Be The Change

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Get organised with your emails

    Do you keep all your emails in one never-ending list in your in-box? That’s a bit like having an overflowing pile of project papers, magazines, business cards, and letters from months back in the physical in-box on your desk. It’s cluttering up your desk and most importantly – cluttering up your mind. Many of my…

  • Banish email overwhelm – from ‘oh no’ to zero

    I was recently asked to help one of my favourite third sector clients with handling in-box overwhelm. This is such a huge issue in our sector I’ve decided to share my ‘Banish email overwhelm blueprint’ here on my website. Please share the love, and send this link to friends and colleagues also struggling under the…

  • My top five coaching questions

    Part five of my ‘Listen more, talk less’ guide to fabulous questions to use in a third sector one-to-one. Here are my top five favourite questions for helping your team member take responsibility for their own learning and move forward with confidence: I know you don’t know, but if you did, what would you do?…

  • And another five questions

    Part four of my series for third sector managers in one-to-ones. Finally, five questions to wrap things up:     1. So, what will you do next? When? (help them to get really specific) 2. What strengths do you have that will help you? 3. How committed are you to overcoming obstacles, on a scale…

  • Five more great questions for managers

    Here’s part three of  my ‘Listen more, talk less’ guide for third sector managers on having a really successful one-to-one: These five powerful questions will help your reports explore options for action: So, what could you do now that would move you one step closer to your goal? If you knew you couldn’t fail what…

  • More great questions for managers

    Here’s Part Two of your ‘Listen more, talk less’ guide to third sector one-to-ones. Today, I’ve got five more super-powerful questions for line managers. These explore progress with a current project and will help you steer clear of doling out advice straightaway after “what have you done so far?” 1. What’s not happening for you?…

  • Five incisive questions for managers

    Got a one-to-one coming up with one of your team? Line managers don’t have to do all the talking. Here’s five super-powerful questions to help them set goals they’ll want to achieve: What will achieving this goal give you and the organisation? How will it get you closer to your bigger, overall goal? If you…

  • New year resolutions – five reasons why they won’t work

    I’m guessing you made some new year resolutions..? Even if you didn’t actually write anything down, you just can’t resist that need to push the ‘refresh’ button which comes along every January. It’s fun and it makes the dark days feel more promising and meaningful. So, how are they going? Making progress? I’m glad to…

  • Let your light shine

    This was never said, and never could have been said, by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech as President of South Africa. But as he let his light shine, he gave the people of South Africa, and the world, permission to do the same. Rest in Peace, Nelson Mandela. Our Greatest Fear Our deepest fear…

  • Difficult conversations – mistake #3

    Having difficult conversations Mistake #3 Muddying your message Perhaps you’ve avoided procrastinating about holding a difficult conversation with a third sector colleague or direct report. (Congratulations!) Maybe you’ve been crystal clear about the changes you’d like to see. (Well done, it’s not always easy) But then, you blow your advantage by muddying your message with…

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