No-one enjoys being criticised or from negative and hurtful comments (or the fear of them) often prevent you from doing things you really want to. You might ask yourself ‘What if people don’t like my idea?’ or ‘What if I fail and everyone sees?’...
Do you talk to yourself? Do you pay attention to the messages it is telling you? Most people have some kind of internal dialogue, for some there is a constant commentary in their head, sometimes it’s intermittent. It could be a wise advisor or a hurtful critic...
If you are responsible for learning and development in your organisation it’s important to make sure you are making an investment in this, rather than it being a cost. Training and development is not a panacea to solve every organisational issue and while people are in training, they are not doing their day job...
Our minds love stories, some social psychologists believe it’s a major contributor to our evolution over other animals. The use of stories and fables to teach and pass on important information through generations is well documented. It has prevented us as a species having to re learn skills that have already gone before, important when our average life span was only 35 years...
If you are not a naturally reflective person, it can be hard to even comprehend the point of it. You are probably a more action oriented, just get it done kind of person. Countless research, including the study we did for our first book Real Leaders for the World highlights the benefits of some reflection and that successful people use it well, to help them be even more successful...
You are training people, all the time, on how to treat you. Your behaviour constantly gives other people messages, some subtle and some less so, about how to behave towards you and how to communicate with you...
Many people strive for happiness, the self development world is packed with top tips to silence your demons and think positively. These are all well intended but also concerning, the preoccupation of obliterating any so called negative feelings doesn’t make you happy, it can just store up problems for later...
All or nothing people are often very happy to tell you that, and there are many things all or nothing people do well. They can be highly committed and enthusiastic about things making them an inspiring and creative leader, employee or life partner...
In what seems an increasingly politically correct world, people can be accused of bullying just because someone takes offence at their viewpoint. Is there any place for straight talking at all in this day and age? ...
It’s a sad fact that eating our lunches at our desk has become an accepted norm. Apart from being unhealthy - just think of all those germs and rotting bits of food that fall onto your desk or trapped in your keyboard...
Small talk, in particular, is littered with land mines when it comes to putting your foot in it...
When someone is struggling, it is natural to feel for them if you are a caring, kind person. There is an important difference in how you deal with this feeling. Sympathy is the ability to feel concern for someone else but not the ability to step into their shoes and experience it from their perspective...
