Developing

Before you start implementing career development plans for your employees, or ask one of your team members to embark in a personal development plans, you have to sit with yourself (and your managers, and the board), and be honest about a very simple fact. Are you ready to commit to helping your people to potentially … Continue reading Developing →

Near-enemies

I love the concept of near-enemies. In Buddhism, near-enemies are manifestations that are quite close to a desired state, yet are actually a whole lot different. So different, they are actually dangerous. A desired state of Buddhists, for example, is equanimity. That is to say, a way of being calm and focused no matter what … Continue reading Near-enemies →

Meetings

Few rules to get the most out of meetings. Come prepared. A meeting should have a clear agenda, make sure you know what it is about and you have an important contribution to give. If you don't, you can sit this out and be updated later. For 1-1 meetings, be sure you have reviewed previous … Continue reading Meetings →

The trap of doing

Urgency is a myth, so before you start taking action, make sure you understand what you are acting upon. In marketing, for example, it is very easy to fall in the trap of doing. You start a new job, there is a pressure to get more visits to the website, more content, more leads, and … Continue reading The trap of doing →

How to start trusting others

Three ways to start the good habit of trusting others, particularly if you are in a leadership role. Praise others' strengths. This is not about saying "good job" or "keep up the great work", but actually about taking time to identify things people do well and break those down with them. Why are they good? … Continue reading How to start trusting others →

What type of listener?

One of the things we most seek is a good listener. Somebody who can just shut up and intensely, passionately, attentively listen to what we have to say. But are we any good at that? During a coaching course I took, professor Bob Thomson taught me the five different types of listening. The first one … Continue reading What type of listener? →