by Lee Davy on February 22, 2012
After I had finished reading People Skills by Robert Bolton Ph.D. I felt an immediate urge to give him a big hug, say thank you and sign up for a training course that very day. I used to think that I was an amazing communicator and that everyone that interacted with me needed help. As my marriage started to collapse I questioned this logic and then when it broke down irretrievably I decided to buy books like the one Bolton had created. After filing the final page to my memory banks, I understand that I have an incredible amount of work to do if I am going to improve as a communicator.
In the next few weeks I am going to start writing about my ten most influential books and although this book has not made the cut (because I have just read it), something tells me that it is going to be somewhere near the top spot should I repeat the exercise in a few years time.
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by Lee Davy on February 21, 2012
My mind was in turmoil.
I knew that I needed to quit my job but I didn’t have the strength to do it. My mind raced back to my childhood and I was seated on my bike. My father had taken my stabilisers off and although I knew I could ride freely, I was scared out of my wits. In the end he gave me a little push, while running by the side of me, and everything was so much easier. Here I was some twenty-odd years later, waiting for someone to push me and to be there for me should I wobble.
In times such as these you look to a few select number of people to help you out. They are invariably your closest friends or family and you expect them to be there for you, because you feel like it is their duty…after all you would do the same for them -wouldn’t you? But I am here to warn you that you might not get the support you need. In fact instead of getting the push you wanted, you get a right hook in the solar plexus leaving you gasping for breath.
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by Lee Davy on February 20, 2012
For those who do not know me personally, allow me to describe my previous job with as much brevity as I can muster and believe me it is not easy!
I left school at 16 and despite a short term role as an apprentice carpenter I joined the British Railway system, and stayed in that area of work for the next 19-years. When I started I was earning £4,628 per annum and when I left my salary was £45,000 per annum (with annual bonus payments as a nice addition). To put this into context, I live in South Wales in the UK, and in 2009 the average annual salary in this part of the world was £26,332 per year. There were years when my bonus would take me in excess of £65,000 per annum.
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by Lee Davy on February 19, 2012
What a shame it is that you do not realise how many vital communication skills you lack, until you make a right cock up of something. Invariably, the net result of the cock up is all too often an upset loved one, but it isn’t just the loved ones who are often on the receiving end of your inability to communicate properly. If you are self aware then you will be angry at yourself, not to mention the pile of strangers you have left shaking angrily in your wake.
In my last blog post Take Responsibility For Your Life – Lessons Learned in Venice I wrote about a trip to Venice where I displayed all the communication skills of a deaf bat. Despite acting like a complete idiot, I am actually an improved version of my former self, and one of the methods I use to help me improve my awareness of things – like poor acts of communication – is a process I call The Check In.
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by Lee Davy on February 18, 2012
The magical floating city of Venice is the most beautiful place my eyes have ever cast upon. The architecture and waterways are so intriguing and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, that you can just get lost in the city and be mesmerised by the surrounding beauty. But apart from the majesty and beauty of the place, there is a darker side to Marco Polo’s hometown – abhorrent customer service! If you are not careful the customer service can start to eat away at your wondrous experience. In order to make sure that doesn’t happen, please learn from my mistakes and remember…
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by Lee Davy on February 17, 2012
(Photo: Michelle and Mark Williams)
I was running around my local football field when I bumped into an old friend, Mark “Mags” Williams. I had my earphones on and although I could see his lips move, all I could hear were the dulcet tones of Damien Rice. I took of my cans and told him to start again. He looked fit, healthy and full of fizz but Mags always had more spring in his step that a kangaroo.
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by Lee Davy on February 16, 2012
“You are not allowed to play with Jimmy Jones any longer,” says your Mum.
“But why Mum…he is my best friend,” you reply.
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by Lee Davy on February 15, 2012
Welcome to another blog post in the series: Top Tips For Finding a Mentor. I never intended it to become a series, but as I started to write about my experiences with mentoring, I just couldn’t stop! To get the most benefit out of these posts I suggest you read the entire series.
In my last post entitled Top Tips for Finding a Mentor: Have Something They Need I spoke about the incentives I offered one of my first mentors: Martin “Dr Giggy” Fournier Giguere. At the end of that post I told you that the value I received from my relationship with Dr Giggy, did not come from his personal mentoring but instead from a process I like to call The Chain Reaction. The Chain Reaction is a series of beneficial events that occur after the initial meeting with your mentor. [click to continue…]
by Lee Davy on February 14, 2012
If somebody told you in advance how your life would pan out would you really want to know?
I ponder my own question and know immediately that I wouldn’t. I view my life as a wonderful story, and I have a host of writers all taking turns to pick up the quill and bleed their own bit of ink over my future. I create most of my plot lines but the ghostwriters exist. I haven’t a clue what stories they have woven for me, but I like that, because I want my life to include a little bit of mystery. [click to continue…]
by Lee Davy on February 13, 2012
