Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Simple.

To someone who knows nothing about something, everything looks simple.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

The Problem with Team.

The problem with ‘Team’ is it’s abstract.

Who or what is ‘Team’?

Urging people to work with the ‘team’ or put the ‘team’ first relies on each person sharing the same identity of ‘team’.

Better to say ‘work with Tom’ or ‘Dick’ or ‘Mary’ or even ‘the person relying on you’.

‘Team’ is like ‘School’.

Everybody can say it’s not them.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

The One Rule Book.

When a decision maker applies positional power to make a decision affecting someone else, what they are saying is:

‘ I have a rule book that nobody else has, including you. Every time I apply that rule to you, my rule book resets and what may have been the rule yesterday, may not be the rule today. I get to decide when you break a rule and displease me, or when you don’t and please me. You won’t know whether you’ve displeased or pleased until I say so. So you’d better be nice to me.’

‘In short there is only one rule in the One Rule Book you need to know: Please me.’

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Policies.

Policies are an organisation’s collective memory.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Punitive.

We are stymied in our actions by our framing of anything adverse to a person as punitive, when often it is liberating.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Resolution.

Writing is like photography.

The more accurate the words, the finer the resolution of the picture.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Applause.

The boss speaks, emails, meets.

APPLAUSE - the sign flashes.

We clap.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Error Co-Dependent.

The bad boss relies on the errors of the workers to keep their job.

As long as the workers fail, they need a boss to boss them.

Bad workers keep bad bosses employed.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

War Cry.

The war cry of the mediocre:

‘We’re doing our best!’

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Struggle.

In a grey area, struggle is usually a sign of serious thought and effort.


- Joseph L. Badaracco

‘Struggle’ is not the same as ‘hard’.

‘Thank you Mary for all your hard work.’

Imagine a boss thanking Mary for her struggle.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Delight.

The best worker delights the boss by working better than the boss expected.

The best boss delights the worker by allowing them to work better than the boss had in mind.

The best workplaces have bosses and workers who delight in each other.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Hype.

A quick way of dismissing something as aspirational empty hype:

Describing effort as anything above 100%

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

No Incentive.

A person who has risen to hold any positional power has no incentive to learn or create.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Easy Things.

‘Easy things lure us away from better answers.’

- Dr. Daniel Dennett, cognitive scientist and philosopher.

There’s nothing easier than exercising positional power.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Misplaced Virtue.

A friend swerved to avoid a fox running across the road, and rolled her car.

She and the other two occupants escaped with minor injuries.

‘Next time, run over the fox,’ was our advice.

Too many foxes live while others suffer because of mis-placed virtue.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Incompetence.

Incompetence needs a cover story.

‘I work for the church’ is one.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

What’s Your Problem?

You think your problem is the error.

It’s not.

The problem is your recruiting.

Your induction.

Your probation.

Your training.

Your salaries.

Your policies.

Your leadership.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

Fake Glory.

We know that what we or our boss or organisation posts to the world about our work is a polished version of the dirty truth.

We never tell the world about the conflict and failure and politics and egos and tantrums and firings and budget overruns.

The world sees us smiling in stage, holding the award for Something Of The Year.

Better to pretend and encourage someone with our fake glory and have them succeed, than tell the truth so no-one ever tries.

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

No More.

Don’t underestimate the deep, hidden relief a complainant feels when you firmly say:

’No more.’

Read More
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill

A Defining Characteristic of Leading.

A defining characteristic of leadership is conflict.

After all - you’re trying to take people where they otherwise would not have gone.

Ten percent will be curious and open to the adventure.

Fifty percent will be a dead weight of indifference.

Ten percent will be offended you think they need leading.

Ten percent will be jealous they didn’t think of going there themselves.

Ten percent  will keep doing what they’ve always done.

Ten percent will actively undermine you.

Read More