Building workplaces for the future
This is the second in a series of short blogs from the CIPD Midlands Area Partnership event. A keynote is always a difficult gig. Plenty of expectations – particularly if …
The MAP is not the territory
I love maps, always have. From my first tentative adventures with a compass as a child to qualifying as a Mountain Leader they have helped me make sense of the world. From life …
Loyal Antagonism
I was listening to a podcast last week. The screenwriter of the Imitation Game was being interviewed about the creative process and the many challenges he had faced whilst preparing …
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The first round of the table always leaves me watchful for the little niggles between colleagues, the hierarchy being established, power being displayed and measured. It’s the kind of place where everyone quickly …
Heard
Day one, Scene – a mediation First there was the anger, the reiteration of old slights and hurts. The litany of infractions, some real, some imagined. Half forgotten meetings and …
Lost in the system
It’s uncomfortable, confusing and dispiriting. You’ve volunteered for this. You want to be part of an elite, handpicked and trained to a different level. So how come this experience is …
How many values do you need?
I was in a room with all the HR team, the senior Health and Safety Manger and the Chief Operations Officer. It was a real coup having the COO in …
The truth beneath your feet
I’m sure it’s just a suggestion in my mind but I’ve always sworn that I can feel when I’m home. The soft chalky soil of Dorset with the sharp hardness …
Talk to me
Last week I attended a conference. Nothing particularly unusual in that. This conference had soundbites like “Dialogue is the embodiment of love” or “The three key principles of dialogue are openness, …
Three little words
As a guy who is endlessly curious about the world, one of the great joys of working for myself is the sheer variety of organisations I get to visit. I’ve …