Woody Wonders

I've been thinking about ageism quite a lot recently and how it can affect us, and no, before you accuse ME of being ageist, I'm also referring to how it affects young people too.  In fact, it can affect many age groups - children, teenagers, adults, senior citizens.  Obviously, most of this blog will feature on ageism from my point of view and the age I am now because that's simply where I'm at right now. Think back to when you first started out in your career, no doubt you were anxious, nervous, self-conscious and worried that you wouldn't be taken seriously and that other people would think you had no experience or knowledge As you get older, you start to experience very similar feelings, anxious, nervous, self-conscious and worried that people will also be thinking you've lost your drive and ambition and that you're not up-to-speed with how fast technology is moving and such like. Before I started in my current role, I went for an interview at another co...

So what the heck do I mean by 'are you a stone or a sponge?'   Well, I'm hoping there's lots of sponges out there! It's simply another way of describing how we think and behave.  In recent times, companies have started to realise that creating the right kind of culture is top of their list.  It's simple really when you think about it, build a safe, welcoming environment, keep your employees happy - boom, winning at life, or winning at business should I say. Stones are seen as being very rigid in their thinking, not willing to learn new things or listen to other people's ideas.  They tend to do their own thing and go their own way without really taking other people's feelings into consideration. Sponges do exactly what it says on the tin, they're willing to soak up new information and learn different ways of doing something and they will always listen to others.  They may not agree 100% all of the time but they'll listen and be willing to hear o...

  Last week I mentioned two incidents that shaped my life career-wise, this week I'm going to be talking about the people who shaped and influenced my life. Throughout our whole lives, we are continuously being influenced and shaped by other people, whether it's just for a few brief moments or whether it's a life-changing experience. Take a few moments to think about all the people, up to now, who have helped you along the way to becoming the person you are.  It's often not until we actually sit down and do this, that we realise just how many people are involved in shaping us as human beings.   Here's a few of mine: My family - goes without saying that my parents and big sister shaped me hugely as a person.  They taught me right from wrong, how to always respect other people's points of views and instilled a 'never give up' work ethic in me.  Sadly my big sister passed away a number of years ago but even when she was ill, she only had my best interes...