Adrian Furnham

Writing your own development plan

“Personal development plan” (or PDP) are words that inspire fear, contempt and loathing (in that order) for many middle aged managers. It seems to be an HR inspired conspiracy to belittle and humiliate senior managers by requiring them to play daft and embarrassing games for no good purpose.

Workplace Romantic Relationships

How should the corporation cope with corporate cupid? Is sex at work (attraction in organisations, office romances, intimacy at work, co-worker affairs) a matter for HR policy? Can, or indeed should, one try to legislate matters of the heart or hormones? Should romance or affairs be dealt with in an open adult way or made taboo?

Work on your weaknesses

Positive psychology in business has a new and beguiling message. The old-style, puritanical, work-on-your-weakness messages is rejected. The reason is that this is a mistaken misallocation of energy and focus. It’s difficult, if not impossible to ‘correct’, eliminate or conquer your weaknesses particular if you are ‘getting on a bit”. A quite odd fatalism from a school or maximal optimism.

Trainer-mania

They are often an odd group of people, adult work-related trainers. They are not consultants, though many aspire to be because the daily rate is higher. They are not teachers, because that sounds patronising to their clients. They are not lecturers, because that may either intimidate their clients or give the wrong impression of how they go about their business. And they are not coaches, though many are re-inventing themselves as such.

Titular Realities

Imagine you saw a job offer that tickled your fancy. It was “right up your street”. Nice package, ideal location, matches your work experience perfectly.

But what is the job title? Does is matter if everything else is OK? Would it seriously affect your applying? Consider the following baker,s dozen job titles in alphabetical order: Administrator; Advisor; Business Partner; Coach; Counsellor; Consultant; Director; Facilitator; Head; Lead; Manager; Officer; Team Leader. Of course, if you are an American the whole puzzle has been happily solved. All are Executive Vice Presidents. All chiefs; no Indians. But this, fortunately, England.