20 minutes is not a great deal of time – it equates to a short run, a soap opera episode (without the adverts) or the average life expectancy of a fighter pilot in World War I according the British comedy show Blackadder.  Yet when added together, many twenty minutes make a lot of time. The question has to be asked how often do we use up, lose or simply haemorrhage 20 minutes during our lives….

Can being too smart or too polished be a distraction or a negative when building relationships with clients and connections? If you were brought up in a family who had military connections then you will know very well what spit and polish means. This, along with the art of bulling, is how military and service personnel achieve the shiniest of shoes you can imagine on their parade boots. The polish is applied using a rag…

When I hear the word “dedication” I am taken back to the days of Roy Castle singing away and blowing his trumpet. We can’t achieve any records or success without dedication, perseverance and commitment. Look at any of the Olympic athletes from across the globe; whether they win or not, they all put in incredible amounts of dedication and training to get to the top of their field. I recently attended a concert given by…

Sometimes the less said about you is not better! I recall my days in the banking world when people and businesses were rying to take on further finance, loans or debt finance and their own banks were asked to provide a reference. This bank reference was quite simply the opportunity for a bank to describe whether or not they felt their customer was a good customer or not. Understandably there were always mixed loyalties here,…

Brilliant lyrics from Queen that say so much, but alas they may well have been his undoing. Freddie Mercury was out there – he was wild, untamed, in his heyday extremely promiscuous and in the end his partying and all the other antics that were part of his repertoire took him at a very early age. Far too young. This begs the question: did those who died young from partying and living in the fast…

As we all know there are four seasons in the year and numerous holidays that fit into those seasons dictated by the school academic year. If in business you were to take the academic calendar as time where no work could be done you would be sacrificing 25% of the working year, even higher if you consider the private school sector. So are you willing to write off 25% of your working year to seasonality…

I never used to have a fear of heights, it has developed more ever since I’ve had children, no doubt brought on when they would wander off oblivious to the huge drop down the stairs or over the balcony. Climbing in the Mont Blanc region really brought home to me the fact that I am not comfortable with heights. Read the blog ‘Letter to Uncle Nigel, a Ridge too Far’ to find out more about…

Dear Uncle Nigel Well, what can I tell you about our challenge to climb Mont Blanc? Before I went you reassured me that I’d done all my training, kitted myself out with all the equipment and guide books and booked guides through a reputable company in Chamonix to take us up the mountain. Everything was sorted, kit, fitness and someone to show us the way. As you will know the part we couldn’t control was…

It is amazing how many business people have the same initial response to the phrase “Soft Skills Training”. Be honest, what was your initial reaction when you saw the newsletter entitled “Soft Skills vs. Technical Skills”? Was it positive or were you sceptical? I believe that we have all been conditioned to think “soft skills” means fluffy nonsense that might be good for us and nice to do but only if time and budget allows…

ow you manage yourself? For me it depends on the day of the week, the hour of the day, the company I’m with, how healthy or unhealthy my current lifestyle is as to how I react – I do tend to over indulge at the Chinese buffet I must admit. When I liken it to my business and professional arena I tend to be full on 110% in most of what I do or not…