Blog

Become the leader you wish you'd had..

I saw this on LinkedIn the other day (can't remember who posted it #soz) and it's been percolating inside me ever since.

The biggest threat to your business growth? Communication.

The single most consistent theme I was asked to help clients with in 2021? - The ability to communicate, interact, and work effectively with other humans.In other words, navigating the different working styles of colleagues and the clashes that occur when these are misaligned. Underestimate the significance and impact of this at your peril!Start-ups, scale-ups, decades old established businesses, global retail brands you name it - they suffer from it.Your ability to communicate with others will account for fully 85% of your success in your business and in your life.Brian Tracy - Best selling author

Leading vs. Managing vs. Coaching

Following some interesting conversations around this topic recently, I joined forces with Peter Gandy to articulate how we perceive and enact each of them.Many people believe that managers are leaders and are able to coach. We believe differently.Have you ever said you were looking for the next crop of leaders for the business, only to be inundated with messages from people saying they wanted to be promoted?

16 metrics all portfolio managers need to know

Is your coaching a little rusty?

When you don’t ride your bike for some months the chain will start to rust. The tires will become a little deflated. There will be some dust on the frame.

Who (or what) is your coaching nemesis?

This week I discovered my coaching nemesis. An evil genius <client> who will be referred to only as The Dark Aphantasia. (Sounds spooky - right?)

The ULTIMATE agile game...

TL;DR - this post discusses the coin flip game used to demonstrate the principles and benefits of small batch flow, and provides over 35 additional variations to take this deeper and further than you may have ever considered.

Bursting the bubble of single piece flow

The humble coin flip game is a tool every agile practitioner has used or experienced at some point. It allows people to experience the benefit of small batch sizes to the point of single piece flow.

Top 5 Tips for LARGE group facilitation.

By large, we're talking over 150 people, in person. By facilitation, we're talking of guiding a group through a full day event, designed with certain outcomes in mind.By tips, we're talking:

April & May book reading update #200booksin2024

I managed 24 books in the last 2 months. And, based on 5 months of data I've updated my forecast, and predict that I will complete between 130 - 150 books this year

March reading update #200booksin2024

In the excitement and high motivation for this new challenge I've fallen into some common traps. Looking back the irony is real, and hopefully this post serves as a reminder to hold experience and wisdom over blind optimism when starting new endeavours.

Saying no! (a humble guide)...

8 super simple ways to read a metric crap-ton* of books in 2023

If you've a curious mind and a penchant for books, chances are you have a leaning tower of them piled up somewhere in your home or office. Some may be lightly fingered, many probably untouched.