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Trench Life

Trench Life

A blog for young professionals navigating careers in the trenches!

Mark Atkinson

Avoiding Tears and Tantrums: Giving Negative Feedback Like a Pro

December 14, 2022 by Mark Atkinson Leave a Comment

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You'll never forget the first time someone bursts into tears when hearing your feedback. If you care about your teams, there are few worse feelings in the world. For this reason, many of us shy away from delivering critical feedback. Unfortunately - as most of us soon find out - this only makes things worse in the long run. As someone who's had the responsibility of giving … [Read more...] about Avoiding Tears and Tantrums: Giving Negative Feedback Like a Pro

An AI has this advice to young professionals for 2023

November 24, 2022 by Mark Atkinson Leave a Comment

A close up of an AI humanoid robot

It’s a time of great change for me. In this case, great change happens to come with the benefit of a short career break; A chance to reflect on the past and contemplate the future. Also, a time to get back to writing content for you and all the other Trench Life readers (sorry that we’ve neglected you). In the spirit of change and looking forward, I thought I’d dabble in … [Read more...] about An AI has this advice to young professionals for 2023

When’s the last time you prioritised yourself?

May 3, 2022 by Mark Atkinson 2 Comments

Prioritise yourself - young professional services

As a young professional, you know that working in professional services is tough. It's hard work and it can feel super draining. Every slavery analogy you see on audit/consulting subreddits gets you one step closer to handing in your resignation and trying to become a travel blogger from a beach in Singapore. I get it, I’ve lived it. Now, time for two wildly unpopular … [Read more...] about When’s the last time you prioritised yourself?

Taking the Leap of Faith – Why You Should Live Overseas for a Year

September 22, 2021 by Mark Atkinson 1 Comment

Travel - leap of faith - moving overseas

Travel has a way of bringing great fulfilment to our lives. If you've ever traveled to another country, you've broadened your horizons somewhat already. You may have experienced a radically different culture in India. Your palate might have been treated to some tantalising Spanish tapas. Perhaps your eyes have feasted on grandiose architecture in Paris, or maybe your emotions … [Read more...] about Taking the Leap of Faith – Why You Should Live Overseas for a Year

5 Ways to Manage Without Micromanaging: Avoid Being a Nightmare Leader

August 18, 2021 by Mark Atkinson Leave a Comment

Micromanagement - puppeteer

It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do. Steve Jobs Micromanagement is the Achilles heel of any high-performing team. From an organisational perspective, it typically leads to a decrease in productivity, lower employee engagement, and less innovation. Simply put: if you're a junior team … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Manage Without Micromanaging: Avoid Being a Nightmare Leader

“How are you?” – The 3 most infuriating words in the English language?

August 14, 2021 by Mark Atkinson 3 Comments

Going to War against "how are you" - Simpsons

An IM notification from a colleague pops up on your laptop. "Hi, how are you?" [Thinking: "I'm living through a pandemic and hate my life." ] "Good, you?" You scroll through the conversation history. This is the fourth time Samantha has asked you how you are... in the last 3 hours. You thought you were okay, but now you start to doubt yourself. The scenario repeats … [Read more...] about “How are you?” – The 3 most infuriating words in the English language?

Mentors that Matter: Finding the Right Mentor at Work

July 12, 2021 by Mark Atkinson Leave a Comment

Mentors that matter: Finding the right mentor at work

I’m a firm believer in the thought that a single conversation can change your life. I keep this in mind when I am coaching others, and I do my best to align myself with mentors in my career with whom I find I have impactful conversations more regularly. Sadly, when most of us are allocated a team leader/coach in our organisations, we end up disappointed. We hope for someone … [Read more...] about Mentors that Matter: Finding the Right Mentor at Work

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  • Avoiding Tears and Tantrums: Giving Negative Feedback Like a Pro
  • An AI has this advice to young professionals for 2023
  • When’s the last time you prioritised yourself?
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  • 3 Popular Career Myths – Fact or Fairytale?

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