Let the storm pass
At our low points, we can rush to big decisions because we want things to change. While immediate action is desired, we’re not in a great headspace to think through the next best step. Hold onto this desire for action, though allow for the low point to pass. When your head is clearer, you’ll be […]
Harmony
I believe there is a lot of benefit in understanding the parts of your personality that make you you, because every strength can also be a weakness. To illustrate this, one part of my personality that I value highly is Harmony. As defined by CliftonStrengths, this means: I look for consensus. I am naturally practical […]
Your test window
When trying new behaviours to achieve an outcome, it’s good to define how long your test window will be. How long must you keep doing these new behaviours before you understand if they’re working or not? When you don’t define a test window, you risk giving up too early because you’re not seeing any results. […]
A cookie with coffee
There are 3 cafes close to our home, but 1 has set itself apart as the clear favourite for locals. You may think it’s because the staff are friendly, the service is timely or the coffee is great. But this cafe does one small thing the others don’t. It provides a courtesy cookie with every […]
Friction is good
People can talk a lot about their intentions, but at face value they don’t really mean much. It’s only when a decision is required that we can see where they really stand. Unfortunately, the conditions that force a decision aren’t particularly pleasant. It’s the looming deadline that suddenly appears. Or someone making a move that […]
Expectations
Whenever I’m shocked with an outcome, action or event, I find it really helpful to ask myself this question: Why was I expecting a different result? .
Virtually in-person
Historically, presentations were only done in-person, where the speaker and audience were physically present together. Then during COVID, everyone was forced to embrace digital-only formats. With the world opening up, I no longer see the need for formats to be binary (either 100% in-person or 100% virtual). In fact, I’m excited by the hybrid approach. […]
It’s just a year
It’s amazing how comfortable we can be with an option when we see it as the only one, and how easy it is to dismiss its implications. I had a great session this week with someone who’s about to graduate and is considering doing Honours. They were leaning towards doing Honours because many people had […]
Puzzle pieces
I like approaching problems like they’re puzzles. Each piece of information is a puzzle piece, and the finished puzzle reveals the solution (except you don’t have the box with the picture on it to know what it looks like at the start). This helps to classify information as you work through the problem. How does […]
Let’s make a deal
There may come a time in your job when you understand the value you can provide to the organisation and want to take your commitment with them to another level. When this happens, you may feel a little nervous or unsure about raising this with key stakeholders. You came into the organisation under certain terms, […]