When you discover somebody's been talking behind your back, providing negative feedback to maybe the senior management or another group of people that is putting you at a disadvantage, it's very understandable that you're going to be upset. You might be angry, frustrated, really annoyed with that individual, particularly if they deny that they've done it and you know for sure that they have. Having those emotions, experiencing those emotions is not necessarily going to help you at this stage. A number of things to consider. Read More

Group psychology has a massive unseen influence on behaviour, the way things get done, and the way decisions are made, aka, the politics Someone recently told me that “Politics is frowned upon here.” I probed “What exactly do you mean?” What followed was a number of examples such as brown-nosing, button-holing before meetings, self-promotion. “Okay, who are these people who frown on the politics?” Read More

Most people prioritise improving the quality of a relationship when a problem hits them in the face. This is the most difficult time of all to build trust and openness, because the guard is up, and perhaps, so are the heckles. On the other hand, hard as it may be, this could be exactly what the two of you needed, a big wake up call! And, if you're diligent, tenacious and careful, the prospects are good that the relationship after things have been resolved will be much better than it was before. Read More

A truly fascinating discussion about success with a high-ranking military officer. He has a long track-record of incredible achievements. He was reading at 3 years old. Helping teacher to teach others to read at 4 ½. From a very early age he acquired the belief that there was no limit to what he could achieve. He has always achieved what he set out to achieve. Somewhere around his early teens, he caught the idea that he could master any topic within 6 weeks. That has become another core belief that has served him well. Nature or nurture? Tough one, jury still out. Family history Read More

You may well have the feeling that your boss doesn’t quite trust you. Perhaps they:

• Insist all communications go through them rather than direct.
• Will not allow you to engage directly with her boss.
• Do not delegate decisions, however small, to you.
• Insist on constant updates from you – micro managing.
• Do not allow you to attend meetings on their behalf.

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The large organisation environment is increasingly regulated and governed. Due process. Follow the rules. Obey, and all will be well. Discussing this with a senior IT professional in one of the big four consultancies, he observed that those who are performing at an exceptional level are those who are willing to break the rules, and later be judged as having done the right thing. He also noted that they  Read More

I've just realised that it's feedback season again. Annual appraisals, performance reviews and all of that feedback coming in to you about what you've done last year, how your performance is rated. So I thought I'd just stop by and suggest a few things to remember when you're getting all of this feedback. And I hope the person doing your performance appraisal, takes these on board too. The first thing is, feedback is really just an opinion. Yes, it could be a very credible opinion depending on who it is, but it does depend on who it is. So whenever you're getting feedback, try to regard it as input to your personal decision-making process about what you're going to do differently. Read More

Simple idea, that could boost your confidence and get you that next position. When you are going through a selection process, or indeed, pitching for an opportunity, there is a great temptation to do all that you can to present yourself as an expert. Read More

Talking with an up and coming banker in New York. He expressed the view, based on what he was noticing, that it is becoming increasingly important that people climbing the corporate ladder must have a strong external profile, on social media and the like. He believes, you must stand for something, and demonstrate it publicly. If you wish to maximise your potential, I agree wholeheartedly. Of course, it is well known that recruiters scour social media for the footprint of Read More