I’ve spent years studying how promises play an indispensable part in how people work together. Most recently, in a research project, where I talked to dozens of people about what makes and breaks a promise. They had plenty of insights to share, and I’ll write about them here over the...
Inside my mantra that ‘culture is how people do things on repeat’ sits a secret. While every person’s choices and behaviour matter. Not everyone carries the same influence. And before you jump to leadership. Which, yes, leaves a mark. There are others in less visible roles who, whatever room they...
At a recent Growth Summit conference I was talking to a guy who works in the movie industry. His company provides studios and online games with VFX and film location work. And while we took a break after the coffee cart rush had passed, I asked him a question I’ve...
The question of how to help people get better at their work is front and centre when organisations think about culture, yet many concentrate on the wrong things. In his ground-breaking classic “Now Discover Your Strengths”, Marcus Buckingham calls out how “most organisations take their employees’ strengths for granted and focus on...
Finding related wisdom from people poles apart is always a nice surprise. And it’s hard to come up with two more divergent types than witty finance wizard Charlie Munger and rebellious rock star Nick Cave. Cue my happy dance when a quote from each man recently crossed my path. And their lessons reverberate into how...
During the parade for newly minted United States NBA champions, the New York Knicks, Mayor Mamdani didn’t simply say, ‘Well done, boys.’ He turned his speech into a rally and referendum on the spirit of the city. If you haven’t seen it, spare a minute and watch this short edit. During Game...
There’s a shaky, slightly blurry 2009 video showing a guy dancing alone ona grassy hill at the Sasquatch Music Festival. After a few minutes, first one person, then two, join him. And soon a crowd is exuberantly jumping around to the music. Author Robert Cialdini calls this ‘social proof’, and his weighty tome...
Over a cup of tea one morning I was reading an article by The Good Place actor and activist Jameela Jamil when a passage stopped me mid-sip. She said, "We abuse the concept of “boundaries” to justify not showing up for each other anymore, to no longer working through hard or stressful things. We just...
In 1871 Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke said (and I’m quoting the modern version), “No plan can survive first contact with the enemy.” And while the planning stakes in organisations are rarely life and death, I think the sentiment holds true. Yet people still develop elaborate plans to try and change...
In the mid-90s Disney’s purpose was ‘to make people happy‘. Fast forward 30 years and they appear to have ditched the idea altogether. Moving to the wilted word salad, “to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds...