A Hard Lesson On Simplifying – ‘Just In Case’ Is Not Always A Good Plan
15 March 2016At the beginning of this month I cracked a big goal, to hike the Hump Ridge Track in Fiordland. In the process a hard but very valuable lesson about simplifying was learnt. When you go on holiday, are you likely to add a couple of extra items ‘just in case’ you need them? With all the […]
Are You Too Available?
11 November 2015‘Simon, what’s your biggest challenge?’ I asked. He was having a follow-up coaching session after a half-day’s training. ‘I think I’d call it delegation,’ he replied. ‘I seem to be interrupted all day long with team members wanting help. I don’t want to send them away – I know we have to be available for […]
Teach Good Habits Young and We Grow Self-Sufficient Adults
14 April 2014Last weekend I had the joy of looking after 3 grandsons whilst their parents were off at an agricultural conference. On Saturday morning I was chatting to a mother on the side line of 7 year old Matt’s first rugby game for the season. ‘My son struggles to keep up,’ she said, pointing to the […]
Why kids need to be resilience proofed
9 September 2013Over-protected children grow up to be weak adults I was enjoying a meal recently with a small group when (not surprisingly) the conversation turned to the current economic climate. The party included my oldest son, a Lt Colonel recently back from a two-year stint at Puckapunyal, Victoria and currently working on some very high-level New […]
Start on your Bucket List NOW – work/life balance is a daily choice
12 August 2013A friend just sent me this article about Sir Ray Avery. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/9020251/A-man-planning-how-to-use-his-last-4000-days. I love his philosophy. There is always more work we could do, more money we could make, more demands on our time. But putting things off until a ‘better time’ – when might that be? As I read Ray’s story it reaffirmed my […]
What conditions do you need in order to work effectively?
29 July 2013I had a call recently from a concerned member of the public. He’d been reading some of my recent NZ Herald articles (and reader comments) about how people struggle to work well in crowded open plan offices. He wanted me to know that the NZ Government is actively working to reduce floor space per person. […]
How to have fewer mistakes in the workplace.
Susan Cain’s comments about work spaces in ‘Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that won’t stop talking’, make me really excited. Based on years of research I strongly believe that too many open plan office layouts are very poorly designed and grossly inefficient. The businesses who think they’re saving money by cramming […]
Take the pressure off – cut yourself some slack in your time commitments
5 December 2012Louise Trowbridge attended one of our Breakfast Club sessions in Christchurch a few months ago and reports that she’s been managing her time and tasks a lot better lately. She then went on to share a really good strategy: “Among other things, we hire caravans for accommodation in Christchurch. [A great post-earthquake solution to the […]
Without health we don't have the energy to maximise time
14 November 2012Dr Libby Weaver, author of best-seller ‘Accidently Overweight’ has recently released ‘The Rushing Woman’s Syndrome’. At first I assumed, by the title, that it had to do with time management. Instead, it’s about the biochemical, emotional and health effects of always being in a hurry – and how to change that sense of being constantly […]
The Pink Ribbon Calendar – a MUST BUY
8 October 2012Do you enjoy different and unique art? Do you love stories of courage against all odds? And do you have any friends or family impacted by breast cancer? (1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life time.) If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any one of these questions, I urge you […]
