Life Sentence
The Life Sentence exercise is a process of looking back over my life and career to identify the people, events, activities and circumstances that have most affected my life. It involved exploring the highs and the lows ...
Of course I’m a good driver, I’m a bloke
In recent years I have found myself thinking, “now that’s wasn’t such a good idea” when I’ve completed a manoeuvre, whether it was pulling out into a line of traffic and that enormous gap turned out to be rather smaller than I had anticipated ...
Defining Moments
When leaving higher education I had a choice to make between taking up the offer of a Commission as an Engineer Officer in the RAF, or staying with Michelin, the company that had sponsored me through University and paid all my education fees. This was a defining moment in my career ...
The toughest person to lead
When my mum was dating my dad she tells me that at social events anyone who didn’t enjoy a smoke was considered quite strange and really not socially engaged. Today however, that attitude seems to have been turned on its head. It seems that smokers are considered outcasts, condemned to spend part of their lives outside in any and all weathers.
Any dream will do
I closed my eyes, drew back the curtain, To see for certain what I thought I knew. Far, far away, someone was weeping , But the world was sleeping, Any dream will do.I first heard these lyrics when I was a teenager, and more recently when I started thinking about what they actually meant for me I found an interpretation that really resonated and helped me to understand why I love doing what I’m doing.
It's lonely at the top ...
Where can I find out how to lose some weight, become toned and get fit?That’s the question I needed an answer to if I was to be successful in losing the extra pounds I had managed to accumulate by the time I was in my 30s. Initially I turned to the sports and fitness magazines, only to be disappointed.
The Emperor
An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor.Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
Influence: to encourage someone to take action
"Don’t look at them … they’re only showing off!"Don’t look at them. That’s a phrase I seem to hear from the passenger seat quite often when a really nice car drives past catching my attention.
Where are you going to?
"You’re nothing but a dreamer."I never dreamt I’d be able to fit into a 30” waist again. That’s what I thought some years ago when I caught sight of my portly figure.
Party Hats
"All generalisations are false."A couple of years ago we had the most amusing start to the traditional Christmas Day turkey dinner. At the appointed time we all sat down, as usual, proceeded to pour a glass of something cold and sparkling, undo our napkins, and then each of us took hold of a shiny tube and pulled one end or the other in pairs.
Self Control
Tap into your won’t power.It’s really easy to give up smoking, I’ve done it loads of times. I just choose not to for now. Have you ever heard anyone say that? I know I have, and I know that I have been guilty of saying it myself on occasion too.
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Lessons from life’s experiences.Diana Ross sings “Do you know where you’re going to?” as the theme tune to the film Mahogany. This is all about a young black girl growing up in a poor area in Chicago, with a dream of becoming a fashion designer.
PATTERN for Coaching
Learning how to breathe. Can you swim? The first milestone I remember achieving in the pool was when I learned to swim half a width. This opened up a whole new world of opportunities for me. Now, I could dive off the 5m board and wherever I landed I would be able to reach the side. I simply had to figure out which side was nearest.
It’s the way that you do it
T'ain’t what you do. Some years ago while I was managing a control system project, one of the smaller tasks was dragging on and taking longer than planned. I asked the engineer how much time he expected it would take, and I was told “about 2 weeks”. A week later he revised his estimate to be “about 10 days”.
Creating Margin
Riding on black ice. Some years ago I used to commute to work on a motorbike in all weathers. I recall one particularly snowy winter’s day I became aware that there was probably a stretch of black ice hidden under the snow I was riding on.
I’d forgotten the tune
One way to deal with nerves on stage. I was standing with my son by a small white pavilion, next to the river. The hot Florida sunshine was beating down on us and I could feel small beads of sweat forming on my brow and running down my neck.
PRIZE Winning Leadership
An introduction. I’ve been on a journey. My journey so far includes several seasons, and I hope that I’ll be here to experience and enjoy several more to come.
Paperback Writer
Publishing a book on Amazon. Oh, I could write a book about that! How many times have you heard someone say that when they’ve been through some difficult situation or experience, or when they want to have a gossip about something. Maybe you’ve said it yourself from time to time too.
Building memories
The audience of one. We were all assembled by the small white pavilion, next to the river in the hot Florida sunshine.
Where do you go to my lovely
Discomfort Zone. The Comfort Zone gets some bad press these days. “Life begins at the end of the comfort zone”, and there are countless articles that encourage us to get out of our comfort zone to experience success. But do we need to?