Fundamentally

Life's a beach

We spend a lot of time looking back at what was, or might have been - living in the 'remembered present' a survival trait that we have evolved with and which has contributed to the survival and success of the human race.

But, much of what helped us forward in the past is holding us back today; here are some thoughts about moving on and experiencing new opportunities.

One of the conclusions is: that we can only amuse other people with what has been; we need vision to engage them in what could be.

Download lifes_a_beach.pdf

Enjoy.

Posted by Steve Mullins July 2008

Content with your job?

Many senior people are dissatisfied but don't often think about what might be available to make their work life so much better.

To find out how well suited you are to your job Download your_happiness_at_work.xls and complete the simple questionnaire above the Inputs tab.

Posted by Steve Mullins

Micro holidays

A client of mine was discussing his journey to work and commented that if a railway barrier was down he could be held up for all of four minutes - and that made him stressed!

Later on the tube I watched the visitors to London, wide-eyed, taking it all in, enjoying the new experience and I realised there is a different mind-set on holiday.

So I experimented; stuck on the M25, the countryside seemed greener and the antics of the other drivers amusing, no longer irritating; standing on a crowded, hot and sticky tube train I closed my eyes and was in a crowded bar in Ibiza - much more enjoyable.

I have now learned how to take micro-holidays as short as five minutes and it's amazing how refreshing these moments can be - and arrive at meetings in a relaxed frame of mind ready to do business instead of stressed and angry.

And, it's all in the mind - which we can control.

Posted by Steve Mullins

Be good at what you're good at

The economist John Kay discusses people who do what they are naturally good at and people who do what they are better at. Those who do what they are naturally good at learn automatically as facts, ideas and possibilities naturally stick to their mental models; those who do what they are better at have to force facts and detail into an unnatural structure - and all the time in constant competition.

This seems to manifest itself in how decisions are made: those naturally good will take quick decisions, automatically and confidently whilst those in permanent competition [also afraid to 'lose'] will procrastinate in the name of perfection.

How frustrating must it be for the the naturally gifted to be held back by the competitive person who lacks the appropriate aptitudes?

Posted by Steve Mullins

Let personal values shine

As kids we were always getting into scrapes, cuts and bruises and anxious parents. How often did this manifest itself in parents being protective and making all our decisions for us?

And as grown-up they had been trained to provide logical, objective and consistent decisions across a wide range of issues - setting up the stereotypes that we recognise today. All people with such-and-such a characteristic will behave in a particular way.

The net effect has been to suppress the recognition that we have individual personal values, that each person is unique and special and we can have our own convictions, not have to always conform.

Given these constraints, a different person emerges, at variance with the original one and often feeling stifled and held back in case someone [who might never be met] would disagree with a decision.

Posted by Steve Mullins

A possible cause of tension?

As others teach and shape us we grow out of our own natural way of being into the way they expect us to be.

For example, someone may be a natural dreamer, creating all manner of different worlds and possibilities, yet in a naturally austere household may be vigorously encouraged to get on with the practicalities of life and get their head out of the clouds.

The individual who; as a youngster; thrived on ambiguity, possibility and imagination has been taught to concentrate on detail, accuracy and factual matters.

Rather than being their natural self has someone emerged who is not only straight-jacketed but also under tension without knowing why?

Posted by Steve Mullins

Overcoming negative management

As we grow older we are subject to many pressures that shape and change our original make-up. As children we were into everything, as adults some of us become withdrawn and insular.

Could this be the impact of negative 'support' - parents, teachers, managers, peers: "you scored 85% in the exam, what stopped you getting the extra few percent?"

Could too much exposure to this type of pressure cause withdrawal as a protective measure; with very able people preferring not to fully express themselves?

As grown-ups we can support one another to identify where such events have occurred - the chips on the shoulders that weigh us down - and help return to the original self-expressed youngster that knows how to communicate and enjoy life.

Posted by Steve Mullins

Time Management - a waste of Time!

Why does time management feature so highly in the training programmes of so many companies?

My experience is that with the pressure to respond to daily demands too many managers have lost sight of their goal and will take the easiest option for a quiet life.

What this means for the PBI [Poor Bloody Infantry] is that the goal posts continually move, taking with them priorities and targets.

And management; incapable of admitting to indecision or hesitancy; send the PBI on a time management course to make them more efficient.

Wouldn't it be refreshing if the senior management had the capability to create a vision that lasted beyond the next quarter and had the competence to share and get buy-in? Then time management would no longer be needed - it would come automatically.

But in the meantime let's hide our incompetence under a flurry of activity, create more heat than light, take people away from their jobs and continue to spend government money with training companies who provide the same course endlessly to bored candidates who know what the real problem is anyway!

Posted by Steve Mullins

A historical barrier to progress

We live in a wonderful country with a very rich history, yet we let this legacy hold us back - why? and how?

History has two components - our values [what we stand for]; and the way we did things.

Our values remain in the present and provide a foundation for decision making and progress; they are our heritage and used wisely will lead to a better future.

The way we did things is firmly in the past and forms our traditions. There is a truism that "tradition is what we resort to when we don't have the money, time or competence to do things right"

How many organisations and institutions take refuge in tradition to avoid the uncomfortable action of making a decision [based on their heritage]?

And why are we, as a nation, so slow to capitalise on new opportunities?

The answer is right in front of us, yet we are most reluctant to acknowledge it.

Posted by Steve Mullins

Promote the ineffective

In a building the stones that aren't sound enough for the foundations often become the capstones - highly visible, often showy, possibly fragile and readily replaced. The foundations are solid, immovable and very difficult to substitute.

Is this situation reflected in some companies' management? the showier more vulnerable people get promoted; yet the bedrock of the business remains static because of the strength these people bring - and if they leave, they leave a big hole.

Motto: Advancement can come from being quite ineffective but highly visible

Posted by Steve Mullins