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Leaders: Should Employee Happiness be on Your Agenda?

By Christina Lattimer • February 28, 2013 - 9:19 pm Miscellaneous

International Day of Happiness

In April last year, the United Nations held its first conference on happiness and wellbeing in New York City. The conference introduced the concept of “Gross National Happiness” which I have to say made me very …Happy!

One of the announcements made was there will be an International Day of Happiness on 20^th March each year.

I am a big believer in happiness, and the benefits happiness can bring. I have had many discussions with peers and colleagues and I rather believe I may be in a minority. Not that many people disagree that happiness is a good state in which to be; mostly they just think it’s unrealistic. Certainly in the workplace many people think it’s not even a consideration.

Happiness is An Inside Job

Now I know that employers and leaders cannot be responsible for employees’ happiness. Happiness is an inside job. If any of you have been in a relationship with the intention of “making someone happy” and that person is not intrinsically happy, you know how impossible it is.

The truth is, people choose to be happy or not. Self-aware people understand that external “things” may help you get in touch with happy feelings, but rarely do they last. In fact really happy people understand that due to the temporary nature of anything in the world, happiness is an internal state largely consisting of acceptance, interpretation and choice.

As a Leader, all you can do is increase the odds of people being happy

As you can’t control how people choose to feel, act and think; all you can do is create the right environment which increases the odds for people to happy. You might be asking why on earth you should even consider taking such steps when you are financially strapped, your employees are revolting and daily your problems seem to be increasing. Haven’t you enough on your plate? And why help people to be happy when there is no guarantee of success?

With the right direction, the benefits of people being happy at work are: They

get more work done
will be more committed to the task and the company
will be physically, mentally and emotionally more healthy
will infect your customers with their happiness
have more productive relationships with other employees
have fewer conflicts
be more resilient

Develop a Happiness Quadrant

If any of you are battling with poor employee feedback, performance issues, high absence rates, conflicts and complaints, then you might want to take some positive measures to change things.

Alright I know if you go along to the board meeting and suggest a “happiness quadrant” your fellow board members might be checking your temperature and looking for signs of addiction, but the following suggestions can be combined with your organisational development or strategic activities.

Create respect and admiration at the organisation identity level

Commit and demonstrate company values
Develop and maintain a meaningful purpose
Identify and communicate a worthy contribution

Celebrate and engage employees and teams

Monitor and put in place measures to help people meet 4 basic needs, of feeling valued, safe, in control and being a contributor
Help people be responsible and gain autonomy to deliver their contribution
Celebrate success, internally and externally
Tell great and meaningful organisational and individual stories which engage emotions

Develop a Community Culture

Have a defined social structure – even if it’s just the annual Christmas party
Accept that people aren’t perfect, create environments where people can let off steam, solve problems, or deal with frustrations and fears – safely
Develop sensible work/life balance
Develop an ethos of internal as well as external customer service.
Encourage and allow people to care about each other

Create a Learning Ethos

Help employees gain mastery and transferable skills
Introduce learning which helps people to understand themselves and engenders personal growth
Turn mistakes into learning opportunities
Help people to learn and take responsibility for their own wellbeing, whether physical, emotional or mental

I know some people will think putting happiness on the agenda is not a strategic move. My challenge for those people would be my favourite mantra “Would you rather be right or happy?” So go on I urge you to choose “happy” and celebrate the World Happiness Day on 20^th March, with some strategic thinking about creating a happy environment at work.

In the spirit of the World Happiness Day, I hope this article made you smile as well as giving some ideas about creating a happier culture at work.

Join us on this amazing journey!

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What If Everything Was OK?

By Christina Lattimer • February 8, 2013 - 6:05 pm Leadership and Management

What if things were really ok?

Two nights ago, I went swimming. It was an activity I had been looking forward to all day. I usually go quite late because it tends to be more peaceful and as I swim I can ruminate and contemplate.

Tired and tense for the first 10 lengths or so, instead or relaxing, I found my mind worrying about a number of pieces of work I had still to complete. The anticipated peaceful relaxing swim was eluding me

As I carried on, I remembered a technique I use quite frequently with clients. It is the “What if” frame. It’s a well-known Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) technique used to help people tap into their imagination and explore situations they otherwise might consider being impossible. It is usually used to break down limiting beliefs.

