Culture

Retrospectively thankful for the kindness of strangers

The migraine had started the day before the flight. Anxiety, fear, another strange city, another few days of second guessing, trying not to fall foul of the quixotic, moody boss who had to be kept happy or nobody’s life was worth living. Was it really any wonder this...

 Relishing the impact of inspirational colleagues 

About 12 years ago I did my Belbin Team Roles1 analysis. It came free with the purchase of a book and I duly registered, contacted several colleagues to fill out the questionnaires and awaited the 360 type results. Belbin, for those who are not familiar with it,...

Resisting the propoganda

After 16 hours and a short flight down to Gatwick, we finally took off for our destination, at one o’clock in the morning. As the cabin lights dimmed and the plane left the runway, there was a civilised cheer from the passengers. A last-minute invitation, to join our...

Re asking the question: why so afraid of the truth?

“That’s a bit harsh.” There it was again.  A put down, albeit accompanied by a smile. A ‘get-back-in-your-box’ comment. I could add it to the collection, along with, “straight talking,” “feisty,” “scary,” “abrupt,” not to mention the emotional or bossy comments....
Recalculating the impact of change

Recalculating the impact of change

A phenomenon. Live Aid. 1985. Hundreds of music industry people coming together, free of charge, to produce the world’s biggest cross continent concert to help others less fortunate than themselves. Where were you for Live Aid? This was a recent question on one of my...

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Remembering Dolly and the nurture of nature.

Remembering Dolly and the nurture of nature.

It is Autumn now and I still really miss her.  Every morning, that leap of joy as I went downstairs to see if she was still with us, and in the warm, soft evenings, talking gently under the tree, her eyes following me, knowingly, wise beyond her years.  She...

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Redefine professionalism at your peril

Redefine professionalism at your peril

“If I want to get plastered on a Saturday night, and fight on my High Street,” a surgeon told me about 12 years ago, “ I can.”  At that time I took issue with his view, my lofty beliefs then suggesting that professionalism was something we were, part of our...

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Re-humanising at every encounter

Re-humanising at every encounter

“I’m not as scary as I look," he said, this  young, wide eyed man standing in front of me.  "I have been inside, for four years but it was for beating up my step dad, who beat up my step mum. I wouldn’t hurt anyone else. I’ve done my time and now I just...

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Remembering how we coped

Remembering how we coped

If the Covid-19 pandemic has illustrated anything to me it is how horrifically incongruent and hypocritical human beings are. I have not met one person  whose opinions and behaviours match, and I include myself in this. From the conservative voting Thursday...

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Reconsidering our role in others’ downfalls

Reconsidering our role in others’ downfalls

“But we love you.” Four little words. Three that matter and one that negates the three, turns them on their head, makes a mockery of them. That little word ‘but’ makes a world of difference. Beware the word ‘but.’ Don’t be fooled by the phrase, “but we love you.” How...

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Revolution: let’s make this count.

Revolution: let’s make this count.

“And still we don’t get it.” A recent thread on twitter asked for a six word story of our Covid 19 experience and the words above shouted themselves into my brain.  I wasn’t talking of the fact that in my family so far we seem to have been lucky in not getting...

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Re-examining the evidence: Intuition

Re-examining the evidence: Intuition

A young woman was attacked on the threshold of her flat. She lived on the second floor of a converted Victorian house and afterwards told the police that she knew something was wrong. After lengthy and detailed re tellings of the story she identified the clue to her...

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Restitution for the violated

Restitution for the violated

Niceties over, when the business talk began I was not prepared for the assault.  I was being sacked. By telephone. With no prior notice or warning, no invitation to discuss my behaviour, no consultation at  all.  After 23 years.  A...

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