I'm not sure now why I once thought travelling for business was fun. The idea of it is great but sometimes the reality is very different. The early morning starts; the rushed transits from the plane to the taxi to the worksite and back again; then the inevitable flight delays and hours in terminal buildings. I've eventually worked out ways to make the most of it and use dead time to best advantage. I now travel with some food (I always manage to be delayed on the return flights);

 » Read more about: Nothing glam about business travel, management coach has found  »

Problem solving is a key management function and a common trap busy people may fall into, is to go for the first solution that springs to mind and not spend much time identifying and evaluating a range of possible alternative solutions. The model to keep in mind is this: (a) identify the symptoms of problems – notice things like uneven performance, lateness, poor financial results etc then (b) define the problem –

 » Read more about: Problem solving model handy tool to have, management trainer says  »

This myth – you need to have worked in a particular sector before you can coach in it – is often held by people who want a coach yet feel nervous about coaches who haven't worked in their particular sector. It has been said to me often enough over the years when I’ve spoken to prospective clients in non-profits, government departments, local government, quasi-government and private sector. What I’ve found over the years is that regardless of the sector managers,

 » Read more about: Coaching myth no. 5 needs challenging, personal management trainer believes  »

It may seem a very strange thing to say, but sometimes thinking is just hard work. By this I mean sitting down, or walking about thinking about the business or a piece of work and doing nothing else but thinking about it, for a period of time. Have you ever noticed how easy it is for the mind to wonder off onto a million different things and go "off topic" in a very short space of time?

 » Read more about: Thinking and feeling compatible bedfellows, management trainer says  »