Why Greenpeace took action today?
…To enable change in the Autumn. I agree that it’s a stunt – but it will have an impact on BP – though not in the way that some people might expect. In the world of direct action strategy it… Continue reading
Year: 2010
Every once in a while, you read something SO profound…
Every once in a while, you read something SO profound, that you want to soak it up. You want to read it, not once, not twice, but several times. It says something that you only wish you had the power… Continue reading
How childhood experiences can undermine executive performance – how one boy fell victim to his mother
When negotiations between companies heat up, you need all the intelligence that you can muster. It’s easy to obtain financials and other data, but how do you get inside the psyche of your opponents? Many managers, these days, rely on… Continue reading
When someone loses balance, work quality and impact suffers
What do you do when you realise that someone has been all consumed by their work? They may not see it as a problem at all. Their focus may still be on their role, they may think that their work… Continue reading
Juggling family expectations and personal passion in an executive career
Following in his father’s footsteps, Charles joined what was once the family firm in the City roughly ten years ago. Ownership long-since passed to corporate hands, although there is still a portrait of his great-grandfather hanging in the corridor by… Continue reading
Using an empty chair to turn negatives into positives
We’ve been working together for a couple of years, and along the way seen Beverley’s organisation grow from 30 or so people to 60. You wouldn’t expect it to have been plain sailing, and certainly a fair bit of the… Continue reading
The difference between ‘targets’ and ‘outcomes’
I’ve mentioned before that a Google search reveals that an “executive coach” has 54 seats and is owned by Wallace Arnold. So I tend to avoid that label. Instead I describe my work as that of a confidant to people… Continue reading
When organisations have their own life
“To be honest, I’m bored. I could do so much more, only petty politics, pointless bureaucracy, and tedious conversations with the Chief Executive just get in the way.” That was Adrian’s analysis of his situation after the first few minutes… Continue reading
How projection undermines even polished performers
Gordon – how projection undermines even polished performers The following abstract illustrates typical situations that arise in the course of my work with leaders – it should go without saying that permission to quote has been given, names have been… Continue reading
How projection undermines even polished performers
A few of my clients are referred by their HR Director. There are all kinds of reasons why this happens, but one of them is that an individual is seen as critical to the success of the organisation and yet… Continue reading
