If you’ve spent any time in coaching, meditation, education, mediation, or consulting you may have heard the phrase or performed the activity of sitting in circle. At its simplest, a group comes together to share ideas and experiences on a particular topic. And they do so sitting in a circle….
Browsing Category Career Fuel
What was it like?
When someone describes an experience, we may hear ourselves asking ‘What was it like?’. We’re being curious, taking an interest. Asking to find out more. Or at least trying to be polite. What if it wasn’t like anything? What if you get put on the spot and can’t find the…
Alchemy before Chemistry
You’ve probably heard people talk about chemistry: in work, in life, in love. You may hear about it far more in these contexts than in its more traditional setting – as a science. As a science, chemistry is clear, with specific elements and results. Then there’s alchemy. It feels the…
No Reply = No Interest?
Next week marks the 31st edition of my monthly email newsletter which I started in late 2015. As you’ve probably noticed, I haven’t really kept up my end of the bargain. In the early days I sometimes let two, three or even four months pass without a newsletter leaving the…
Work labels: word salad and connotations
A couple of weeks ago I had a drink with someone who’s done some great work in their field. As we chatted about our respective projects and areas of interest, he asked me what I called what I did. This has long been a bone of contention and frustration for…
Switching to Annual View
Whether we’re coming fresh out of a salaried role or have spent years out on the road as an independent, it’s easy to default to the monthly view. Just like a calendar, the month is the most easily understood timeframe. No time differences to manage, or weeks starting on a…
Lucky Number 7 – and a 40-degree day
Many of us are captivated by the number seven. It’s supposedly lucky (more on the reasons behind this were discussed on this NPR episode) But what happens when we ditch it? Look at a survey with respondents asked to rate a product or service on a scale of 1-10. When…
Two types of role model
When we think about role models, the person or persona we aspire to emulate, our minds will usually go to one of two places: the stand out success; or the person already in our life. The one close by is relatable and real. We can see the path they’ve trodden,…
Positioning: Get Uncomfortably Narrow
A lot of entrepreneurs and freelancers struggle with positioning. Often it’s ironic as the work many of us do is to help others communicate, tell stories, and stand out. Yet, of course, we struggle to do this effectively for ourselves. Here’s one way to think about it: get so narrow…
The Vessel & The Lens
Last week I had lunch with a friend who, like me, is a recent graduate of a coaching certification program. [1] As we compared notes on our various projects, I used a word I’ve been thinking about quite a bit recently with regard to my new venture. The Vessel. I…