It’s time for the monthly team meeting. You have a heavy heart if you’re honest. You love your team, and they really do get great results on the job, but meetings are such hard work. You’re struggling to get people to engage, and you leave the meeting feeling a sense of defeat. Just before kicking off, you look around the room. It’s the same old thing every time. ‘Detonator Dan’ sits at the end of the table, leaning back with a glint in his eye, waiting for his moment to throw in the killer comment that he knows will provoke … Continue reading Put some fizz in your meetings! Part One.

Dealing with your anxiety in the middle of the night 3.12 am. What did Bob mean when he raised his eyebrow like that in the monthly meeting? He’s never liked me. I think he’s trying to undermine me so he can get on that massive project. I always knew he was a bit…zzzzz 3.53 am. I must start going to the gym, what’s the point of spending all that money on membership then I never go….DID I LOCK THE DOOR? I can’t rememb….. 4.21 am. I need to check my bank statement tomorrow I can’t remember if that direct debit … Continue reading When night time monsters and antelopes wake

I’ve just read this quote from someone on Twitter. It made me feel really sad. What a shame to go through an entire career feeling that way. Now I know I don’t know the context, maybe this person was just unhappy for the last part of their career, who knows? However, if you are experiencing the same feeling at the end of the weekend, do you really want to carry that right through to your retirement day? What if you could do something about it?  What if you could do anything you wanted? Many people explore that question briefly, and … Continue reading “The greatest thing about retirement is I no longer have stomach-sinking Sunday nights.”

Bees Have Smelly Feet! It’s true they do. The reason for this is that they leave a scent on the flower they have just emptied of pollen and nectar which means another bee doesn’t have to waste time landing on the same flower, the bee knows it is already empty.  How very efficient! What could managers learn from bees? Here are a couple of things to stimulate your thinking.   Clear roles and responsibilities Every bee has its job to do. The key roles are: Egg producer.  Delivers up to 2,500 a day in peak season. They do the mating stuff (then … Continue reading Bees Have Smelly Feet!

I happened to be in New York on the day when, for Americans, the world changed dramatically. Donald Trump was unexpectedly President of the United States. The morning of 9 November 2016 was akin to being in the vortex of a storm. As New Yorkers made their way through the rain to work, there was an eerie silence. Hushed conversations were taking place on the corners of the blocks. People wearing Pence badges had no air of jubilance, they just kept their eyes down. Even the traffic seemed quieter. As a result, I have developed a fascination with the Trump story, and … Continue reading ‘Fire and Fury’ and what we can learn from Donald Trump about teamwork.

I operate in a parallel Universe. By day I am a trainer and by night I sing in a band at pubs and clubs. The two worlds earn money and I’ve always thought of them as entirely separate. However, there is a huge amount of crossover. What I have learned in the band has helped me to become a more confident trainer. I’ve added some thoughts for managers and leaders, but you may well have your own reflections. A band needs a setlist. They will have a set list prepared and spend time thinking about the pace and energy of … Continue reading What my secret life taught me about my job

veteran ˈvɛt(ə)r(ə)n/ Early 16th century: from French vétéran or Latin veteranus, from vetus ‘old’. This word was used to describe ‘older workers’ recently. It was intended to reflect depth of experience, but my interpretation of the word evoked an entirely different reaction. ‘Older Workers’ is the classification used for people between the ages of 50-64.  (DWP Older Workers and the Workplace Feb 2017).   We make up a third of the workforce. We don’t like being called old, and we certainly don’t like being told we’re too old to work. It stereotypes us and creates the conditions for unconscious bias to … Continue reading Generation X: We ain’t dead yet!

A few years ago, I co-authored a journal article which started with the title ‘Stepping into the Unknown’.  It was a heavy academic piece, which sat well with the career I was pursuing back then. Fast forward six years and I could never have imagined how different my life would be.  I no longer reside in that professional space, I am no longer bound by the constraints of academic writing, or organisational life.  Instead of writing about stepping into the unknown, I actually took my own giant leap and became self-employed. Making the leap was actually the easy bit.  It … Continue reading Taking the fear factor out of a big decision

This is the excerpt for your very first post. Continue reading Why become a team coach?