It must be 20 years since I read “The Fifth Discipline” by Peter Senge. It had such a massive impact on me. I’ve had “The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook” sitting on my bookshelf for 10 years, and only in the last few weeks have I been drawn to read it. It’s a resource book written by … Read more
It’s so easy to just keep going once we have started. We work and work until we edge towards burnout. And if we look at blog posts and self development books to optimise our productivity we will find so many people telling us how to maximise our time, how to get more done in the … Read more
In ‘Values Count’ (my previous book) I wrote about values based working. That book looked at why working from values is so important. In my new book (“Insight Coaching” coming soon), which I am in the midst of writing, I look further at values based approaches, and look at how they can be applied to the coaching process. … Read more
Who was it who said be the best version of yourself, because everyone else is taken? It was Oscar Wilde of course. When we are struggling with the hand that is dealt us, that is a time when it is really important to work out where and how to compromise. To ease the pain, but … Read more
It’s a beautiful space. On the banks of the River Mersey is a small park called Vale Park, not far from New Brighton. It’s nestled behind trees through which you can look out at the river and see the profile of Liverpool against the sky. The city’s profile has changed radically in recent years with … Read more
A recent coffee with a friend and colleague (thanks Nick) started me thinking about this whole business of imposter syndrome. I’ve written about it before and frequently encounter it as a coach. Here we were looking at it again, when Nick asked a really interesting question. Is imposter syndrome linked to class and background? As … Read more
As I write this, I am about to take a break for a few days. In the run up to it I am in the usual heat and frenzy of clearing the decks, getting stuff done and cutting a dash before I head for the imaginary door. It’s such a productive time. Over the years … Read more
Productivity, there’s a challenge. And yet the world is full of people who claim to be experts in it. If you google it you will find countless pieces of advice, many of them conflicting each other. And that’s because each of us is unique. We each need our own approach, our own systems to make … Read more
We look at what is measurable rather than what is meaningful (Warren Buffet) You may already be aware that I work in the world of research in my day job. It’s a place obsessed with measurement. If something looks really interesting and of value, the next step is to look for a measure. Is … Read more
There is so much to write about. Like the crazy life – things coming at me from all sides. Ideas that I could harvest. Stuff that I should remember. And in the midst of all this chaos, there is a still and quiet voice reminding me what is important. That voice says – what is … Read more