For example, a friend of mine loves his sales job, but confessed once he sometimes felt frustrated because never seemed to earn more than £50k annually. He had never exceeded this figure and was convinced it wouldn’t get any better. When I asked why he thought that was, he explained he didn’t think the number of customers were available to exceed that limit.

I recognised his frustration because he had simply hit a limiting belief. I asked “What If you wereable to find ways to exceed earnings of 50k?” What would you have done differently, and what else could you do? He furrowed his brow and started thinking. What this technique does, is lift a person over the “I can’t” barrier, and helps open up possibilities, to incorporate ideas and suggestions, to achieve a different outcome.

Asking “what if” can be a powerful way to get your creative juices flowing. So when my daughter’s friend was planning her wedding, she floundered about the kind of venue she wanted and the colour of the bridesmaid’s dresses etc. So I asked her “what if, you had the wedding of your dreams, what would the surroundings look like?” This and questions like it helped her to begin to describe her highest desires. From there, she was able to begin to imagine and thus describe what would work for her.

When swimming, two nights ago, I didn’t need to use my imagination, or break down my limiting beliefs. On the contrary, my imagination was working overtime, and it was my lack of limiting beliefs, (I know only too well the possibilities open to me!), that were actually overwhelming me and making me feel stressed. So when the “ What if ” came to my mind it was in a different context again.

As I swam, I recalled the final way I use “What if” exercises with clients, which helps them to get in touch with feelings. Used in this way asking “what if ” is used to switch feelings. If you are feeling low because you are scared something isn’t going to happen, or things haven’t worked out in the first place, the state you are creating can become like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

For example, you’ve applied for a job, but you didn’t get through the last job interview, and your confidence took a dent. Your anxiety about failing and the pressure you feel to be successful this time round simply intensifies. You worry about it for days beforehand, and by the time you get in front of the interview panel, you are so nervous, they can’t help but wonder if actually you are up to the job because you have been wringing your hands, and stammered your way all through the interview, simply because your anxiety took over.

If, before the interview, you had asked yourself the question, “What if I were successful at getting this job?” You imagine what it would feel like and get in touch with the joy, excitement, gratitude and enthusiasm you would experience. If you took that experience/state into the interview room, believe me, your interviewers would also have a completely different experience of interviewing you.

Ten minutes into my swimming session, I simply asked myself. “What if everything was OK?” I immediately stopped worrying, the knots in my back started to relax, and suddenly my state felt peaceful. As I swam on, I realised the worst thing I can do is not take my own advice. What was almost certainly going to turn out a most stressful hour of battling against feeling overwhelmed and anxious, completely switched. I realised if everything was OK, I could enjoy this hour, and simply unwind and relax. So I transformed the next fifty minutes.

Why not transform your next hour and imagine “What if, everything was OK?”

Join us on this amazing journey!

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No More New Year Resolutions: 4 Steps To Lasting Change

By Christina Lattimer • January 3, 2013 - 4:42 pm Personal Development

Please, No More New Year resolutions – 4 ways to create change at any time

For me, the rot started and ended when I used to make and break New Year ’s resolutions. I always started the diet, or gave up cigarettes or vowed to keep the house, my life, my work in pristine order. I probably averaged about 3 weeks staying with my resolution, over the many years I subscribed to the notion of setting these annual goals, before succumbing to the temptation of the path of least resistance and my old habits.

The year I stopped this maddening merry-go-round, was about 10 years ago, when I managed to give up cigarettes for good one September. Why in September? Why not wait until the wonderful prospect of starting in the New Year ?

Basically, I made the change when I did because of 2 things. Firstly, I had come to hate smoking with fervour. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t really the cigarettes which I hated, it was the lack of control I had over my urge to smoke the things. Secondly, realising the high risk of returning to the dreaded habit, I spent 2 months preparing to give up before I actually did.

In other words, I spent a long time preparing my mind-set, and my strategy. I actually began to think like a non-smoker before I had stopped smoking. What I realised during this process is that when we are trying to make lasting change, you have to internalise the change before you can make a permanent difference.

Since that time, I have been able to refine and experiment with ways of making significant changes, and this is what I have learned.

