Ideas about people, work and relationships.
I write about questions that arise in working life and in trying to understand why we think, feel and behave as we do.
Why do we react as we do? How do assumptions shape relationships? What happens when people are under pressure? Why can two people experience the same event so differently? And how can a different perspective change the choices available to us?
These are not always questions with simple answers. But they matter: the explanation we settle on can influence how we see other people, how we respond to them and what we do next.
Articles
Studio AccessWhen Things Don't Make Sense
When things don't go as expected, we often rush to explain it or find a quick fix. On seeing past the obvious problem, understanding different perspectives, and taking a step back before deciding what to do next.
What Do I Do When Someone Keeps Disappointing Me?
When the same person lets us down again and again, it is easy to settle on an explanation too quickly. On checking our assumptions, understanding what may lie behind the behaviour, and deciding what to do next.
The Conversations We Avoid
The talks we know we should have but keep putting off. On separating what happened from what we assume it means, getting clear on what we want, and finding a way to begin — or deciding not to.
The Enneagram: Understanding Ourselves and Others
A management meeting can reveal how people see the same decision in different ways. This article introduces the Enneagram as one way to explore what may be driving those differences—and how greater understanding can help people work together more constructively.
The Enneagram: Does It Have to Be Scientifically Proven to Be Useful?
Ewen considers questions about the Enneagram’s evidence base and explains why he has found it useful as a prompt for reflection, while distinguishing personal value from scientific validation.
Topics I explore
- Behaviour and self-awareness.
- Assumptions and different perspectives.
- Leadership and teams.
- Workplace relationships and communication.
- Change, conflict and choice.
- The uses and limitations of frameworks for understanding people.