The purpose of a difficult conversation is to honestly address a colleague’s performance, behaviour or relationships, so that you can help them improve. Done well, it is a timely, professional and a kind conversation, which provides an opportunity for reflection and impetus for changed behaviour. As I wrote in my series on confidence, school leaders … Continue reading Leading Difficult Conversations

This is the final post in the series about building my confidence: Step 1: How confidence worksStep 2: Improving my public speakingStep 3: Becoming more assertive and speaking up in meetingsStep 4: Knowing our own strengths – self-esteem and self-efficacyStep 5: Facing our FearsStep 6: Making Confident DecisionsStep 7: Finding my Vocation The good news we learned in Steps 1-6 is … Continue reading Building My Confidence Step 7 – Finding My Vocation

This is the sixth post in the series about building my confidence: Step 1: How confidence worksStep 2: Improving my public speakingStep 3: Becoming more assertive and speaking up in meetingsStep 4: Knowing our own strengths – self-esteem and self-efficacyStep 5: Facing our FearsStep 6: Making Confident DecisionsStep 7: Finding my Vocation The good news we learned in Steps 1-5 is … Continue reading Making Confident Decisions

This is the fifth post in the series about building my confidence: Step 1: How confidence worksStep 2: Improving my public speakingStep 3: Becoming more assertive and speaking up in meetingsStep 4: Knowing our own strengths – self-esteem and self-efficacyStep 5: Facing our FearsStep 6: Making Confident DecisionsStep 7: Finding my Vocation "There is nothing … Continue reading Building My Confidence – Step 5: facing our fears

This is the fourth post in the series about building my confidence: Step 1: How confidence worksStep 2: Improving my public speakingStep 3: Becoming more assertive and speaking up in meetingsStep 4: Knowing our own strengths – self-esteem and self-efficacyStep 5: Facing our FearsStep 6: Making Confident DecisionsStep 7: Finding my Vocation The good news … Continue reading Building My Confidence – Step 4: Knowing your own strengths

This is the third post in the series about building my confidence: Step 1: How confidence worksStep 2: Improving my public speakingStep 3: Becoming more assertive and speaking up in meetingsStep 4: Knowing our own strengths – self-esteem and self-efficacyStep 5: Facing our FearsStep 6: Making Confident DecisionsStep 7: Finding my Vocation We’ve learnt in … Continue reading Building my Confidence – Step 3: Becoming more assertive and speaking up in meetings

This is the second post in the series about building my confidence: Step 1: How confidence worksStep 2: Improving my public speakingStep 3: Becoming more assertive and speaking up in meetingsStep 4: Knowing our own strengths – self-esteem and self-efficacyStep 5: Facing our FearsStep 6: Making Confident DecisionsStep 7: Finding my Vocation          We learned … Continue reading Building my Confidence – Step 2: improving my public speaking

This is the first post in a series about how we can build our confidence: Step 1: How confidence worksStep 2: Improving my public speakingStep 3: Becoming more assertive and speaking up in meetingsStep 4: Knowing our own strengths – self-esteem and self-efficacyStep 5: Facing our FearsStep 6: Making Confident DecisionsStep 7: Finding my Vocation … Continue reading Building my Confidence – Step 1: how confidence works

First I brought you petals from collapsed roses And you would hold them wet and full of dew And marvel with me the drops reflecting Shifting clouds across a happy sky. You would colour shells, throw and catch, Dry-run obstacle courses, play chase On hazy, butterfly-full, yawning days. I’d hand you pictures painted Pots I’d … Continue reading Mother

Try to fail more. That’s my one resolution this year. To be fair I’m already fairly well qualified. I’ve failed so many times at so many things that it would be difficult to know where to begin. At work, friendships, unfinished projects, decisions regretted. On the surface I see this as serial failure. A litany … Continue reading Ten ways to deal with failure