December 23

2015 – How successful were you; marks out of 10?

2015 – How successful were you; marks out of 10?

At the start of this year, I wrote a post about New Year’s resolutions and recommended that people shouldn’t make any. The reasons for this were pretty simple:

•Most people make resolutions because they feel they “ought” to
•If you needed to change your life, the time of year you set the goal is irrelevant

January 3

Resolutions… The Party’s Over…

Resolutions… The Party’s Over…

Was trolling through the Fast Company News bulletins this morning (recommend as a source of general business reading) and came across an article “The Trick to Actually Making Your Resolutions Stick This Year”. Made me laugh, given my post recommending that you Shouldn’t make resolutions..

However, I note the themes are broadly similar between this post and my blog so note these here for convenience:

December 31

Resolutions – give them up!

Resolutions – give them up!

It is that time of year, when people think New Year, new leaf… turn the page. They do this by resolving to do something differently and live a different life. Let me ask you a question, do you do this? If so, what is your track record. (#Resolutions)

It is a curious custom. Once a year after we have spent quality time with family and friends, we realise that we may have some different choices. You regularly hear of people who are fed up with the 9-to-5 existence, who desire better life outcomes (such as more exercise), different body shapes, to give up alcohol, tobacco etc. There are many things people might desire to change given the impetus of a New Year.

December 21

What got you here….

What got you here….

When I watch television programmes like The Apprentice (#TheApprentice) I always pay attention to the ways in which candidates appear to limit themselves. Time after time, in the boardroom, candidates defend themselves with their claims that they can sell, or project manage (when they are not trying to point out each others failings). As a coach, I always try to notice the ways in which people could improve and realise their potential.

What the candidates don’t appear to understand, is that the ability to sell or manage a task are ‘givens’. To get the investment, Alan Sugar appears to expect that people are competent in these areas. From time to time he also expects that candidates also live up to their stated abilities – notable this series was the finance person who didn’t work out the break even on the coach tour they were required to organise and make money from. Business is about getting money from your customers bank account into your own, so you have to sell, but you also have to manage your business, market and lead.