Too much writing, particularly at work, is a form of ritual, hollowed of meaning. The transmission of purpose, the changing of minds or the spur to action is an afterthought…
Category: Tactics
Political influence for insiders
I’ve seen professionals alienated and politicians infuriated. And public policy has been the worse for it. We need effective influence. Thinking hard about what did and didn’t work, I offer eleven tips for effective political influence…
Crisis 10: the surprise of the daily call
Since lockdown began, our senior team starts the day with a half-hour call at 9 am. We do this every day except Monday (on Mondays we have an extended staff meeting later on). Most days, each member of the executive starts a second call with their own managers immediately after. If someone can’t make it […]
Two tips for negotiations
There are plenty of good books on negotiation. There are plenty of bad ones too. I think a president may have written one… I don’t want to tread old ground or give a comprehensive overview, but I do want to share two key insights from my own experience. If you need my credentials: I’ve bargained […]
Crisis 9: Eldorado remains remote
If you’d asked me three weeks ago about the prospect of reducing office space and increasing homeworking, I would probably have been quite enthusiastic. This week, the monotony and isolation are kicking in. The physical toll of screens and long periods of sitting, the temptation to schedule back to back calls, the lack of a […]
Good meetings
You won’t have fewer meetings. Abandon that fantasy now. Meetings are to a manager what lessons are to a teacher. Plenty of vital work goes on around both, and you can have too much of a good thing, but they are the arena in which the work comes to fruition.
Note to self 