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5 Mind-set Short Cuts to Overcome Problems

  By Christina Lattimer • July 31, 2014 - 9:40 am ,

Mind-set Mind-set – The Winning Factor

It’s been a pretty stressful week, and one of the factors which have made it so has been the work I am doing with my daughter helping her set up her online fashion store.  There are a number of factors making the process stressful, not least the damning data which show 50% of start-ups fail within 2 years of launching according to Theo Paphitis reported in the Guardian earlier this month. For me, it’s another venture, for my daughter it is the risk a culmination of 12 years of dreaming might not materialise.

Donna, my daughter has been in the fashion retail business for around 12 years and has dreamt of setting up her own store for years now.  For a number of reasons she decided now is the time.  Not least because I am now in a unique position to be able to lend some much needed support.  So a few weeks ago Sophias Studio was born and we’ve both been excited and enthused about the vision and possibilities this new venture opens up for us.  Until this week, when we seemed to hit a real sticking point.

Paphitis contends such a high percentage of new business fail because the owners either haven’t researched their subject properly or they don’t know where to get the right kind of funding, but mainly it’s because they haven’t done their homework and they simply don’t under entrepreneurship.  This is one of the reasons Paphitis is a “passionate advocate of teaching entrepreneurship in schools”  

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We were pretty sure we’d done our homework, and our vision and plan is pretty sound, so when we hit a wall, which we always knew we would, I couldn’t understand how it became so stressful suddenly.  After all when you’re riding the tide of enthusiasm and optimism, every risk and every problem seems so small in comparison to achieving your vision.

As a solution orientated person, and knowing how passionate Donna is about her business, I was mystified why suddenly everything became such a huge problem.  The crux came like a wave; the murmurings of dissatisfaction began first, followed by a full blown crisis, and several hours of discussion later, I realised fear had entered the equation.

Of course fear enters when something we want to do almost matters too much.  It might be the fear of failing, the fear of losing one’s lifelong dream, or even simply the fear of the unknown future.

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From a personal perspective I realised I had long-ago mastered the art of counteracting fear, and I had forgotten how scary it can all be.  Don’t get me wrong of course I suffer from doubt, fear and a lack of self-belief as much as anyone else. (In fact I applaud confident people, I don’t envy them anymore, I just am grateful there are positive role models).  But I have been through the cycle of fear anxiety, failure and success so many times now; it’s not as daunting for me as it used to be. It’s not because I always know I’m going to be successful, it’s because I know with failure often comes new insights and knowledge which is just as valuable as materialising what we want.

The whole process reminded me acutely the right mind-set is essential and if the lobby for teaching entrepreneurship in schools is successful, I believe we will empower our children to be able to gleefully experiment with their dreams, goals and vision in a new and exciting way.

Donna and I got over our sticking point after a couple of wobbly days, and here are some of the mind-set factors which helped us to get to a new place of enthusiasm and purpose about this wonderful new venture, which I hope can help any of you who might be hitting problems, or are just feeling plain scared.

  1. Keep your passion while being emotionally neutral about outcomes

Although I could record (and do) many successful ventures in my life, I also remember too well a particular project I was involved in, which despite it all, should have been eminently successful, simply failed. I resisted and raged until I realised it was an almighty lesson for me to LET GO!  Once I let go, the failed project was wrapped up and buried within weeks.  One of the problems with things not turning out the way we passionately want or expect is we become afraid of the disappointment and so we become afraid to dream.   The trick to remaining passionate, while letting go of the outcome, is to realise the gold is in the journey and not the destination.  It’s all really a win/win.  You are either manifesting your dreams or learning why you aren’t; it’s simple really.

  1. The devil is in the detail

We simply can’t know all the detail in advance.  When starting a new venture unless it’s a well-worn path you’ve trod many times, it’s also going to be a learning curve.  Once you accept this truth, you become much less wedded to how things should be turning out at each corner.   Yes, of course you need a plan, and yes, you need to be optimistic you are going to be able to access the right resources, make the right margin, get the right help and team etc. etc.  But when any of these factors either doesn’t stack up or don’t appear to be what you first thought, simply ask your intuition to help you move forward.  Having to know all the detail can be risky because it can close down the possibilities.

  1. Hitting problems just means you have to learn some more

One of the biggest mistakes is believing when you hit problems, it’s an indicator your worst fear might materialise, i.e. the project or business is going to fail.  If you can honestly believe there is always a solution, and it simply hasn’t entered your awareness yet, means you can view problems with a greater level of equanimity.

  1. Pretending the project, start-up or piece of work is for someone else can keep you focused

I wasn’t surprised the fear hadn’t hit me in the same way as my daughter.  The reason for this is because the idea isn’t mine it is hers.  It’s not that I don’t care, don’t believe, or have disowned whether the business will be successful or not, it’s because I haven’t vested 12 years of dreaming about it.  I dearly want the venture to succeed because I know it matters to her.  I have also found I am much more focused, objective and uncircumspect when it comes to helping others be successful.  I realised this when I started up my own business. It sounds odd, but when I pretended I was setting it up for someone else, I was able to focus in a much more positive way.

