Meetings are a Waste of Time
Meetings are a waste of time. There, I said it. Most people think this. And I totally get why. Traditional meetings set around a table are bloody boring. As is listening to those that like the sound of their own voice talk. And talk. And talk. Dead chat I think Gen Z call it đź’€ […]
Learn Public Speaking
Does public speaking fill you with dread? For most people in the world it does. It’s an absurd fear that we have as humans Because it actually causes no physical harm And in fact nerves will disappear after the first few seconds. Yet we all get that feeling of terror And it holds us back […]
Don’t Give Up
I recently had major back surgery. Sadly it didn’t work. I can’t walk very far, and the pain is brutal – worse than before the op. The reason why I’m sharing this (back)story is to explain why I haven’t been on socials as of late. My bones may be flaky but I’m not, so here’s […]
Comparison is the Thief of Joy
I didn’t build my business overnight. I started training for ÂŁ250 a day. I hit my first *5 figure month* a few years after my brand was born. đź“Ť No overnight success.đź“Ť No fast track to 100k months 📍 No rush to write a book. I was hit badly by the brutal reality of COVID. Business […]
Facilitators Under Pressure
Things are not always as they seem. My first employee was an ex-offender. It was one of the best hires I ever made. Even though she came with no secretarial experience and couldn’t spell for toffee, it allowed me the time to run my business. Too often businesses fail because people are too busy working […]
Today’s Cancellation Culture
It’s a huge flaw. One that’s got me into trouble more times than I can count. Especially the older I’ve got. It’s speaking from the heart. More and more I’m told “You can’t say that”. Spanning from Gen X to Gen Z. Want to know why? Because they fear the wrath of the cancellation culture. […]
Never Stop Learning
Facilitation week 2022 is now over. A time for facilitators to celebrate all achievements, self-criticise and to learn new techniques – of which there are so many! Sometimes, the learning is forced. COVID made us change and work on-line. More often the learning is hampered by our successes. Why should we try new methods when […]
Silence is Golden
In basic training on “How to Run an Effective Meeting”, how many times are we instructed to encourage the quiet to contribute verbally? How many times do people go around the table asking everybody to say something? And how many times are we asked to jot comments down on a flip chart? The measure appears […]
Online vs Face to Face Meetings
So, on-line meetings – how would you rate them? To be tolerated or really worthwhile? With the ever-increasing use of technology and the opportunities for online networking, it’s easy to think we’re shifting away from in-person meetings. On the other hand, Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, knew a long time ago that face-to-face […]
The Power of Pinboards
If boredom is the death of a facilitated event activity, being engaged is surely the life blood. Engagement is the watchword and is the fundamental reason behind using pinboards where possible. Which has better engagement? a) Asking a question and then you, the facilitator, writing down what some (or all) of the group say.b) Asking […]