12/01/2026 By David Rigby

Overwhelmed – what to give up to make space for the new ?

As Christmas approached I was beginning to be overwhelmed. For the previous six weeks I had deadlines every other day. And while I was achieving them the underlying fundamentals where not being done.

Attending conferences and doing podcasts was one thing, having a visitor who broke her ribs was another, and being organized enough to stay in three different places over the holiday period was another, particularly regarding laundry. And this being Spain the weather is likely to be relatively very cold but potentially sunny. Every day required military planning.

Standing back enough was the challenge to realise you are overwhelmed. It’s happened to me before during the Christmas period. And the holiday period lasts for almost three weeks in Spain. So I decided to do no work.

*Christmas Day English Sprouts Reyes (Jan6) Roscon*

So I decided to do no work

*Spanish Puchero and traditional Spanish New Years Eve Lamb*

Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) with friends from South America – and my Spanish had turned into Italian. I couldn’t remember English either.Next day I spent making half British half Spanish Christmas lunch, and had to work out of to cook five vegetables simultaneously. Had Noche Buena, Noche Viejo and Reyes Spanish style , all with friends and at the last moment and not very formal, And In between: I have a cubic metre of physical photos so I spent the gaps scanning the negatives of maybe 5000 photos – and the scanned files still need sorting.

On the work front there are tasks which I have been completely unable to do, such as writing this, posting on the media and maintaining the website. They have had to wait.

In 2025 I spent time seeing people in Italy and Netherlands I haven’t seen in years, and attending many international zoom event, as well as attending local events in person . The conclusion is that some of those will have to go. And I also recognise that others have decided that I have to go – I am OK with that.

I am listening to the ‘overwhelmed’ podcast from Claudia Hammond on BBC is great for recognising it’s not just you. Taking time out to reflect helped me recognise I was in survival mode. You need to step out if it before you recognise it. I will be organised, with the infrastructure in a better position, to start again, by February. Meanwhile I will sort those Photos, and see I can continue to give up what I told myself to . The space created may give me time to embrace AI and do everything more effectively . Who knows? What about you ?

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Many of our associates learned how to speak via Toastmasters and Professional Speakers Association Read more

Many of our associates are specialists in Diversity , Interculturality and related topics Read more here and here.

05/12/2025 By David Rigby

People and Purpose : Insights Beyond Borders Dec 18 Podcast with David Rigby

On the next podcast episode, December 18, David Rigby gets real about one of the challenges of HR. He highlights why true inclusion must go far beyond the ‘big five’ categories:
“What needs to be ramped up is inclusion, inclusion across different backgrounds, classes, educational aspirations. This is how you build a truly successful, diverse team,” says David.
Inclusion means everyone has a voice – and that voice matters. It shows in practice how people are treated every day. If you believe strong culture and human-centered leadership drive real performance, you’ll want to watch the full episode on LinkedIn Live, click on ‘Attend’ and mark your calendar now:🔔https://lnkd.in/dQSjHmwf

The Malaga Conferences

Just back from the Professional Speakers Association (Spain) Convention and the Diversity and Innovation Conference in Benalmadina Malaga. It was a pleasure to present at both.

” Enjoyed your session! You were absolutely in your element – dancing, singing and also educating us on being inclusive.” Remi Margaret Nwando Aiyela “I love how you bring your whole self to everything you do” Silvia Gutiérrez Gradillas “It so much passion for what you talk about, that’s for sure!!” Clair Boscq Professional Speakers Association Convention and Diversity & Innovation Conference Malaga November 2025

At PSA I talked about “Inclusion is the future”. with colleagues
Marta Pardo 🎤 🇪🇸 🇫🇷 🇺🇸 Alastair Greener FPSA Andrew Bryant, CSP JC Duran • Claire Boscq CSP , Customer eXperience Energizer Oliver Watson Rhythm • David Rigby • Eugene Seah • Grant ‘Upbeat’ Bosnick – Leadership Enabler, CSP • Michelle Mills-Porter The People Reader • Mike Handcock • Susana Serrano-Davey • Azadeh Yaraghi • Josie Pont- Female ChangeMakers Beth Sherman and hosted by Ben Ivey
At D&I I talked about Cognitive Diversity enabling Transculturality with The onsite speakers: include Fons Trompenaars, Anna Zelno, Barbara E. Prendota Silvia Gutiérrez Gradillas Magda Stega Piotr Pluta, Vince Stevenson Trainer of Trainers and Executive Speech Coach, Vincent MERK, Andy Pring ,Dr. Barbara Covarrubias Venegas and Alejandro Pastor
It was an honour to present with such luminaries and learn from them both content and style and add them to my friendsApart from a great excuse to spend a week in Malaga, I enjoy these conferences because it’s a chance to meet face-to-face all those people you have spoken to in Zoom as well as those you don’t know yet. And the way to get some new friends and maybe requested to do some work is to turn up. And it’s great fun too!

