Category Archives: Coaching

Go & Grow

Stitched Panorama

Growth is important to me, it provides meaning, the opportunity to improve, re-evaluate ideas, concepts and become a bigger person. It is, according to research an important part of happiness, is described in The Happiness Project as one of the elements that makes Gretchen and many others happier.

Reading, learning a new skill, having a robust conversation, listening to a Ted Talk, are different ways in which we can strive to grow and develop. What do we do with these ideas, skills, learnings, defines the level of satisfaction. An oyster takes a piece of dirt, rolls it around a few times, and fashions it into a pearl. This is described as “personal alchemy” by Robert Holden in his amazing book “Shift happens”.

Patience, resilience and constancy are some of the skills that I am trying to develop to provide the levels of effectiveness and productivity that will take me to feel I accomplish, finish and practice. I want to practice with determination, putting into action some of the ideas, concepts and projects that are developed as a consequence of a moment of inspiration from something I read, I heard or seen.

The purpose is to create a more fulfilling life, reconnect with my inner wisdom, be more in touch with life, joy and love. This is about happiness for me and those around me. One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make others happy and one of the best ways to make others happy is to be happy. Taking into account that the only person I can change is myself. I will strive to create, first of all, a happy life within, and in the process impact my kids, my husband and those close to me. Saint Therese of Lisieux said, “I take care to appear happy and especially to be so”. Happiness takes energy and discipline, keeping my resolutions is my first step towards that more full filed, joyful, happy life.

Being a time poor individual, prioritisation is a must, where to start and getting started. I have chosen my starting areas as:

1- Develop my personal alchemy

2- Choose the highest thought

3- Willingness inspires readiness

4- Sign up rather than wait for the right sign

5- To make footprints “I was here”

6- To own less

7- To be a heaven

8- Staying open all hours for miracles

9- Exercises a “Signature Strength”

10- Create shinny eyes around me

Where would you start? What do you want to create? and what is your purpose for today, this month, this year, this life?

Being purposeful.


People Join Organisations but Leave Managers



The reasons for taking a particular job are strongly influenced by the brand and reputation of an organisation. People accept a job because of how they perceive the organisation. However, when the time comes to leave, studies now show that it is often their manager and the leadership that they are leaving, not the organisation. So why do people join an organisation but leave their managers and how can leadership change this?

What we know is that in many instances, when a person leaves and organisation they do so because of external factors that are linked to a particular issue within their team and/or manager. Influencing those “external factors” needs time and effort, and in many cases doesn’t bring the results you were hoping for, leaving you frustrated and deflated. By changing our focus from problem solving to solution centric, create initiatives to retain top talent and be the change we want to see in our team, we can work towards preventive measures.

When managers and leaders change their perspective and look for factors they can actually influence, they start to look at the possibility, not the problem. By changing their perspective managers can look at the opportunity to positively influence and improve the overall performance, mood and essentially influence the results of the team. It is during the practice of this behavioural exercise that people come face to face with factors that are within their control, mainly because it is up to them to modify or change their own outlook and behaviour.

Modifying the behaviour that takes you from the “Why Not” (reasons that make it difficult or get in the way) to the “Why Yes” (what is in my control and reach that I can influence) is one of the most liberating behavioural exercises. As a team we can come out with actions that will change the course of our results, the level of team engagement and the retention of top talent.

In most instances management and teams know what the problem is and consequently spend most of their time and energy discussing the problem, leaving the solution to last when energy and clear thinking is not at their peak. By the time we get to the solution, the energy has been otherwise invested and staff and employees are already emotionally switched off and disengaged. It is therefore how we manage time, energy and focal point that ultimately has a strong impact in the results we achieve and the results we achieve motivate us to stay and work for an influential leader.

Greg Savage has spoken about this topic from his experience in the recruitment industry in this article.

Stephen Covey often speaks of “starting with the end in mind”, I often push my team to “start with the solution in mind”?

How would you motivate your team to be solution centric?