December 30

Do you need to be more resilient?

Do you need to be more resilient?

Recently, I was asked to write a short piece for a clients start of year newsletter. They wanted something that focused on building resilience, especially given the two turbulent years the world has gone through and its impact on their organisation. I thought it would be good to share this article in my own blog post as this is the time of year people take stock on life.

May 7

IF…

IF…

What connects the famous line in Rudyard Kiplings’ poem and Taylor Swift? What happens when you are in a situation which is ostensibly outside of your control?

December 31

Why do some teams fail?

Why do some teams fail?

One of the more interesting team related puzzles for me this year (2019) was the failure of the England team to, as I saw it, show up for Rugby World Cup Final. Having delivered a standout performance against the All Blacks in the semi-finals, it was difficult to believe that you were even watching the same team. Noting there were one or two ‘tactical’ substitutions. What happened?

July 12

Are you ever too old to succeed?

Are you ever too old to succeed?

What do you do when the phone rings with an offer that almost seems too good to be true? This was the dilemma that faced 71 year old ex-musician, Mick Ware, who now works as an antique furniture repairer.

October 26

Do you need to get a life?

Do you need to get a life?

You may remember the story of Curtis Woodhouse, who was a boxer taunted by Twitter trolls in March 2013? Essentially having lost a bout (on points) he was branded a “disgrace”, amongst other things.

August 20

Certain? Are you sure?

Certain? Are you sure?

A little while ago, I read The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischell. Most people will have some familiarity with the test that Mischell devised in the 1960’s and 1970’s. It was not his thinking about what this test tells us about human nature that caught my eye…

October 13

Why regret weighs tons…

Why regret weighs tons…

Watching the last episode of a recent Bear Grylls survival programme gave an interesting perspective on regret. He commented that at the start of every series he tells participants that they will be sorely tested. His advice is to “hang in there” and explains that the pain “is only temporary, but the disappointment will last forever”.