People regularly express concern that they may not get the agreement they need from their stakeholders. Here's one example from a workshop I ran this week: Read More

This is a very popular phrase in organisational life:

"I don't do politics"

How many times do you hear it? How many times have you used it? Ah, there we are then. If you affirmed the second question, I think you are making a big mistake. What is the probability that you would be able to safely cross a busy road wearing a blindfold? That's exactly what you are doing if you stick your head in the sand, denying that politics exists, or proclaiming that it shouldn't exist. When you say "I don't do politics" you are effectively disengaging with the way work really gets done. That is, if you really mean what you say. Read More

With so many new updates coming out here, you may well be overwhelmed with great ideas. I make no apology for the volume, because with so many people following me with different needs, I have to try to cater for all. So, here's a suggestion. Read More

One of the big challenges with exciting new opportunities is their propensity to hide the negatives. While you are excited about all the new things you will be doing, the meetings you will be attending, the results you'll be achieving, you will probably dismiss or at least downplay the drawbacks. Once you spot the drawback, you can potentially negotiate clear boundaries, with your new (potential boss) or even with co-workers as you begin to get moving. Here's a quick example that had an amazing impact. Read More

When looking to develop your power and influence, a key factor you need to consider is that it has less to do with you than you may think. The most profound impact (or influence) takes place in the mind of the person you are attempting to influence, because of what they think about you. Specifically about power, they are likely to imagine what power (capacity to influence) you have, and likely exaggerate it out of all proportion. If that exaggeration is going in a positive direction for you, it will help you at least in the short term, but may cause problems further down the line when the ultimately realise that you cannot deliver what they expected, such as putting in a good word with the CEO who they think you know well, but in reality you only nod to them in the corridor. So, today's post is about building greater awareness of how other people perceive you. Read More

When I published Feeling Powerless in a Relationship last week, a great many of you jumped on the opportunity to complete the online Power Profile. Using this to build awareness of where you get your personal power from is quick and easy, but only the very start of your journey to greater power and influence. However, there are two things that just about everyone has missed, and these are critically important if you wan to become more influential. Read More

Earlier today I was engaging with a connection on LinkedIn. We were discussing his reaction to my recent article Fire Fire! Controlling the Unseen Threat to Organisational Survival. An important point he made is that in any organisation, stress is inevitable. Read More