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Many of our associates learned how to speak via Toastmasters and Professional Speakers Association Read more

Many of our associates are specialists in Diversity , Interculturality and related topics Read more here and here.

29/10/2025 By David Rigby

Malaga: November Events: Diversity & Innovation and Professional Speakers Association

Conferences in Malaga

Join me, David Rigby, at these two events in Malaga in November

Diversity & Innovation Conference

Benalmádena Malaga November 20-22
See more details (and below) and reserve your place here

Professional Speakers Association (Spain) Convention

Malaga November 29
See more details (and below) and reserve your place here

Diversity & Innovation Conference

I am excited to join an incredible lineup of international speakers at the Diversity & Innovation Hybrid Conference in Benalmádena, Malaga on 21-22 November 2025, hosted by Diversity & Innovation Academy . I presented remotely at the previous one in Poland in May and I am pleased to be presenting in person this time.

I’ll be delivering a talk called, “Cognitive Inclusion: Building transculturality on individual communication strengths” About understanding the way you and others communicate is common regardless of culture, so it can be used to develop transculturality.

Our onsite speakers: Fons Trompenaars, Maya Middlemiss, Anna Zelno, Barbara E. Prendota, Anna Jakielaszek, Silvia Gutiérrez Gradillas, Magda Stega, Jacek Skyski S., Diana Bohorquez Ballesteros, Tabita Luis, Bernd Gibson, Piotr Pluta, Vince Stevenson Trainer of Trainers and Executive Speech Coach, Vincent MERK, Andy Pring, George Simons, Lina Klemkaite, Andrea Martínez Celis, PhD, David Rigby, Barbara Covarrubias Venegas, Kelly Cuesta, Alejandro Pastor Lara

The online speakers are: Mohamed El Amrani, Marta García-Valenzuela, Francisco Gallego, Evelien Verschroeven, Bjørn Z. Ekelund, Ridha Mejri, Frauke Lehmann, Dr. Michele Angeline V., Constantina Rokos, Livingstone Thompson, PhD, Aminata Soucko, Amy Mortensen, Jane Jihye Kim, Peter Mousaferiadis, Amna Ben Amara, Csaba Toth, Fathima Beckmann, Matthew Hill – Corporate Presentation Trainer, Mirka Molnar Lachka, George Simons, Ilaria Mundula 伊兰

See you there – on line or in person

PSA Spain Convention

*Building transculturality on individual communication strengths*

*with Fons Trompenaars – keynote speaker*

*Just a few of the speakers at the D&I conference*

PSA Spain Convention

I am excited to join an incredible lineup of international speakers at the Professional Speakers Association of Spain yearly conference in Málaga on November 29, 2025. Hosted by Professional Speakers Association of Spain , a proud member of the Global Speakers Federation, this event celebrates diversity, innovation, and leadership in the world of professional speaking.

I’ll be delivering a talk called, “Inclusion is the future”. A reminder to consider your audience, who will have different ways of thinking, different ways of learning, different cultures, different beliefs – all the things you cannot see just by looking at the audience. Who are you positively including in your speech and who have you have excluded because you never considered it ?

If you’re serious about the business of speaking, come see my talk, along with game-changing talks and workshops from:

Marta Pardo 🎤 🇪🇸 🇫🇷 🇺🇸 • Andrew Bryant, CSP • JC Duran • Claire Boscq , Customer eXperience Energizer • Oliver Watson Rhythm • David Rigby • Eugene Seah • Grant ‘Upbeat’ Bosnick – Leadership Enabler, CSP” • Michelle Mills-Porter The People Reader • Mike Handcock • Susana Serrano-Davey • Azadeh Yaraghi • Roger Soreque • Josie Pont- Female ChangeMakers and hosted by Beth Sherman

See you there!

