In talking to literally hundreds of people about career development and subsequently, positional growth, I have been struck by the expectation of most people that career growth means promotion – it means progress upwards within a department within the company. Many of these people feel that they have offered value to the company through their…
“Blue Mondays” are common – overcoming the inertia caused by a great weekend and with a sigh, realising that there is plenty to do awaiting you at the office, perhaps not all of these things pleasant activities. But what happens when “blue Mondays” turn into blue other days of the week and pulling the duvet…
December is a time of the year when families attempt to get together, sometimes family members flying from different parts of the world to be with loved ones and close friends. It is often a time of reflection – do I have any relationships that are ailing and if so, do I need to apply…
On a trip to Asia, I had the opportunity of exploring a densely populated Bamboo forest – a surreal experience, where the wind causes the bamboo to creak and groan as the tall plants rub against each other. In the Asian humidity and with the right soil conditions, these monsters grow into giants alongside each…
I love December – the weather is warming up in the southern hemisphere; the year with all its hard work, problems and joys is winding down; family, wherever located, take on fresh significance; and secretly-held hopes and dreams for a better year to come rest in the hearts, minds and emotions of many. Some call…
I enjoyed playing golf in earlier years and attempted to swing the irons at least twice a month. On one such occasion, I played at a club in a mining area of South Africa, a picturesque layout with long fairways, surrounded by tall trees and occasionally bordered by large lakes. After completing about a third…
I love watching my two and a half year old granddaughter play with toys with her friends, children of a similar age. The interactions with each other are usually friendly and fun, but I have noticed, without exception, that all children need to have their own toys, probably to give them a sense of security…
I love watching soccer and religiously follow my favourite club’s exploits – FC Barcelona is “my team”. Their style, skill, finesse on the ball and the brand that they represent seem to lift the game of football to new heights. I am generally proud of them. Imagine, however, this scene– Lionel Messi scores a magnificent…
I have had the privilege of doing people development work for a number of hospitals in Southern Africa. On one such occasion, I took a tour through a large hospital in order to find out more about the hospital environment, partly to understand it and also partly to assist me in customising the workshop materials…
In the movie, The Matrix, one of my personal favourites, I am captivated with the scene where Neo meets Morpheus for a secret meeting. This is the first time that they have ever met, even though they seem to have been searching for each other for most of their lives. The dialogue is fascinating: Morpheus:…
I had the privilege of facilitating a workshop at an hotel in Franschhoek in a beautiful setting in the winelands of South Africa. A lady, who had lost her father in an unfortunate motor vehicle accident just two weeks prior to the workshop, attended – I felt, rather bravely. She explained to me that she…
I grew up in a loving family, with good parents – I was a privileged child along with my brother and sister. There was one thing, however, that my family, and particularly my parents, did not do well – handle conflict. In fact, they avoided conflict at all costs. Whenever there was value difference, one…
