I occasionally hear people talking about being stuck in the daily grind, a seemingly never-ending vicious cycle of commute-work-commute. They describe a frantic, tiresome soul-destroying existence. These people are often stressed and easily upset. While other people doing the same jobs and the same commute describe their lives in a…
As a self-employed trainer, I am occasionally asked to deliver training for free and not always for altruistic reasons. People approach me and ask me to deliver courses or talks but for no payment. The argument is that the event is an opportunity to showcase my training, and someone might…
I am trying to stop controlling people and things that are outside of my control. I have come across quite a few controlling people in my career. These people were fixated with the actions of others and became angry when people did not behave in the manner they expected them…
Have the courage to be happy at work. Some people do not allow themselves to be cheery, relaxed and happy at work. They presume that their lightheartedness will be misconstrued as satisfaction with the current reality and that they lack the drive to excel in a demanding environment. But happiness…
I meditate every day and have done so for the last 5 years. Mediation is recognised by ancient wisdom and by modern science as a hugely beneficial practice. My daily practice has immensely helped me in my resilience, creativity, and ability to focus. Meditation has quite simply helped me achieve…
In my blog article Data Overload, I examined the rise of a new type of professional, the Data Scientist. In this blog, I explore the role of the Data Detective. Data science and data analytics are closely associated with the Industry 4.0 initiative. Scientists have been utilising data to solve…
One of the fundamental tenants of the Industry 4.0 initiative is resource efficiency and eco-friendliness. The build-up of plastic waste is a growing planet-wide concern. Plastic waste must be reduced. Scientific and industrial advancements are converging on finding solutions to this growing problem. Approaches to reducing plastic waste include using…
I recently had an unexpected event in my career. A contract that I relied upon was, without warning, suddenly stopped. I was shocked. It shook me to my core. Psychologist Abraham Maslow would have defined it as an assault on my psychological need for safety, in this case, financial safety….
To build and maintain a culture of continuous improvement, it is necessary to honestly evaluate process changes to see if they have resulted in an improvement. This is often done as part of Deming’s Plan Do Study Adjust (PDSA) cycle. In some organisations where I have worked, there was pressure…
Zoe Keane of Recruit Ireland interviewed me on the topic of Job Satisfaction and how to achieve it. These are some of the uncut highlights of our conversation. You may find some of my answers surprising. What is job satisfaction? The core of job satisfaction is to be fulfilled in…