Why am I going to these events ?

Apart from a great excuse to spend a week in Malaga, I enjoy these conferences because it’s a chance to meet face-to-face all those people you have spoken to in Zoom as well as those you don’t know yet. And the way to get some new friends and maybe requested to do some work is to turn up. And it’s great fun too!

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Many of our associates learned how to speak via Toastmasters and Professional Speakers Association Read more

Many of our associates are specialists in Diversity , Interculturality and related topics Read more here and here.

26/01/2024 By David Rigby

What the butler saw

Executive Assistants and Work Ethic

I have just finished listening to The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. In it, the protagonist Stevens, a butler, reviews his life. By putting his duty to his boss above all else he fails to support his father and wrecks the opportunity for a relationship – indeed doesn’t even recognise it. He was privy to many meetings held by his boss, significantly about the treaties after the first world war and meetings with the Germans immediately before the second world war. Never questioning the wisdom of his boss he wonders how his responsibility for the provision of the perfect cup of tea helps with the meetings .

How relevant is this for today?

An Executive Assistant appears to be similar to the role of Butler. Making sure that everything runs smoothy. Recent articles have asked whether the EA should be on the board? To me, lets say at a meeting, it depends on whether the EA is in part responsible for the outcome of the meeting. Providing input and opinion as well as ensuring the smooth running behind the scenes as it were are different responsibilities and different roles . And it depends whether the EA is paid for those different responsibilities,

*1975 show of Joe Orton’s 1967 play What the butler sa*w

The Work Ethic

Working 72 hours per week not only ensures you are not working at your most effective at work but it can completely remove any hope of a personal life. During a coaching session for a client, we had developed a strategy for his career, and I asked what his personal goals were. He replied- to find a partner, get married etc. There was no space in his life to even build a strategy to find a partner let alone execute it. It took him ten years to find a partner.

Perfectionism and Delegation

The butler believed his standards were the only ones, and was incapable of delegation of responsibility. Complete failure to recognise what is ‘good enough’, and that there are other ways of doing the job. The ‘extra mile’ is fine every once in a while.

*The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro : the book, the film, the audio book*

Getting the coffee

It was the butler’s role to provide the tea (and maybe coffee) . These days the first half hour of a meeting can be: going around the room, taking coffee orders, someone leaves the meeting to go to Star*ucks (and therefore does not participate during that time), then there is this skill of each participant trying to remember what they ordered. A butler could arrange this, but an Executive Assistant with responsibilities couldn’t because they need to be present. (Personally, as I am in Spain I would insist on a proper coffee from a local café , thereby extending the ‘coffee’ process).

The Remains of the day

In the novel, this refers to how much of your life is left, and the things you might regret

Spending too long at the office
Not building up connections and lifelong friendships nothing to do with work
Not getting a life or even organising a life
Not getting too many responsibilities and if you do, making sure you are paid
Not finding space to reflect, learning new stuff, changing your strategy.

Gen x/z and the 35 hour week

My Mother always said that if you can’t do your job in 35 hours a week then you are incompetent or in the wrong job . The butler’s only life was his work.

It used to be: you clocked off your work after 8 hours and clocked back in the next day. Technology, flexible working and working from home meant being always available, a slave to your job. So welcome back the 35 hour week and not being always available. And eat the remains of your dinner while it still hot and have a proper Spanish two hour lunch break

It’s your misguided choice to work 72 hours a week, therefore doing someone else out of a job as well as wrecking your own life, . Just don’t expect others to do so. And remember this lifestyle is YOUR CHOICE. Smart Coaching & Training’s coaches can help you get a balanced life .

Smart Coaching & Training works with 20 associates, in four continents speaking 12 languages and raised and working in a wide range of cultures. See our associates here.

“What the butler saw” is also a play by Joe Orton

12/11/2023 By David Rigby

Roads were invented so that men could drive to work

The myth of the fifteen minute city

“Roads were invented so that men could drive to work in their cars” -and therefore are bad. This was the quote I remembered when I listened to BBC Radio 4 podcast – Future Cities – in which Tori Herridge was listening to Katrina Johnson-Zimmerman . (I can’t describe it as interviewing – more like curtsying). She appears to be in Philadelphia and by the time she got to Phoenix at the age of 20 it was her first exposure to a city..

