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COACHING & SELF HELP
A Question of Balance
I took a short break this summer and promised myself no laptop, no mobile, no sneaky
catch up on e-mails. To connect with the world of work, I would have to take a ferry
trip and head for the nearest internet café. To my shame, halfway through my first
day, I did just that. At the only internet café for miles around I joined a queue
of anxious executives, all waiting to see whether the workplace was managing without
them. I turned tail, took the next ferry back and vowed I would not so much as go
near the place for the rest of the break. I kept my vow but I did spend time thinking
about my own work-life balance.
Light The Candle
In the challenging times that lie ahead, leaders will need to remember their core purpose - that of engaging the hearts and minds of their people. Possibly the worst thing to do (however tempting) is become over-involved in managing the business and under-involved in working with the people who work on the business. Lead first and manage second. Here are some suggestions to help you to consider how you will lead and motivate your staff in the days ahead.
Opportunity Knocks
When we have to tighten our belts and our budgets begin to wilt, one of the early casualties is often learning and development. In these austere times, it helps to remember that the work that we do offers almost infinite learning opportunities and, with a little foresight and planning, we can piggyback a learning process on to almost any work activity.
Watch your Language
I have been thinking about language. May I invite you to leave the frenzy of the dance floor and come out onto the balcony? Perhaps I can persuade you to cross your threshold of conviction and together we will mandate ourselves to find, at least pro temp, a band-aid solution.
Do you have any idea what this means? No, me neither.
However, a quick Google soon put me right and I spent a fascinating half hour immersed in the art of neologisms (newly coined words and phrases) – I had to look that one up too.
Playing to your Personal Strengths
One of the most frequent topics in my coaching is that of conflict. The type of interpersonal conflict that can, for no apparent reason (at least to the warring parties), spring up. Part of this has led me to consider how we deploy our personal strengths and whether over-use of these, in certain circumstances, can tip them over into becoming weaknesses.
Do You Understand Me?
Communication is the essence of human relationships. It’s a 2-way process - an exchange and all who participate need to check for understanding. Have a look at this diagram of a communication cycle…..