Welcome to P.E.P Talk! A podcast from Professional Edge Project. Building Professional excellence, strengthening mental resilience and enhancing personal effectiveness. This project is all about increasing understanding and awareness of what we do and why we do it and explores ways in which we can improve ourselves. It’s about developing a ‘Professional Edge’, about staying sharp....on point. By taking care of ourselves we can better serve others.
…
continue reading
A short intro into an all too often said phrase and one that (potentially controversial) is inaccurate. In this episode I look to challenge the perspective of ‘I don’t have time’ by asking a few simple questions. Also included is info on my upcoming productivity specials...
…
continue reading

1
Episode 42. Don’t ask ‘what would ____ do?’
12:34
12:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:34An often proposed option for making a decision is to ask ‘what would (insert name of trusted/respected/knowledgable person) do?’. In this short episode I briefly cover why that might not be the best question to ask and ok course suggest a more effective alternative...
…
continue reading

1
Episode 41. Part 1.Feeling more tired. Part 2. Struggling to sleep/mind racing.
54:50
54:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:50In this 2 part episode I cover why we might be feeling more tired than usual and what we can do about it as well as a couple of approaches that might help those struggling to sleep due to minds racing!! They are generic due to the nature of a podcast and if you have a situation that you think I can help with then get in touch.…
…
continue reading
Habits are conscious decisions that have been made so often that they become unconscious. Which, if it’s a good habit, is great as it takes very little brain power to do it! In this episode I share a couple of ideas on how you can help stick to habits and how using the same approaches in your organisation can increase the likelihood of staff follow…
…
continue reading
The subject of not being valued or appreciated by people comes up quite often when I’m talking to people that are unhappy or un-motivated at work. In this episode I share a few different ways in which to view the situation in the hope that they might allow you to think and therefore feel differently (better) about not being valued. This can of cour…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 38. Monkeys Sometimes Fall Out Of Trees.
31:35
31:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
31:35If a creature that has evolved over millennia to its environment can screw up then we sure can as well... However, having an off day, week or even month doesn’t define you as inept, useless or a failure. In this episode I share a recent experience where I ‘fell out of my tree’ along with some important lessons that resulted.…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 37. Composure at Assessment Special!
2:14:45
2:14:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:14:45For some the assessments that are part and parcel of a career in the outdoors are a source of great stress. Being nervous and apprehensive is natural but it can lead to people focusing on the wrong things and actually contributing or causing that which they were focused on avoiding - deferment or failure. In this special episode I cover a host of t…
…
continue reading
Assessment stress, burnout, deferral, getting in your own way, marginal losses - many lessons and takeaways in this for anyone preparing for an assessment.
…
continue reading

1
Episode 35. Sh*t goes sideways when you’re tired.
17:25
17:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:25Heads up - I swear in this one but only a little bit! Today I talk tiredness and the effects of it on our ability to function. We all know this but how many do anything about it?
…
continue reading
In this episode I share some lessons and key takeaways from 2 different experiences I had over the summer. In particular around biases, expectation vs reality and what is professional conduct.
…
continue reading
We can’t always control what happens during the day but we can control, more often than not, how we start and finish the day. By doing so we can put ourselves in a much better position to be able to deal with what comes our way in between.
…
continue reading
In this episode I share lessons from David Halperns book: Inside the Nudge Unit and Matthew Syeds: Black Box Thinking on hassle/friction. I talk briefly about how it can be affecting procedural adherence and how to use/remove it to benefit ourselves and our organisations.
…
continue reading

1
Episode 31. What have I got? How can I use it?
17:06
17:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:06Asking the right questions at the right time can help apply objective reasoning to a situation, providing clarity and confidence to move forward or make a decision. This episode looks at a pair of questions that can do just that.
…
continue reading
Maturity is an essential attribute of professionalism but what is it?
…
continue reading

1
Episode 29. Calm breeds calm, chaos loves company.
12:11
12:11
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:11When asked what qualities does a professional display a common answer is calm. The fact that it’s easily trainable seems to be overlooked by many...
…
continue reading

1
Episode 28. Get specific - Get realistic.
19:07
19:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:07Vagueness is the enemy of progression and achievement. Whatever our professional or personal goals are it’s vital that we get clear on what success or even just progression looks or feels like.
…
continue reading
In this episode I explore an important question when it comes to finding the obstacles that are holding us or our staff back. Is it a Skillset issue or a mindset one?
…
continue reading