No need for transport as everything is walkable

She explained her concept of the 15 minute city where anyone could walk or cycle in 15 minutes to everything they could possibly need. And that any road with more than one carriageway should be reduced to one to allow cycle-paths. Not a mention about the need for fast cheap and reliable public transport because clearly you don’t need it as ‘you ain’t going nowhere’.

The fifteen minute village

Now I live in a small village by the sea in Spain. Some of it is 500 years old and so clearly is not high rise. It’s quite possible to walk from one end to the other in 15 minutes. There are at least 10 supermarkets and local stores such as butchers, fruit-shops and pharmacies. And there are two health centres and community centres. And maybe 50 cafes and restaurants for the tourists.
A lot of the centre is pedestrianised. So far so good. I chose to have no car. It’s 300 steps from the beach, transport and main shops to my house. While I am not young, I am still able to carry my shopping but could not contemplate using a bicycle and neither can most other people, and I wonder for how long I can continue to walk.

Why escape ?

Still, everything I could possibly want is there. So why is it I continually want to escape?

I need intellectual stimulation. Most of the old folk’s conversation is about what they had for lunch.
I want to experience good original food from many different cultures not touristifed.
I want to see the Art Galleries, attend good music events, and spend face to face time with friends and colleagues who are stimulating – and go to meet people for work.

None of this is available where I live. So II spend my time between the cities of Valencia, Madrid and Barcelona. It takes 2-3 hours on public transport to travel the 60km to the nearest mainline train and then the trains are frequent and cheap and that 2-3 hours is a reason I will move.

15 minute cities Lincoln Nebraska USA, (courtesy Getty Images),Hong Kong and Dubai (several)

Worldwide experience of fifteen minute cities

Prior to this I worked in 22 counties including

Lincoln, Nebraska – a fifteen minute city which closes at 1800 every day. I rented a car and escaped every weekend it was so boring.
Hong Kong – a fifteen minute city because everything of interest is within one square mile. And you can go on a pub crawl by going to several bars on different floors in the same building. Escaped by boat!
Dubai a fifteen minute city insofar as within 15 minutes of anywhere is everything, high density high rises everywhere. But despite the tram system and buses they need 10 lane highways not the least because the Emiratis and the elite still insist on driving everywhere in their SUVs and expensive sport cars. And in summer after 10 minutes outside you need a shower. There were places I would not live such as Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai Marina or near Burj Khalifa because they were the most likely to get bombed.

The ultimate case for the 15 minute city is that your enemy can bomb it easily – let me think of an example close to Israel. Katrina Johnson-Zimmerman didn’t mention that point.

Smart Coaching & Training works with 20 associates, in four continents speaking 12 languages and raised and working in a wide range of cultures. See our associates here.

Meet Author David Rigby at Professional Speakers Association (Spain) , convention in Barcelona November 18th.

Overwhelmed – what to give up to make space for the new ?

So I decided to do no work

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

People and Purpose : Insights Beyond Borders Dec 18 Podcast with David Rigby

The Malaga Conferences

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Malaga: November Events: Diversity & Innovation and Professional Speakers Association

Conferences in Malaga

Diversity & Innovation Conference

Professional Speakers Association (Spain) Convention

Diversity & Innovation Conference

PSA Spain Convention

PSA Spain Convention

Why am I going to these events ?

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

What the butler saw

Executive Assistants and Work Ethic

How relevant is this for today?

The Work Ethic

Perfectionism and Delegation

Getting the coffee

The Remains of the day

Gen x/z and the 35 hour week

Smart Coaching & Training works with 20 associates, in four continents speaking 12 languages and raised and working in a wide range of cultures. See our associates here.

Roads were invented so that men could drive to work

The myth of the fifteen minute city

No need for transport as everything is walkable

The fifteen minute village

Why escape ?

Worldwide experience of fifteen minute cities

Smart Coaching & Training works with 20 associates, in four continents speaking 12 languages and raised and working in a wide range of cultures. See our associates here.

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