When my son was in his early teenage years, he didn’t really manage to keep his room clean, especially when it came to dirty washing which just formed a pile of clothes in the middle of the floor. No amount of “laying down the law” saw any improvement – the pile just grew daily, so…
“A microscope of faith is far better than a telescope of criticism” (Anon) While helpful feedback is aimed at improving or enhancing the performance of an employee or team and accelerating business results as a whole, such manager conversations often deteriorate into criticism, which is loosely defined as “the expression of disapproval of someone or…
“I heard approaching footsteps. I reached out my hand, as I supposed, to my mother. Someone took it, and I was caught up and held close in the arms of her who had come to reveal all things to me, and more than all things else, to love me” (Helen Keller, Guideposts) The highest form…
“His thoughts were slow, His words were few, and never formed to glisten. But he was a joy to all his friends – You should have heard him listen”. (Anon) Listening is a rare phenomenon amongst human beings. It seems that the tongue is a very powerful and dominant muscle, at times completely overshadowing the…
“It is unhealthy to marinate in your own press clippings” (Sam Walton) Humility is the hallmark of true leadership. Those in leadership who display humility recognise that they have been put in a position to serve others, create opportunity for others and bring out the best in others. Humility empowers others. It sets an example…
“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own” (Benjamin Disraeli) When we treat people with respect, we help them gain confidence and reveal inner potential that otherwise might go untapped. Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him or…
“… the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” (James 3: 5) Although the weight of the human tongue is only about 60 – 70 grams, its potential for evil is so great that it has…
“Thinking collaboratively is not new. What is new is the increasing complexity of information flow in organisations that calls for high levels of engagement, innovation and collective problem-solving” (Bruce Wellman) COVID-19 and its debilitating effects, not just on people’s health, wellness and state of mind all over the world, but also on economies, businesses and…
“We are hiring!” Many adverts are boring, but some job postings are fun – like this one I happened to read recently: “Thanks for taking a look at the job description for … We felt a little bit impersonal just throwing you right in there with words like “revolutionising” and “disrupting”. As such, we want…
When confronted by significant differences of opinion with others, aggressive communication or manipulative forms of behaviour, particularly from those in more senior positions, many employees are overwhelmed and overcome – they either fight (respond aggressively or sarcastically), flee (get out of the situation as quickly as possible) or freeze (absolutely dumbstruck, they become speechless, or…
“It does not make sense to hire chess players and then treat them like chess pieces” (Anon) I was always taught to treat the cleaner like I treat the managing director/CEO – i.e., with dignity and respect. This should be true of how we treat people from every level in the organisation, particularly those that…
I finally landed at the international airport, on my way home after a week-long trip abroad. It was an early arrival and I approached passport control, greeted the official, who answered: “Yeah”. I asked somewhat irritated: “Is that all I am going to get – just yeah?” He answered rather rudely: “Well, what do you…
