green. A reason for this wasn’t conclusive, but may be that we’ve learnt to associated red with… Read More Green light . . .
Making choices . . .
Paul Hannam confesses to having his life changed by the “silly comedy” Groundhog Day (Bill Murray, 1993), suggesting that the film celebrates the extraordinary gift of ordinary life. If you haven’t seen it, try to watch it, for it is indeed a film to be seen, and enjoyed. And in The Wisdom of Groundhog Day… Read More Making choices . . .
ChristineWilkinsonCoaching 