  1. Never concern yourself with what others are doing; your own vision is good enough

There are billions of people, businesses and ideas in the world.  One of the scary parts of starting a business or project is comparing, evaluating or concerning yourself with what others are doing.  I am not saying you don’t need to understand your competitors, and of course you have to understand your market.   But if you know there is a need, and there is a market, what you need to concern yourself with is your own vision, how you can uniquely help your customers and how well you can do it.  You need to understand why you are enthused about your idea, and return to your reasons again and again.

Practicing these mind-set short cuts can help in any situation, whether it’s a job, a business or a project.  If you have any other minds set tips and hints, then go on add a comment below.

We are back on course with Sophia’s Studio, until the fear hits again!  If you want to have a peep at what we are doing, we’d love you to come like our , we would very much appreciate it!

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If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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 4 Ways to Find Relief When Work is Getting You Down

  By Christina Lattimer • July 27, 2014 - 10:39 am

relief Finding relief from negative feelings at work are within your power

If any of you are familiar with my writing, you know that I believe happiness is a natural state of who we really are and to find one-self to be unhappy is to be out of alignment with our true selves.    There is no greater environment as the workplace to bring out the worst in ourselves and others and as many surveys and polls show, many people are just .

If you are a leader or manager, leading a family, or even a hobby team, then your inner state is an essential factor because whether you like it or not, unless you are a great actor, then many of your team are going to tap into your attitude or state and it will affect them.   Your energetic field affects everything on the planet, never mind your team.  If you’ve any doubts about this, then watching this great video which will hopefully help you to see what we already sublimely know:  The vibes we give out are felt by everyone.

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When you come to realise how important your state of being is for the benefit of your team, family or group, it creates a whole new realisation of responsibility for you as a leader.   When I first realised this responsibility a strange thing occurred, I found I was beating myself up at times when I was feeling less than happy: if I was angry, annoyed, feeling sad or any other state than being happy, I started blaming myself.  This was another big mistake.

A great book; , by Gary Zukav changed my mind about my feelings forever, when I realised my feelings were simply a guidance system, rather than an indictment of who I really was.  So while I absolutely own my feelings and state of mind, I realise that they are just a form of information, telling me that what I believe about myself or others is untrue.  That fact turns our habitual approach to our emotions upside down, but when you truly embrace this premise, then your world has changed and empowerment has begun.

I realised that instead of beating myself up from feeling negative emotions, I asked myself empowering questions.  I also found that the ability to feel better was entirely in my hands.  It is also in yours too.

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I realise if you have always been in the habit of pointing the fingers at others who you believe have “made” you feel negative, or you think you’ve no control over your emotions, or even if you’ve suppressed negative emotions for years, then this information might seem hard to believe.  What I would say to you though is to remain “open and willing” to at least consider the possibility that the way we’ve been conditioned to view our emotions is outdated, and that there is a better way.

So if it seems that your team are making you tear your hair out, or circumstances seem to be engendering fear, or you just feel eminently sad:  What I would say to you is that far from ignoring your feelings, you need to look at them and let them come up, because they are valuable information, telling you to “think again”.

To help you to find better feeling thoughts at work, here are 4 top tips in commonplace situations which will help you regain a happier state.

  1. When you aren’t achieving results, instead of focusing on “not achieving results”, find other ways of celebrating success.  While it might be a worrying time, find ways to engage your team in an empowering ways to brainstorm ideas.  Instead of asking “Why are we not achieving results? Ask “How can we do things differently to achieve the results we need?
  1. If conflict at work is an issue, then realise that your negative feelings about the situation or the people involved in the conflict is simply your perception or thoughts about the conflict are creating those negative feelings.  Let your feelings come up and don’t attach them to the conflict.  If you are able to do this, then you are more able to remain emotionally neutral in the face of conflict and thus more likely to respond appropriately instead of reacting to your negative feelings about it.
  1. I can’t remember where I read that if you are blessing someone, you can’t be mad at them at the same time. If you find yourself disliking or being irritated by someone at work, instead of letting your thoughts run amok in your head about how bad they are, how much you’d like them to leave the company; then just for a few minutes, find ways to appreciate them.  At worst you can find momentary relief from your negative thoughts, at best you can see them in a whole new light.  Practicing this pivot has made me completely change my view about people.
  1. If you are overwhelmed by the volume of work, or the number of tasks you have to do: there are many practical ways you can .   However, even if you’ve the best management system in place if your mind is still concentrating on what you have to do then you will find no relief from the situation.  First of all use whatever time management tricks you prefer to get the tasks into some semblance of order, and then whenever you find yourself feeling negatively about the volume of work, either stop thinking about it and turn your thoughts to a situation you enjoy and which will make you smile, or remember situations when you’ve felt overwhelmed in the past and realise it’s only a temporary state and it will pass, or finally in your mind’s eye, envisage yourself having everything under control and imagine what it will feel like when this happens.

So there are 4 of my top tips to find relief from negative feelings at work.  You don’t have to be a leader or a manager to practice these, and whatever your role at work, your state will have an impact.  So why not be the light to shine on others today!

Do you have any tips or experiences of finding ways to find relief from negative feelings?

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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How a Director Can Play a Pivotal Role in Organisational Change

  By Christina Lattimer • May 19, 2014 - 11:10 am

Director As a Director or a senior

team member, you have a pivotal role in leading the way for change in your organisation.

