“Up to what point could you follow me?”
Over the years, I have become increasingly aware of what drains my energy and what fuels it. More importantly, I have learned to see and acknowledge that this often comes down to the smallest things. [...]
Is workplace loyalty a thing of the past?
Employee engagement is dropping. But that is not the whole story. Globally, only 20 percent of employees feel truly engaged at work, according to the latest report by Gallup. Our first reflex is to ask: [...]
Nice guys finish last
"Nice guys finish last" I hear the same cliché surprisingly often whenever I say that I value kind people—especially at work. Early in my career, I made it to the final round for several jobs, [...]
“Oh right, we already have three in-house coaches.”
“Oh right, we already have three in-house coaches.” No… that’s not what I do. In fact, that’s exactly the difference. I hear this surprisingly often when I explain that I work as an embedded coach. [...]
If I were CEO…
“If I were CEO, I would make coaching mandatory.” A friend said that to me recently. She believes this because, with her extensive work experience, she sees that almost everyone nowadays tries to perform under [...]
Could you be a bit more visible?
It is one of the most common requests in the business world. Managers and directors regularly hear this comment during performance reviews. It sounds straightforward, but in practice it often leaves people confused. Because what [...]
Micromanagement
For many leaders, micromanagement feels like a noble pursuit of perfection. Some don’t realise they’re doing it. Others do realise, but simply can’t help themselves. Micromanagement often stems from a sense of commitment, responsibility or [...]
Sorry, it took longer than expected…
‘Sorry, it took longer than expected’... and just like that, your half-hour becomes a quarter of an hour. Someone has carefully prepared for an important meeting with their manager. After some back-and-forth scheduling, they manage [...]
Constantly on the defensive
Some working relationships constantly put you on the defensive. And that’s no coincidence. I once worked with a manager who made me feel constantly on the defensive. It was as if I was already 1-0 [...]
A single drop from the North Sea says it all
A saying that has always stayed with me: If you take a single drop from the North Sea and analyse it, you will know the composition of the entire sea. That idea is surprisingly applicable [...]