Category: Change Agility

Puzzles, Practice and Solutions

Recently, we came across a Monkey Puzzle tree. Native to Chile and Argentina, its name was first coined in 1850 by Charles Austin, who said that climbing its branches would be a puzzle, even for a monkey. Whenever I see a puzzle, my Instinct is to find a way of working it out. In a… Continue reading Puzzles, Practice and Solutions

It Gets Late Early

It gets late early was a phrase I first heard in Cumbria. It is even more applicable up here in the Highlands. I was reminded of this yesterday, when, for the first time in months, I had to switch on the lights for my evening virtual session. My American participants were amused by this happening… Continue reading It Gets Late Early

Direction

This is a time of year when, more than ever, many of us are thinking about our direction. Whether it is our job, business, business development, or life in general, things are getting busier. We sometimes find ourselves wondering which way to go, when there are opportunities all around us. Decisions are like bridges. We… Continue reading Direction

Breathing Space

One of the many things I’ve learned in the past 18 months is that you don’t have to be travelling all the time to be, and feel, busy. Working from home, there are thankfully many clients to serve and even more events to deliver. My virtual work tends to be in smaller chunks, with a… Continue reading Breathing Space

The Unexpected

One of the best pleasures in life is the unexpected. The people we meet, the opportunities that emerge, the great things we notice. Working from home means that on an unexpectedly hot, sunny morning, we get a great walk, with a hazy view over the firth and a selection of washed-up wood, including a weathered… Continue reading The Unexpected

Different Perspectives

You get some cracking conversations before the start of a virtual session… Him: ‘Bet you can’t wait to do some ‘proper’ training again.’ Me: ‘Well, I’d like to think I’m still doing proper training.’ I knew what he meant. He was surprised that I’ve enjoyed running virtual training sessions for seven years, rather than doing… Continue reading Different Perspectives

It’s Already Coming Home

As I was enjoying England win earlier this week, I reflected on the fact that this was the first time in over 20 years that I’ve been able to watch a football tournament from start to finish at home. Every one has seen me check match times with trains, planes and traffic. It is about… Continue reading It’s Already Coming Home

Four Seasons in One Day

A great song by Neil Finn and often a good description of the weather up here in the Highlands. Today saw a damp, cold, drizzly start, followed by sunshine, cloud, sunshine and a bit of snow up on the Cairngorm peaks. Like the weather, life seems like four seasons in one day, too. Each week… Continue reading Four Seasons in One Day

Tipping Buckets and Perspectives

This week brought inspiration, beyond the fine people I worked with. I read an essay by Paul Farley about the Tipping Buckets. Officially the Piazza Fountain, they were a regular stop on me and my Dad’s Sunday morning walks around Liverpool City Centre as a child. I was fascinated by the buckets: tipping, moving, emptying… Continue reading Tipping Buckets and Perspectives