You must have a deep desire to make the change. I made overtures about wanting to stop smoking for years, but deep down, I wasn’t motivated enough to do it. It wasn’t until I hated smoking badly that I was prepared to put in the effort of whatever it took to stop the habit.
You need to have a about what it will look, feel like, and be like, when you have made the change. One of the reasons we are unsuccessful when making change is because we are trying to “move away” from something and it is the situation or the habit we don’t want which is what we focus on. Of course, we always get more of what we focus on. It’s important if your motivation for change is to move away from that you do some real work on creating a vision about what you want instead, and switch your intention and attention to that. Visionary people sometimes have an easier time of it, because they tend to “move towards” their goal, and this is what they focus on. One of my great visionary friends said once, “It’s easy, I just picture it in my head and then it happens”. Even with great vision there are some other steps which if not taken can trip you up.
You need to be able to believe you can make the change. Whether it’s making more money, becoming healthier or making some other lifestyle change, if you either consciously or unconsciously don’t really believe you can do it, then it isn’t going to happen. The belief gap is one of the reasons small and incremental steps towards your goal is usually better. Some people just have complete faith that they can make big changes and often they can achieve those leaps because they have created the right mind-set. The majority of us though need to make a gradual shift in our beliefs as we blossom into our vision.
You must act “As if”. We are radio transmitters, and we are always broadcasting our signal out. We often get jammed on the same wavelength, which makes us return to unhelpful habits repeatedly. If you want to become slimmer or healthier, but you constantly feel, talk about and think about being overweight and unhealthy, then you will not shift your signal, and you will keep attracting the same old situation. In order to feel, think and be the person you will be when you reach your goal or achieve your vision, you need to use your imagination. You can do this by asking yourself: How would I feel, what would I think and who would I be if I achieved this goal or my vision? When you get the answer, tune into that state of being as often as you can.

So there are my 4 top tips for creating real change in your life. If you’ve made some New Year Resolutions, don’t despair, just follow those steps and you will greatly increase your chance of success. But remember, you don’t have to wait for New Year; you just have to want the change enough.

Wishing you a very Happy, Prosperous New Year.

Join us on this amazing journey!

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Never Mind The ” X Factor “, Does your business have the “E” Factor?

By Christina Lattimer • November 8, 2012 - 8:40 pm Organisational Change

What is the mysterious X Factor ingredient which makes your business great?

That mysterious elusive quality of “the X Factor” existed before the popular shows. The Oxford Dictionary describes the “X Factor” as ” a special quality, especially one that is essential for success and is difficult to describe”. In the past I’ve asked the question “Does your business have the X Factor?” Of course we all want to be in the category of having the “X Factor”, but if your business is going to be successful, then that intangible essence must be identified.

Having seen and heard about successful leadership and businesses. I now believe that the “X Factor” for business, and indeed for most people or organisations or situation is actually the “E” Factor.

There are many “E” elements which can make a business successful. Think about Engagement, Excellence, Extra mile, Extraordinary, Empowerment… and I’m sure you can think of a lot more. But what I think is the biggest factor, the one which sets a business out from the rest is something which the majority of people relate to.

A few months ago, I read a blog post; entitled “101 Short Stories that Will Leave You Smiling, Crying and Thinking” you can find them here. It is a post from Marc and Angel Hack Life, a great blog. Of course I enjoyed the stories enormously, and mostly they brought tears to my eyes. (Go on read them and see how long it takes you!). It is one of the few blogs I subscribe to, and one when I share, attracts by far the most readers, shares and re-tweets across social media.

A few weeks ago I was at a seminar where a guy called Steve Trister of entertained by teaching delegates how to engage with an audience using this factor when presenting. Delegates found his presentation funny and enlightening, he had a throng of people around him when he’d finished wanting to know more.

Last week in the UK, we were entertained with “The Pride of Britain Awards”. If you haven’t come across this now national event, the programme celebrates stories of heroic acts of bravery and contribution. On the awards site the introduction states “Selfless, courageous, caring . . . our amazing winners make the world a better place”

Indeed I have recognised that what makes an “X Factor” contestant successful, is in fact this magic ingredient. (A TV singing competition for those uninitiated)

Yes, you have of course realised the magic ingredient I am talking about it is…

Emotion!

Putting all of those fairly recent experiences into context made me realise sharply that the things in life we really like, and really want more of engage us emotionally. So what? you might be saying… we’ve always known that successful businesses engage their customers emotionally. After all we are surrounded by a raft of advertising and marketing, which is intended to do just that, isn’t it?

