It's not surprising that Cristiano Ronaldo argues on behalf of his team. The jersey is a giant obvious signal as to who he is loyal to. Other people are trickier. Their agendas aren't as obvious. But I will say that it is worth searching for, as decisions become less baffling once you figure out allegiances.

Their silence and inaction says it all. We heard the message loud and clear. They're not interested in change. They're happy to let this continue. They're willing to sacrifice your discomfort to avoid asking themselves the tough questions.

The comedian made a joke about beating up a disabled child and the audience responded with audible gasps, reluctant laughs, mild booing and uncomfortable seat adjustments. Then the comedian made the very good point that no child was injured in the telling of that joke. He was pretending to have committed the act. The child … Continue reading Unpleasant ideas →

When it comes to writing wedding vows or speeches I think there are different levels. There is the 'What you can say with ease' level. After that there is the 'What might be uncomfortable to say' level. And finally there is the 'What would be difficult to say without welling up' level. And I would … Continue reading Emotional well →

Now I'm not a professional teacher or lecturer but I bet the hardest aspect about teaching adults is the incompetency part. The students aren't able to replicate what the teacher displayed or they're not quite grasping it as quickly as their classmates and so they beat themselves up or sit out or disrupt the class … Continue reading Incompetence frustration →

I think drama by and large can be nipped in the bud the sooner it's dealt with. For example in their one to one Kevin's manager informs him that he wants Kevin to work overtime next month. Kevin doesn't want to work overtime. In fact Kevin is outraged at being asked but he doesn't voice … Continue reading Drama bud nipped →

I don't think it's considered mansplaining when the man is an expert in the subject. I also don't think it's mansplaining when the man humbly offers their opinion and acknowledges they could be wrong. I think it's mansplaining when the tone feels condescending, when we don't believe the man to be a credible source and the man … Continue reading Mansplaining →

How was your weekend?Sometimes this is a sincere query and the questioner wants to hear a lengthy detailed answer and sometimes all they're doing is stalling for time so a short answer will do.It's handy to know the difference but not the end of the world if you don't. If in doubt I think the … Continue reading Sincere or stalling →

At some point the latest obnoxious act from Ultan becomes boring.Because that's Ultan's thing. He's obnoxious.And it doesn't move the needle round the water cooler.Now, if Ultan were to start hugging people or sobbing uncontrollably that would be a different story. That would be interesting. As a PR specialist once said:'Dog bites man' isn't newsworthy but 'Man bites … Continue reading Man bites dog →

"Greatness, no matter how brief, stays with a man.” Gene Hackman in The Replacements. I think the same is true of beautiful emotional moments. I think they linger longer than your average moment. They replay in your head over and over again in the immediate aftermath and they show off their potency when remembered years … Continue reading Beautiful moments →