We all have one… the inside voice that tells us we won't meet the challenge; that we don't fit in; that we won't – or aren't – doing well; that others are passing judgment on us. The Inner Critic is…
Taming the Inner Critic
Fixed or Growth Mindset
Very early on in her compelling book Mindset, author Carol Dweck (a Professor at Stanford University) asks us to consider the kind of mindsets we carry, and in doing so, asks us to look at the beliefs that guide them.…
Negotiation and Authenticity
Although Magnus Carlsen was friendless and bullied at school, he had a very happy home life. His parents were devoted, and he had three loving sisters. The children invented creative games and made up songs, and it wasn't unusual for…
The Upside of Being Trapped
That initial sense of being trapped carries quite the SNAP! of realization, doesn’t it? Once that realization hits, the idea that we’re caught in something is almost debilitating, because it can permeate our being, and slowly spread into other areas…
How to Talk Yourself Down in One Second
The Sure-Fire One-Second Technique for Self-regulation and Self-management in Any Situation When something good happens to us – or when we do something well – we feel great. “I did a great job”, we say to ourselves. We feel confident…
Get Your Way by Giving Way
A quick recap: John is an ethical man who, in part, took a job as business development manager because he thought the director, his prospective boss, shared his values. In particular, he and the director were against using sales incentive…
Sacrifice your Values?
‘Compromising’ has a bad reputation. Although we recognize it is fundamental in making almost every situation we’re in workable and even satisfying, our general reaction upon hearing the word is negative. We imagine someone who’s betrayed themselves by going against…
A CEO, a Compromise, and a Lemon-Meringue Pie
Through our lives, many of us have encountered people who are ego-driven. It can be a hard road to travel if that person is your co-worker or boss, because most egotists don’t understand or excel at the art of compromise.…
Too Clever to Compromise?
Sheila owns a tech company. She has an MBA and a CPA designation, plus she designs excellent systems and writes exceptional code. She’s a hands-on can-do sort of person. For example, she rebuilt an old MGB, and designed and drew…
Compromise – A Matter of Perspective
For some of us, compromise is a less than savoury word that implies a forfeiting of values and core beliefs… a word that brings to mind appeasing and even grovelling behaviours. For others, it means a willingness to see things…