Virtue’s End: An Epic Worthy of Spenser

A brilliant, wide-ranging and incisive review from someone, clearly, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of ancient and great literature. Thank you so much for this – it is an education reading it.

The Apollogist

England may now boast to contain not just one, but two great living epic poets. Virtue’s End: A Continuation of Spenser’s Faerie Queene, by Joseph Sale, surpasses nearly all other claimants to the genre today. England’s other great living epic poet—and the man who has done more to revive genuine examples of this literary species than anyone else in our times—is none other than Joseph’s own paternal forbear, James Sale. This father and son writing duo recalls the intergenerational creativity of the Bach and Brueghel families. And while the imprint of James’s style is evident in that of Joseph, “Sale the Younger” is by no means the inferior copyist that Pieter Breughel the Younger was.

Though the younger Sale is an accomplished and prolific author (having written ten novels and numerous short stories before the age of 30), this work arguably represents the pinnacle of his literary achievements. While…

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Why I Quit My Job: Project †3Dark

Somebody following their vision -hurrah!!!

Joseph Sale: Graphic-Horror Writer

Yesterday, at roughly 9:30am, I quit my job.

It was a good job, in many respects. It paid decent wages. There was a great team of people there who I shared laughs with. I enjoyed my time there. But, unfortunately, I had come to a realisation, a reality I had to face, which was that I was being called by my true vocation: writing. That’s the thing. Something we must all bear in mind: there’s a difference between a career, a job and a vocation, a ‘calling’ we feel deep down, that drives us, that makes us who we are. It’s folly to ignore that calling.

This is me. I’m completely normal. Completely. Don’t worry about those things I wrote. Shhhh.

For a long time, I’d convinced myself I could go on doing the 40 hours a week and write here and there in between, but now I’ve realised it’s just…

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Motivating People

Aside from using my product, Motivational Maps, people ask me: how best do you motivate staff? In short, what tips can you offer? This is great because in a way it’s an acknowledgement that motivation is really critically important even when leaders don’t always want to pay attention to it, or invest in it.

What, then, are the best management tips for motivating others? Here are a few pointers – but first bear in mind that you want everybody in your organisation to be motivated because if they are, then a process of osmosis sets in, and everyone around feels it, wants it, and then credibility sets in and high energy is the order of the day.

Ten top tips then to use on a minute by minute basis.

Number 1: always be motivated yourself, and give the lead – it’s infectious. Do that corny but effective ritual first thing in the morning: look in the mirror and say, I feel great, I am full of energy, I am the conqueror. Tell yourself with conviction, then go out and live the dream.

Two: look for and find members of your team doing things right – catch them – praise them immediately.

Three: treat everybody with respect, which means – difficult lesson coming up – listen a lot. Yes, listen a lot, and stop the cackle.

Four: help your people learn – you know why you should be boss, but their view may be much more limited – limited to: if he’s in charge then I get this job – widen their horizons! Increases in learning produce increases in self-esteem and performance.

Five: make them feel they belong – they are part of your exclusive club – avoid the sense of cabals and inner circles.

Six: stop micro-managing with central directives, give them more control, allow them to do things their way.

Seven: acknowledge their ideas, publicly where possible, and reward achievement. Remember, ‘strokes’ are rewards too – see Nine.

Eight: give them a challenge – it’s challenging enough winning a contract – add to that in some way, and talk as if you know they can do it.

Nine: say thank you, and make strong eye contact when you do.

Ten: try to understand their motivations and feed them – review the above suggestions and work out which suit which individuals. Treat them personally.

Now with the above suggestions in your armoury – if you have time – go out and win that business. Remember: feed the motivations of yourself, and your team.

 

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