1
Episode 26. An important point about resilience.
16:53
16:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:53Being resilient doesn’t mean that you can then tolerate inappropriate behaviour. As I see it there are 2 purposes for increased resilience in such situations and that’s what I talk about about in this episode.
…
continue reading
Following on from my ‘Red Flags’ video on the Professional Edge Project Facebook page (@ProEdgeProject) this episode explores briefly the use or lesson we can take from feeling overwhelmed.
…
continue reading

1
Episode 24. Don’t say you’ll try- commit to doing.
11:54
11:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:54“A word does not start as a word – it is an end product which begins as an impulse, stimulated by attitude and behaviour which dictates the need for expression.”Peter Brook, The Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre:
…
continue reading
A reading of a piece that I wrote for no reason other than to express and capture how I was feeling as I repaired my personal and professional lives after hitting my lowest point. Just thought I’d share it...
…
continue reading
In this episode I talk about 2 key factors to consider when looking at why we might not be getting the results we’d like in our personal or professional lives.
…
continue reading

1
Episode 21. Phone Battery at 10%- what do you do?
15:01
15:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:01When our phone battery drops really low we usually prioritise getting it charged up ASAP as we know how much we rely on it - why don’t we do the same with ourselves?
…
continue reading
Our capacity and effectiveness relies heavily on our energy levels both mental and physical. We’ll often say how we don’t have the energy (or capacity) for something or other but how much energy are we actually leaking needlessly?
…
continue reading
As regular listeners and followers of mine will know our language is a powerful element in how we behave. Today’s episode is another example of that - this time I look at whether it’s really a ‘sacrifice’ or ‘giving up’ of something or is it really an exchange??
…
continue reading
Analogy time! The tools, techniques and exercises we use to repair our ‘vehicles’ are the same that we use to maintain or improve. When we demand more of our ‘vehicles’ why is it that maintenance is the 1st thing to get dropped?
…
continue reading
The language we use has a powerful affect on us and those around us and I’m not talking about f’ing and jeffing here but more subtle and common words we use that can perpetuate the way we think and feel about a situation.
…
continue reading
You know the usual time travel movie plot. Hero goes back in time, changes something that has or could have huge consequences in the future then spends the rest of the movie trying to fix it? Small things can have a big affect. Today is YOUR future past - take care of the small things...
…
continue reading
Having clarity on a situation is essential for making sound decisions. In this episode I share an approach or a lens through which you can view any situation or person (including ourselves) that has or does cause you frustration, annoyance, disappointment, regret or guilt.
…
continue reading
In any given situation the only thing we can control is our response - it’s not always easy or obvious but here’s a little tactic you can use to help.
…
continue reading
Another episode on the subject of productivity. This time the importance and power of matching attention levels to tasks.
…
continue reading
When we look back at past negative events we get to choose what we take from them - guilt and regret or valuable lessons - only the latter will serve us moving forward.
…
continue reading
Progress makes us happy, yet focusing just on the progress still to be made can lead to stress.
…
continue reading
Here are a few thoughts on the subject of Imposter syndrome which is experienced by so many people.
…
continue reading
Anxiety. A result of inappropriate mental engagement.
…
continue reading
Having high standards is important, but - and it’s a big BUT, only if they serve us! Have a listen to find out more...
…
continue reading

1
Episode 7. Lessons from the film Free Solo
19:24
19:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:24An incredible film with some powerful lessons we can all apply around fear, goals and capacity.
…
continue reading
How often do we end up in ‘battles’ (Verbal, emotional, digital) that don’t serve us regardless of the outcome - would we be better off saving or redirecting our energy?
…
continue reading

1
Episode 5. My Toaster doesn’t make sense, neither do we...
11:00
11:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:00Why is it when faced with a large workload that we sometimes resort to avoidance and procrastination... it’s just doesn’t make sense...
…
continue reading
It’s not the situation that causes us stress but the meaning and labels we attach to them - what affect would it have if we attached more accurate and rational labels?
…
continue reading

1
Episode 3. Put yourself in a position to be lucky...
10:43
10:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:43...but don’t rely on luck! What can you do to stack things in your favour? To put yourself in favourable situations which will connect you with the right people and opportunities?
…
continue reading

1
Episode 2. A simple productivity tactic to reduce overwhelm.
9:47
9:47
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:47It amazes me how obvious this is yet how few people use it. Listen, learn, apply, share and let me know how you get on with it!
…
continue reading
1st episode is a longer one to give some background the me and my work and to look at the costs of stress.
…
continue reading