About

My Approach

I never begin a book by thinking about what I want to say. I think about what I want readers to understand and do.

You might have noticed that, when you look at any expert, artisan or artist, they always make what they do look easy. Instead of wasting time and energy ‘trying harder’, they use the good ideas, shortcuts and ‘tricks of the trade’ they have learned from others. They use this collective wisdom to work precisely, economically and effectively. Consequently, they produce excellent results with minimal effort.

I believe that to survive and prosper in the modern world, we do not need to simply try harder, we need to continually develop ourselves, learn new skills and try new approaches. The simplest way of doing that is to use collective wisdom so that we too can achieve excellent results with minimal effort.

To that end, I strive to make important subjects accessible, understandable and practical so that busy people can quickly find the information they need and make the changes that will help them most.

It is an approach that has enabled me to build a reputation as a sought-after trainer, conference speaker and author and to earn a satisfactory living doing something I love – helping people.

Career

Beginning my career in management development, I progressed to become a company training manager, a director of a training consultancy and, the toughest test of all, a self-employed consultant in a highly competitive field. Relentlessly refining my approach has resulted in invitations to work with major organisations on three continents and to speak at international conferences (without, I am pleased to say, spending a penny on marketing). Feedback from customers explains why:

‘I was taken aback by how much I learned about myself. I have put it into practice and people are saying how much confidence I have gained.’

‘In the last few days my views have been sought and my requests approved. Things have moved forward considerably.’

‘I wonder where I might be today if I had been practising these skills for the last fifteen years. I’m certain life would have been smoother.’

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with clients in charities, construction, finance, further education, healthcare, international banking, law, leisure, manufacturing, motor industry, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, public utilities, retail and scientific research.

I am a former Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a former member of CIPD’s advisory Management Skills Faculty, Series Consultant for CIPD’s management skills DVDs and a former member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Training Journal: The Publication for Learning & Development.

I have written books, trainers’ resources and management training DVDs. I have also written, or contributed to, articles on leadership, performance management, management skills and effective communication in journals and newspapers such as People Management, Training Journal, Strategic HR Review, British Airways Business Life, the Mail, Times, Observer, Guardian and Wall Street Journal.

Personal

While I was born in the industrial Midlands of the United Kingdom, for most of my adult life I have lived in the countryside closer to London. On becoming a parent, I took advantage of the opportunity of a second childhood to dabble in several sports and music. While I never excelled in any of them, I had a lot of fun trying. I also experienced the frequent frustrations of being a ‘fingers & thumbs’ mid-life novice. That experience (which I recommend to everyone who earns their living as an ‘expert’) left me with a desire to make learning easier for other people.

I love listening to jazz and walking through the beautiful English countryside, preferably with a dog.

You’ll find information about how to contact me here.