“Almost all conflict is a result of violated expectations” (Blaine Lee, The Power Principle) To avoid relational frustrations and mistrust, expectations between people need to be clarified. This is true at home as well as in business or dealings within other organisations. “Clean up your room and the bathroom before going out” sounds pretty straightforward…
“A good boss makes his men realise they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could” (Charles Erwin Wilson) I am surprised at how many people hate work. Wherever I go, I come across hundreds of people who prefer the duvet rather than…
“I believe that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity, an obligation, every possession, a duty” (Nelson Rockefeller) I am sure that you have heard the words ‘that’s not my responsibility’ from people on countless occasions. Other forms of the same expression include “that is not my role”, “that’s not in my employment contract” or…
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it” (Helen Keller) Many of life’s difficulties are short-term and swiftly come to an end as we get re-employed, or sort out an issue with a friend, or resolve an argument or recover from some illness. Other forms of adversity,…
“There are more things to do than we ever shall get done; there are more books to read than we can ever look at; there are more avenues to enjoyment than we ever shall find time to travel. Life appeals to us from innumerable directions, crying, ‘Attend to me here!’ In consequence, we litter up…
“If you are a good leader, people will respect and admire you. If you are a great leader, people will respect and admire themselves” (Unknown) Leaders that resonate with their subordinates with respect to the very essence of being human matters more than anything else along the journey into the future. The old model of…
“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common: that the step was first, the road new, the vision unborrowed, and the response they received — hatred. The great creators — the thinkers, the…
“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did” (Newt Gingrich) Failure and fatigue are characteristic of the lives of everyone. Life is not “plain sailing” – yes, there are successes and great moments of joy, satisfaction, and happiness, but these are often fleeting, temporary,…
“One of the problems is that I internalise everything. I can’t express anger; I grow a tumour instead” (Woody Allen) The greatest test of any relationship is what happens when someone lets you down – broken promises, missed deadlines, poor behaviour, less than average performance, negligence, bad attitudes, etc. These disappointments initially may engender surprise,…
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit” (Albert Schweitzer) Very few people seem to have “found their voice”. By this I mean: knowing and living…
“She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails” (Elizabeth Edwards) Music is filled with themes…and variations on themes. Most importantly, the variation on the theme still carries the theme. There may have been creative adjustment of some kind, but the basic melody continues to emerge…
“When a culture adopts ‘what’s the next action?’ as a standard operating query, there’s an automatic increase in energy, productivity, clarity, and focus” (David Allen – Getting Things Done) Strategy execution isn’t a module or programme that you add on to an organisation but rather a discipline that you build into the organisation’s culture. Execution…