You’ve set the strategic direction, and the project initiation is underway, your organisation is going through a huge change.  There is an expectation from the majority of employees, stakeholders and customers that transformation is going to happen.  You know it starts with you, but how can you personally do the right thing when navigating change?

 

Ghandi wasn’t wrong when he said words which have been condensed to the famous quote “be the change you want to see”.  Walking and talking the change is required at every level of the organisation.

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do.”  Ghandi

One of the most inspirational men I have ever met headed a large local authority.  The changes he was overseeing were transformational and impactful.   Knowing how difficult cultural change can be especially when the circumstances are challenging with job cuts and more being demanded from people, I asked him “How do you make sure your vision, values and outcomes are alive horizontally and vertically across your organisation.  He replied “I have built a senior team who passionately shares our joint vision, and are willing to do what it takes to get there; whenever I hear anything which is contrary to our vision and values, or encounter a situation which is impacting results, I personally challenge it”.   Wow, I thought, that’s a real commitment.  What he said to me showed he was congruent with his values and lived them every day. As a Director in your organisation, there are two strands which you must pay attention to for change to be successful.

  1. Turning strategic aspiration into operational reality

You must make sure that the strategic vision becomes alive through the operational processes and policies.  There are three parts to this.

  • Know your organisational story

First of all you must know your organisational story off by heart. You must know where you have come from, where you are going and the difficulties you might face.  Change does not happen without a flow, a resistance and transformation.  You need to know and be able to tell your organisational story, as if it were a fact.  If you don’t know your story or don’t really agree with it, there will be a mismatch in the change you want to make.

  • Implement and understand your holistic plan

You might have a project manager who is overseeing the change, but at Director level, it is your business to make sure it is joined up, inclusive, flexible and will make the change through the multi-dimensions of your organisation. Your plan must address the changes needed at all levels of the organisation.  Depending on your own priorities you might feel some levels are more important than others, but do not fall into this trap.  There is really no hierarchy in change, because at every level it impacts your employees, customers and stakeholders and in order to value them, you need to value the support they need at their level of the change process.

  • Commit to helping your employees at all levels through the change

Change is scary. The problem with change models, even though they acknowledge change involves emotions; without commitment from the senior team, dealing with fears and the human reaction can become part of the process, and can sometimes diminish the reality of the acute anxiety change can engender in people.  It is important that as part of the change process, support is put in place to help employees through the change.  Missing this step out might not mean the change won’t happen, but it might take much longer, and you might suffer more stress and casualties along the way.

  1. Being the change you want to see

This second strand is all about you.  As well as making sure you commit to and understand the change processes, as a Director and leader, you must be a demonstration of the change you want to see.  There are three specific ways you can “be” the change.

  • The energy you bring to the change

is indeed showing us all that we are at the core of our being, radiating units of energy.  We all know we cause an impact with our emotions.  Just spend a night with a friend who is down in the dumps and it is energetic vibration in action.  As a leading player in the organisation, it is essential that the energy you emit about the change is authentic, positive and believable.

  • Harbour great expectations about your employees

Our expectations, turn into our reality.  This can be a bit of a stretch for some to believe, but that how we look at our world affects the way the world responds.   The way to get the best out of your people during the change is to expect the best from them.  Even if they are demonstrating resistance during the change, know this is just part of the process and doesn’t mean anything about them.  Expect them to embrace process and succeed in the change.

  • Your personal credibility

Without a doubt change can bring out the worst in your employees and the resistance can be high.  Time and time again, I have seen change become a source of conflict and resentment, when the .   Being personally credible of course means walking the talk, talking the talk and being the values you want to see in your organisation. So there you have it, some of the ways senior people must play their part in the way change happens in the organisation.  Do you have any other ways you think the top team should demonstrate commitment to change? Linked articles: 3 Steps to Harness the Power of the Mind for Organisational Transformation The 5 Step Blueprint Of Successful Organisational Change Organisational Change – Making the Best of Bad News Are You Awake To Change? 3 Reasons Why a Great Engagement Strategy Isn’t Enough

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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Strategy – Set Your SAT NAV

  By Christina Lattimer • May 7, 2014 - 11:15 am
Strategy Set  Your Strategy: Set  Your SAT NAV

I am afraid I am a strategy geek.  What’s wrong with that? You might ask.  Well nothing except when you start developing a healthy eating strategy instead of a diet, or a university funding strategy instead of saving for your child’s uni course, it’s a bit sad.

Well no, even I’m not that bad, although it’s been proven that many of us take our work pattern home with us, but that’s a whole different blog post!

I wish there were other words in the dictionary to describe strategy.  The Oxford dictionary definition of a strategy is “A plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim:” Thesaurus results have unhelpful words like “plan, approach, tactic and even scheme” as alternatives. As you can see it’s very difficult to inspire you with such mundane language.

Setting a strategy that works inspires me.  I know I am in a minority about this, but please bear with me.  Setting a strategy involves so many elements and requires a sharp skillset.  If it is going to be successful that is.  If you have an organisational or team strategy and it’s lying in a drawer waiting for someone to blow the dust off it, then it probably isn’t going to work.   In reality there are many components involved in setting a strategy, too many to mention, so I will concentrate on the vital components.

