“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” (Ken Blanchard) “if palatable and digestible” (mine) All athletes need them – coaches to assist with enhancing performance: tweaking movement techniques, giving feedback on past performances, reinforcing mental stamina, suggesting alterations to diet, building body mass, etc. This assistance makes the athletes deliver better results – exactly what the…
“In vain you have acquired knowledge if you have not imparted to others” (Deuteronomy Rabbah) My friend and former colleague, Gerrit Cloete (owner of Productivity Pitstop), spent a week at the family’s seaside vacation home to catch up with family and friends. Upon his return, he related one of his experiences with me: “I went…
“The light at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion – the tunnel is” (Unknown) As a year, 2017 had its fair share of challenges – yes, global challenges of a serious nature, but somewhat equally important and significant, personal issues that made the year a difficult one to endure. We all have…
“Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes; lesser ones exist on wishes and inclinations” (Kenneth Hildebrand) My cats enjoy their daily routine of playing in the garden – they can’t wait to get out in the morning and spend time stalking whatever moves and chasing each other all over the place. To get them in…
Acclaimed athletes and international sports teams have many of them – coaches for different aspects of the game or discipline. This group of professional advisors often includes physiotherapists and masseurs, sports psychologists, nutritionists, fitness specialists and even doctors, quite apart from analysts, agents and the like. All the personnel exist for one thing alone –…
Millennials, those born after 1980 and before 2000 and representing well over 35% of the world’s population, are a largely talented and versatile group. For many companies with rigid structures and systems, this generation can be incredibly frustrating, illusive and highly challenging. In terms of employing millennials, the best are hard to find and even…
“I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I … I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference”. Robert Frost So many people with whom I come into contact are unhappy – sometimes with their circumstances, sometimes…
I took my grandchildren to the park yesterday – a shaded playground, well-appointed with an appropriate slide, jungle-gym, see-saw, swings and the favourite merry-go-round or “round-about”. All of the activities represent one or another challenge for little ones – the swing (how high can I go?), the jungle-gym (how daring can I be?), the slide…
During my mid high school years, my interest in leadership development, growth and effective human interaction had been sparked by a vocational guidance teacher, Gordon (Billy) Bauer. He somehow always managed to stretch minds, challenge hearts and bring out the best in the individual. As one of the students of his more holistic education efforts,…
I have a huge appreciation for the photographer that manages to capture the “perfect” shot. Not happy with just taking pictures of subjects, these great photographers manage to find a worthwhile perspective of even a mundane subject and transform the subject into a glorious representation of its potential. The potential was always there, but the…
There is a story that is read to many children all over the world – some of you may have had a deprived childhood not having this classic read to you when you were young (tongue in cheek), but here it is – a railroad story, the story of a train carrying toys. Now, the…
Gerrit Cloete, former colleague and now owner of Productivity Pitstop, told me about one of his weekend adventures – he often walks among the beautiful mountains of Cape Town, both for exercise and relaxation and also for the opportunity presented for reflection. On this particular occasion, Gerrit decided to park near Signal Hill and climb…
