There is no denying, scolding is effective. It changes behaviour quickly.But as Katherine Morgan Schafler says in her book 'The Perfectionist's guide to losing control' it's more likely to create liars, mischief makers, or anxious folk than saints and boy scouts. The example she uses is...A child you punish for stealing cookies from the pantry … Continue reading Scolding effectiveness →

Did you know that Lin Manuel Miranda came up with the idea for Hamilton whilst sitting in an inflatable, floating around a pool drinking a margarita? Mind wandering can be a powerful weapon to have in your creative arsenal and Andy Neal and Dion Star in their book 'Creativity begins with you' have come up … Continue reading Mind wandering →

What steps have you taken to shape the team culture? Culture? I pick the team and they play, I don't have time for Nancy pancy culture talk. Culture happens regardless, so you might as well try and influence it with some intent.

Someone once described the situation as we're pouring water into a bucket with holes in it and for a solution we're not looking to plug the holes but merely pour more water into it. A great description and a type of problem solving I see all the time. The finance team just can't seem to … Continue reading Pour more water →

Are you annoyed more people didn't come to your play? Is one way to look at it. I believe it's akin to asking someone if they were frustrated more people didn't witness them getting back on the horse after being catastrophically thrown off it. The triumph does not lie in how many saw it but … Continue reading Win without witnesses →

You can't spend every second like it will be your last, you'd drive everyone crazy! What do you want for dinner? I love you so much I love you too. Like so much. I know. Like eternally I know, I love you eternally too, now what do you want for dinner? I suppose you want … Continue reading Annoying perspective →

Charities have the appeal of a noble purpose.Hospitals provide the venue to do the heroic work of saving lives.Big banks have giant salaries to draw you in.But what about the middle of the road, mundance companies that don't have a noble cause (they are blatantly out for profit) and struggle to stand out salary wise? … Continue reading Play at work →

At the risk of stereotyping and making a generalised sweeping statement, the french look so much more confident in themselves than the Irish. I wonder if the cultural tradition of mocking each other has the drawback of making us more self conscious and less secure in our own skin?

I think it's important to not just watch the highlight reel but balance it out with their embarrassing fails and declining abilities. It's the best way to remind you that your hero is not a god but a mere human. And if they're human then they can be replicated.

The time spent labouring the point. The focus given to the mistakes. The lack of celebrating the wins makes me think we're in the business of avoiding failure rather than chasing success.