They say they are going to do something and then they don’t – getting around wiggle words!

A common complaint that I hear from managers is ‘they (the staff) say they are going to do something and then they don’t!’ followed by an exasperated question ‘what do you do about that?’  I can hear the frustration and most resort…

Performance development discussions or just ticking the box

So it’s that time of year again when managers need to complete the performance development discussions for their direct reports and the big theme that came through the groups that I coached this week, was rather than the discussions being…

What’s the point and why bother? Walking around with the question rather than answering it

Ok so this article might be a little bit confusing, so I will do my best to explain a phenomena that I notice often in the workplace that needs to be addressed and that is people walking around with questions in their heads that they never answer. It…

Crash Test Dummies or Coaching the Un-coachable

I’m often asked whether I have ever found a person who is ‘uncoachable’ or ‘how do you manage those people who are just uncoachable?’ It’s a really good question and I have two strong thoughts on this. Firstly, I don’t believe…

Hutchinson Port Australia – What were they thinking?

I read the news of the Hutchinson Port Australia’s sacking of 97 workers via text message and email with dismay. What were they thinking? It’s a question that I think many of ask would have asked over the last few days. The Sydney Morning…

When things don’t go to plan

The Olympic Games have caused more than a bleary eye in the workplace and for many of us it is an opportunity to watch sports we don’t normally get to see, to see champions rise to the challenge, witness a ‘come from behind’ win and cheer…

Returning to Base Camp

I recently heard a story about the journey of climbing Mount Everest. As this story was told to me, it takes a massive effort to reach the first milestone that climbers call “base camp”. From here they will attempt the next level. In most…

What have Sir John Whitmore and Bon Jovi got in common?

What have Sir John Whitmore and Bon Jovi got in common? By Paula Jones-Hunt In August of this year I had the absolute honour of being invited to attend a dinner where the guest of honour was no other than Sir John Whitmore, the guru of coaching.…

Time to face the Baby Boomer crisis

It’s one of the biggest and well-documented issues facing Australian organisations today - the pending retirement of the baby boomers from the workforce. I have spoken to a number of clients and it’s estimated that up to 40 per cent of the…

How I discovered Story Coaching

I attended the ICF Global Conference in Las Vegas in September 2011 and was looking to attend sessions that would stretch my coaching skills and to explore areas of coaching that I had not previously had exposure to – the topic on story coaching…