So what are the vital components of a successful strategy

  • You have to have vision.  If you want to achieve something, then you need to be able to describe, what it looks like, where it is, who is involved, when you want it to happen.  You need to be able to see it, hear it, feel it, smell it and taste it.  You need to be able to describe your vision so it becomes real in your imagination.  Once you have visualised what you want and articulated, this then becomes your goal.   It’s pinpointing exactly where you want to go and every strategy needs at least one.
  • The next part is to plan out how you are going to get to your goal.  Now I know from experience that we are all different.  Some of us love detailed plans with lots of milestones and deadlines.  Others like some key milestones along the way, and don’t want to bother too much with the detail.    Some of us don’t need a plan at all, but that might be a leap of faith too far unless you and your team are wholly committed.  The truth is, the structure of the plan doesn’t matter too much.  If you think about most projects or outcomes you have delivered, there are many ways to skin a cat, or many different routes you could have gone down to get there.   The real trick about having a plan is twofold. Firstly it keeps you focused on achieving the outcomes and secondly, it keeps you moving forward.   That’s why a plan is essential; however you want to detail it.
  • You need someone to make sure you achieve the milestones and to review what is happening so that you can keep on track.  The owner of the strategy needs to be an opportunist and be innovative.  These skills are absolutely necessary when the original plan of how to get there becomes unstuck. The owner will always navigate you back to the right road, so that you will get to the right destination or achieve the right goal.
  • You need to check on progress, and this is preferably someone different from the owner.  Someone who can provide a fresh pair of eyes, or a different perspective, but someone who also wants to reach the goal as passionately as the owner.   In other words your back seat driver.
  • And finally, you need to be able to feel the discomfort of uncharted terrain.  If the plan doesn’t unfold the way you thought and the route you planned out doesn’t look like you imagined it would, don’t panic and stop.  Don’t go back to the beginning either.  You need to trust that sometimes unfamiliar territory is exactly what you need in order to get where you need to go.

So my proposal as a new term for strategy is as you will have guessed by now “SAT NAV.”

You pop in your postcode (goal)

You have a general idea about the direction, timing and route, so you can take money for petrol, or time for a loo break etc. etc. (a plan)

You start driving.  When you take a wrong turn, the SAT NAV prompts you and takes you back to your original route.  (owner)

Your back seat driver will observe as you are driving

A great strategy is like correctly setting your SAT NAV.  You need to be able to trust it will get you where you want to be, you must enjoy the journey, but be vigilant about taking wrong turns.  You need to be flexible about taking another route if you do take a wrong turn.  Sometimes your plans will have to be changed if you want to reach your goals on time.  After all if you’ve ever put in the wrong post code, then you will know how long sometimes it takes to dawn on you that you are going the wrong way.

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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Building Reputation Through Your Employees

  By Christina Lattimer • May 7, 2014 - 10:58 am

Building Building Reputation through your Employees is always the first step

It is even more important to encourage behaviours and demonstrate values which enhance your reputation.  There is a lot of competition out there.  Businesses are growing stronger through the power of networking, collaborating and becoming social.  Great businesses have already caught on to the fact that building reputation is a multi-faceted process which of course includes customers, but also stakeholders and employees.  Increasingly employees have a voice and it is being heard.

You and I both know that when we do business with a company, it’s not usually the leader or the marketing manager we are transacting with.   It is the people who work in that organisation.   We all have tales of great customer service and poor customer service.  And people in the organisation are the experience we remember.

Many of your people will be great at what they do:  Some will know what to do, but won’t always, and some will likely need more information.  In some respects the levels of ability are a bit of a red herring, because what will be infectious is your employees’ attitude about you as an employer.  I would rather have a room full of people who loved the business, bought into the concept but needed some training, than fully trained employees who were luke-warm or even disliked the organisation.

Your customers will get vibes off your employees

Not only will customers get the vibes off your employees; It can’t be helped, energetically we are all giving off vibes;  even more importantly, your employees are likely connected in a way they have never been before in human history.  Such is the power of social media.

Knowing that my employees were a kind of social media business card for my business could well fill me with horror.  The truth is, if as a business you make a gaffe that is newsworthy, then it’s entirely possible many many people  would know about it in seconds.  We all know bad news is inevitable.

Consider the potential for either sharing good news or bad news.   All of your employees have friends, family, social networks, whether they are online or not.  What your employees are saying about you, your business, your product, your service, is vital.

It follows that it’s increasing vital to know what you are building with your team.  What do they think? What are they saying to friends and family and potential customers about your business?

Ask your employees what they think

I talk to people a lot about their work.  I ask them whether they like it or not.  Whether they believe in what they do.  I can honestly say that I have met people who love what they do, they are enthusiastic, and they believe that the organisation’s mission is their mission.   These are the people we would all love to have working with us.

I have also met people who detest what they do.  They don’t buy into the company values; they don’t respect what the company does.  But they come to work because it’s a job; they need to feed their kids.  You can usually spot these people in your team.  They can’t help their attitude.  While this is a problem, it’s an easily identifiable problem, and you can do something about it.

But what about the people who are in the middle?   They quite like their job; they are rubbing along quite well.  They aren’t too bothered about what you do, it pays well, and as far as their own responsibilities go, they do what they have to do.  Are you content with the messages they are giving?  If your employees are pretty neutral about the work they do, then it will come as no surprise that those who should be the biggest resource building your reputation are not talking about your business in the way you would like.

