External donations to ‘worthy causes’ will fix nothing in Apple’s rotten core. And, even if external funding was the answer – which it isn’t – the funding itself is pathetic in its scope, amounts and timelines.
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Mr Potato Head or bleach? Furlough or innovate?
A Guest Blog from Graham Hutchings, Associate, Friend & Chief Operating Officer at Profitability Business Simulations I have read a lot recently about authentic, transparent and vulnerable leadership. So here’s an honest, personal account of what the last few weeks have been like juggling work and home life, and some of the things we are doing…
Read MoreFull-time to Furlough
A Guest Blog from Janey Fry, my sister-in-law, friend & Design Director in a large London agency. My husband brought back a bag of rice, some kitchen roll and a few various cans of, well I’m not entirely sure. Just to make sure we don’t run out of anything. This was in February and I was convinced…
Read MoreWhere are all the Millennial Role Models?
There is ongoing debate about where to draw the line between different generations. And indeed whether it matters. And if it does, why? There’s discussion about how long a generation should last, what defines it, and whether people who grew up with land lines and fax machines should be counted in the same generation as…
Read MoreWomen, like men, only cheaper.
The days of industrial hours working and bums-in-seats mentality need to be put behind us all. This approach simply doesn’t fit with today’s working cultures or with how we live, parent and work. It’s time for some new approaches and fresh thinking. Here Claire Fry, Founding Partner of the Juggling Act, talks pay gaps, parenting…
Read MoreWhat J.Crew’s near-death experience can teach us about ourselves & our organisations
I used to love J.Crew. I mean really love it. The shops themselves, their online business, them as an organisation, as a culture. I felt like a kid in a cashmere and tartan-lined candy store in their shops. The glittering, neon costume jewellery, the Jackie sweaters, pepto bismal pink satin shoes. I got my first…
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Talking Shared Parental Leave with a City banking employee (who actually took it)
Nearly three years after it was introduced, it seems that only 2 per cent of eligible couples are taking the opportunity to split care-giving in their newborn’s early months. Shared parental leave has been shown to be good for children, good for parents and good for gender equality, and yet approximately half the general public are still unaware the option exists. If companies want to show they are serious about equality at work, and tackling the gender pay gap, they should consider introducing a standalone period of extended paternity leave for fathers/partners on full pay. Companies seeking to display excellence in diversity should not stop at having attractive SPL schemes, they should advertise them, celebrate them and let them flow into the culture.
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A Sorry State – the Importance of a Culture of Contrition
Witnessing Cultural meltdown We all make mistakes, or as Alexander Pope put it all the way back in 1711, “To err, is human”. Indeed, it’s one of humanity’s great truths. But what is the impact on the customer when corporate cultures reach a point of toxicity where they are unwilling (or unable) to show contrition…
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Listening to Build Trust: Lessons from a Hostage Negotiator
Chris White is a professional risk manager and crisis negotiator with over 25 years of experience in the industry. In the interview below, I find out from him how excellence in listening can transform the way you work, live and communicate. Claire Fry (CF): Before transitioning to the financial services sector, you spent most of your career doing crisis negotiation work,…
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When it comes to coaching and the cosmos – it’s all about space!
When I was thinking of a name for my coaching business I considered a number of things it needed to be: timeless but relevant, personally significant and yet universally applicable, evocative but with plenty of scope for the imagination. Searching through my endless files of ‘inspirational things’ it wasn’t long before I was listening, once again, to…
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Pale Blue Coaching 