What Grinds My Gears – LinkedIn (2026 Edition)

Another in the occasional series where I take a quiet look at the things which annoy, irritate and get my goat. This time, it’s a follow-up to a post from five years ago about the things on LinkedIn that manage to be both irritating and oddly successful. Performative vulnerability“Three years ago I was broke, burnt… Read More What Grinds My Gears – LinkedIn (2026 Edition)

Something personal

Waltham Forest Council issued my wife a PCN for entering a School Streets zone. She had a valid permit, and their own system confirmation said so. I submitted formal representations to the published email address within the statutory window and attached the valid permit. I didn’t get an acknowledgement, so I chased, but still nothing.… Read More Something personal

Fine Is Complicated

I have written about this before; I have clinical anxiety that is managed with medication and CBT, but it’s still there. It doesn’t go away, and it’s part of who I am. I had a conversation recently that reminded me why I post about this. Because people look at me and don’t see it. They… Read More Fine Is Complicated

Preparation

You can prepare for everything: the slides, the mic, the sound, the room, the speakers, the notes, and the images. And then, midway through the session, you lose power for a fraction of a second, and you disappear. You can always prepare, but some things will always trip you up. The response isn’t to prepare… Read More Preparation

Seeing Real Work

I’m really pleased to be joining the judging panel for the CIPD People Management Awards 2026. One of the genuine benefits of a role like this is seeing work that rarely gets visibility. Organisations doing rigorous, grounded people practice tend not to shout about it. Awards panels are one of the few places where that… Read More Seeing Real Work