Time management is a topic that will always be with us. In a recent leadership workshop, one of the participants, a professor of physics, asked me about it. I thought that the wise words of Lewis Carroll, the pseudonym of Oxford mathematician Charles Dodgson, on time management might appeal to him. They did. They illustrate…
Tag Archive: self-management
The Power of Time Off
Many thanks to Kati Järvinen, a colleague in the Enneagram in Business network, for bringing Stefan Sagmeister’s TED talk to my attention. In it, he describes how he made a conscious decision to take a one-year sabbatical every seven years and the impact of this decision. Conceptually, he took five years out of the retirement…
How much initiative do you want?
When discussing with clients how to lead subordinates, one question that arises often is, how much initiative should my people show? In their classic HBR article, Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey? Oncken and Wass lay out a five-level scale of managerial initiative (1 – 5 in the figure). My clients’ staff are more resourceful…
The Art of Hosting
Approaches such as Open Space support the emergence of leadership in organizations. Some people think it’s enough to apply Open Space’s simple structure and wonderful things will happen. This is not always the case, the intention behind the method is important. I worked with a client in July and we used Open Space for part…
The benefits of keeping a cool head
In my leadership development work I meet many managers who are suffering from too much pressure in their lives and are unsure about what they can do to relieve the pressure. When I suggest a simple form of meditation or related form of relaxation, I am often met with scepticism or quizzical looks. It’s as…
After the break …
I’ve taken a break from blogging since my last entry just after our architect’s suicide. It was a good way to process the emotions and keep my energy for the important day-to-day tasks in maintaining my relationship and running the business. Behind our house a garden has lain untended for years. We have negotiated a…
The $650 Billion Question
Today’s New York Times reports on the latest research findings on multitasking and workplace interruption. Neuroscientists have a better idea of how much efficiency is lost when people attempt to handle even two tasks at the same time, so even that hands-free set for your mobile phone is no help when driving. It seems like…
Values and health
Values represent deeply held beliefs and show facets of identity. It’s not possible not to have them, it’s very possible not to be aware of them! They impact our health: positively, when we can live and work in alignment with our values. Negatively, when we are asked to conduct ourselves in ways we don’t value….
