Category: Personal Growth & Change
How people actually change, and why so much of what is meant to change them does not. Habit formation, transitions, self-awareness and the uncomfortable gap between knowing something and doing it differently on Monday.
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What Really Changes When You Become a Manager?
Moving into management changes far more than a job title. Drawing on my experience of working with and coaching managers, this article explores what happens when responsibility, relationships and expectations shift after promotion, and why being ready for appointment is not the same as being fully prepared for the transition. It also […]
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Information Doesn’t Change Behaviour. Here’s What Does.
Training usually fails not because it was delivered badly, but because information on its own does not change behaviour. Knowing is not half the battle. Behaviour and belief change is hard, and seldom happens without discomfort and moments of realisation. Introduction Here is a pattern you will recognise. Your team spends a […]
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Proactivity at Work: Beyond Just Taking Initiative
Proactivity at work is a well-researched behavioural construct that involves anticipating future problems, actively shaping one’s environment, and persisting through setbacks without being told to do so. Many organisations claim to value proactive employees, but fail to create the pre-requisites that actually foster proactivity, such as psychological safety, genuine autonomy, and tolerant […]
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We Are the Most Connected Generation in History. We Are Also the Loneliest.
We live in the most connected era in human history, yet loneliness is rising, not falling. Technology has created a paradox: we are always connected but more profoundly alone, because digital contact allows us to control our exposure, manage our self-presentation, and avoid the vulnerability that genuine connection requires. The most connected, […]
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Psychological Capital: The HERO Within
Psychological Capital (PsyCap) is a higher-order positive psychological resource comprising Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). It is linked with improved performance, wellbeing, engagement, and reduced cynicism, making it one of the more robust and practically useful constructs in organisational psychology. Psychological Capital Psychological Capital, or PsyCap, is a concept developed primarily […]
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The Four Stages of Competence: From Unconscious Incompetence to Mastery
The Conscious Competence Model describes four stages that people move through when learning a new skill: unconscious incompetence (you do not know what you do not know), conscious incompetence (you become painfully aware of the gap), conscious competence (you can do it, but it requires deliberate effort), and unconscious competence (the skill […]
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Feeling Understood – A Starting Point for Connection
The sense of feeling understood by other people can be very powerful, and can be a key starting point for improving our mental health and thriving in what we do. Being Understood We were very struck by a comment by Peter Fonagy in a BBC radio 4 episode of The Life Scientific. […]
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WOOPing – An Effective Approach for Behaviour Change
WOOPing is a four step process for effective behaviour change developed by psychologist Gabriele Oettingen. The four steps spell WOOP. The are: Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, Plan. WOOPing Most people recognise the benefits of personal growth and development, be it in their personal or their work lives. Whether it’s to grow and develop […]
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Play Personalities – What is your style of play at work?
Play and playfulness yield great benefits for individuals, teams and organisations, but not everyone plays in the same way. There are thought to be eight distinct play personalities. Understanding them can help improve your own and your team’s playfulness. Play Personalities Play is an essential part of human behaviour. It serves as […]
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The 4 P’S of Knowing – Per John Vervaeke
John Vervaeke, a cognitive scientist, talks about there being four different types of knowledge: propositional, procedural, perspectival and participatory. The 4 Ps of Knowledge John Vervaeke, (Cognitive Science, University of Toronto) talks about there being four different types of knowledge: propositional, procedural, perspectival and participatory. Propositional Propositional knowledge is the knowledge of […]
