Kieran McGaughey’s Post

🚀 Going out to tender early in the New Year? Keep the 24th February in mind... 📅 As we approach 2025, it's likely that most major procurements will be launched next year. Publishing before Christmas might leave you with some unhappy bidders, dubbing you the Grinch who stole Christmas! 🎄😅 If you're planning to tender early in the New Year, mark 24th February on your calendar. This is when the new Procurement Act is set to "go live," bringing significant changes to the legal landscape. 📜⚖️ Big thanks to Kieran McGaughey for the insights shared during the last Procurement Fridays. I found it incredibly valuable and look forward to more sessions! 🙌 #Procurement #Tendering #NewYear #ProcurementAct #LegalChanges #BusinessStrategy #KPIs #MarketEngagement #ProjectPlanning #ProcurementFridays #EvolveCommercial

DON'T DRINK AND DRIBBLE 🤭 🍺 🍷 The Office Christmas Party Speech 🌲 It’s that time of year again when office Christmas Parties are in every building and event space in town. And we all know that along with the fun, the glass (or 5) of bubbly and the inappropriate festive behaviour of some of our colleagues, we have to listen to, or even worse, give the end of year motivational, thank you speech. I wrote this one a few years ago but it's still relevant and none of the principles have changed. Here are some tips to nail your Christmas speech and ensure you don’t bore your staff, embarrass yourself or end up in the staff newsletter for all the wrong reasons. https://lnkd.in/ggF_PgDN #presentationintelligence #leadershipcommunication #endofyearspeech #publicspeaking #presentationskills #leadershipdevelopment #communicationskills #presentationacademy #eventsprofs #christmasparty

In the context of the magazine industry, "airing our dirty laundry" refers to the act of revealing internal conflicts or controversies within an organization; often related to one's culture. Maintaining transparency is essential for credibility. This blog offers insight into one of the daily challenges I encounter while working with today's teens.

As new employees, what should we do on our first days at the new office? Observe, learn, understand, and take action. > Observe: Look around us, see what is going on, make sure we know where the emergency doors are, where the pantry is, where the toilet is, where people go to lunch, also watch how other employees do their jobs, etc. > Learn: Get to know how to turn our computer on, how to log in, how to operate the photocopy machine, how to use the water dispenser, how to use the coffee machine, what the company rules and regulations are, etc. > Understand: Understand the company's culture, policies, and procedures, particularly those that relate to our job and the expectations of our accountability. > Take action: Do our tasks as briefed by our superior, ask questions to the right people if we cannot understand what is going on in the office, and try to mingle with those people. Therefore, we can do our work accordingly and in a proper way, as expected. Just my two cents. 😎 Happy Tuesday! 😃

Can we be our authentic selves in the workplace? This was a question I was asked as a panelist at a DEI event last night. And I realize my response continues to throw people off. If you can't be your authentic self in public, If you can't walk down the street without being harassed, If government officials talk about you and your community like you are evil and not worthy of respect, Then you're focusing on the wrong thing. Because those people heckling you on the streets, those people voting to reduce your rights, those people who reveal themselves behind closed doors, they're around you. Focusing exclusively on bringing your authentic self to work is like building a home near an oasis. Yes, you've got water and shade after that long trek in the desert. It feels good to enjoy this place, safe from the terrors outside, that you don't want to leave. You do everything to make this home. But you're building on sand, which is a weak foundation. The desert is always out there, waiting to engulf you. And you're trapped where you are. You need to cross the desert, to get out of it. And you cross the desert by changing public attitudes. Volunteer at an organization. Hold elected government officials accountable. Join boards and influence attitudes from within. Get to the top of organizations and use that platform to make things better. Because work culture is downstream of public culture. Change society as well. Once you can be authentic in every day life, you can authentic in the office.

First impressions matter. My wife and I serve on the leadership team at our church. Most Sundays, we’re at church at 6:20 a.m. to prepare our environment for Sunday service. We put up canopies, make coffee, put up flags, clean bathrooms, and nurseries, restock… all the unglamorous things. That means we bring the girls with us, too. The alarm goes off at 4:30am, and needless to say, they’re not usually thrilled. And serving is a family affair. They absolutely help. “Why do we serve so much, Dad?!” I get this question a lot. We tell them, “Because this could be someone’s first time coming to church, and how it looks and how it feels matters when they show up.” How do people see you or your company for the first time? What do they see when they pull into the parking lot? What’s the first thing they see and hear in the office? Is it clean? Do people seem engaged or disconnected? Can you smell the break room lunches from the lobby? Are people energetic? Are you smiling or stressed? So many things can be determined without a word ever being spoken. So, it’s your job to ensure that your culture and environment speak to your core values. They do, whether you’re intentional about it or not.

