Articles & Anecdotes

Stories and ideas drawn from over 40 years working as an occupational psychologist and management trainer.

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Personal Blog

My personal blog is written as the mood takes me, on a whole variety of topics. Comment is actively encouraged.

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Bid for any original watercolour

I will accept offers (reserve £50) for any of my watercolours (they are all originals, not prints).  I donate the money raised to charities of my choice.  Simply click on Fundraising Watercolours and scroll down through the images.  They are unmounted and unframed.

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Dr. Peter Honey: A short biography

I am a lapsed chartered psychologist and founder of Peter Honey Publications Ltd (now owned by  Pearson).

After graduating, I worked for Ford Motor Company and then British Airways before becoming a freelance occupational psychologist in 1969 (yes, that long ago!). I have always focused on helping directors/senior executives to manage themselves and other people better (impossible to run out of clients!) and worked in organisations as diverse as the Bank of England, AstraZeneca, American Express, the Automobile Association, ICI, ICL, UKAEA and Ford.

I am ‘respectable’ – a Fellow of the RSA and, until recently, the CIPD.  I was a founder member of the distinguished group that produced A Declaration on Learning.

I am a dedicated lifelong learner and, rather to my surprise, a popular conference speaker.  I am also a prolific author, writing frequent blogs and over 20 books including:

  • The Manual of Learning Styles (with Alan Mumford)
  • Developing Interactive Skills (with Neil Rackham)
  • 21 Questionnaires for Personal Development
  • Explore Your Values
  • Teams and Teamwork
  • How to Manage Your Learning Environment (with Alan Mumford)
  • Valuing Diversity
  • 101 Ways to Develop Your People, Without Really Trying!
  • Problem People and How to Manage Them
  • Improve Your People Skills
  • 50 Cautionary Tales for Managers
  • Strengthen Your Strengths

All my work has two enduring themes; learning and behaviour.  Fortunately, neither of these has a sell-by date.  Helping people to learn from their experiences and to interact with others more effectively, will always be relevant.

My most recent book (co-authored with Sir Christopher Ball) is That Strange Necessity; Visions of Portmeirion published in 2015.  Besides contributing to the text, I produced all the illustrations.

Latest Article

Publishing Mishaps

  After writing hundreds of published articles and almost 40 books, booklets and manuals I have had only three real disappointments. The first was when Face to Face, my first solo book was published in 1976.  The publishers, The Institute of Personnel Management, had promised to consult me about the design for the cover.  I had even volunteered to submit some designs myself but, since they had a longstanding contract with a graphic designer, this was declined.  As the publication […]

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Latest Blog

The Democrat

At long last they reached the final item on the agenda, AOB.  As usual, the faculty meeting had been a rambling affair, inadequately chaired by Walter, the Professor of Psychology.  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I’m pleased to announce that the university have entered into an arrangement with a distinguished group of professional artists.’  Walter paused, as if expecting this news to be greeted with rapturous applause.  However, the members of the faculty sat impassively, seemingly unmoved, waiting for him to continue.  […]

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