Your employees are one of your biggest advertisements.  What they think say and do is totally representative of your organisation.  Your business is the sum total of all of your employees, like it or not.

If you don’t know what your employees think about your organisation, ask them.  Don’t make assumptions.   Just because you think your idea’s are the best thing since Edison invented the light bulb, doesn’t mean your employees share that thought. If they don’t think much of your business, then you have work to do.

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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7 Ways to Get It Right And Give Management The Credit They Deserve

  By Christina Lattimer • May 5, 2014 - 3:37 pm

A Management role is a multi-talented one!

manager I have read so many negative reports about management over the last few months that I felt I had to stand up and hurl in a different perspective.   In the past few months, I’ve read quotes such as:

  • “three quarters of employers report a lack of leadership and management skills and too many managers have an inflated opinion of their ability to manage people”
  • “More than six out of ten people employed in customer facing sales and service roles say that their managers’ behaviour towards them [Negatively] affects the level of customer service they deliver.”
  • “Poor people management is at the root of much of the evil in our economy”
  • “Estimated cost of poor management in the UK is £19 Billion a year!”

What on earth is going on?  If I were still a manager I think I’d be feeling pretty battered by now.  So ok we have a problem Houston.  But what is the real problem?

For me, problem number one, is that although we all know the difference between leadership and management (Don’t we?)   We employ managers and complain they don’t lead and then we define leadership with models which talk about competencies such as leading from the front, vision and courage and integrity… to name but a few.  Attributes most managers can’t actually use because they have to deliver an already created and articulated vision, where the trail has already been blazed, and the values already decided.

We want managers to be people managers, but actually none of our outcomes or targets or values is about our people, so where do we expect them to focus?  Ok, so I’m stretching a point, or two, but I do think that those points illustrate that at times, just sometimes, managers can’t win.

I’m not going to get into the leadership debate in this blog; I’ll save that for another day.  Today, I am going to concentrate on the sometimes thankless task of being a manager and why I think our good managers need a big and hearty pat on the back.

And just a final observation about the bad press managers get.  With all the “poor” managers out there, I just have three questions.  Who is recruiting them?  Who is managing them? And who is letting poor managers get away with it to the extent that they have such a “negative” impact?  Well, someone is!

There was an advert a few years ago that featured a mother wearing different hats.  When her little girl cut her knee, she had the nurse cap on.  When she was helping her son with his homework, she donned the mortarboard, and finally when cooking dinner she wore her chef’s hat. (I know, I’m probably showing my age) Well for me, managers are like mothers, to the extent that they have many roles and have to wear many hats.

In most organisations, managers are multi-faceted.  They have to manage their people, their budget, their results locally and globally, the environment they work in, change management, training needs, absence, performance, initiatives, projects, the business plan, the people plan, stakeholders, partners, customers, reward, reviews, income, communications, processes, media, social responsibility, diversity,…….oh and of course the work. Need I go on?

I know that there are some great qualifications for managers and also managers pay is probably not too bad.  But what I do think is that managers are not given the actual credit for the demanding, time-consuming, multi-talented role they have to play in an organisations’ success.  It may have simply slipped my attention,  but I have honestly never heard an organisation come out and say things like “we owe our success to our multi-talented managers”  Or “the real backbone of the organisation is held together by our highly skilled managers”  High profile leaders tend to get the credit for great successes.

So how do we go about changing the image of our managers, and giving those good ones the credit that they are due?  Well here are my thoughts:

  1. Be clear about the limit of the leadership role the manager.  If a manager is an executor of an organisational vision, then specify that they have to have a team vision, which derives from the main vision.   They don’t have to be able to change the world.
  2. At recruitment stage, be clear about why you need the manager.  If their prime focus is people management, then make sure they have people management skills.  If you want a people manager and the successful candidate has written a great thesis on your range of products and the best way to sell them, then you are on the wrong tack.
  3. Develop potential within the organisation, with brilliant role models and clear demonstrations of the skills, behaviours and standards expected.
  4. If your organisation only has aims and targets based on product or service, then that’s where your managers will place their attention.  If you want them to manage your people, then set targets about your people.
  5. Make sure management is  clear about the expectations of them. More importantly be clear you know what you expect of them.  If you shift the goalposts, involve them in the decision.
  6. If you employ specialists or professionals, value your managers as much as, if not more than your specialist or professional contribution.  (Yes really)
  7. Give your manager’s credit for the difficult and dedicated job they do.  Their jobs are highly skilled professional roles, and you should acknowledge that.

In life there are people who work well and people who don’t do so well, and this is reflected at all roles in an organisation, there are poor CEO’s, all the way down the hierarchal chain to poor Administrators;  as well as poor managers.

I believe that the reason for the focus on underperforming management is because they are such a pivotal and impactful force in an organisation.  So let’s raise the standards of our managers and have better businesses, but also give credit when managers are doing a great job and value them.

I hope you enjoyed my small but heartfelt accolade to the manager.  What do you think?  Do you agree?  Why do you think management are getting such a poor press?  I’d love to have your views.

