By John Worne A nice piece below in Management Today on biases and cognitive dissonance. As Daniel Kahneman puts it: "We’re blind to our blindness. We have very little idea of how little we know. We're not designed to know how little we know."A new one on me is the 'Ikea Effect' - being disproportionately proud … Continue reading Uncomfortable Truths
On the spot
By John Worne It comes with practice and with confidence - but being put on the spot in a big meeting can be anxiety-making. Top tips from HBR below; but as always with public speaking the essential is: pause, breathe; then speak slowly and clearly. My own top tip is: 'get in, get on and … Continue reading On the spot
HBR – Choose to be kind
By John Worne There is no better advice for any Specialist-Generalist than choosing to be kind... Whatever the provocation, you reap what you sow; whenever you shove someone they'll always shove you back - usually harder. HBR can be a bit schmaltzy at times, but there's something in re-wiring your head and 'leaning in' with … Continue reading HBR – Choose to be kind
Burnout
A lot to like, as so often, in HBR's top tips. We've all been there - overtired, overstretched and overwrought. Different people do different things; but when you're tired and low there are only three which really work: changing your perspective, small pleasures and rest. To Fight Your Burnout, Take Control of It When you’re … Continue reading Burnout
Brevity
brɛvɪti - noun 1. Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech. (Concision, succinctness, economy of language, shortness, briefness, pithiness, incisiveness, crispness, compactness, compression.) 2. Shortness of time. (Transience, transitoriness, ephemerality, impermanence; e.g. "the brevity of human life.") As we process through working life, there is ever more we have seen; and a … Continue reading Brevity
Small Fish
"Governing a large country is like frying small fish. Too much poking spoils the meat." Laozi 531 BCE As a Specialist-Generalist, some days you can feel you have 'bigger fish to fry' than what's on your plate; but Laozi advocates taking care with the small ones too... According to traditional accounts, Laozi was a scholar who … Continue reading Small Fish
Anger
There is no better advice for any Specialist-Generalist than this - know when to step away. When you're cross, tired, stressed or rattled you're not helping anyone. That last sharp word, that 'in your face' exchange, that cutting edge in your voice - watch it; it never helps. Thomas Aquinas spoke in favour of 'righteous … Continue reading Anger
HBR – Practice Self-Compassion During a Work Crunch
Wise words from HBR - we all need to cut ourselves some slack sometimes; especially the Specialist-Generalist... The very nature of the job means things come at you from all sides and nobody's perfect. Practice Self-Compassion During a Work Crunch When work is intense, it’s easy to beat yourself up for letting things slip at … Continue reading HBR – Practice Self-Compassion During a Work Crunch
The ‘why’ and ‘how’ of Emotional Intelligence
With thanks to Eric Barker, everyone benefits from a Specialist-Generalist working on their 'emotional intelligence'. So what is it really? It's a concept that John Mayer of the University of New Hampshire and Yale professor Peter Salovey came up with in the early 90's that was subsequently studied and popularized by Daniel Goleman. Here's Mayer's definition. From … Continue reading The ‘why’ and ‘how’ of Emotional Intelligence
Trust
As a Specialist-Generalist you often have to take a punt on people - how do you decide who you should trust? Twice US Secretary of War; Henry Stimson (1867 - 1950) gives good advice: start with everybody. Stimson had his hands full during WWII. As Wikipedia notes: Stimson took charge of raising and training 13 million … Continue reading Trust
The Specialist-Generalist 