Saturday 1st February 2025 is the 5th anniversary of my Dad’s death. He was a kind and gentle man, a hard worker, problem solver, and provider.
As I reflect on his life, I recognise that he is still teaching me and I am still learning from him, much as I did when he was alive.
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As I reflect on 2024 I’ve decided that my motto for the year in retrospect must have been Choose to Dare .. and then get the chance to Dare to Choose!
It’s been quite a year and I make no apologies for taking this December blog to reflect and share a bit more personally; there will still be some tips from me that I think can be helpful for any of us as we navigate life and work!
It’s actually the culmination of 3 years that leads me to where I am now.
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Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
Sometimes we have to find more than one way to get where we want to go. And sometimes that can be still be challenging, and we may not be sure that we can get there, but it is worth it in the end.
While I’m thinking this is particularly relevant for leaders in the workplace, I was reminded of this when several areas around my home were flooded on Sunday.I tried the usual route to get home and came across two people wading in water over their knees. I turned back and went a few miles around only to find a fallen tree across the road. Finally, with a bit more of a detour, I found a route home but still had to drive carefully through quite deep water.
Sometimes in the workplace we can find ourselves with challenges and blockers that seem to be stopping us getting where we want to go to. Sometimes these are external to us, but sometimes our own mindset and assumptions play a part.
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Do you find yourself giving way to others’ wishes or suggestions even when you’d rather do something differently or decide on a different way forward?
Giving away what you’d like in order to please others or to keep the peace is a surprisingly common issue brought to coaching sessions by some of my clients and, if not addressed, can result in resentment, pent up emotions, and missed opportunities in their lives.
So, what’s behind this, and what can you do about it?
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Peter Drucker once said ‘The best way to predict the future is to create it’. 10 years ago I handed in my dissertation for my Masters in Coaching and Mentoring which was a foundational step in launching my business and career as an executive coach.
Did I clearly see back then in 2014 that I’d be able to have a thriving business in 2024? Well, not exactly. But I did have hope and faith!
How can you shape your future career in a way that gives it the best chance of becoming a reality?
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How often do you consider who you are communicating with when putting together a proposal or trying to influence someone through a conversation?
Unless communication is your area of expertise, I suspect it is less often than could be helpful (and I say that because I know I probably don’t do it as much as I could!).
If you’d like a reminder on why being ‘other-centric’ can support you with your goals, or some tips on how to do this in a practical way, read on.
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Hands up if you’ve had Covid lately?
I’m in the middle of my second bout … first time around was June 2022 and it hit me a bit harder the first time than this time around but that being said, it’s still able to pack a punch!
As I take a more relaxed approach to work while dealing with symptoms, it gave me the perfect opportunity to consider what I’ve learned about managing myself, as a business leader who doesn’t get paid if I don’t work.
I’m sharing two lessons as food for thought for those of you, like me, who like to push themselves, drive to achieve, and can have a tendency to feel guilty if they take their foot off the gas.
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Ever felt like you are going to get found out at work? That you somehow aren’t up to the job you’ve got and surely it is only a matter of time until others think that too?
This has come up a few times with coaching clients lately where they have been quick to tell me that they have imposter syndrome and it can feel like a trap.
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As a manager of people, do you invest time in enabling their career progression?
While the responsibility for career progression is a shared responsibility between employee and manager, you’ll need to play your part – or risk your employees looking for career development elsewhere according to a recent study called ‘From skills to success: L&D insights for the modern workforce’, based on survey results by Cypher Learning.
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Do you ever find it hard to get going? Want to start a project or change role or get fitter but find you keep putting it off?
You are not alone.
The definition of ‘Inertia’ can help us understand what is going on here .. .according to New Scientist, “Inertia is the resistance of objects to a change in their state of motion”. Now I appreciate this probably wasn’t written with human beings in mind but doesn’t it feel just like that on some days? Our brain is telling us we want to do something and yet there is an inertia – something holding us back.
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