Those people who are deliberately different. The people who make an effort to stand out from the crowd. The people who choose to take the opposing view Read more here...

Being different can be challenging. Being different can unnerve, upset, irritate and anger others. Being different can be the best thing you’ll ever be Read more here...

As we emerge from this recession, how will people’s approach to risk have changed based on what they have been through, and how does risk – and our perception of it – alter as situations change? Read more here...

I’m constantly intrigued by the challenge of balancing genuine freedom with the (sometimes harsh) practicalities of the real world Read more here...

One aspect of politics that is becoming ever more prevalent, particularly in the run up to the general election, is "reframing" Read more here...

Have you even been completely, utterly, frozen and paralysed by indecision? Read more here...

This series of articles is now covering the continuum from absolute, irrevocable certainty through to eternal and enduring doubt, with a bit of positive mental attitude in the middle Read more here...

Way back at the beginning of November, I wrote about the sacking of Professor David Nutt Read more here...

Different people have different things that are important to them. What is important to one person might be utterly, utterly trivial to the next. Read more here...

The last article in this little series looked at the characteristic of simply knowing that you’re right about something. Read more here...

This article looks at the four characteristics on the “I’m right” spectrum, and see how they impact the wonderful attitude of determination Read more here...

Today’s article is about determination. It is one of the characteristics of successful people that I most admire Read more here...

About a month ago, I was listening to a report on the causes and impact of people in the public eye "ducking the question" Read more here...

A lot of training out there in the market talks about skills training - but dig deeper, and we’re actually talking about attitude Read more here...

In NLP, one of the most powerful concepts, which can become one of the most powerful techniques, is anchoring. Read more here...

Particularly in uncertain times, there is a significant tension between playing it safe versus doing something very different. Read more here...

The title of this article ranks pretty high on my list of all-time annoying phrases, when used in its traditional context, but it is also one of the most crucial phrases when managing change. Read more here...

Seth Godin’s blog earlier this week was a customer-service related one, and tied into his very insightful approach to marketing and social media. Read more here...

This is a (slightly belated) follow-up to the article on the 20th October about the difficulties that some of us face in leadership and management. Read more here...

A very quick blog entry today, but I felt I had to write about a wonderfully poor customer service experience with T-Mobile. Read more here...

I’ve been doing a lot of work recently, and even more thinking, about stress and how it can affect people differently. Read more here...

Black or white. Yes or no. Specific. Measurable. Defined. All very useful things, in their place. Read more here...

I’m a big fan of the slow food movement, which is rapidly approaching its 20th anniversary. Years ago, when I first read Read more here...

Management training is full of models, and some of them are very useful indeed. Used with care. Read more here...

I’m not sure I agree with the AA awarding the Inland Revenue two stars. Read more here...

NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) deals with “anchors” quite a lot - those things (noises, smells, sounds, words and so on) Read more here...

A lovely little exercise I often use is one about how we notice things - how we filter our view on the world. Read more here...

With a new baby on the way (8 weeks and counting), I was interested from a personal point of view in last week’s Demos report into parenting. Read more here...

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said in a recent report that the cost of work related mental illness was £28 billion. Read more here...

The recent news that Alan Johnson has sacked the chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs was covered on tonight’s PM programme. Read more here...

Most people, in my experience, have at least some of their time when the paperwork mounts up. Read more here...

A lot has been written over the last few days about Nick Griffin’s appearance on BBC’s Question Time. Read more here...

When training communication skills, regardless of who is doing the training, a lot of similar material is covered. Read more here...

One problem I’ve personally faced (and continue to face), and one that I regularly see in a number of contexts, is the challenge of being able to step back. Read more here...

On our management training courses here at trainingreality, one of the basic principles we operate under is openness. Read more here...

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I headed down from Yorkshire to the New Forest for a weekend. Read more here...

The third, and (potentially) final part of the series on the balance, the strengths and weaknesses, and the implications of optimism versus pessimism versus reality. Read more here...

Today, I want to explore the challenge and value in understanding and developing differences in experience. Read more here...

A couple of weeks ago, as part of my marketing plan for trainingreality, I directly e-mailed 75 CEO’s. Read more here...

Do a quick search on Google for “presentation skills” (no quotes) and you are faced with over 18 million results. Read more here...

Failure is one of those words that many trainers strive to avoid, sometimes replacing it with the management-speak jargon. Read more here...

If I hadn’t been driving at the time, I’d have thrown my hands up in despair. Read more here...

NLP offers a great range of techniques for getting people to where you want them to be - some of which can be misused. Read more here...

A very quick blog entry here. Read more here...

Last weekend, I was reminded of a pattern in a fictional detective’s approach (possibly Poirot, but I’m not certain, anyone know?) Read more here...

As a big fan of the MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator), I tend to both consciously and subconsciously filter much of what I experience. Read more here...

Last week, I wrote about the power of the little things that make the difference. Read more here...

Part 1 of Optimism, pessimism and reality focussed on the potential pitfalls of a generally pessimistic approach to life. Read more here...

Customer service, and the impact it can have on businesses, has been at the forefront of my mind for some time now. Read more here...

I’ve been lucky today. Been in the right place at the right time. Read more here...

One of the most powerful aspects, for me, of NLP is the underlying principle that we, as individuals, are responsible for our reactions to the behaviour of others. Read more here...

I was recently asked to come up with a few examples of “the worst 'HR consultancy speak' phrases” I’d ever heard. Read more here...

One of the common themes on the management training course we run is the challenge of moving to action. Read more here...

Are you a glass half full, glass half empty, or "who’s round is it next" type of person? Read more here...

I’ve decided to risk being potentially political for this post, but be reassured that the politics is not the real point. Read more here...

Time to start with an apology - this blog entry is not specifically about Roger Fisher’s book of the same title. Read more here...

Yet again, it’s a Radio 4 inspired blog today - one of those programmes that you catch a little bit of on a car journey. Read more here...

I come from a family in which teaching is a pretty common career choice - my mum was until retirement, and my sister currently is. Read more here...

I was reminded about one of my favourite films today. Read more here...

During my recent NLP practitioner course, I had the privilege of meeting and working with some fantastic people. Read more here...

I’ve spent a fair bit of time over the last couple of years or so providing formal and informal advice to people setting up their own businesses. Read more here...

The graffiti on this section of the Berlin Wall reads: Read more here...

You may already have been on our principles page (if not, take a look later), and it is probably our most important page. Read more here...

State management is one of the most powerful NLP techniques. Read more here...

One aspect of NLP is the Meta Model, and one little piece of that is known technically as “Modal Operators of Possibility”, or “The Impossibles” as I prefer. Read more here...

It’s a classic statement (but how often is it really true?) that people at the top of organisations say that they don’t want to be surrounded by "yes men". Read more here...

The Apprentice 2009 has finished, so I’ve got my Wednesday nights back. Read more here...

I was rather taken with part of a recent episode of Genius, on BBC1. Read more here...