I know it’s obvious, but then I got to thinking about what I spend my money on, and how emotionally engaged to the products or services I receive I am. And I realised it was very little. Of course we all have different personality types and because of that, we buy through different paradigms. Some organisations sell to people because “It’s all about you”, or others sell because, the target customers “will have no less than the best”. And some sell because they “like the tried and tested”, for example.

But what is the intangible emotional element which we all seem to share at some level? When we see the young people on X Factor doing well, despite the odds; when we see the young girl who saved her mum; or the soldier who risked his life, we feel something about it. When we read the stories about caring about one another, or significant people in our lives, we feel something about it. When we receive praise for something we’ve done brilliantly, or we are forgiven for a big mistake we’ve made. We recognise that at the core of who we are, we care about each other and we will sometimes move heaven and earth to demonstrate it.

I am a big Oprah Winfrey fan. If any of you watched her daily show, you know what I mean. If you don’t watch her, you might label her 25 year run as a female dominated magazine show. But actually it is much more than that. The majority of her employees at Harpo, her production company, were at the time the show was running, some of the most enthused, committed people I have seen. They told stories of working long hours, dedication and going the extra mile. They truly believed they were part of something much bigger than themselves. They were emotionally engaged. According to CNN in September 2011, Oprah was the 8^th richest woman in the world. Undoubtedly, her employees’ dedication and commitment have helped her reach that enviable status. Not only that, her audience were hugely emotionally engaged with what Oprah had to offer. What Oprah had to offer was the “E” Factor. She helped people see the good inside of themselves. She helped them touch positive emotions which made people want more. She came from the paradigm that people cared about each other and recognised this was who they were at their core.

So how does this affect all of us “ordinary” people, going to our desks, maybe nipping out for a sandwich, and thinking about the routine tasks we might have to get through, or when we are facing the tough realities of our world of work right now? Well you can happily be a spectator, celebrate other people’s success, and there is nothing wrong with that. Or alternatively, you could show the world you have the “E” Factor.

Businesses who have the “E” Factor have the following qualities about them.

They have a vision, or a dream and they are passionate about it
They make sure that what they do, they do extraordinarily well
They are purposeful and they believe in what they do
They want to make a sincere difference and have stories to tell about how they do.
They realise that they are part of something bigger than themselves
Their people are emotionally engaged, they have attached real meaning to what they do
Whatever it is they do, they help people get in touch with the very best of who they are at their core.

What about you? Does your business have the “E” Factor, if so I would love to hear from you.

Join us on this amazing journey!

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Making Right Minded Choices – A Leadership Challenge

By Christina Lattimer • November 1, 2012 - 10:37 pm Leadership Development

Leaders need to make if we are going to shift to a new paradigm

The world is crying out for change. Although the economy is showing tentative signs of recovery, environmental issues are become increasingly urgent and exposure of superficial behaviours by leading figures are well documented, it emerges there is a new desire for something better, something more aligned to who we believe we are. Ethics and values are once again becoming fashionable words and greater consciousness about how we relate to each other is emerging. We desperately need a new world order.

The problem is of course, the old world order wants to cling on to the way things have always been. Sometimes the resistance to change is because of fear of the unknown, and sometimes it is to preserve an outdated identity.

The way we work and interact with each other will have to change, if we are to move forward in a less destructive, careless way. No longer can the old values of self-interest, personal competitiveness and results at all cost be sustainable. Values, collaboration, responsibility and a recognition that we are all in this together must prevail.

We are all leaders for someone. It might be our organisation, our family, our children, our partner, our pupils, our siblings, or even our elders. We are all in relationship with each other and like it or not, who we are impacts someone else. Who we are impacts our society, our environment and our world.

Depending on how much you accept responsibility will determine whether you take up the challenge, or leave it for others to do so. Leaving it for others to do so is the old world order. Leaving it for others to do so is abdicating responsibility and giving away your individual power. And we all do that at times. Even the most enlightened people do, it is part of our human psyche.

Our choices stem from two paradigms. One is the mind of the ego. When we are making choices from an ego paradigm the characteristics of our choices are cloaked in fear, scarcity, specialness, entitlement and a victim mentality for example. The other is the mind of our higher self. When we are making choices with this paradigm, they are characteristically, loving, win/win, from a position of strength, equality, happy and joy based. We all use these two minds sometimes, although we are often not aware of it

The higher mind is in fact our right or true mind. When making choices from our right mind it always results in peace, love and happiness. It recognises that we are all connected and that our true nature is loving and inclusive.

