Gautrey Unleashed

Shift Your Focus: Dangerous Habits

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It's really interesting to notice that when people have problems they can very easily get carried away with those problems. Worrying about them, obsessing about them, and getting very emotionally engaged with the feature of their current life or work that they don't actually want, that they don't like, that they would soon it wasn't there. What I notice happening is that those obsessive thoughts feed on themselves and they get bigger and worse, and that starts to dig people into not only a negative feeling, but the perpetuation of that phenomena, that event, that situation, in their working lives. Read More

Rolling with the Punches

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Rolling with the Punches: Coping with and withstanding adversity by being flexible. The Urban Dictionary. Several years ago, I asked a client for some feedback. I had trained most of his senior team around the world and six months later, I wanted to know what had changed. His first reaction was to focus on how noticeable it was those of his team who had not done the training. “They are now looking distinctly wet behind the ears, naïve in the face of the usual cut and thrust of organisational life!” Read More

Cybernetics, Population Ecology and Corporate Geriatrics

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Two branches of science have always fascinated me because of the way they can be related to organisations, and how they can help us to think creatively about how to make them more successful, and ourselves in the process. They also lead to a fundamental question you need to ask yourself about the way you behave at work, and my reason for sharing this with you. Cybernetics is the science of communication and control systems found in biological organisms and machines. It is usually regarded as one of the many methodologies within the field of systems thinking (yes, systems thinking doesn’t just mean Lean!). What I find most interesting in Cybernetics is what you can learn about how biological organisms survive and thrive in a changing environment, and the systems the successful species have developed to do that. All of this can be mapped to a corporate structure to determine if it is likely to survive. Read More

Is This as Good as it Gets?

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What if...

This is as good as it gets?

Serious point. Many people in middle years and middle levels, hit the buffers. They have been successful in a way, but not the way or to the extent that they intended. Underneath, there is still ambition. The belief that they cold do more, should do more... But they are stuck, doing what they've always done, and now, getting what they've always got. Breaking out of this is tough, but it has to be done, and can be done. Read More

Beware Emotional Investment

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Enthusiasm is contagious. You get pumped up. Excited. You're off and running, ideas buzzing, resourceful, productive, moving fast. This rubs off on others, and for a while, the enthusiasm feeds and reproduces. Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm. Read More

Blueprint for an Exciting Adventure at Work

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One of my core beliefs is that anyone can create a working life experience that is an exciting adventure – if they empower themselves with greater influence. And part of my exciting adventure is making this a reality for others, regardless of their starting point. Some begin at breaking point. Others would be considered successful already. What unites us all is the strong desire for a better, more rewarding and fulfilling working life. One that is enjoyable, challenging and fun. Why? Why not? To help drive this vision forward, I've created The Blueprint for an Exciting Adventure at Work.
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Feeling Powerless in a Relationship? Seven Critical Things to Remember

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A good friend of mine is stuck in a relationship which makes her feel undermined, devalued and stupid. It's not a work relationship, however helping her through this difficult time it reminded me that exactly the same thing is happening to so many people in the workplace. Replace boyfriend, husband, partner with boss, colleague or even friends at work, and exactly the same psychological principles are in place. This hit me hard, so I wanted to record and share with all of you the same points I made to my friend, in case it helps you. Rather than extend the text on this post and your reading time, if you are in this a relationship where you feel powerless, find a quiet corner, or put your headphones on, and watch the video below. Read More

Fire! Fire! Controlling the Unseen Threat to Organisational Survival

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Within many organisations, there is a fire burning, out of control, and out of sight. Those who can see it are impotent to do anything. They watch with growing despair, or simply jump ship. The threats to organisational success today are big, very big. Technology, AI, competition, Brexit, regulation, trade barriers, wars. It’s a long list. But don’t be fooled. Read More

The Influential Executive: Nine Critical Capabilities

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To get to the top you have to be good at your job. You also have to be extremely good at influence, especially if you work in a competitive environment where egos, personal agendas and politics are rife. Over the last 15 years I have helped hundreds of senior people make it to the top in large organisations. They have risen above the norm, moved faster than average, and developed an unusual sense of security. Here are the nine capabilities that enabled them to distinguish themselves, and become extraordinarily successful – and they are not what you will learn in business school, or on the majority of leadership development programmes. Read More

The Politics of Performance Reviews

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Vijay wanted to talk urgently because of his upcoming performance review. He was getting pretty anxious and wound up about it, not least because the CEO would be attending, as he does for all senior level reviews. So far, none had gone well. In fact, most people had been torn apart. This CEO has form. Here’s a summary of the situation Vijay shared with me at the beginning of our call last Wednesday evening. Read More

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