Start Here - Make more of what you're capable of.
You have ideas, abilities and things you'd like to do. The question is what you make of them.
Through essays, books, practical guides, conversations and workshops, I look at what helps people grow, what gets in the way, and how we make more of what we have to offer.
Sometimes that's learning to communicate an idea. Sometimes it's building a career, creating something of your own or helping a team do better work.
It starts with curiosity. It becomes useful when you do something with it.
Find your way in
You don't need to understand all of Cultivated before you start. There is quite a lot in here.
Just pick the thing that sounds most like what you're looking for.
I want to see things differently
Essays, observations and Field Notes about ideas, creativity, communication and the curious things that reveal something about how the world works.
I want to become better at something
Practical guides and courses to help you communicate, teach, present, develop your ideas and do more of the things that matter to you.
Explore Field Guides & Courses →
I have something I want to move forward
Office Hours
One hour. One problem. A fresh pair of eyes.
Office Hours gives you an hour to work through a problem, develop an idea or get a fresh perspective on something that matters to you.
From £150 · 60 minutes · Online
I don't have a magic answer for every problem. What I do have is a lot of experience looking at complicated things from different angles.
That's what you're buying: an hour of attention, experience and another pair of eyes.
I want to help people do better work
Talks, workshops and selective advisory for organisations that want to develop their people, improve communication and turn more of their ideas into value.
I want to stay connected
Meeting Notes
Meeting Notes is the free weekly email.
One idea a week, delivered straight to your inbox.
One good idea, clearly expressed, once a week.
Plus three things to start with, the moment you join.
Not sure yet? Read a recent edition →
From my desk to yours. — Rob
The Studio
A working community for curious people making something of their ideas.
Members get access to the Department of Interesting Things monthly letter, a growing library of essays, Field Guides, books, seminars, films, conversations and experiments – alongside new work as it is made.
It's less like a content subscription and more like having a little independent ideas publisher and helper in your pocket. It also helps to keep the vast library of other work free.
£5 a month · £50 a year
Why this matters
Most of us have more ideas than we ever do anything with. And the time, energy and attention it takes to bring them to life are limited. Unlike money, you can’t make more of them.
So it’s worth spending them on ideas that become something. The Japanese word mottainai captures it: respect for value that hasn’t been realised yet, including your own effort. The longer version →
About Rob
I'm Rob Lambert. Journalist and filmmaker, twice a VP of Engineering, then VP of HR, now a writer and teacher. Twenty-odd years of looking at how work actually gets done and helping good ideas get somewhere. More about Rob →
You don't need to follow a path. Read something, try something, and if it turns out to be useful, that's the whole idea.
— Rob
Value beyond profit
Five percent of profit from the books, courses and membership is given each year to Naomi House — the hospice caring for life-limited children and their families. Because every system should create value beyond profit.