Um… have you ever been in a meeting… um, ah… or listened to someone give a presentation… um… where the presenter constantly punctuates their sentences with those annoying and… um… dreaded fillers? It’s a curse that has fallen on many of us, one that distracts, annoys and sometimes painfully amuses (at our expense) our audiences…

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We see this all too often when we begin coaching an executive or senior manager – we have a few sessions, start building trust and making quick progress and then… the confessions start flying out. At last, they have someone independent, that they can trust and is in their corner. That’s when the floodgates open…

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We all get that feeling of ugh when we need to have ‘that conversation’ with someone in the team. Instead of nipping it in the bud, we find excuses to put it off – which just lets the ugh feelings grow. Why does the long, drawn-out pain of anticipation seem better than the pain of…

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We’ve slowly and reluctantly been getting ourselves back into the groove, perhaps with fresh goals and fresh enthusiasm.  However, let’s not forget about 2017, the year that many of you described as, “the most relentlessly intense, stressful, all-consuming year that stretched capacity and capability to the max.”  And nobody thinks 2018 is going to be…

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We’re constantly amazed – and sometimes appalled – at the lack of candour around the executive table. We’ve discussed “eye-flicking”, a dead give-away that the leaders around the table aren’t having the real conversation.  Then there’s the “I agree with the boss” people – regardless of the absurdity of the boss’s opinion. The eyes are…

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  It is natural to assume that relationship-based cultures would have a distinct advantage in a new world where the human aspects of work are the differentiator. But it’s not always the case – the need for consensus often results in people avoiding the tough (and necessary conversations) to keep the peace, slowed decision making…

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You’ve all heard that people should be having more crucial conversations, critical conversations, courageous conversations and so on. At My Personal Tactician, we absolutely agree, however… The realm of contemporary leaders is disappointingly full of abdicators and autocrats. The abdicators – or as I call them, Passivists – don’t have the confidence to confront issues…

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The teams that enjoy high Professional Intimacy are those that have invested in building relationships and respect with each other. They can then challenge with candour and constructive opposition.  Meetings are faster and can be more challenging – but this means things get done and the team grows. 

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We all know that we need to get better at having the difficult conversations and learn to deliver honest feedback in the moment. While we wholeheartedly agree with this line of thinking and, to be honest, that we all need to ‘toughen up’ – if you haven’t developed Professional Intimacy (PI) within your team you’re wasting your time.

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Leadership is a huge responsibility, so no doubt it has been on your mind. One common theme we’ve heard from our Members lately is that they’re simply too busy to lead effectively. Does it resonate?

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