The team had a great time at the Swindon Business Show last week and lots of people picked up our brand new brochure, at the same time as dropping their business cards into the pot for the chance of winning one of our free coaching sessions. 450 people visited the show which was about double the number the organisers were expecting and there certainly was a buzz about the place with seminars on social marketing as well as sticky marketing (what’s that – we hear you ask). The rumour that David Cameron and entourage were going to visit proved unfounded in the end! Despite his absence, it was great to see old friends and chat to other business people.

Isla – doing interesting things with pompoms – and Richard will be joined by Di at this Thursday’s Business Show in Swindon. Between 10 am and 4 pm there will be up to 80 exhibitors at STEAM in the GWR complex near the Designer Outlet Village. You can find us on stand 24 or look out for the pompoms as they fly …..
To find out more and register for a free ticket follow this link.

Isla and Richard will be waving our flag at the Swindon Business Show at STEAM this Thursday 10th February. Not only will they be waving our flag but Isla has promised us PomPoms as well, and Di will be joining them to check out the mystery.
For more information on the Swindon Business Show go to

Picture this – you have your own personal virtual cheerleader at your disposal, complete with pom-poms, that you can take out at any time to wave you on whenever you feel your life is flagging.

New Year is a time when we have an instinctive desire to make changes.  Seeing this as an opportunity to add to our lives rather than taking something away is a refreshing viewpoint and one which is very trendy.  The Telegraph recently gave us tips on how learning something new can bring a new dimension to your holiday experience and the Observer suggested some learning curves for a few of our business leaders “Perhaps bankers could go to charm school, BA could make friends with the unions and Warren Buffett could understand where he has gone astray”.
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/02/business-new-year-resolutions)

Before we get back to pom-poms, what are we actually doing when we make a resolution?  We are committing to changing the way that we think and act.  The easy part is the deciding to change, the less easy part is the deciding what to change, the even less easy part is the deciding how to change it, and the most difficult part is making that change.  And that’s not to mention all the dithering and excuses that surround resolutions, before you even get to start learning or having your new life experiences.  And here’s where the pom-pom paradigm comes in.

Thinking and acting differently is a challenge and one very simple way to ensure this is to have a cheerleader or two.  In another Telegraph article a 2005 study was quoted which highlighted the importance of personal perceptions of self-control affecting the likelihood of achieving goals.  Self-control – a big word, and an even bigger action.  Time to turn to your cheerleaders!  Look around, where are the pom-pom wavers? Who is there to help you keep on course, support you when you dither, ensure you are making the right choices and have the right strategies to see these through?

Happily, the coaches at the Swindon Coaching Team provide cheerleaders for all types of personal and work related change, supporting business leaders, career professionals and individuals looking for personal change.  We have the metaphorical pom-poms to provide the supportive cheer needed to make good choices and achieve effective outcomes.  And we have a lot of other clever stuff to see you on your way forward to personal or business growth.

I’ve just read a fascinating article by Tim Weber, BBC News Editor, reporting from the 2011 Economic Forum in Davos as he chats to business leaders in a sea of laptops and other mobile devices.

He reflects on how we are now “hyperconnected” with mobile devices now outnumbering both laptops and toothbrushes. Is all this information which is changing the way that we relate and shop, that is “the abundant distractions of the internet” a help or a hindrance? If the size of my inbox is anything to go by, I suspect it is a hindrance!

In this age where people’s brands or reputations can be destroyed in seconds, advice to leaders is “treat your employees with respect and stick to your values” and make sure you find time to think and to reflect. This sounds like a good summary for success in the 21st Century information age. Discovering ways to be true to your individual and corporate values, and to find time to make good decisions that flow from these, sound like good topics for a conversation with your coach.

Full article here: the photo brings the message home!