If we are not using our right mind, it is usually because we are afraid, don’t like ourselves very much or feeling guilty about something, even though we may not be consciously aware of it In many cultures, especially in a work environment, leading and making choices from our right mind can seem fluffy and unrealistic, but actually it is tough and shows strength of real character. It is indeed the road less travelled.

So in the new world, true leadership will come from those who are able to access the right mind. This can be a tall order for some people, but a necessary step. Some of the attributes of someone who uses right minded thinking more consistently than others are:

Self-Awareness – An understanding of the choices and impact of choosing between the ego and the right mind.
Resilience – resilience against the ego thought system and the pressure to conform to negative beliefs
Ability to tap into the right mind – being able to pause before reacting and choosing ones thoughts. Living in a different paradigm.
Humility – A recognition that we are all in it together and an appreciation that their choices matter and therefore they choose carefully and with humility
Vision – A vision borne out of collective interest and not self interest
Responsibility – a no blame culture in every situation. The victim and persecutor dynamics are dissolved.
Generosity – kindness, inclusivity – not excluding anyone, sharing, realising everyone is equally valuable, and can equally make mistakes.
Wisdom – understanding when to let go and when to pursue
Non – Judgemental – realising everyone is either acting from their right mind, which is love or ego mind which is lack of love.

And finally they will be courageous. The ego decision maker in our make-up and culture is the norm. The true leader has to have the courage to put their head above the parapet and challenge the norm, whilst respecting everyone’s right to choose. No mean task.

Are you a right minded leader? Do you have examples of great leadership? What are your views? I’d love to hear from you.

Join us on this amazing journey!

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When Trouble Hits – 8 Ways to Develop Resilience, Options and “Falling up”

By Christina Lattimer • October 25, 2012 - 7:56 pm Employee Development

Resilience is shown in the most unusual of circumstances

When I was small, my parents had a part of our garden tarmacked over. I can still remember my mother’s delight when the spring crocuses pushed through the tarmac to flower year after year. Whenever I think of our own resilience and ability to shine through adversity, I think of the hardiness of those delicate little flowers.

Like me, you know that in order to be successful in life and business you have to develop resilience. You are probably quite adept at being resilient in most parts of your life. A friend of mine has this saying whenever things get tough. “It’s character building.” A bit of a clique, but unless you give up, that’s precisely what challenges do; build character. I used to think she was being harsh until I grew up enough to realise that it’s more loving and kind not to reinforce a victim mentality. The problem with believing you are a victim is that it strips you of all power, and any hope of reclaiming yourself.

In his book the “ Shawn Achor describes a number of principles of positive psychology. One of which is about “Falling up”. Wherein he describes the psychological process of “Posttraumatic Growth” defined as “positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances”[i]

Achor describes three paths we can take following crisis or adversity. The first is to end where you start; no change results. The second path leads to further negative consequences; you end up worse off. The third path is the one that we should focus on, and that is using the crisis or negative event to grow and emerge “stronger, and more capable than before the fall”[ii]. I don’t know about you, but I know which path I prefer.

If you are faced with a challenging situation at work or even at home, there are a number of ways of refocusing your attention and efforts to help you and your team (or family) get through.

No matter how bad things are; always try to identify a positive outcome or a way to find an opportunity, even if it’s just to acknowledge that the challenge can be seen as an opportunity to grow.
Find ways to keep motivated, even if it means getting motivation from different parts of your life. For example, if you are facing adversity at work; renew your determination to make your family life better.
Deal with the “What if’s” – Don’t discount fears; deal with them head on. Set up an environment for you and your team which allows you to do this. Develop options in case the worst happens. Then keep focused on the positive possibilities rather than the worst case scenarios.
Deal with the uncertainty by imagining a future where you are in the right place, where you would feel as if you gained something positive from the experience.
Focus on what is in your control. You might not be in a position to decide what the outcome will be, or have any control over the situation. At the very least you can choose your reaction. If any of you doubt the power of choice here, you must read “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, a holocaust survivor whose message of hope and resilience in horrifying adversity is truly amazing.
Recapture positives from the past. (This is not a time to count how many times you or others have been in similarly bad situations). Write down your successes and what you are proud of. Think, talk and write about things which make you (and your team) feel good about what they had achieved.
Turn round the negative chatter in your head. Simply refuse to listen to it. This is the time to be your own best friend. If you are facing problems at work, turn the rumour mill around and make sure speculation is not reported as fact. Make sure you and your team are only dealing with the facts and not the stories made up about the facts.
Don’t draw conclusions about yourself from the situation. Just because you’ve hit a bad situation doesn’t mean you are a bad person. This is life and many people hit bad times. Things happen which we have no control over and even if you’ve made a mistake, then forgive yourself. If you begin to think like this, then, hook up with your real best friend and get reassurance from them.

