David Alison's Blog

  Email overload - it may be time to declare bankruptcy. Source: DALL-E I've been adhering to a zero-inbox policy for years, a practice born out of necessity while working in a company with limited email space. This approach demanded ruthless efficiency in minimizing my storage footprint. What this means is that my inbox contains only items needing my immediate attention. It's effectively a succinct to-do list. Anything lingering for more than a day gets shifted to my actual to-do list. Beyond managing data overload, a zero-inbox also eased my cognitive load. There's something inherently overwhelming about an email icon flaunting a red badge with a number in the hundreds. Scanning through a massive list of emails meant making countless micro-decisions: Is the sender significant? Does the subject hint at something urgent? Is there a time-sensitive issue within? So, how do you tackle this challenge? Declaring email bankruptcy often involves deleting everything in your inbox a

Source: DALL-E In a world dominated by technology, where digital tools are often the go-to for note-taking, I’ve found immense value in maintaining the practice of keeping handwritten notes during meetings. This technique is not just about documenting discussions; it’s an integral part of my active listening strategy — a critical skill for effective leadership and coaching. Active listening involves more than just hearing words. It’s about fully engaging with the speaker, maintaining eye contact, processing their words, and often, reflecting their sentiments or phrases back to them. This ensures not only that you’ve understood their message, but also that they feel heard and valued. In my years of experience in leadership and executive coaching, active listening has proven to be a cornerstone of successful communication. Interestingly, handwritten notes play a pivotal role in this process. Research has shown that the act of writing notes by hand can significantly improve focus and info

Source: DALL-E Embarking on each day, none of us plan to fail. Whether it’s our personal endeavors, professional projects, or simple daily tasks, the aim is always success. However, life is unpredictable, and at times, despite our best efforts and intentions, we encounter failure. My own journey, marked by both professional challenges in the tech industry and deeply personal experiences, has taught me to perceive failure not as a setback, but as a precious gift. This perspective has deeply influenced not just my approach to challenges but also my understanding of growth and resilience. Failure, in its essence, tests our limitations. It nudges us out of our comfort zones, challenging us to confront and embrace our vulnerabilities. In the tech world, a project that doesn’t pan out as expected or a glitch that goes unnoticed isn’t merely a mishap; it’s a crucial learning moment. It highlights areas needing growth and skills demanding refinement. This principle extends beyond professional

Dear Friends, I am writing my first blog post in years to share some exciting news and a significant shift in my professional journey. I have decided to follow a longstanding passion of mine: executive coaching. A few years ago, I received my certification as an executive coach, and I believe now is the perfect time to put that to good use. The name of my new venture is PotensMentor . This executive coaching practice is designed specifically to nurture and empower leaders in the technology sector, a domain I have been intimately involved with throughout my four-decade-long career. PotensMentor is committed to unlocking the potential of tech leaders, fostering personal growth, and building resiliency in a rapidly evolving industry landscape. Our mission at PotensMentor is simple, yet profound. We aim to ignite transformative growth in technology leaders, helping them evolve into the best versions of themselves. Through committed partnership and immersive coaching, we strive to empower t