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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Responsibility – The Road To Freedom

  By Christina Lattimer • April 25, 2014 - 5:27 pm

responsiblity Taking Responsibility is the key to greater freedom

Responsibility can be a tough bedfellow.  Today in a couple of separate encounters, one with a 14 year old girl and the other a 40 year old man, I heard how they had recently experienced difficult times in their lives. What both had in common was they blamed others for their plight.  The common theme was ”If only x had done y then z, and I would be ok”.

I watched this dynamic without judgment.  I too had taken such a position for a very long time.  I also felt a little saddened because I realised nothing could be changed permanently until they realised there was another way of seeing their situation now and in the future.

On both occasions, I attempted to suggest maybe there was another way of viewing their respective situations. Not to make them wrong, but to show them a way out of their agony.  Both firmly rejected my suggestions, because sometimes, just sometimes, as human beings we would rather be right .

Sometimes you only see the light when you experience the darkness

A number of years ago, I personally experienced hard times.  It was a depressing period in my life; the future looked bleak indeed.  I knew things had to change. I didn’t know it then, but I came to realise what had begun as a monumental disaster, turned out to be the biggest gift life could have handed me.

As I pondered on what had gone so wrong, I blamed everyone and everything.  The truth was some external and some internal factors had led me to that low point and blaming or focusing on external factors was getting me nowhere fast.

My first “light bulb” moment happened when I began to take total responsibility for my experience.   I couldn’t control everything in my world. What I did have power over was my response to what life threw at me. Focusing on whose fault it was and wanting to point the finger of blame was deflecting from the energy needed to move beyond the situation.

Secondly, I began to pay attention to my intuition.  I overrode my intuition pretty much of the time.  The rot began early in life,  times when I wanted to be like my peers;  I wanted my relationships to be harmonious;  I didn’t want to rock the boat with my parents. After many times of overriding my own internal truth, I realised my own best friend was inside me.

Acceptance releases the energy used for blame to finding a solution

Accepting my situation I began what I thought would be a slow and torturous route out of the fix I found myself in.  On the contrary, it was the most enlightening and exciting of journeys.  It wasn’t easy, but it was transformational.   I went from being broke, dispirited and in despair, to a place where I was financially secure, optimistic and at peace with myself.  The experience was like replacing a house of straw with a house of bricks with very solid foundations.

Taking Total Responsibility

I developed a vision: I set goals for my working life, I set figures for my income, how I would feel about my work and how good I would be at it.  I achieved them almost 2 years ahead of target.

I set out a detailed plan.   I needed certain skills and experience.   I articulated the detail of “how” in my plan. I achieved all milestones and was offered the job I wanted before I had met the outcomes in the plan.

I engaged my team.   I needed a support network around me.  My beloved network included my family as well as my professional colleagues and friends.  I let the right people know things had changed, and I got them on board to help me.

I focused on my successes and goals.  I didn’t waste time thinking about the reality of the situation I found myself in.  I faced up to it, identified the gap between where I was and where I wanted to be, and concentrated on closing the gap; not the past.  In the present moment, I chose to be grateful for what I had achieved and the help and opportunities which came my way.

I let go of unhelpful doubts, thoughts and beliefs.  I got in touch with the power of my mind.  Doubt and negativity simply create resistance to achieving what you want

I have used those steps many times when leading teams at work as well as creating my life outside of work.  Repetition should create mastery, yet I still struggle at times, but at least I now take total responsibility, so if things don’t work out, I only have myself to blame.

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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Lead Yourself First: Attachment and Letting Go

  By Christina Lattimer • April 23, 2014 - 9:40 pm

121227905 Attachment can become unhealthy

We all can become attached at some stage in our lives.  As children we are attached to our parents or other caregivers.  In this scenario attachment is seen as healthy and affirming.

When an attachment prevents us from seeing or acting clearly it has become unhealthy.   Sometimes we are attached to other people, to particular kinds of situations, or substances for example.  Obsessive attachments as we know become addictions.  When these kinds of attachments become obvious we will often seek help.

In the workplace, we can become attached to a particular culture, belief or perception about the way things are, or should be. We can become attached to our views of others and also about how relationships should be at work.   People who resist change are usually people who are attached to maintaining the status quo.

A number of years ago I worked with a manager, who believed employee surveys weren’t helpful because in his view the survey gave people the opportunity to complain and only employees who had a grudge filled in the survey. Hard-working employees did not have time to fill in the survey; they were too busy doing “real” work.   Despite attempts to help him see the employee survey as an opportunity, he preferred to be right and his view prevailed.   His survey results never did improve.

Often we don’t even realise we are unhealthily attached to our views, something or someone, until we have to face physical, emotional, or intellectual change.   An unhealthy attachment is actually a reaction to fear of change, or when letting go feels like we have to give up or sacrifice something we believe we need.    It’s also human nature, and very few of us have the emotional intelligence and insight to completely avoid the pain unhealthy attachment brings.

The problem with letting go of attachments is it feels scary. There is however a magical empowering alternative to attachment.  We all need to form relationships with people and situations.  We need to build a framework of beliefs and ideas so we can function.  Instead of attachment, we need to connect. Connecting is involving oneself emotionally, physically or intellectually without the fear of “giving up” or “sacrifice” unhealthy attachment is borne of.  We know we can connect, enjoy and when the time is right, with love; let go.