A few years ago I read that one of the reasons life is so painful is because we have forgotten to live and learn in love and trust rather than how the majority of us learn in fear and pain. Now whenever a situation comes over the horizon which has the potential for pain, I simply ask to learn in love and trust. And you know I think it works, and certainly that is what I wish for everyone.

[i] Tedeshi, R.G., & Calhoun, L.G. (2004). Post-traumatic Growth: Conceptual Foundation and Empirical Evidence. Philadelphia, PA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

[ii] Achor S (2011) The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles that fuel Success and Performance at Work. New York: Random House Inc.

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Five Ways To Step Out Of The World And Honour Yourself

By Christina Lattimer • September 21, 2012 - 12:27 pm Miscellaneous

You have to strike an equal balance between Work, Rest and Play

I write a lot about inspiration and all that goes along with that. I am great at describing great vision and different strategies and behaviours needed to make things happen. Big action is often my cry. And don’t get me started about emotional intelligence, intellectual dexterity; resilience, unity consciousness and how we relate to each other for example.

I read and share a plethora of intellectual, insightful and inspirational articles and blogs about what makes a great leader, manager, boss, HR Director or whoever may be paving the way for others.

There are many people out there who tell us how to live our lives and what to strive for, how to do things well, improve, be better, be best, and yes I do that too.

For the majority of the time, I love it. I love finding new ways to motivate interest, excel and go the extra mile.

But there are times, just sometimes when it’s great to be just ok, in the here and now, right now, without any wish to be, do or think anything else.

The world is mostly in a queue, a whirlwind, aspiring to something, wanting to improve, getting better results, being more honest, moving forward, changing at the speed of light, a hive of activity which can be true in our personal lives as well as at work.

Stress is one of the biggest reasons for absence and one of the biggest costs of presenteeism at work. There are a number of causes of stress, and most of them caused as we live out the challenges of moving quickly, changing lives, work, roles, partners, houses, jobs, and the way we do things and there are many more.

And we don’t really have much choice. Unless everyone stood still at once, we need to keep up with it all, or risk being left behind, and that is our fear.

Sometimes though we need to stop and do something different. Oh the sweet relief of taking time out. Taking time out is important for anyone, whether you are a leader, a team member, stay at home or business owner. The world would be a better place, if everyone gave themselves a real break. So if you are endlessly busy and the adrenaline is wearing thin. Or you are too busy, too worried, stressed or in the throes of any kind of change: The following are some of my suggestions about how you can give yourself a respite from the madness of your daily life:

Accept everything completely as it is and make a decision just for even half day or so, not to wish for anything different. Just accept and surrender to where you are right now. Stop wanting people, situations or ourselves to be different. You don’t have to be happy about “what is” just make a decision not to be unhappy about it. That’s called being at Peace. And it’s refreshing.
Be with yourself: Watch yourself, feel your feelings, if you feel happy indulge yourself and let yourself really feel the happiness. If you feel sad, then give yourself permission to. Know it isn’t going to destroy you. Feel negative emotions instead of repressing them, just don’t act on them. Your emotions are simply a guidance system. If they are happy you are on the right track, if sad they are telling you that there is something you believe which is not true about yourself. Feeling and releasing negative emotions can feel brilliant, as long as you don’t wallow in them and don’t identify them as being who you really are.
Breathe; get away from the hustle and bustle if you can. Breathe in some healthy fresh air and enjoy the feeling of taking the air into your lungs and right into your body. When you are breathing you are relaxing your body, and giving it a rest. Conscious breathing is like having an inward shower, all your cells and your being benefits.
Meditate: For years I struggled with being able to meditate. I read all of the guidance and yes of course when I tried to stop thinking, the thoughts crowded in. Once I realised the true purpose of meditating is to focus on the gap between the thoughts I cracked it. The beauty of concentrating on the gap is twofold. Firstly you are in touch with your higher self who is all powerful and wise; and secondly, by being in the gap between your thoughts you are actually giving yourself a well-earned break. Thoughts are energy and too much thinking depletes us, yes even if most of our thoughts are happy ones.
Appreciate: Gratitude is a brilliant state to be in. Appreciation is even better because you tend to be grateful for something you have or have earned, or have been given. You can appreciate situations, people and stories which have nothing to do with you and as a result you are simply being appreciative of the world around you. Appreciation is akin to real love because real love is unconditional, all-encompassing and not limited to the personal self. Therefore feeling appreciation is restful, energising and soothing.

