Coaching blog: Do you really think that people can change?
The oldest joke in Psychology is: “How many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb?” The answer, of course, is “only one but the lightbulb needs to really want to change.” Do you, really, at a visceral level, believe that people can...
But how do you really feel?
It has been a week of strongly held, fiercely expressed and often diametrically opposed emotions. Long repressed fury and grudges have kept pace with eulogies. Whatever your intellectual or political stance one thing has been clear. People have an enormous capacity...
Should You Discuss How Much You Earn With Friends?
Talking about salary can be seen as a taboo in some societies. However as friends play an important role in our life, can discussing salary with them be beneficial in the long run? Averil expresses her point of view on salary talks but also emphasizes the implications...
What’s your mission?
Who are you? What difference can you make? Why are you here? Some people just know. Others are on a voyage of discovery. Open-minded exploration is fundamental to happiness. Pay attention and see patterns in your life. What central themes recur? When you pursue a...
Don’t step on my Blue Suede Shoes (but don’t mind if I step on yours…)
What do Wynonie Harris, Arthur Crudup and Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton have in common? – They all did the hard work but Elvis got the credit (and the royalties). In the 50s, black american rock and blues music was segregated to the R&B charts. These served as...
Choosing an executive coach for women
I believe all senior women should have executive coaches. They have complex lives and are still likely to be so in the minority at the highest levels that a trusted relationship is essential. Yet women take up developmental opportunities less than men – often because...
Leadership Minute: Optimism and Leadership
There are many benefits when people experience positive emotions, that’s what science tells us. Indeed, optimists make better leaders, except in one critical area… François explains it all in this Leadership Minute.
Don’t stand so close to me…
No, not the song by The Police, but the joys of commuting. Averil looks at the psychology of being squashed in a light hearted way on BBC Radio Scotland.