Below are some of the ways we can better navigate our lives by replacing unhealthy attachment with healthy connection.

  • Recognise when we are attached to people and instead re-frame into healthy connection. We can intimately connect with our very close relationships.  As you connect with others, rather than become attached, you are freer and can enjoy each other without the fear of loss. You realise people come into your life sometimes for a lifetime, and sometimes for a season.
  • We might not realise we are attached to objects or situations until we have to face the pain of giving them up.   How often do you hear sad stories of people who ruin or take their lives because of losses on the stock exchange for instance?  “Giving up” can create depression and despair.  “Letting go” is a healthy alternative. If we know we can enjoy our lifestyle, or our situation and be able to “let go” when the time is right, this attitude empowers us to live and enjoy the present.
  • Let go of our need to be right.   Attachment to beliefs, attitudes and ideas can limit our life tremendously.   Reality is shaped by our beliefs. What we focus on becomes our world. By keeping an open mind and being prepared to examine and change limiting or unhelpful beliefs and thinking; we stay fresh and open to what life brings.
  • Be purposefully positive.  Recognise when we are unhealthily attached to being negative and how negativity is limiting ourselves and others, in our lives and our workplaces.  Holding onto negative views and conclusions will ultimately prove us right in the end

If the manager who dismissed his employee survey results by his fixed views about the respondents had been more open minded; he might have been open to the possibility that even negative feedback was “valuable”.  He could have taken the opportunity to engage with his people, acknowledge their perceptions and take action to positively impact them, and his results.

Good programmes should approach the psychological issues which can impact performance, although most don’t.

We all become attached and sometimes unhealthily, it is an ego trait which can cause unnecessary pain, suffering and resistance.  If you find yourself attached, then with kindness and understanding, gently detach and reconnect.    You will become magically empowered to live life more openly and freely, and after all isn’t such freedom what we all want?

 

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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Lead Yourself First – The Impressive Impact of Relationship

  By Christina Lattimer • April 22, 2014 - 5:28 pm

relationship In my view, money doesn’t make the world go around, relationships do.

We are in relationship with everyone we meet, because we are always swapping energy.  Even the guy reading the paper in the adjacent seat on the train might leave an impression as you form an opinion about or sense his energy.  Ok, it’s not much of a relationship, but it is important to know we can actually impact everyone we meet at some level.

If we have even a slight impact with a complete stranger think about the impact we have on our nearest and dearest, our work colleagues, teams or customers.  Human relationships whether they are romantic, work-based, friendship or family based are successful or not because of a number of common factors.

Forging successful relationships is essential for a successful life.  Whether at home or at work,  creating successful relationships is being able to identify what needs to be in place, and being able to understand ways your relationships work by heightening your understanding of the relationship.  The following are components and factors which can be applied to our relationships and the reason why we form them.

Purpose

If you are friends with Ted because you like going to the pub every Friday, and he is in there every time you go for a pint, then that’s the relationship you have.  If Ted stops going to the pub on a Friday, then it’s unlikely you will continue with your relationship. If you went and knocked on Ted’s door, he would likely be gobsmacked.   Where relationships can fall down, is when one person in the relationship wants to take it further than the purpose of the relationship.  Understanding and being honest about the purpose of any relationship can prevent many misunderstandings and conflicts.

Reciprocity

A relationship can only be successful if both people want to be in it. If you’ve ever been friends with someone and you’re making all the calls or trying to make arrangements to meet, then you are probably more invested in the relationship than the other person.  If a customer simply isn’t interested in your product, or your employee is looking for another job, then you don’t have a reciprocal relationship.

Energy

Sometimes we have the best relationships with people who have contrasting energy. Someone who is reserved and quiet  may enjoy being in relationship with another who is exuberant and loud.  Alternatively such a relationship might be a complete recipe for disaster.  I remember being on an interview panel with a candidate who was enthusiastic and proactive.  While I admired her energy, the other panel member felt drained by it.  If matching energy is experienced, then people may feel extremely comfortable or very bored.

Values

Shared values usually create relationship success.  If you are struggling in a relationship, examining each other’s values is a good place to start.  If for example you value expensive things and a luxurious lifestyle and someone else values basic and simplistic living, then you will either come to terms with the differences or the relationship will not exist for any length of time.  Likewise a caring, sharing colleague might form a close working relationship with a tough hard-headed business type, but more than likely won’t.

Expectations

Expectations can be centred on your own and/or other’s needs and wants.  If you expect your employees to contribute a decent day’s work for a fair wage and that doesn’t happen, then the chances are you have relationship problems.  Likewise with personal relationships, problems may well occur if you feel let down or expect something different than that which is on offer

Communication

How we communicate can determine the success or not of a relationship.  Communication differences can ruin a relationship if there is a lack of understanding about different communication styles.  For example conflicts can arise between people who communicate kinaesthetically and those who are auditory. I remember a long drawn out conflict between a manager and one of his team because the language he used was logical and factual and didn’t fit with her needs which were words of caring, feeling and empathy.

Attitude

Your beliefs, thoughts and conclusions  can determine your attitude about people in your personal and work life.  If you work for an employer and you believe you don’t count, then your belief is going to colour the relationship with your manager or team. Your attitude will seep out whenever you speak to others about work. Likewise, if someone has let you down badly in your personal life, if you are unable to forgive them, then your relationship will be affected forever by your attitude to them.

