Every year the performance appraisal comes round and thoughts turn to the year ahead. “You should agree 3-5 goals for the year ahead, and they should be SMART” say the guidelines. Everyone knows what SMART stands for, right? “Yes, it’s Specific, Meaningful, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound…” “No, that’s wrong, it’s Stretching, Measurable, Aligned, Realistic, Tangible…” “I …

Isn’t it amazing how little things can make or break our day? Monday morning an email made its way into my inbox where the subject heading alone made me cringe. It promised a few unhappy hours ploughing through complex matters without deriving any benefit from it, only to be rewarded by a lose-lose conversation with …

This post is going to have a very short shelf life. Or is it? I’ll take the gamble of using current news to make a broader point about what contributes to the perceived credibility of leaders. I’m currently in the UK, where the general election last Thursday created a night of high drama, a clear …

Making sure that others hear your best thoughts – more Have you ever asked yourself “Why can’t I be as confident as all the other guys who are listened to around here?” Well, there is one good thing about this question: you acknowledge that confidence is contextual. Apart from that, I’d be happier to hear …

American poet Mary Oliver coined a wonderful question: „Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? “ It adorns one of our compliment slips, which takes pride of place at the pinboard just above my computer screen, providing both perspective and encouragement. I have numerous plans. In …

“I can always tell how experienced and insightful a prospective consultant, banker, or lawyer is by the quality of their questions and how intently they listen.” This is a quote from a CEO, which Andrew Sobel and Jerold Panas use to pitch an entire book focused on ‘Power Questions’ (2012, John Wiley & Sons). Those …

Business planning processes are full of tough questions. Maybe there’s room for tender questions instead?   You’ve charged 50 hours this week, although you’ve been working a lot more than that. You turn to your email inbox. The tide of unanswered emails has risen still further in the last week. One email catches your eye: …

If somebody gives you feedback, what do you remember? The five compliments or the one ‘little’ thing that was meant to be a tip for improvement? You can still recite the latter word by word, but the compliments drifted into oblivion, mentally filed under ‘I sort of knew that about me’? My point, entirely. Ambitious, …