Like it or not, we find it hard to engage with dry, factual, objective communication. We need the information, of course, but nevertheless we find a “thesis” hard to access and to …
To be a critical friend you need to start by being a friend
The phrase “critical friend” is sometimes used to describe the role of a trusted adviser and, in particular, one who is prepared to tell you something you might not really want to hear—but do need to …
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Does delegation go up or down?
Does delegation mostly go up or down your organisation? Seriously. The art of effective delegation is perhaps the poor relation of management and leadership practice—not very exciting to study—but …
Much easier to shut down initiative than get it going
I think we underestimate this asymmetry. The taking of initiative by team members can be a fragile thing. It’s much, much easier to shut it down than get it going in the first place. The truth is we …
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If in doubt, communicate
Sometimes we wonder whether we should say something or not, probably because it's sensitive in some way. I've always reckoned that if we're unsure whether to take a particular action or not, we …
New Year every month?
How often do you review your goals (assuming you set some in the first place, of course)? Obviously, it’s traditional to set personal goals at the turn of the year and it’s a good idea. It’s a good …