The danger of certainty in an uncertain world

Is your business in danger of you or your team being so certain that the truth gets rejected?  We are entering a world of post-truth in politics – the truth no longer appears to matter and the people with the most certainty in their position seem to win.

The 4 critical shifts for success in the 21st Century

These days most leaders struggle to find time to focus; time to think things through.  The background noise of news outlets combined with the relentless production of social media is creating a chronic sense of overwhelm and then there is the daily tsunami of email.

Understanding the Flip Side of Communication

There is a flip side to your communication that is often below your conscious awareness.  By raising awareness of your preferences you can become even more effective.  Most politicians are unbalanced but not in the way you may think. They often answer questions and speak in a manner that makes it difficult to understand what they actually mean.  Their strong desire to be diplomatic means that all too often they say lots of vague and ambiguous words that leave you none the wiser.  At the opposite end of the scale you get the mavericks like Donald Trump who blurt out very provocative and highly offensive statements that send many people into a spin of incredulity, which means they instantly reject what he is saying.    

What is your level of Strategic Acumen?

Reality and strategic acumen went out the window during the referendum campaigns for the UK to leave or remain in the EU. Both camps were very polarised between people who seemed to be blindly optimistic about the opportunities of going it alone and others who had severe scepticism about the economic impact of having to renegotiate hundreds of trade and security agreements. How well are you balancing your optimism and scepticism about your current situation?

Tips for making wiser decisions

It was fascinating to observe the way the debates in the EU referendum unfolded and how people were making decisions about which way to vote. In the end it was almost impossible to differentiate fact from fiction on both sides.  Sadly (in my opinion) that meant that many people voted purely on emotion and not just any emotion, but deep feelings that had been triggered by primary threats to survival. 

4 Tips to Prevent Emotional Hijacking

We are often very quick to judge the silly mistakes of others but we are all prone to making errors of judgement, it’s just your brain at work.

How healthy is your appetite for risk?

There is an element of risk in everything we do because even doing nothing has risks attached to it, especially in today’s volatile and uncertain world.  What is your appetite for risk and is it balanced enough?

10 Tips for Managing your Boss

Managing others can be a challenge.  Encouraging, motivating and cajoling staff takes a lot of thought and effort but the most demanding management task of all can be managing your boss, or your peers.

Are you innovative enough to succeed?

Developing a new habit, implementing a new way of working or forging into a new market takes a lot of effort and persistence as well as knowing when to experiment and change or adapt your approach.  How versatile are you in these traits?