So go on, give yourself some much needed time off and practice some of the relaxing ways of “being” described. If you have your own ways of de-stressing or relaxing please do let me know, I’d love to hear from you.

People stressed in your workplace? Not sure what to do? Grab your free copy of Christina’s book “Getting To Grips with Workplace Stress” You can get your copy here.

Join us on this amazing journey!

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7 Essential Mindset Shifts of New Leadership

By Christina Lattimer • September 14, 2012 - 11:42 am Miscellaneous

Leadership of the future will be all about mindset

New Leaders will be at the forefront of creating paradigm shifts for themselves, their teams and followers. Not only will they lead by example, but they will show others through focused thinking and vision a brave new world.

There are certain ingredients which leaders and people in the development field must be aware of moving forward. The ingredients included vision, beliefs, thinking skills and emotional intelligence. Using those ingredients effectively requires a Mindset different than that which has gone before. is now proving what most people believed was impossible is actually true, based on scientific evidence. Very briefly and simply, this means:

The universe is made up of pure energy
We are all interconnected and part of that energy
Energy is invisible, but what we what we pay attention, believe and think becomes our reality
Every observer will create a different reality depending on their Mindset

There is really only one shift to be made which is the realisation of the infinite possibilities which exist. But it as rare as St. Paul’s “Road to Damascus” moment for the majority of us to make such a huge shift all at once. It takes time for most of us to let go of old and outworn beliefs and thoughts and replace them with new life affirming mind-sets.

For leaders of the future, the following seven shifts may be good places to start in the workplace. Shifting our attention from:

Sickness to Well-being

Concentrate and invest in physical, emotional and mental wellness. We will measure wellness and our activities will be centred around being well. We will celebrate wellness, and set targets around well-being. Focusing attention and energy upon absence and sickness simply creates more of the same.

Scarcity to Abundance

Instead of cutting costs or settling for second best or laying off employees for example; we will develop possibilities of generating ways to grow and increase wealth. Be generous and don’t allow fear or guilt about finances be the decision-maker. Realise wealth isn’t all about money. It is about an abundant mindset.

Limited to Unlimited

There are no right or wrong decisions or beliefs. There is just difference. Moving from limited beliefs and thinking can at first prove overwhelming when we realise there are infinite possibilities or paths to traverse. We are only limited in our achievements by our limited thinking and beliefs. we must listen to our intuition and dare to believe what we truly desire can be achieved.

Powerlessness to Power

We will empower ourselves, believing in our ability to create, and change our current reality. Accept our current reality without resisting or wishing away what is. Have faith and patience with the right Mindset we can make positive changes.

Competition to Excellence

Let go of the need to compare and compete with others, whether personally or in business. Concentrate instead on only doing the best we can understand there is a niche for everyone and a contribution for everyone to make. We will focus on doing our best, not coming first.

Profit to Contribution

It matters not about the size of the contribution as long as it is authentic and borne of a desire to make a difference. ~We will shift from how much profit to how much of a contribution we make. It is the energy of contribution honestly made meeting a real need which is paramount. When we concentrate on contribution and make it a brilliant one, the energy will bring abundance.

Management to Relationship

Relationships are going to be the main focus for the future. Relationships built on mutual understanding, equal responsibilities, agreed roles, with built in accountability for fair reward. It is a mutual and agreed relationship of give and take, which returns energies of contribution with those of reward.

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Lead Yourself First – The Freedom of Taking Responsibility

By Christina Lattimer • August 16, 2012 - 9:37 pm Miscellaneous

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.

