Mark Donovan & Associates – News & Blog Section

Dealing with distractions.
Staying on track is exhausting, researchers estimate that workers are interrupted every 11 minutes and then spend almost one-third of their day recovering from these distractions. Workers change windows, and check email or other programs nearly 37 times an hour! ...
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Success v Perfectionism
Psychologists have long since recognized the perfectionist complex as one of the most destructive to human growth and development. Many people use it as an excuse. Making a statement such as… “when I learn to do it perfectly, I’ll start being successful”, is a way to...
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Make other people feel valued!
In 1992 when Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was running for president against George Bush Senior. A pivotal point in the campaign came on the night of the second nationally televised debate, during which the president and his opponent faced questions from a live...
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Do you really believe in developing your people?
Many senior leaders who say that developing their people is key to the success of their organization, don’t honestly believe in the merits of this work. If they did, it wouldn’t be the first thing to be cut, when the business climate starts getting tough! Imagine a...
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Holding up the mirror!
One area I look at a lot of clients doing is getting them to ‘hold up the mirror’. We all have blind spots, and if we don't find out what these blind spots are they can be career-limiting for us in the marketplace today. One of the exercises I would get clients to...
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Why it’s important for leaders to keep their word and do what they say they’ll do!
For many leaders today, organisational life is like being a hamster on a wheel. We are working extremely hard but we are getting nowhere fast! We make promises with good intentions but then don’t deliver on these. This hits the results we achieve and the personal...
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Are you a rower or are you a steerer?
Why do most people get promoted into leadership positions? The number one reason is, that we are good at doing things. Or as I like to put it, we are good rowers. When we get promoted, we get the extra 4.75 euros a week before tax. What do we now feel we need to do?...
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What’s your boss’s ‘shiny table’?
A question I’m frequently asked by my clients is, “Mark, what can I do to manage upwards more effectively?”. It reminds me of an experience I had a long long time ago but is still very relevant today. “Mark, can you go down to Bakery immediately, they need someone...
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Is lack of confidence holding you back?
One of the biggest things that hold people back is lack of confidence. Clients will continually ask me "Mark, how can I develop my confidence, what do I need to do?" My response is always, if you develop your assertiveness skills, confidence follows. Many clients will...
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Are you an effective decision-maker?
As a leadership consultant, one of the main areas that I work with my clients is in helping them become highly effective decision-makers. My definition of a highly effective decision-maker is being 100% willing to hold yourself responsible for your circumstances and...
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