When does change happen and how can you spot the before and after? I was talking this week about with someone about ‘better conversations’, how different all their conversations were. But she couldn’t see the join, she couldn’t identify the point at which something switched and everything changed. What’s going on here and why is it so hard to spot?
Read More“Resilience is fine in theory, but what if I’m an exception and don’t bounce back?” That’s such a common questions, and, ironic also, that it’s common when we’re asking about being the exception. Resilience isn’t a theory, it’s a description of something that’s real about you, and here’s why and why it isn’t possible for you to be an exception. (whether you believe it or not ;-))
Read MoreA simple question can open up many new roads for us. “Who’s in the room?” is one such question, asked as part of a strategy review. The answer was surprising, and even knowing there are questions that go unasked, assumptions that go unseen and, therefore, unquestioned, can be highly impactful for many of us and the work we do.
Read MoreWhat do you do when you don’t know what to do? I bet you have a great answer, everyone does—or at least they do when they are in a calm and settled state. However, the times we really need an answer is when we are not so settled. What to do then…?
Read MoreWhat’s it all for? Part of a series of ‘provocative questions for social change’ designed to help professionals, leaders, change-makers and anyone wanting to make a positive difference in the world, bring a clearer vision and more effective leadership capability to their work.
Read MoreWe set off on a coaching relationship, or any place of personal growth, with some kind of intention for what we think we will see and how we will apply that. But, is one route better than another? Maybe, maybe not…
Read MoreThere’s an analogy in the coaching world that we’re always course-correcting that sounds very plausible. But is it true? And what if we’re can’t get ‘off-track’ because there’s no track to begin with… Curious?
Read MoreMost of us get that intentionality = good and inflexibility = bad. Or at least that’s the way it looks. But what if that wasn’t the way it worked when it comes to achieving the big things in life?
Read MoreI used to hate that phrase ‘we have all the answers we need’ because if I had the answers, why, then, was I asking! The phrase, though, means something different to me now. Something infinitely more beautiful.
Read MoreWe’re told to “compromise and not make selfish decisions,” but what if being ‘selfish’ is simply being decisive? How do we know when to put our foot down as a statement of clarity, and when to compromise in the interests of someone else’s well-being?
Read MoreWhat does elephant-spotting and busy-ness have in common? When we’re all about action, action, action, what is it we’re really looking for and how do we know when we’ve found it?
Read MoreWhen you have an inkling of an idea but you’re stuck with, what if X, I don’t know Y… and you find yourself not moving forward. What then?
Read MoreHow can we make life easy? Or at least easier? My friend was excited about the app he’d found to solve his latest problem, “I hate it ,” he said, talking about the complexity of his life, “it’s so hard!” But what if ‘easy’ doesn’t come from the app he chooses or the amount of time he spends doing tasks he loves or hates? What if an easier life comes from somewhere else entirely? Read on and let’s find out…
Read MoreIt looks like much of development and innovation is to find a great solution and then scale it, roll it out to other areas, other countries, other contexts. But what if we’re missing something in this model? What if we’re missing the very thing that makes that first solution so brilliant?
Read MoreThe most common question we ask when we’ve made a mistake (once we’ve moved on from blaming ourselves or others!) is ‘what can we learn?’ It’s a great question, but often we look in the wrong place for learning. What if there’s a deeper…
Read MoreResilience goes hand in hand with phrases like ‘bulletproof’ and protecting ourselves, like we have to build an emotional kevlar suit for life, or find ‘bulletproof leadership’ in a work context. But what if there’s an easier way to experience resilience without having to 'do' anything or suit up like a soldier?
Read MoreIt’s easy to judge, and especially those in the public arena. Politicians seem easy game for most of us! When a politician I’d worked with passed away recently, I found myself reflecting on his career, and on what it might mean if we choose to look through our judgements, rather than at them…
Read MoreI was at a debate on Universal Basic Income. As I listened to the panel and we talked around the table, I realised all of us were operating from one huge misunderstanding….
Read MoreIt’s so easy to give ourselves a hard time when we mess up and things don’t go to plan. But maybe we’re missing this…
Read MoreAs I celebrated some wins with a client recently, I wanted to share with you what had made her successful where others fail.
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