Commitment

Relationships require commitment, even if it’s to give someone your full attention for just a day.  If you decide to work for someone and only plan to stay for a few months and they expect you to stay for the long haul, then your commitment to each other is mismatched and will affect your relationship.  Most of us enter into marriage as  a lifelong commitment.  However, when that commitment wanes, the relationship could be in big trouble without a re-examination and re-connection of why you committed in the first place.

Boundaries

Boundaries exist physically, emotionally and mentally.  Part of building good relationships is about identifying and respecting your own and other people’s boundaries.  Boundaries signify how much you are able to or want to allow someone into your life, or how much of yourself you want to give.  Pre-nuptial agreements set clear boundaries.  I want to spend my life with you, but if anything goes wrong,  I’m not prepared to give you my money.  At work, contracts of employment set out the boundaries of the relationship.  Trouble can occur when you’ve signed up for 40 hours a week, and the company with a long hours culture actually expects a lot more.

Timeliness

Relationships happen at the right time.  If the timing is wrong, then it’s unlikely the relationship will satisfy any or some of the factors listed above.  If you meet the man of your dreams and you need to go to college halfway around the world, then the timing may be wrong to get together at that point.  Likewise, if your customer doesn’t want to buy quite at that point, or your employees don’t buy into your vision, it may well be that the time is just not quite right.  Unless of course there is a permanent mis-match of any of the above and there will never be a right time.

 

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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Challenging Limiting Beliefs Is A Leadership Skill

  By Christina Lattimer • April 17, 2014 - 10:13 am
beliefs Understanding how people tick is essential for a leader, especially at the level of our beliefs.

Beliefs create our individual and collective worlds.  Millions of pieces of information are available to us at any one time.  Our beliefs and the parameters which are then laid down by our beliefs determine which pieces of information we receive.  Our beliefs determine which pieces of information we accept or reject.  If we don’t believe it, then we simply don’t perceive it, or won’t allow ourselves to perceive it.  In the words of the song

“No matter what they tell us No matter what they do No matter what they teach us What we believe is true” Beliefs come in all sorts of packages and create all kinds of effects in our lives.

  • When conflicting beliefs come into our awareness it can create confusion
  • Holding opposing beliefs at the same time can cause internal conflict
  • Limiting beliefs can prevent you receiving what you want
  • Subconscious beliefs appear to control your behaviour and make you feel  helpless
  • You can bring subconscious beliefs into your awareness
  • You can choose your beliefs.  No belief is ever fixed
  • The key to changing your world and experience is to change your beliefs
  • How you interpret reality around you can inform and shape your beliefs.
  • Beliefs are simply an interpretation that you choose to determine as true
  • Beliefs can be changed.

When a leader or manager understands the process to go through to challenge limited beliefs, then they have the key to secure positive change for the greater good.  I’m not suggesting that it is a leader or manager’s  job to change people’s beliefs.  And certainly we need to make sure we respect people’s beliefs, particularly in the arena of equality. However a good leader or manager will understand the effects of limiting beliefs and understand the process of undoing them.

People act and react in accordance with their beliefs and uncovering those beliefs to enable positive growth is extremely powerful.    Brainwashing people or trying to force people down a different route is not ethical, and it is not what I am suggesting.  Everyone has a free will, and this must be respected.  But it is useful to know,  how and what you need to do to understand when your employees are holding unhelpful beliefs about themselves or others.  Being aware that these beliefs can be changed can help you to influence and persuade employees to adopt more positive beliefs.

I’ll give you an example.  I worked hard for a couple of years engaging with a particular team and helping them to think and feel like a successful highly motivated team.  In those days I was pretty idealistic and hoped that I would win everyone over, and that everyone would enjoy working in the team.  But there was a core of people, who no matter what,  were still unhappy.  They habitually criticised and caused negative waves.  Simply put, they had fixed beliefs about their working lives and maintaining their belief was more important to them then changing beliefs.

I was talking to one of the employees who could be particularly negative.  I asked her why she seemed so resentful and was there something I was doing which was causing this particular resentment?  Her reply was a real eye-opener.  She told me that it was nothing to do with me at all.  I had come in and she observed that I was trying to get the team on board.  However, she didn’t like management, never had and never would.  She went as far as to say that nothing I would ever do would persuade her otherwise!

We did come to a somewhat uncomfortable compromise in the end, which limited her impact in terms of negativity within the team and how our relationship would work in the workplace given her fixed and unrelenting views.  Not ideal, but then, not my job to change her beliefs.

The real power of understanding beliefs and belief systems is when managers are instigating change.  Work on drawing out existing individual and team beliefs and then understanding how to help people see things through a different lens for the better within the workplace is the key to fundamental and lasting success.

Encouraging employees to reach positive beliefs about themselves, their contribution and the meaningfulness of your vision and task are the building blocks to brilliant success.

Incidentally for the sake of clarification:  in the Equality Act; belief is defined as “including philosophical beliefs, such as humanism, which are considered to be similar to a religion. Other categories of beliefs, such as support for a political party, are not protected by the Equality Act.” This is not what this blog is about. 

This blog underpins the work being developed for my leadership programme which will be released later this year.  If you’d like to be updated when this is available,

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.