Image via Pexels Modern businesses don’t just suffer from talent shortages—they often suffer from misused talent. The problem isn’t always that you don’t have the right people; it’s that your best potential is quietly idling in the wrong roles. For company leaders and managers, the real challenge is learning to spot the quiet signals, design […]
Embracing Life’s Journey: My Mother’s Inspiring Response to Breast Cancer
Ten years ago, my mum who I adored was told that the breast cancer that she told us had been successfully treated was now terminal. Her response was typical of a woman who successfully raised five children while married to an alcoholic father. She simply said “I will do as much as I can for […]
The hardest phone call
A few years ago my best friend Dave, who I met when we were both racing motorbikes, lost his wife Sue after a long and difficult battle with cancer. I found myself in a situation that many people dread. I desperately wanted to give him a call to offer my condolences but I simply didn’t […]
The Tale of Young Bob
Getting started The very young Bob joined Anglian Water as a trainees laboratory technician having discovered that playing football for his university but not doing any studying wasn’t enough to get him a degree. As part of the role a chemistry HNC was obtained at his local college on day release and a decent career […]
Training ideas that work
But does the theory support the practice? This post is based on an article that John Sunderland Wright and I wrote for the Autumn 2024 edition of the Institute of Water magazine Bob Windmill, Academic Director, British Water Engineering College Entertain, Engage, Educate (c) My teaching approach is to Entertain then Engage then Educate the […]
How to be a really bad manager
And then learn how to do it properly….. This blog is based on a post I wrote for the 2023 Q4 Edition of the institute of water Magazine I loved being a scientist from the time I first weighed a stone in and out of water in primary school. Picking maths, chemistry, and physics at […]
Lessons From The Racetrack – Keeping Up vs Getting Ahead
In previous posts I spoke about how my hobby of racing powerful superbikes around various UK racetracks helped me grow and develop professionally. In this post I’m revisiting the key theme of how the principles of racing successfully can be applied to your professional development. From the beginning When racing , we the riders would […]
Steady Eddy and Edwina: The Hidden power behind your business
This post is based on an article I wrote for the 2022 Q4 edition of the Institute of Water magazine Who makes your business really perform, day in and day out, just simply making the right things happen at the right time in the right way? Your Rising Stars? Or perhaps your graduate trainees? Or […]
From Dropout to Director and Beyond
This post is based on an article I wrote for the 2022 Q3 edition of the Institute of Water magazine My story I was inspired to write this article by the quote, attributed by some to Jane Austen: “It’s never too late to be what you could have been”. This might seem strange given that […]
Four Essential Tips for Entrepreneurs
This is a guest article by Katie Connolly of Advice Mine, a company specialising in helping you grow and develop in your personal and professional life. Never Give Up Many new entrepreneurs worry about failing. That’s a big fat WRONG. If you haven’t failed at something, there’s a good chance you’ve never tried it. Facing […]