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01 Jan: Dignity Part 2: Avoiding the slippery slope

Happy New Year! Have we ever started a new year with such anticipation, expectation and hope? Have we ever looked forward with such a sense of what we want to change? Have we ever contemplated the year ahead with such mindful determination to hold on to insights and habits forged through months of challenge?
As 2020 drew to a close, I found myself reflecting on the unconditional nature of dignity and the part we can play in honouring and securing it, for ourselves and others. In this article I offer my thoughts, deepened by the work of Donna Hicks, on how we can avoid the everyday temptations that violate dignity.
After the year we’ve had, don’t we owe ourselves a break from New Year resolutions? I offer these suggestions as a dignity-affirming alternative that, I hope, will transform all our relationships in the year ahead.

By Jane Adshead-Grant Commitment Communication Compassion Executive Coaching Leadership Coaching Listening Personal Leadership Professional Development

01 Dec: Dignity Part 1: Securing the bedrock

In this final month of this incredibly challenging year, I find myself reflecting on dignity. Why? Because this extreme situation has encouraged me to revisit foundational ideas and principles. It’s made me notice what really matters – to myself and those around me. It’s made me want to think deeper about the beliefs and values that provide structure to our behaviours.
Here I offer what I’m learning, from my own experience and from the ground-breaking work of Donna Hicks, about the unconditional nature of dignity. And I share my thoughts on what we can do to honour and secure the dignity that each of us possesses as our birth-right.

Image from photo by Marianne Nos on Unsplash_LI

By Jane Adshead-Grant Courage Mindset Curiosity Executive Coaching Leadership Effectiveness Listening Personal Leadership Professional Development

01 Sep: Attention in the midst of distraction

For me, September feels like the start of a new year. A shift from summer adventures to a more defined routine. And, for many, a new year of learning at school, college or university. It’s a time that demands a quicker pace and a sharper focus. The transition can be challenging in a normal year. This September it’s happening in the face of new uncertainties within our work and learning environments, the possibility of a second wave as autumn draws in, and our concerns for our economy, our businesses and our jobs.
So my invitation to you, as we move into this uncertain phase, is to take a deep breath and find your focus.

By Jane Adshead-Grant Clarity Communication Compassion Courage Mindset Creativity Leadership Coaching Listening

19 Jul: What does it mean to be a Thinking Environment and Why does it Matter?

What if 2020 is the year we embrace change, in a way unlike we have ever done in the past? What if we would, more intentionally, generate the best thinking in others and ourselves, for the good of all? What if – with creativity, courage, and commitment – we chose to become a thinking environment for others?

By Jane Adshead-Grant Commitment Communication Compassion Executive Coaching Leadership Effectiveness Listening Professional Development

05 Jul: When we’re busy being inclusive, who are we leaving out?

It’s hard writing about inclusion. How can I do it with any kind of honesty without talking about exclusion. And, of course, exclusion is something that most of us have very little experience of.
We’re learning that we need to do things differently. And as parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, teammates, employers and leaders we have the responsibility – and the power – to create inclusive environments. Many of us are working out what that means for the way we think and behave personally.
Here I share what creating a safe, inclusive space means for me. I offer my thoughts on how we can be truly welcoming by creating environments in which we listen deeply to what others think, feel and want to say.

By Jane Adshead-Grant Clarity Courage Mindset Curiosity Executive Coaching Leadership Coaching Listening

01 May: Meeting chaos with calm

Recently I shared what I’ve learned while coaching leaders working on their impulse control. One month later, this emotional intelligence skill is critical for all of us. And it is being put to the test in many different ways and to extreme levels. I’ve been thinking about how we are responding to the very different challenges each of us are facing right now, and how we can meet the chaos with choice and calm.