A useful book on communcation
Conversations for Change: 12 Ways to Say it Right When it Matters Most
by Shawn Kent Hayashi.
Shawn introduces some highly useful and important ideas that contribute to effective communication – essential for building trust and buy-in from your people. It contains useful metaphors and concepts that any leader or manager will find highly relevant, practical and easy to implement.
Those ideas include:
Why emotional intelligence is so important in leadership – According ...
The Power of Habit
Charles Duhigg has written a powerful book that is a must read for anyone serious about leadership and success.
In The Power of Habit, he documents how our everyday actions are governed by habits and how changing even one habit can have a massive domino effect. One case study worth mentioning concerns how Alcoa, a US Aluminum manufacturing company turned around the company culture with just one small change.
In 1987, at a time when people were more focused on maximising profits than ...
Yelling Doesn’t Work
An oldie but still gold.
In the early 1960′s, when Tom Watson Jr. was CEO of IBM he discovered that one of his executives made a mistake costing the company $10 million. He called the man into his office asking him “Do you know why I called you here?” The man replied “I assume you’re going to fire me.”“Fire you?” Watson replied. “I spent $10 million educating you. I just want to be sure you learned the right ...
6 Lessons in Influence from a Karate Master
My karate teacher (sensei), Masataka Mori is a 9th Dan and the chief instructor of the International Japanese Karate Association. Even though I haven’t trained with him in years, he will always be my sensei. If he walked into a conference full of hundreds, or even thousands of people, you would instantly know who trained with him. They would be the ones standing and bowing towards this one man. This would include anyone on stage. Such is the respect he commands.
Here are six ways ...
6 Lessons in Influence from a Karate Master
My karate teacher (sensei), Masataka Mori is a 9th Dan and the chief instructor of the International Japanese Karate Association. Even though I haven’t trained with him in years, he will always be my sensei. If he walked into a conference full of hundreds, or even thousands of people, you would instantly know who trained with him. They would be the ones standing and bowing towards this one man. This would include anyone on stage. Such is the respect he commands.
Here are six ways ...
Brain fog
After a weekend of holiday eating and activities, I think it’s appropriate to tackle the Energises pillar of the SHAPES model — it represents managing the ability of your body and brain to operate in a peak performing state.
Since my knee surgery last July, I’ve maintained a healthy diet and exercise regime to minimise inflammation (pain) in my knee. I’ve reduced, and in most cases, eliminated, processed sugars, breads and other grains, and animal fats. I also keep really ...
Brain fog
After a weekend of holiday eating and activities, I think it’s appropriate to tackle the Energises pillar of the SHAPES model — it represents managing the ability of your body and brain to operate in a peak performing state.
Since my knee surgery last July, I’ve maintained a healthy diet and exercise regime to minimise inflammation (pain) in my knee. I’ve reduced, and in most cases, eliminated, processed sugars, breads and other grains, and animal fats. I also keep really ...
Google and Goldman—Think Fast!
Companies take note: in the social media age, your dirty laundry is fast becoming everyone’s business.
First Greg Smith of Goldman Sachs, now ex-Google’s James Whittaker is sharing his reasons for leaving, reaching a global audience fast. In each case they are offering us a window into cultural issues and actions taken from false logic that should serve as a warning to the companies.
Unfortunately, it is too late for Goldman to avoid the current meltdown. Clients have voted with ...
Brain Brushing
This was one of the most viewed blogs I’ve ever written so I thought it deserved a second run.
Daniel Siegel makes an excellent case for the benefits of mindfulness and integration.
For an organisational system to work at its best, there needs to be an open flow of energy and information promoting engagement, creativity and receptiveness. When there is this flow of energy and information between independent and integrated parts of the system, you have harmonic balance.
This is ...