Thoughts

    I’ve been reflecting on the idea of ‘enough’.   I was first inspired by the idea of enough by the British philosopher, writer and management guru Charles Handy. Both he and his wife, a photographer, were self-employed. At the beginning of every year they would sit down and work out what enough was […]

  At least three people I know well have recently decided to resign from their jobs. With no new job to go to.   These are not people at the beginning of their career who are going backpacking overseas. They’re not people at the end of their career, dialling their work hours right down. And […]

Do you ever get to the end of a week, a month, a year, in a kind of bedazzled state, and wondering if you’ve actually achieved anything for your efforts?   Last week, a client said to me “my work here is finishing. It’s been an amazing ride, but I’m not sure if I’ve achieved […]

The other day, a client of mine told me she had taken a 12-month fixed-term role on an executive leadership team. “It’s great. Because I’m fixed-term, rather than permanent, I’ve got real clarity of why I’m here, and what my priorities are for the next 12 months. I can just get on with it.”   […]

When I was in my early 20s, I saw the movie Dead Poets’ Society. It changed my life. ‘Seize the day’ became my mantra. From that point on, I determined that my life would be full of worthwhile, meaningful pursuits. I’d say yes to pretty much everything just to see what I could learn.   […]

I moved to New Zealand almost 15 years ago. I found myself in a new country, with no track record, no real understanding of the business or cultural landscape, and no real idea of where to begin. I was starting afresh. It was a little lonely, and more than a little scary.   Back then, […]

What would it mean to spend the only time you have in a way that feels as though you’re making it count? – Oliver Burkeman   Only read this if you’re interested in making 2022 your best year yet!   If you’ve been following my writing for a while, you’ll probably know that this is […]

I just watched Seven Years in Tibet. Brad Pitt stars as a headstrong mountaineer who becomes a prisoner-of-war in 1930’s Tibet. After multiple solo attempts, he escapes by teaming up with his fellow prisoners. When he’s out, he says “I’m going it alone” and runs off into the wilderness. Yet another movie upholding individual heroism. […]

Towards the end of 2020, I worked with one of New Zealand’s highest profile public sector executive teams. In the year that was, the CEO and the organisation had been under the pump and was in the media spotlight for most of the year. They were keen to reflect and review how they’d led during […]

  Last week I was part of a panel at which final year MBA students presented their career strategies for their post-MBA life. This was their final hurdle to completing their MBA at the Auckland Business School, and part of a course called ‘Coaching For Change’ that I’ve delivered there for the past eight years. […]