Category Archives: storytelling

Time Management: Why it is futile

Time management is a topic that will always be with us. In a recent leadership workshop, one of the participants, a professor of physics, asked me about it. I thought that the wise words of Lewis Carroll, the pseudonym of Oxford mathematician Charles Dodgson, on time management might appeal to him. They did. They illustrate [...]

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For the day that’s in it …

Image via Wikipedia

Growing up in Ireland in the 1960s, I was told my fair share of stories about St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, whose feast day is being celebrated all over the world today. The story that stuck with me is about the Easter fire.
The then custom in Ireland was that the High King and [...]

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Validation – the movie

A while ago I wrote an entry about Positive Feedback Loops. This video tells a story of the power of giving people positive feedback. And, if you watch carefully, you might even notice Angelina Jolie’s brother in a supporting role.
So, take 16 minutes out of the pre-Christmas rush and enjoy!

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Positive Feedback Loops

Too often, feedback is a codeword for criticism. Many managers want to know how to criticise their staff. Many years ago, one of my manager’s, let’s call him Gernot, noticed my tendency for self-critical reflection. He deliberately focused on giving me positive feedback so that I would not lose sight of my strengths. He knew [...]

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You never know

Two handy skills for leaders:

keep your eyes open
learn to comminucate through stories.

On Christmas Eve both came together. We were invited to a Christmas drinks party, very off-duty. Then again, you never know! There I met an American, who lives one valley over from us. He’s Eric May, an Emmy Award-winner for CBS, who now consults [...]

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