It’s a phrase that’s been uttered by politicians and medical experts repeatedly over the last nine weeks in relation to community behaviour and our response to COVID-19. “Use common sense”, they tell us. “It’s basic common sense”, they say. Every time I hear it, I cringe. Why? Because common sense is not common.

Too often we assume a request from a colleague, or task allocated by our boss must be actioned immediately, without question. We drop whatever we were working on and get started on the new request straight away. This reactive, rather than responsive approach is a sure-fire path to stress and overwhelm. Our to-do list grows, […]

The Stockdale Paradox: It’s the ability to balance optimism with realism to get through tough times when the future is uncertain. It’s a concept that is very relevant now and builds on the work of Viktor Frankl, the World War II Holocaust survivor who spoke of the power of choosing your response to life’s challenges. […]

Who are you? Who do you want to be? Two big questions and your answers will help you navigate through this time of stress and uncertainty. Who are you? How are you travelling right now? What are your values? Are you living in alignment with them under pressure? Be as honest as you can be […]

One of the best communication and leadership tips I can give you to help navigate this crazy time is this: Lead with warmth. One of the best communication and leadership tips I can give you to help navigate this crazy time is this: Lead with warmth. By warmth, I mean kindness, compassion and empathy. Why? […]

Leaders! Now is not the time to go to ground; it’s the time to stand up and be seen. “But I don’t have anything new to tell people,” you might think. “I don’t know what to say.” No worries – tell your people that! At times of crisis, uncertainty, challenge and change, you need to […]

Breathe… Don’t underestimate the power of breath for helping you manage your emotions, nerves and stress levels under pressure. In my training, I teach two breathing techniques that I practice myself. The first is tactical breathing. It’s where you take a big deep breath in through your nose and then release it from your mouth […]

January. A time when many people set goals for what they want to achieve in the year ahead.   Exciting for some. Totally overwhelming for others.   What do you want to achieve in 2020? What’s your goal? Where do you see yourself in 12 months’ time? What does success mean for you? What’s your […]

What do you do when someone gives you a compliment? Do you dismiss it? “Oh, I was just doing my job.” “It was nothing.” “No, big deal.” Deflect? “Everyone else worked way harder than me.” Or reject it outright and use the opportunity to talk yourself down? “Don’t lie, I was crap.”

Where’s your focus? That’s a question I explored with staff from a government agency yesterday in my Personal Effectiveness workshop. As management expert, the late Peter Drucker said: “Efficiency is doing the thing right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing.” I encouraged participants to take stock of both their personal and professional lives by questioning […]