10QUESTIONS with Dan Hughes

Our 10QUESTIONS feature asks members of the Freshfield community ten questions about their working life. Featuring client partners, colleagues and FF friends, our guests share some personal stories, views and fresh words of wisdom.

Dan Hughes is planning director at Freshfield client PWA Planning. He advises clients in a diverse range of sectors on planning and development issues, helping them to manage high-profile planning applications and planning appeals across the UK. When he’s not working, he’ll be found spending time with his young family or running on trails in Lancashire and Cumbria.

How do you like to start your working day?

An early morning run, ideally on a hill, followed by a good cup of coffee.

Where and how do you come up with your best ideas?

When I’m not working (often when running) and have time and space to think things through.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Choose one thing and become the best at it! I’m still working on this.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leading by example and trying to get the best out of those around you – everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, so trying to understand these is critical.

What’s your top tip for achieving a work-life balance?

Having two mobile phones, one for work and one for home, and switching the work one off as close to 5pm as possible. If people know that’s how you work, then they quickly understand you won’t be replying to them at 11pm at night – rather, the following day, when you’ve found time for yourself and are refreshed (meaning they tend to get a better response anyway).

Which current or historical business figure do you most admire and why?

Having been at PWA Planning for 11 years and seen how we’ve grown from four staff to 20 strong across two offices, with an array of superb clients and developments – it’s hard for me not to say the two founding directors of PWA, Paul and Stella Walton.

What is your most trusted source of news?

Generally, BBC News and Sky Sports News, and not social media!

What is your favourite brand and why?

I have a growing array of Passenger clothing, but recently I discovered SaySky clothing for running and really like it, it’s good quality.

What’s the most recent new skill you have learnt?

Trying to sort my daughters’ hair in the morning, I don’t think I’ve fully acquired the skill yet.

We all use them…what management jargon phrase do you use the most?

One of my first managers often used ‘let’s touch base on it’. This now seems installed into my vocabulary, and I cringe whenever I end up using it.