Sarah was the best player at training today but she didn't see it that way. 'Lousy' was how she described her performance. Her teammates delight in having her on their side but she's thinking of quitting. A limiting self belief taints all evidence. It dismisses contradictory arguments and clings to supporting proof. Sarah has the … Continue reading Super Sarah →

You can't evaluate a painting while it's still being made. The monetary value is only assigned after the artist is finished with it. The same is true of human beings. Whilst they are constantly changing it's very hard to nail down a concrete measurement of worth. This can be infuriating or liberating, depending on how … Continue reading Ever changing worth →

In the last chapter of his book 'Creativity' Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi lists a few tips for enhancing personal creativity. The first tip is curiosity. Mr. Csikzentmihalyi suggests improving your curiosity by: Trying to be surprised by something everyday. Trying to surprise at least one person every day. Writing down each day what surprised you and how … Continue reading Curious creatives →

They say the way to become a better writer is to read a lot and write a lot. Well I think creatives are masters of interesting. And if you want to become one, you need to consume a lot of interesting and produce a lot of interesting.

Productivity should not be measured in the amount of hours put in but the speed with which tasks are completed. A 12 hour study session does not mean it was a productive one, it just means it was a long one. Work smarter not harder is great advice and the way forward but if your … Continue reading Appearing lazy →

Gerrard saved a child's life. Then later that day he stole from a shop, he berated a customer service rep and manipulated his senile mother out of money. Now, overall, whether Gerrard is a good person or not can be debated. But I think any negative action cannot override or cancel out the saving of … Continue reading Gerrard’s character →

When the turtle feels unsafe he retreats into his shell. I can relate! Whenever I feel insulted or criticised I find myself withdrawing mentally from the conversation. I believe it's a protection mechanism. But after reading 'Nasty People' I have seen the light! Jay Carter talks about how the introversion reaction is not the most … Continue reading Turtling →

The employee who quit to pursue their dreams got nothing but well wishes. The employee who was leaving to join a competitor got the silent treatment for their notice period. Both employees are leaving the company for the foreseeable future, never to return and yet it's their destinations that provokes two opposing reactions. To take … Continue reading Survivors denial →

"Progress is a double edged sword" From the film Hidden Figures. Meaning congratulations on building the self service check out till but you've also just put people out of a job. In a similar vein we can lump the Manhattan project. But it's funny how the costs of progress are rarely considered as we race … Continue reading Costs of progress →

Here's how I would redesign committees. One person, the chief troublemaker and the most passionate about making change, drafts up a plan. They then send this draft to the other 'committee' members for FEEDBACK not approval. The primary ruckus maker takes the feedback into account, makes changes if needed and proceeds to publish the draft. … Continue reading Redesigning committees →