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2 min read

The paradox of public leadership (or: just give them the damn picnic table)

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” “I must be cruel to be kind” “The child is the father of the man” Literature is full of...

1 min read

Revenge of the Arts degree

I'm taking a brief break from my "Taking the Boot of the Public Sector" series to tell you something important about education and recruitment. In...

8 min read

4 steps to playing the long game

How was your 2020, overall? Mine was a nightmare, to be honest.

2 min read

Is the pain real? precedent, phantom and projection

One of the worst things I’ve experienced in my adult life was a horrific abscess I had in my tooth when I was 22. I was immobilised with pain and the...

3 min read

You'd never run a business like this! taking the boot out of the public sector volume 2

This week, I continue my 'Taking the boot out of the public sector' series. It's too common to dunk on government, and when even the politicians get...

1 min read

Public services are complex

One of the most popular and least imaginative criticisms of the public sector is that it is less efficient than the private sector. Since the late...

10 min read

How running a marathon became resilience skills training

I ran my first marathon in September this year, in beautiful Tauranga. It was one of the big-ticket items on my bucket list and with a milestone...

4 min read

You can be the one who changes things

It's never been more possible to do great work You are always free to choose a different path Your employer wants you to shake it up. It's never been...

1 min read

How to ask quality questions

Bad questions kill relationships. When we turn up to a meeting, conversation, or email powered by judgement and annoyance, our questions reflect...

4 min read

Before you restructure, read this

In a client mentoring session on Friday, I was looking forward to hearing how a job interview had gone. After an extended secondment and a long...

1 min read

A strategic choice a day keeps the existential dread at bay

Do you have everything you want? Do you have the resources to close the gap?

1 min read

Tippity tap, send

Recently, my 9-year-old daughter imitated what people do at work with this handy little phrase: "Tippity tap, send.". With that, she struck an air...

2 min read

Success hack: networking with the right people

The company you keep matters. When you're surrounded by smokers, you're more likely to be a smoker. When your friends are successful at work, you're...

5 min read

Get out of the way: your future is inevitable

My 8 year old waffle chef What if you're the barrier? A new approach to achieving your goals.

1 min read

Just keep going

It’s hard to stick to new stuff. We sign up to new things all the time – fitness regimes, ideas, podcasts, committees – and the initial burst of...

4 min read

10 ways to take control of your life

Sometimes, the world spins wildly out of your control, and you forget you have control of your life. Here are ten things you can take charge of right...

1 min read

Fear breeds complexity: simplify the public sector

The Global Simplicity Index tells us that, in the private sector, simplicity pays. The majority of consumers will spend more, for an easy customer...

1 min read

The consequences of your commitment

Are you struggling to make progress on the most important things to you?

2 min read

How to ask bigger questions

Most meetings and workshops are a waste of time. They're full of people resolving trivial issues that could be handled by email or delegation with...

5 min read

Are you impatient? manage daily annoyances with 4 key strategy skills

In this post Four ways to help you calm your impatient farm: 1. Go back to the future. 2. Get some distance. 3. Remember why. 4. Quit everything. Do...