172 Shares Most managers spend too much time telling and too little time listening.
303 Shares The TMAY is invaluable; not just in interviews and not just for job seekers. Anyone who networks needs a short description of themselves
135 Shares To be more successful you need to be honest with yourself, start by asking these two questions. Quietly assess the answers and then make a plan to build on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.
804 Shares Try asking yourself some or all of these questions at the end of every day. Doing so should help you to become a more successful and a better person: 1. What was the best thing that happened to me today? What was it that made you particularly proud, happy or grateful? Was there a moment of joy or accomplishment? Relive the feeling for an instant. We want more of those moments in our lives so let’s just think about something really positive and build on that. Too often we take good things... More »
If you work for an employer then try asking yourself these three short questions: 1. What are you paid to do? In other words, what is it that you were taken on to accomplish? What is it that you are supposed to be doing? Most people answer this question with some form of their job description or objectives. 2. What is it that you actually do? When I ask this second question in my workshops people often say that they spend most of their time on low-value tasks like reading and answering emails, completing reports,... More »
108 Shares Memory pegging techniques are particularly useful for remembering numbered lists. Every list can be treated as a numbered list. We ‘peg’ each item to a visual symbol for its number. The method I would recommend is a rhyming approach. In fact, I’ve mentioned the list below in my book, How to Be a Brilliant Thinker: Ton – One ton Zoo Tree Door Hive (with bees buzzing around) Sticks Heaven Gate Line (fishing line) Den (e.g. the lion’s den) Soccer 11 Shelf Hurting Courting Lifting Licking Leavening (baking bread) Hating Lightning Plenty (horn... More »
648 Shares You probably make lists of things to do and follow them through. But what about the things you should stop doing? Successful people do not do the following things but chances are you still do. Make a decision to add these to your “stop doing list” these from today going forward: Making Excuses. Successful people do not blame others or make excuses or complain about their bad luck. They take full responsibility for their lives. They know that success and failure lie in their hands. So stop being a victim, stop whining and... More »
13 Shares Many people now find themselves looking for employment. It is not easy. The job market is highly competitive with many applicants for each vacancy. How can you maximize your chances of getting a being employed? Try this 11 point plan. 1. Identify your transferable skills List your main areas of expertise. How many of your skills are transferable to other lines of work? This list constitutes much of what you will be selling. 2. Write and practice saying your TMAY – “Tell Me About Yourself.” Prepare a short sales pitch for the... More »
302 Shares We spend so much of our lives with our parents and yet most of it is devoted to routine and commonplace things. But we rarely discuss the profound. Time is short and unfortunately we are all getting older. There may never be a better time than now to have a meaningful conversation with your parent or parents. You sometimes hear people say that they regret missed opportunities while their parents were alive and that there were things they wish they had spoken about. Make sure that you seize the chance while you... More »
973 Shares Let’s face it. We all fail. As we go through life we have relationships that don’t work out, jobs that just aren’t right, exams that we flunk, initiatives that don’t succeed. The more new things we try the more failures we are likely to have. In fact, the only way to avoid failure is to do nothing new. The important thing is how we deal with failure. It can be part of a downward slide in which lack of confidence reinforces feelings of inadequacy and incompetence. But experiencing failure can be a... More »
191 Shares A common complaint that I hear when I run innovation workshops is this, ‘I have plenty of really creative ideas but my boss just isn’t interested in trying anything new. What can I do?’ Let’s leave aside the possibility that this view is itself distorted and take it at face value. It is a tricky situation that most of us will experience at some time. What can be done? Here are some approaches that can prove helpful: 1. Understand his objectives and motivations. Selling an idea is like selling any other product.... More »
144 Shares Do you spend too much time in meetings? If so, you are in good company. One of the most common complaints of office workers is that their productivity is hampered by too many unproductive meetings. Ineffective meetings lead to frustration. They waste the time of the participants and they undermine the effectiveness of the whole organization. Here are some ways to tackle this problem. 1. Fewer attendees. The meeting should be restricted to those whose presence is essential to review the issue and to make the decisions. People who want to be... More »
It is generally agreed that we need more business start-ups. Small businesses are engines for economic growth, innovation and employment. We need more entrepreneurial activity and that means more individuals taking the dangerous, difficult and courageous decision to start their own business. How do you go about starting a new business? Well obviously you need a good idea. Once you have one I recommend that you ask yourself these questions: Am I good at this? Do I have the skills; talents and experience that will help me succeed in this venture? Make... More »
If you are working as a consultant, speaker, trainer, business leader or expert in a field then I recommend that you write a book and get it published. A work published in your name can prove a great asset in building your credibility and reputation with clients. Before I launched my business as a speaker and facilitator in creativity and innovation I wrote a book, The Leader’s Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills. I spent considerable efforts in researching and writing the book, and then in finding a publisher for it. After that... More »
598 Shares We tend to focus on our problems in life and to take for granted our blessings and achievements. It is natural that we think about the difficulties we face and the challenges we have to overcome but there is a real danger that when we do this we can become become weighed down with worry or negative feelings. It is good to step back for a moment from our day to day cares and to list all the things that are going well in our life. It will give us a positive... More »
