Reflecting on conversations I’ve had over the past two years with friends, colleagues, managers and other professionals in the HR and leadership space, the reality of working from home has (unsurprisingly) been a very hot topic. From the personal reflections on why they love a 42-second commute each morning or miss having their team around…
The eagerly anticipated Sue Gray report into events at Downing Street has now been published. Due to the Met Police investigating some of the events, Ms Gray was extremely limited in what she could say. However, one striking inclusion of the report was that some staff did not feel they could raise concerns over the…
An ancient symbol of courage, power, intelligence and leadership – the tiger has fully embedded itself in traditional Chinese Mythology and culture. As a unique cultural phenomenon, the tiger will forever live in the spiritual life of the Chinese people. This February welcomes the Chinese New Year and 2022 is the year of the Tiger,…
Many years ago, I had the dubious pleasure of regular run-ins with a senior academic colleague. We’ll call him Professor X. The rows we engaged in were generally good-natured – they became a kind of game – but were also very serious: they concerned the nature and function of ‘assessment’. Each semester we’d go through…
I challenge you to sit in silence for a couple of minutes, just two or three minutes will do. Pay attention to the sounds you are hearing, the sensations present in your body, the connection of your body to wherever you are sitting, your breath coming in and out. What do you notice? And what…
Spearheading any successful organisation is a great leader who is followed by an inspired team. However, not one leader is the same and every manager differs in their approach to leadership. In fact, the discussion has not yet ended on what characteristics make the best leaders, or what the most successful leadership style is. There…
As society advances there is more and more emphasis on the individual becoming the best possible version of themselves. No one encapsulates this focus as much as the recent US Open winner Emma Raducanu. Only a few months earlier Raducanu faced numerous critics for withdrawing from Wimbledon when defeat looked imminent. Many took the stance…
I am sure I am not alone in loving the advert which appears on Channel 4 featuring the Paralympians (especially the audio-defined version) set to the pulsating tune from the old Bugsy Malone movie “So you wanna be a boxer”. Ending with the slow drawl of “let me have him, Joe!”. The courage, strength, and…
In any walk of life showing strength in the face of fear is a trait desired by so many and having courage in the workplace is just as important. Unlike certain unteachable skills, courage is a behaviour deep within us all and with the correct teaching and encouragement, one that can flourish. Courage is the…
As people we enjoy comfort, routine, and a sense of security, but as soon as this is disrupted, we may experience both positive and negative, physical and psychological changes. Change is also prevalent in the working world and many of us would have never experienced change so significantly as we have in the last 24…
One morning, back in early 2020, you woke up and walked a few steps to start work. For some, working from home was already part of their routine but for many of us it was new and different. As with any change, many of us hoped it would be temporary, and everything would go back…
Bang on cue Raheem Sterling scores the winner for England as they secure top billing in their qualification group on Windrush Day. A great example of the integration of descendants from the British Commonwealth making their contribution for the benefit of England or the United Kingdom. Whilst this was a day of celebration and reflection…
