I’m absolutely blessed that I can, from time to time, go along and see what my girls get up to in their after school activities.  Both of my girls study piano and watching their little fingers dance across the keys is amazing to me.  Sometimes, as you can imagine, when they are learning a new piece that requires both hands going in different directions it can get a little confusing.  I sat watching my daughter, Ciara, struggle (more…)

Imagine this scenario…you and I are out on a boat fishing in the harbour.  Not too far out, maybe 250 metres or so.  We’re not wearing life jackets but we’re having a great time laughing and joking when out of nowhere a freak wave appears and topples the boat.  We both go flying into the water and, almost at the same time, we reach the surface.  Now you’re a confident swimmer and you come up laughing and joking, “Where did that come from?” (more…)

Have you ever noticed, either with yourself or with others, that managing up only ever becomes an issue when things aren’t going so well with the boss.  It’s only then that the hue and cry goes up and people scramble for what they should do.  In reality though, managing up should be something that you do all the time.  It’s your responsibility to understand your boss’s strengths and weaknesses, their priorities and their Working Style and to take the time to build a productive working relationship.  Here are a few tips to help you along the way… (more…)

I brought my seven year old daughter to the movies at the weekend and afterwards we were looking around the shops.  I told her she could have $10 to spend on anything she liked.  So after returning to the first of the four shops we visited and ninety minutes later my patience was wearing a little thin…there are only so many barbies and trinkity toys I can express an interest in in an afternoon!  At that point I told her that she had 10 minutes to make her decision or we would be leaving whether she bought something or not. (more…)

I remember getting my very first leadership opportunity.  I was thrilled because this is what I’d been working towards for many years and boy oh boy did I suck!  I thought I understood all I needed to know because, after all, I’d read all the books and gave an awesome interview so why was I floundering so badly?  I couldn’t understand why my team wasn’t jumping on board and hanging onto my every word.  It was at this point that I was firmly pressed up against reality and I quickly realised that I didn’t have the skills that I thought I had. (more…)

I’m only a couple of weeks away from competing in Ironman NZ 2015 so please forgive me if my every waking thought is consumed by the challenge that lies ahead.  So why is Ironman such a great metaphor for life in general?  When people look at Ironman the first thing they think of is that it’s a tremendously physical challenge…and they’d be right.  But it’s more than that.  The physical, although essential, is only one component of making it to the finish line. (more…)

My wife and I were dating for about 10 years before we decided we would tie the knot at a beautiful 19^th century gothic castle called Kinnitty Castle in the heart of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in Co. Offaly, Ireland. It was a date to remember because not only did we get married on the 18^th March – the day after St Patrick’s Day – it was also the day Ireland was playing England at Twickenham for the Triple Crown! The invites were sent (more…)

1.    Determine the objective of the meeting and the outcomes you would like to achieve

Once you know what your objective and your outcomes are, you can quite easily create an agenda.

Sometimes it is worth holding a team meeting just for the social side.  Don’t underestimate the value of giving people an opportunity to unwind during a stressful project.

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Leadership strategy is not aligned with business strategy…

The biggest impact on both an organisation’s current business strategy and on the business futures it needs to create is the way a leader leads his/her team…and the way his/her successor leads their teams (Berger, Carrasco, Madala, & Painter, 2011). (more…)

Not having a clear development plan for each leader…

For most people who want to develop their career they would look at the qualifications needed to excel in that role.  For example, if I was a junior project manager I might focus on getting a PRINCE2 qualification or work towards gaining the points needed to sit the Project Management Institute (PMI) exam and gain accreditation.  However, what does a development plan look like for a leader? (more…)