~ PAUSE ~ Put a Bandaid on it! Shared by Natalie Do you ever ignore Inner Wisdom? Sharing The Pause Practices and Pause free books and practice materials with participants at the Better Family Life Job and Resource Fair recently, I kept finding myself struggling with the box full of our purple plastic bags we give to our customers to hold their Pause goodies. The box was flimsy and falling apart. As I observed myself interacting with this failing box over and over again, I began to laugh at myself remembering something that had happened earlier in the week…. I had been given a direct opportunity to put the bags into a different, sturdier box, BUT instead of flowing with that moment and following Inner Wisdom, ~because I was tired~ I opted to put some tape on the box and quickly patched it up. I put a Bandaid on it! > NOTE: The Pause Crew is sweating profusely at this swelteringly hot outdoor event > > Participants, our customers, are lined up eagerly willing to receive their Truly Helpful Pause goodies > ! And the tape on the box was coming undone ! ! The box was sweating and falling apart ! ! Bags are spilling out ! . . . Choosing to Pause.. ...and transferring those bags into a fresh new box before the event could have saved me time in the long run! I am reminded that temporary fixes will never outlast the wise solution that comes from Inspiration Within. And that's my lesson. Pause ~ Listen ~ Follow to save time and energy in your day! #pause #listen #follow #savetime #efficient #effective #inspired

Winter Party Mania: Making Holiday Celebrations Inclusive for All Students The holiday season is filled with joy and connection, but for students in special education, winter parties can present unique challenges. Sensory overload, unfamiliar routines, and dietary restrictions can turn what should be fun into stress. At Advocating 4 Fair Education, we believe that inclusivity transforms these events into meaningful experiences for every child. Thoughtful planning—like sensory-friendly options, clear communication with families, and accessible activities—ensures all students can fully participate. Let’s create celebrations that embrace diversity and spark holiday cheer for everyone! Read more in my latest blog post: 

The Final Working Week Before Christmas… 🎅🏼 When I worked in law, this week was what I called “hell week.” A blur of constant chasers from clients, agents, and other solicitors — all desperate to get contracts exchanged and completed with keys handed over before Christmas, documents submitted to HMLR, and pay the SDLT. I was pulling 10–12 hour days, fuelled by coffee and sheer determination to make it happen. It often felt like we were living in How the Grinch Stole Christmas—except instead of stealing presents, people were stealing our time and our festive cheer. I always wondered: why would anyone choose to move house right before Christmas, instead of watching festive films and enjoying a cosy, settled, decorated home? Yet, there I was, making it happen, completion after completion. This week, I’m thinking of all my friends and former colleagues in the legal sector. If you know someone in law, especially in property, check in on them. Be patient, give them a little grace — and maybe have a glass of Prosecco waiting for them on Friday 🥂. They’ll need it! A few things that got me through “hell week”:
1️⃣ Take regular desk breaks — Even just 5 minutes of walking or stretching can reduce stress by up to 30% and help you refocus, lowering the risk of mistakes and could actually end up saving you time!
2️⃣ Stay hydrated (yes, water, not just coffee!) — Dehydration can reduce concentration by 25%. Keep that water bottle close.
3️⃣ Keep a clear desk — Get those contracts out immediately after exchange. Trust me, waiting “just a bit” leads to misplaced documents (learned that the hard way). Tidy desk = tidy mind. To all my legal heroes: you’re doing amazing, you’ve got this! 5 more days and you can breathe again! To everyone else: Don’t be the grinch and steal your lawyers Christmas, they’re doing their best!! #conveyancing #realestatelaw #law #christmas

Pre-Christmas is here, and if you are like me, with a demanding 120% job, three kids, multiple school- and kindergarten events, Christmas parties, Christmas tree lightning, Christmas decoration shopping, gift lists and when was it really that the 4 year old was supposed to be dressed in Santa clothes? Then, it is quite easy to forget which meetings you have in your calendar, and at least what they are about! 🙈 Fear not, Decisions My Assistant will be your guardian angel in this stressful time! It will remind you of what you have going on today, and also provide a meeting brief for each meeting, in order for you to remember what to prepare (see below 👇 ) I wish you all a few less stressful weeks before the Christmas holidays starts! 🎄