Quick as you can, make a list of all the individuals who have a big influence on your life.

Split your list into those who have a big influence on your professional life, your personal life, or on both.

Next to each, make some notes about what influence these people have on you.

Reflect on:

How do you trust others?

Are you like Luke, who will trust someone until it is proven that he can’t.

Or, are you more like Isabel, who holds back her trust until she is absolutely certain.

Readiness to trust is a continuum and your preferred position will impact how you are perceived and trusted when you meet someone.

It will affect their readiness to trust you. Read More

Why are you so gullible?

I don’t wish to be rude.

You may choose to take it that way, but that’s up to you.

Today it seems like the majority of people are far too gullible, and that poses a problem.

Even the term “fake news” is likely to be sleight-of-hand. Almost all data is presented to suit the agenda.

Why do they do all of this? Read More

There are many reasons why you may well struggle to handle the politics, though these three are hard to beat.

Top of my list, your attitude to workplace politics.

If you hate it you will shy away from it and fail to learn how to do it properly. Read More

These days – it seems – there is always a hidden agenda.

While the ethics of influence advocate presenting balanced influence attempts to aid decision-making, the practice of influence seems to ignore the eighth principle of persuasion.

Thus, whenever you are inclined to be influenced by someone, pause and check what they may be hiding from you. Read More