Monthly articles on career success, leadership and productivity
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How to ask for a payrise (clue: it’s not about you)
Politicians are warning us of tough times ahead. Here's some red flags if you feel tempted to go cap in hand to your employer. You'll need a better strategy than pointing out that things have got expensive, so you’d like more money please. Your request...
More meaningful team work, less daft team games
Some people still don't show up in the office, even though it's a volatile job market. I canvassed some reluctant returners to find out what they wanted: structured flexibility, clarity and buzz. 1. Security and clarity...
“I’m not doing as well as I should be”
Most of us bump along steadily at work. We hang in there, no great cockups, but rarely awakening our ‘giant within’ either. We move forwards, getting the home, holidays, and lifestyle we think we deserve. We talk about our work with a reasonable level of passion. But...
Surviving emotional labour: being nicer or nastier than natural
Is smiling in your job description? When we smile our mood improves (try it). But some of us are required to fake smiles all day. Psychologists call this ‘emotional labour’ - manipulating our feelings...
Help! My new boss has launched too many projects and I’m drowning in work
New managers, desperate to prove themselves, can feel under pressure to land quick wins. They launch multiple shiny new projects, without taking time to drill down into the real opportunities, not the on-the-surface ones. These projects may...
The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Why ignorant people think they know best
In 1995 a bank robber in Pittsburgh called McArthur Wheeler attempted to rob two banks. His only disguise was to smear lemon juice on his face, convinced that it would make him invisible to security cameras. His speedy arrest intrigued social psychologists...
A crushing culture of overwork
Teachers are popping pills to keep up with their excessive workload, a recent UK teachers’ conference was told. The 24/7 culture is driving teachers out of education. School leaders were called out as the biggest culprit, messaging teachers...
Why your people don’t speak up
Do you need people to share more ideas, challenge the status quo, point out opportunities and generally speak up more? This is a common challenge I’m encountering now: employees need to be coming up with suggestions but seem to have become...
When shouldn’t you follow your leader?
Would you obey an order that felt wrong? Why good people commit evil deeds. It feels wrong to write my usual article on career success or productivity at such a distressing time. Instead, let’s see what we can learn from a famous...
How to get high on work
I frequently give Crazy Busy masterclasses at corporate wellbeing events. Cash is spaffed on yoga, massages, kombucha, vegan buffets and of course mindfulness. These definitely make us feel a bit better. But their impact is wiped out if you spend the rest of the week...
Does your organisation have an ego problem?
Stop validating your Sally Show-Offs and start supporting your Steady Eddies I’ve observed a Crazy Busy character popping up in organisations. Sally Show-Off is motivated by promotion, praise, followers, likes, drama. She’s all about ‘look at me’...
If silverback gorillas can manage their emotions, so can we
Successful people control their emotions. There’s no excuse for bad behaviour. Emotional intelligence is the ability to tune into your own feelings and the feelings of others. Learning these soft skills is as important as learning the...