By Peter Johnson, on June 30th, 2016 | Comments are closed  I was attending a meeting at a location I didn’t know well and was asked to take a seat and wait for the person I was due to see. I was a few minutes early so was not at all concerned and it provided the opportunity to relax and ensure my thought was on the topic ahead.
On this occasion I was near to a window so rather than sit and wait I walked over and had a look out. Sometimes if I am in a high building it is great to have a birds eye view around the area. There is always something of note to look at, recognise, get my bearings or look to a
Continue reading Is keeping a low profile wise?
By Peter Johnson, on May 31st, 2016 | Comments are closed As the year continues to unfold I suddenly realize that the evenings are much longer and the need for thick clothing belongs to the past season. Such was the pleasure over a few days that I have recently enjoyed at Henley, England.
I was at the Global Masterclass for Alumni at Henley Business School and to celebrated the 70 Anniversary of the School’s foundation, making it the oldest Business School in the UK. It is also one of the most respected worldwide with over 70,000 Alumni spanning over 150 countries.
On one of the evenings I was looking forward to a boat trip and dinner on the River Thames with the wonderful group of people, from many
Continue reading Dining on the Thames with the mayfly
By Peter Johnson, on April 30th, 2016 | Comments are closed I was on the water the other day and close to this cargo vessel that was anchored while it awaited orders of where next to travel. These amazing ships travel the world carrying all manner of things that we use; usually with a small skilled crew who navigate the high seas. The ship was in calm sheltered water, yet we know from our television, films and stories the huge storms that such ships have to navigate.
It is clear from the look of this ship that is has little cargo on board as it is so far out of the water. The orange part of the hull is usually hidden in the water when loaded. Whilst not
Continue reading Taking on new cargo
By Peter Johnson, on March 30th, 2016 | Comments are closed Last weekend was Easter, so it provided the ideal opportunity to take some time away from a busy working life, and the call from emails, for a few days. With this wonderful gift of time before me I was pleasantly surprised to wake early, on what was a wonderful clear spring day. I knew I had a long journey to make, fortunately I was not going to be plying the routes of so many, ending up in a long holiday traffic jam. Listening to the road reports I was blessed as I headed off across country, over the hills, on rural roads heading for the coast.
As I had risen early, and there was almost no traffic
Continue reading Ideas from the far horizon
By Peter Johnson, on February 29th, 2016 | Comments are closed I was inspired by this sculpture I saw a while ago whilst I was out on an annual walk for the charity – Meningitis Now. A charity I have been involved with for many years. The event was the 5-Valleys Walk, which is a long walk. Instead of walking along 5 valleys you go down and up, crossing over into 5 valleys. Much more challenging than I thought the 21 miles would be the first time I did it many years ago.
One year we had the wonderful opportunity of walking through a sculpture park. One of the magnificent creations is in the picture you see. I thought it appropriate for 29 February, custom would have it
Continue reading The perfect setting for a coaching conversation
By Peter Johnson, on February 4th, 2016 | Comments are closed With my last article still fresh in my mind, the ink still drying on the page, I decided to do something. The picture, albeit a little dull, shows a brilliant view down a lovely valley. From where I was stood there is the view of this lovely lake, and yet the valley stretches out in the other direction as far as the visible sea.
A view to clear the mind from the busyness of the world we tend to occupy. A world of demand and expectation that we are available, on tap, for more of the day than ever before. Frequently from early morning to late into the evening – often at weekends too. And sadly for
Continue reading Have you looked in your own ‘business mirror’ recently?
By Peter Johnson, on January 30th, 2016 | Comments are closed I was having a look through a few photographs recently and realised I had not taken many pictures of late. I seem to go in phases of taking pictures, then have periods when nothing seems to catch my attention. As a someone who has been taking pictures for many years, and one who loves to observe life as it unfolds before us, this struck me as rather strange.
Had I not seen anything of interest? Surely not. Had I not been to new places where something caught my attention? Odd, I have been traveling around as much as ever. Have I left my camera behind? Even if I don’t have my ‘proper’ camera’ I, like many of
Continue reading Are you grabbing the year ahead?
By Peter Johnson, on December 30th, 2015 | Comments are closed I was recently walking down the side of the River Severn one afternoon when I could hear a lot of noise from the playing fields next to me and on the opposite side of the river from Worcester Cathedral. I could see three games of school rugby being played in good spirits, with applause at appropriate good play. A very refreshing change from the whooping and whistling that seems to have invaded our lives.
I am not a great spectator of sport, having been a very active player I always wish I was back on the field. Nonetheless, it is always great to see games being played. As I walked on my way after, a brief stop
Continue reading When 64 – 3 isn’t good enough
By Peter Johnson, on November 30th, 2015 | Comments are closed It was only a few weeks ago that I was at the grounds Worcestershire County Cricket Club. A cricket ground right in the heart of England. It was not a day when a match was to be played, the season was drawing to a close, so there were only a few matches left to play.
The grounds are ranked by many cricket players as one of the top pitches in the world for location and attraction. I pass no comment as I am rather biased, as it is on my doorstep, with the views I know so well – Worcester Cathedral on a sunny day almost casts a welcomed shadow from the opposite side of the River
Continue reading Taking time over the crease
By Peter Johnson, on October 27th, 2015 | Comments are closed What is called the ‘fourth plinth’ in London’s Trafalgar Square is the resting place for a series of varied pieces of artwork that are displayed, one at a time, for many months. There is no theme for these with the consequence that our eyes get to feast on a range of interesting, and sometimes unusual works.
The skeleton on the plinth, shown in the picture, is that of a horse – well it is not a real skeleton but the replication of one. It may not be clear in the picture but there is a large metallic bow tied around its front left leg. The bow strangely has a moving record of the latest share prices displayed
Continue reading A horse for thought
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