On Sunday I settled down late morning to write a poem. It’s approaching the anniversary of my father’s death and I wanted to do something that would help with this. I was also keen to build on something I had already written. I took a poem from a collection of poems back in 1998 called … Read more
Here’s a poem, hot off the press, from a new collection I am in the middle of writing called “Father, Brother, Son”. On the poetry front, I will be posting the pdf of ‘November Suite’, a collection I wrote through the month of November last year, in the next few weeks. It will be available … Read more
Strictly speaking, this is a vodcast – and it’s something I watch, rather than listen to – but let’s not be pedantic! I have written about TED Talks before. For some time now (maybe 3 years?) I have been watching videos on the TED website. TED (Technology Entertainment Design) has the motto “ideas worth spreading”. … Read more
Over the last few months I have been working on the latest book, “The Coaching 30”, which is a set of 30 tips drawn from my coaching practise. They will be useful for coaches, and also for anyone looking to improve their creativity and productivity. I have 28 tips prepared and undergoing editing. So I … Read more
The model which follows was developed in a coaching session with a client who was experiencing a process of massive change for the organisation that she was leading. At these times it is often difficult to see ‘the wood for the trees’. One can easily feel overwhelmed with the volume of work that needs … Read more
OK, so you have a crisis on your hands. And then that is followed with another crisis. You are really clear that the challenge for you above everything else is to find a way to avoid feeling sorry for yourself. Finding a way to ensure that you don’t start to look for as many things … Read more
I said in mid-September that I had nearly completed the latest poetry manuscript, ‘Scrapes against the Soul’. Well, I have been stuck on the last poem for a few weeks now. It is a long piece which captures my experiences of Liverpool in the late 70s and early 80s. I’m hoping to have it finished … Read more
BUGS & BUZZES – an ice-breaker exercise for a group meeting. What it does This is a great warm-up exercise for the beginning of a group meeting. It can also be used in a one-to-one situation. In a group, it will change the atmosphere in the room and create a co-operative energy to prepare for … Read more
My head is full of ideas at the moment – a million ideas. Like a million stars in the sky. And that set me to thinking about the power of the metaphor. which ones shine the brightest which ones are dying which ones are new born which ones are nurturing life with their brightness which … Read more
It was 1997. I had heard of the concept of a Learning Set. It was something that appealed on a number of levels. For example, the idea of a community in action is one where it is possible to build links, to establish a ‘fraternity’ which can provide mutual support to managers who can often … Read more