When others don’t want to cooperate or are working against you, “conflicting agendas” are often cited as the cause. This seems to signal a barrier to success, an explanation of why you can’t get the things done – or is it an excuse? A more helpful … [Continue reading]
Exercise: What Does Trust Mean to You?
Given the complexities of trust, especially when it comes to relationships, it is important to get a very clear fix on exactly what it is and what it means to you. This exercise will help to equip you to be able to build trust more effectively, and … [Continue reading]
Exercise: Protecting Integrity
Take a blank piece of paper and quickly brainstorm all of the things which you think are important values/beliefs when dealing with other people (e.g. “tell the truth even if it hurts”; “treat people as humans not numbers”; “you’ve got to be cruel to … [Continue reading]
Are You a Bully? Are You Sure You Aren’t?
Hmmm, what are you doing here ― reading this? If you’ve been attracted by the title of this, there is a fair chance you may have a nagging feeling that something may be wrong. I’d also guess that you are generally a caring sort of person too, full … [Continue reading]
Consorting with the Enemy
If you want to reduce your stress when managing stakeholders, realise that you do not necessarily have to go into battle with your enemies and adversaries. Many diligent and capable people spend an unnecessary amount of time and energy engaging with … [Continue reading]
Are You an Ethical Influencer? 21 Questions
It is very rare that I meet an unethical influencer ― thankfully! However, there are many I meet whom I wonder about. They operate on the fringes of integrity, in my view. Trouble is, as I have explained elsewhere, integrity means different things to … [Continue reading]
Group, Organisational, Formal and Informal Power
You will probably have noticed that much of the phrasing above suggests personal ownership of assets or skills. This is true; however, the same also applies to groups of individuals or even entire organisations. The combined effect of their … [Continue reading]
Exercise: Informal Groups in Your Organisation
Without doubt, if you aspire to a senior or influential position in any organisation, you will need to open your eyes and see the social structures within it. This exercise will help you to apply your learning to the setting where you wish to be … [Continue reading]
Navigating Informal Group Dynamics

In order to maximise your success, you need to be able to understand and influence decisions made by informal groups which exist in your organisation, particularly those with power. Formal Groups The formal structure of your organisation is often … [Continue reading]
Power and Informal Groups
You can imagine that the level of power owned by an informal group consists of the sum of the personal power of each individual member. As with other ideas, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. However, this power is often latent or … [Continue reading]
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