A banking executive told me recently that she’s having a hard time hiring people who can “really do the job.” In addition to having industry knowledge, she wants to find “types” who are creative thinkers. But she couldn’t define exactly what that means. I considered this challenge in the context of other recent conversations, particularly with [...]

Big Questions are always useful to help explore expectations that get people stuck as learners and teachers, both in schools and at work. Here are some to consider. What’s the difference between: A student and a child? Do we treat young people differently when we consider them in one light or the other? A student and a worker? Why don’t [...]

Eurovision, to those uninitiated in this glorious annual ritual of self-parodying and ultra-serious Europop, is technically a European version of The X Factor. Only with a voting system Congress would be proud of, with countries picking local favourites, allocating points, and the winner being the country garnering the most points overall. Voting has traditionally been a [...]

“Community” is a word used a lot now by businesses along with “social networks”. Everyone feels they’re important to success, but no one is sure what to do with them. Jennie Lees has created a software for Affect Labs that can help solve this problem. This summer, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Channel 4 [...]

Post-holiday, I’ve been hearing from quite a few people who don’t want to be back at work. Collectively and with differing symptoms, my clients seem to long for what sounds like a sense of ownership. This ownership goes beyond the usual jargon that indicates the freedom to independently direct a project or department. Otherwise, C-Level people [...]

After skipping over the point in the last post, it seems a good time to take up the question: Where do convictions come from? And what does this have to do with business? What Adults Know About Kids When children are small, they usually learn what they think by being asked how they feel. For example, you [...]

Why is using only half your brain the same as leaving money on the table? Take Responsibility for Convictions Through Awareness Emotional intelligence as a necessity for adults was a hot topic for a year or so. In fact even accountants have been known to argue that emotional intelligence makes one a better CPA (and in much [...]