“One-half the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.” … Josh Billings (1818-1885) US writer How many requests do you get each day? Unless you are a hermit, chances are you get a lot. Requests are the building blocks of promises and promises are […]
An Inappropriate “Yes” Read More »
“Life is not accountable to us. We are accountable to life.” … Denis Waitley (1933 – ) US Navy pilot & motivational speaker For a detailed discussion on accountability, read ‘Accountability, An Ontological Perspective‘ Accountability is a concept that commonly pops when talking about organisational culture. Often the opinions are there is not enough of
Creating Accountability Read More »
“Half the promises people say were never kept, were never made.” … Edgar Watson Howe (1853 – 1937) US editor, novelist, humorist, essayist Have you ever heard someone in their frustration say, “I shouldn’t have to ask, they should know that they should help me …” We have certainly heard something like that many times
I Shouldn’t Have To Ask Read More »
We all have our opinions about the other human beings we know. As our opinions orient us in life, our view of others and their views of us play a critical part in what is possible and what we can achieve. Throughout our life we trade with each other to get what we need to
How many disagreements did you have today? Bet you had more than one. It might have been an out and out shouting match, a healthy debate or just an unspoken conversation. Disagreeing with others is so common, most of us do not even clearly recognise what a disagreement is about. Rather we tend to “gird
Who is Right, Who is Wrong? Read More »
“Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have.” … Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878 – 1969) US clergyman Here’s a question for you. Do you feel that the world is predominantly a safe or a dangerous place? Take some time to answer this question before reading ahead. How you have answered that
Is the World a Safe Place? Read More »
Ontological coaching is not about compelling people to act in different ways but about creating spaces for them in which they can choose to move differently. There are many parallels between effective coaching and effective leadership. These parallels also allow us to look at leadership in a different way … how to generate spaces for
The Coaching Space Read More »
Resentment is one of the most prevalent moods that I have encountered in my work as a coach. The impact of this mood cannot be understated. It has a major damaging effect on someone’s outlook on life causing distress and compromising well being. This flows into effects on organisational performance and relationships in general. What
Resentment and Acceptance Read More »
“I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.” … Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936), “The Elephant’s Child” (1902) What word do you begin most of your questions with? If you are like most people then more often than
“You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do.” … A. J. Kitt Most people seek control in their lives. Indeed for many it is a major compulsion that has them go to extraordinary lengths in an attempt to gain certainty over their future. One of