People are like Saws; they need to be kept Sharp
Recently I was given a present of Seamus Heaney’s 100 poems, a collection of his and his family’s favourite poems. (Thank you, Jean.) The very first poem in the collection is entitled “Digging”. Here is a verse: The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft Against the inside knee was levered firmly. He rooted […]
Why Are We Fearful of Speaking in Public?
Here is an image of some sweet pea I grew in my garden. Like lots of people, I have developed an increased interest in gardening during the’ P’. I am fed up saying that word and I’m very much looking forward to writing articles that do not contain some reference to you know what! The […]
Traps to Avoid When Presenting
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Recently I went down to the practice area at my Golf Club to work on my bunker shots. The problem I had was, I did not know what I should be doing. I tried different approaches based on various snippets of advice I remembered from previous lessons and […]
Who Are Your Favourite Communicators?
Have you noticed the number of job offers that are appearing on platforms in recent weeks and months? Things are looking up! Recently a business colleague asked me to help them prepare for an important interview. They commented that interviews should no longer be a review of a list of qualifications on a CV and […]
Sunflowers and Startups – the Similarities!
Pitching Skill Workshop: This morning I sat in my creative chair, hoping that a topic for my next article would emerge. While writing my morning pages, I looked around my office, realizing the subject matter was right under my nose. I have a renewed interest in my garden as a result of the pandemic. I […]
My Best Advice for Leaders – Listen More!
My definition of a leader: “A leader is someone who others will follow”. To become a leader it’s important to acquire good communications skills. If people do not know where you want to take them and why, there will be a real reluctance to follow. Good communications is not sending an email or some other […]
Stay Sharp – How to Engage your Customers and Colleagues
Every time I sharpen my pencil, it reminds me of how I loved to draw as a child and as a teenager in art and technical drawing classes. Not surprisingly, my first job was in the drawing office of Tonge & Taggart, who celebrated 100 years in business the year I joined the company. This […]
How to Make Better Use of Your Day!
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] I feel that I am in more control of my life, in particular my working life. I believe this is because I am attempting to block out time in my day and week to get specific things done. For example, early morning is journaling, exercise, shower and then […]
Tips to Improve your Online Presentation Skills
I always emphasise to my clients that if they wish to be good presenters, they critically need to take Ernest Hemingway’s advice. “When writing a book, start by writing down the truest thing you know and then write down the second truest thing you know”. The same applies to creating a presentation; unless you believe […]
I Love This Article – My 100th & Best Ever?
Stop Working Hard! I have always had a work ethic; I suppose I got this from my parents. Well into her eighties, my mother was still living alone, looking after herself, her home and her garden. By way of example, late in her life, the local authority provided exercise classes for older people and my […]