This article explores the relationship between empathy and assertiveness, showing how they can combine effectively to offer a route to more consistent success in project and change management. [...]
Herbert Kelman is an American psychologist with a lifelong focus on conflict resolution and peace research. He set out 3 stages of attitude change, which are helpful when applied to the [...]
It’s coming up to 30 years since I first managed a project officially and almost 18 years since I ran my first Agile project. It’s been interesting watching the gradual take-up of [...]
Most of us are aware that becoming angry, fearful or frustrated gets in the way of clear thinking, so it pays to stay calm. But when we’re under pressure and our emotions are rising, then it’s [...]
It’s World Book Day today and we thought we’d share some of our most favourite industry books with you. It’s easy to buy the ’latest book’ out there, especially if you are new to the field, but [...]
So, I’m sitting here writing this blog. But actually, the truth is I’m supposed to be doing something else! I’ve left something (quite a few things?) unfinished, and those things are distracting [...]
Most Agile methods focus at the product development level. There’s a revolution from below aspect to them which is seductive. It encourages teams to change the world by doing it. Who [...]
We’re in the final week of ’The Great British Bake Off’ and the last three contestants have survived 27 challenges, including cakes, pies, pastries, tarts, bread, biscuits and puddings from the [...]
The Harvard Business Review has recently published a report: Agile Practice: The Competitive Advantage for a Digital Age. Note, the title of the report is that Agile is ’the’ competitive [...]
It was first said centuries ago that change is the only constant. But it is just as true today. Effective change management is key to the success of any organisation. And its contribution is [...]
Our brains are constantly on the lookout for signs of threats or rewards – clearly the survival of early man depended on this. The decisions we make about what to pay attention to are based on [...]
This picture is on a wall just outside my office. Every time I pass it I stop and admire it: a photographer would probably say it’s too blurred, or the light’s not right, but for me it’s [...]
A recent article in New Scientist* offers some valuable insights — and they’re not necessarily the ones you may expect. Many management courses include some guidance on body language, the reading [...]
Last week I met a Mercedes-Benz driving coach – please note he was not a driving “instructor”. His business card says very clearly that he is a Driving Coach. Listening to him, I was [...]
I had an interesting discussion with an old colleague and friend recently about some problems she is having managing a project to implement a new CRM system. Not untypically there is some [...]
A few days ago, I watched some of Clare Balding’s TV game show –they showed clips of an experiment, with people buying fruit and vegetables at a busy market stall. The experiment highlighted how [...]
When you’re faced with change and having to do things in a new way, have you noticed that it takes longer to get things done? When you change your mobile phone or your television, this can [...]
I hope by now many of you have managed to watch the wonderful spectacle that was the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony and you’ll no doubt have your favourite bits – perhaps it was the [...]
Post by Mary O’Gorman I’m probably not alone in gathering a fair selection of fitness dvds and equipment, but I have to confess to being a bit of an equipment magpie over the years. [...]
Last year I was running a large number of short change management workshops for an organisation, touching on theory around their change management framework, but mainly facilitating discussions [...]
Two weeks ago the Williams F1 team were celebrating their win at the Spanish Grand Prix when a fire broke out in their garage. It caused devastating damage to most of their IT and communications [...]
We were upgrading our computer systems in the office last week and, as I was out training for the week, it was an ideal time for our “go to IT” man to rummage around my desk [...]
