I was recently in Germany visiting family. As it happens, I was there in the first week of school and I really enjoyed seeing kids with their brand new school cases and backpacks walking and cycling to school with their parents each morning. It was a very picturesque kind of late summer feel. The leaves were just starting to turn and it took me back to the excitement of starting school and later university terms.…
Category: books
This season on Leading Virtual Teams I am interviewing a whole host of special guests! These interviews are part of the research for my new book, which will continue my work on hybrid working from Leading Virtual Teams (2022). It will also expand on that and have a much greater focus on long term hybrid working, how it impacts our senses and wellbeing. There’s so much to explore, and drafting the chapter outlines has got…
Usually I publish a post about things I am reading every month, but this time, I wanted to share an update on things I am writing instead. Some of you may have already spotted that one of the menu items on my blog has changed from ‘book’ to ‘books‘; together with this blog post it’s the first sign of things to come as there is indeed a new book in the works. YAY! New book…
My favourite read for this month has to be The Revenge of Analogue by David Sax. Although this book was published nearly ten years ago, and some of the research it is based on would have been changed by the pandemic, I found it a really inspiring read. I love all things analogue from stationary and paper notebooks, to sending actual letters in the post and listening to vinyl records, and I have read a…
Newsletters have become more important to my regular reading, and alongside those of Audrey Watters’ Second Breakfast (on technology and fitness) and Helen Beetham’s Imperfect Offerings (on education, technology and AI), I find John Naughton’s Memex a very valuable source of inspiration and further reading. One of the links I followed from Memex was Cory Doctorow’s McLuhan lecture on enshittification. It makes for very interesting and insightful reading, analysing our relationship with tech platforms and…
The book that really stayed with me last month was Coach the Person not the Problem by Marcia Reynolds. It’s a fascinating read full of practical guidance and insightful ideas, and a great read if you are interested in developing a coaching approach to leadership or your coaching and mentoring skills. There was a lot to take away from the book, such as a really useful habit to set an intention for a conversation or…
It’s January, it’s early and I’m feeling inspired. Time to reflect on my career transition three months in. As I type this I have to pause frequently as it’s morning and each dog needs their cuddles. We’re arranged all together on the sofa, so I alternate the hand with which I type. The dogs are an important part of my life, and this new chapter. They are the best work life balance motivation and constant…
To start this new year in reading I want to share some of the books I am reading just now, titles on my radar for 2024 and the start of a list of good reads on topics ranging from creativity and reflection to hybrid working, art and culture. Current favourites Books on my radar for this month
A year ago my book Leading Virtual Teams was published, and I can very clearly remember all the wonderful excitement that led up to the launch, and am still grateful for all the encouragement for this Open Access publication. A year on, and the book, which was initially inspired by the work Martin Hawksey and I did at ALT, has turned into a whole host of resources, two free courses and a podcast which informs…
It’s my second post about the joys of going to the library in as many months, so I won’t hold it against you if you don’t keep reading… this post. Please keep reading everything else! Over the past month I have borrowed and read a lot of books from the Cardiff library system, trying out different branches of the library, close to home, nearby and in the city. Using the library has been such a…