Think a little, change a lot

Do something different!  

Thursday lunchtime I went to a market and bought fruit and vegetables, the buzz, sunshine,  freshness - the simplicity did me good.   Somehow my afternoon coaching session and calls were all the better for it.  On Friday, I went to a walled garden for a short time ( enforced, work was being done on my house) taking enough work to last two days!. The different environment led me away from the "to do list"   I got round to thinking about "things"  that will deliver and create impact, things that had been on my mind for a while - later I had a really brilliant conversation with one of my associates in Edinburgh.

Some of you may be thinking, markets and gardens?  I don't even have time to think - I get that! I've been there and my clients talk to me about it all the time. For me its been a "very full on 6 weeks"  I really wanted yesterday to sit in my office and get "stacks done" - I know however, what I did achieve was more important in the long run to my clients, my business and my personal fulfillment  - they are all connected by the way ( and just for the record, the energy I had, I quickly ticked lots of tasks off the" to do list" afterwards).

Going to different places was an inconvenience ( believe me!)

So .... What will you be really glad you did, after you've done it?  Do something different, something applicable to you and watch for the ripples, surprise yourself and those working for you at the impact.  Think a little - change a lot!

Creativity flows, problems solved, new perspectives, the important rises above the urgent. Try it, it works - you will feel better.  Do you have time not to try something different?

Do let me know, I love to hear your stories, share your success it's encouraging for you and me!

Time flies by .....

"Where does the time go?"   "Today has just disappeared"  "The weekend has gone so quickly"  "I cant believe its May already"   "Where did the last 20 years go? "

All of these I have heard from different folks in different walks of life in the last week! Everyday expressions ......

So before time passes you by - Are you moving? or Are you stuck ?  Are you only just keeping your head above water, are you living from day to day, week to week, month to month - wanting to get out of "a rut" and move to a place of enjoying time, enjoying your job more, living your life, working towards the career and future you want. Do you still have the same problems, pressures, stresses of the last couple of weeks, months, years? 

Are you moving?  an email I received this week included "I'm moving Ruth......and I'm also moving in the right direction (yes lets not forget about that!)" - Are you moving in the right direction?

So I ask again - Are you stuck? Are you moving? Are you moving in the right direction?

What do you want? What do you need? What's really important to you?  - do you know ? -  As always, happy to talk, do get in touch. Be a step closer to achieving what you're looking for.

Time flies by and maybe you don't still want to be saying, thinking and feeling those same things in another month, year, decade!  Time flies by - use it well, make it worthwhile, enjoy it!

 Stop, pause, think - the choices are yours....

Leadership style - who am I, what's needed now?

So who is your bag? Recently, I've revisited three particular folks writing when considering leadership. (I really enjoy reading and I'm also one of the masses, guilty of collecting interesting books!)

Are you a fan of Daniel Goleman and his leadership styles of Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pace setting, Demanding?

For you - Is it all about "Head, Heart and Guts" by Dotlich, Cairo & Rhinesmith - so, are you using all of your intellectual intelligence, emotional intelligence and courage do you believe?

Or what do you think about - what has served you well in the past is perhaps a behaviour that in the context for now, you need to change?  "What got you here, Wont get you there" by Marshall Goldsmith talks of this.

Over time I've also completed many psychometrics/management tools e.g. TMS, Hogan, Strengthfinder, MBTI, OPQ, ILT, VIA,   I don't know about you? I don't like to be boxed however, one of the times I really get some insight from tools like that,  is when I say "yes I am like that" - "oh that's why" Sometimes I even get round to doing something about it! -  changing or more consciously using a skill/behaviour.

Many say that the first port of call for leadership is the "art of leading oneself" - mmh - so is it being who we really are and aware of who we are not?

Which profiles do you have,  maybe filed in personal development (!)  that with a 15 minute read and a bit of reflection, would give you just the insight you need to a tricky situation you are dealing with right now?

A thought?

Is your leadership style what is needed for the role and context you are in right now - and what would you advise your closest colleague to do,  if they were you, with respect and honesty and encouragement.

A question?

What one thing are you really good at and enjoy, that if you did more of, would quickly bring you  impact ? ( and a sense of satisfaction !)

Three words?

Choose three of your own words for what is needed for your situation at work at this very moment.  It could be words like direction, empathy, focus, energy, calm, delivery, perseverance, space, resolute, optimism, confidence, assertiveness, vision, implementation.  That's just to get you started, its your words that are important, what are they?

Action?

So, who/what else do you need to support you?  What action will you take?  Go to it! 

Head space, head space, head space.....

Time and time again I hear clients and friends talk of their frustration at never quite getting round to things that matter or would make a difference due to having lack of head space.

Personally I found lack of head space one of the hardest things when I was HR Director, a diary full of meetings, a desk full of papers ( always aspired to clear desk policy!) ..... and so many tasks around - but time for thinking, planning, reflecting was scarce!

Lack of head space ( now looking back) was one of the biggest challenges I faced.  I really appreciated and tried to protect the day a month I took out of the office to achieve larger tasks, think, plan and get organised in my mind! Again my time with my coach was key, I heard myself think, got things in perspective, came up with new ideas and solutions.

I believe head space is one of the biggest benefits of coaching, use that time well with your coach if you have one, take time before and afterwards to maximise the effect! 

Lack of head space is a top item that I hear folks talk about that stops them moving forward in what they need to achieve or in what they really want.

So what today and this next week and weekend will give you head space?

A walk in the fresh air,  two hours with your office door shut, that extra travel time before a meeting rather than "cutting it fine", a day booked out of your diary to take stock, reassess - we all know it works, we feel better, more in control and energised to tackle problems in a fresh creative way! 

Give yourself, your team and organisation a "treat", an "essential treat" - get yourself some head space time, very soon and watch the difference it will make.

Please can life change?

If we asked the question to a number of people - what one little thing could you do that would make the biggest difference in your life - we would get a range of answers.

So today - what one little thing if you did it - would make the biggest difference to your job/personal life ?

Spend one minute thinking - what is the thing you could do - are you committed to it? Start right now and tell me when you've done something, anything,  about it - I want to celebrate with you in your success!!

Big change happens with a series of small planned steps.