Blog

Happy Valentine's Day!

I spent Valentine's Day writing an ode to anyone of my generation who is overwhelmed by information but underwhelmed by quality. I drew inspiration from 1980s lyrics. How many ballads can you spot in the text below and the accompanying slides? Whoever gets the most right will have my utmost respect!...

14/02/2025 20:04 - Comment(s)

26/02/24

One of the many great things to come out of the business coaching pilot organised by Rob Edwards and funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, is the invaluable opportunity to connect with a mentor.

I was fortunate enough to be paired with Chris Naylor, an expert in...

21/10/2024 18:46 - Comment(s)
What is MHLDA?

I’m beginning to think that policy-makers in the health sector have some communication deficits. They also seem to be prone to repetitive behaviours and struggle to interact effectively with the world. We might need a strategy to address it.

With that in mind I set about trying to find an explanation...
21/10/2024 18:29 - Comment(s)
 Is your business turning off ADHD brains?

Conservative estimates put the number of adults with ADHD at 2-4%. Every day we struggle with its effects. Poor working memory, distractability, difficulty managing time, following instructions and, if we are one of the majority with a comorbid condition, poor coordination and fatigue, to name but a...

09/07/2024 15:42 - Comment(s)
A letter to Thom Ryland
Dear Thom,

I went to see Deacon Blue on Sunday in Liverpool.  I stayed over at my boyfriend's the 2 nights before, mislaid my charger due to implementing some random system that involved putting it in an unspecified location for reasons that are lost to time.  So I didn't manage to charge m...
07/07/2024 13:25 - Comment(s)

23rd Jun 2022


In the last of this series of posts about listening to and working with my brain, I’d like to catalogue some of the orthodox advice my brain has rejected. Before my ADHD diagnosis I was caught in a cycle of inspiration, implementation, failure and giving up. I banged my head against the...

23/06/2024 15:15 - Comment(s)
Writing checklist (courtesy of George Orwell)

Worried your words won't do you justice?   Your work is safe in my hands.

03/06/2024 20:26 - Comment(s)

Agencies are often the first port of call for many organisations requiring English translations.

 But few consider the potential implications of having multiple translators with different styles and specialisms working on their documents over time.

I pride myself on establishing a long-term, one-...

06/05/2024 10:22 - Comment(s)

The adoption of machine translation by translation agencies has been heavily criticised by professional translators. Whilst many have emphasised the negative effect is having on standards and working conditions in the translation industry, most feel obligated to precede any criticism with a dis...

30/04/2024 11:00 - Comment(s)
World Creativity Day

Today is World Creativity and Innovation Day and a perfect excuse to reshare my favourite TED talk of all time by the late Ken Robinson. The first time I listened to this I had no idea my brain was any different from anyone else's. Listening to it now with my knowledge about neurodivergence and havi...

24/04/2024 15:45 - Comment(s)
Life-saving software alert

Life-changing software alert. I've recently (belatedly) realised that user-friendly software does exist but it is produced by independent developers who are less interested in harvesting data and more interested in finding solutions to problems.

I cannot overstate the problems that files cause for me...
09/04/2024 16:02 - Comment(s)
It appears that financial mistranslations are also an issue in the wizarding world...

[Goblin greetings from London, England,

I am writing to politely inform you that there I have spotted some mistranslations present in your interim financial statements. I am sure you are aware that a serious mistranslation could undermine your reputation with your shareholders.

As you know, we are, un...
07/04/2024 16:06 - Comment(s)
Orwell, fables and the Kongo Kingdom

One of my favourite subjects at school was English literature. Back then, we were expected to truly engage with the text, no memorisation required (thank goodness!). The first book we studied in depth was Orwell's Animal Farm.

01/04/2024 20:56 - Comment(s)
Let's wage war on shame

ADHD affects executive function, memory, focus, time management and so much more. But for me, in the decades prior to diagnosis, the corrosive impact on my self-esteem was infinitely more damaging. Conversely, nothing has had a more positive impact on my self-worth than learning that my challenges w...
24/03/2024 17:17 - Comment(s)

In the early 2000s the then Labour government decreed that a language would no longer be compulsory at GCSE. This has always struck me as a huge turning point. I remember being really annoyed that I had to take French and wishing I could drop it.
...
20/03/2024 17:03 - Comment(s)
It's not them, it's you.

It's rare that I'm genuinely shocked by sexism and ageism (which often go hand-in-hand) as they are so commonplace but this LinkedIn TV ad stopped me in my tracks. My Mum is in her 70s and is certainly no technophobe. As for other people I know who struggle with computers (and feel a deep shame beca...
20/03/2024 17:03 - Comment(s)
The ingredients of good content

Crafting clear, meaningful content is like preparing a meal. Like a chef, a good wordsmith knows what it takes to create a lasting impression. 


It takes imagination and balance. The right ingredients, carefully sourced, selected and paired.

It takes meticulous preparation and consistent standard...

01/03/2024 17:41 - Comment(s)
Better offline?

Ever wonder why it's harder to find the products you need when doing your online shop? Or why Google search results never seem to give you satisfaction? Wonder if you've become a technophobe? Constantly irritated why everything seems just, well, worse than before? I really recommend listen...

22/02/2024 22:02 - Comment(s)
Why is everything getting worse?

Things have changed a lot since my Embassy days.  It will come as no surprise to learn that standards  have declined precipitously in the last few years. Even international institutions and major multinationals are producing content that is either  barely comprehensible or completely ...

21/02/2024 16:20 - Comment(s)
I'm no Einstein but....

“Without changing our patterns of thought, we will not be able to solve the problems that we created with our current patterns of thought.”

Creativity. The ability to maintain focus for extended lengths of time (hyperfocus). Justice sensitivity. Curiosity. Divergent thinking. Multiple special interes...
13/02/2024 17:03 - Comment(s)