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7 Deadly Workplace Sins

By Christina Lattimer • July 12, 2012 - 9:00 pm Leadership and Management

Whatever your role in the workplace, I’m betting you would like to go to work and be able to do your best in an environment which is fun, productive, friendly, happy, inspirational and positive, makes a difference, and has a great reputation (oh and pays enough to give you a decent standard of living).

Would I win my bet? If not, please contact me right away as I will be fascinated to know the reason why!

I’ve been in a minority at times given the grouches people have about their workplaces, as I have worked in teams where the qualities listed above have been achieved. The problem is when you have a workplace which works really well, it’s usually rare, and doesn’t always last.

More frequently I’ve worked in places which haven’t been so positive, even though they may have aspired to be.

I’m a person and am generally positive, so am more likely to begin by describing my vision or the positive qualities a leader should obtain, or even what makes a great team.

The other day someone asked me what were the biggest sins committed by organisations or teams which prevent them from realising a “dream team”. It’s not a place I start from very often so it got me thinking. The “sins” listed below are what I came up with.

Teams or organisations aren’t likely to create a dream team if they are guilty of the following 7 deadly workplace sins:

They

1. Don’t know what a “great” workplace looks like and so lack vision

The problem is, if an organisation has never been great there is nothing to compare with. Most businesses have great vision about profitability, levels of service, and external customer services and products. What they often don’t have is a vision about how their team will be working together. It’s a little like a workaholic working all the hours he can and paying no attention to his health, eventually he will collapse.

2. Are just “good enough” and don’t stretch themselves

Being in their comfort-zone can be one of the biggest barriers to achieving greatness for an organisation. If an organisation is achieving good enough results then the imperative to grow beyond and above the cultural norm might be fairly weak. People need a good reason to up the game.

3. Concentrate on meeting targets instead of using targets as a tool for better service

Measures and metrics are brilliant and a must when used in context. Unfortunately when an organisation values hitting targets and profits margins above great customer service or quality teamwork then the result is likely lack of sustainability. When an organisation is focused on great customer service and getting the best out of the team, and targets are used as a tool to assist, the rest follows naturally.

4. Recruit based on competence instead of excellence

I know in recruitment circles, competency based recruitment is meant positively. Competencies have helped job sponsors be specific about the skills, behaviours and knowledge they need to select an effective candidate. Competencies in themselves though are often not quite right. They often fail to miss the “x” factor needed for certain jobs and again and again, I have seen people recruited who meet all the competencies, but interviewers know they aren’t right for the organisation, or a specific role. The first question a great organisation should ask is: How can we attract excellence to raise the bar in the organisation?

5. Competitiveness across teams is fostered

I’m all for a little healthy competitiveness. Comparisons across results are a must. The problem comes when results become the bottom line. End of month or annual results might earn a team or an individual a bonus, but quite often fantastic teams can’t get good results for a number of reasons. It might be because they are doing the right things, but it takes longer to get better results in the long run for example. Results must be tempered with a balanced overview. Unhealthy competitiveness comes in many guises, one of the worst is when a team will “protect” resources, or make decisions which aren’t for the greater good of the whole, but are simply to preserve status, resources, or accolades for the individual or a single team.

6. Inadequate leadership and management skills are tolerated.

I know this is a common cry, but seriously, it only takes an organisation to get clear and get tough and the problem could be gone forever. It’s quite unforgivable to let this situation carry on for any length of time.

7. Allowing familiarity to preside over undignified behaviour

Dignity at work is for me one of the most important values an organisation can prize. The problem is, if an organisation has people who have worked there for a number of years, it can become like a tired marriage and over time the tenet of “familiarity breeds contempt” can become a reality. I have heard many managers when challenged about less than dignified behaviour of their employees towards one another say things like “that’s just billy, (or Brenda, or bob etc. etc. ), it’s just the way they are”. Even worse if the employee feedback survey indicates even one member of staff feels like they are bullied, then inaction is tantamount to condoning unacceptable behaviour, or even the perception of it.

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Leadership of the future will be all about mindset

New Leaders will be at the forefront of creating paradigm shifts for themselves, their teams and followers. Not only will they lead by example, but they will show others through focused thinking and vision a brave new world.

For leaders of the future, the following seven shifts may be good places to start in the workplace. Shifting our attention from:

Sickness to Well-being

Concentrate and invest in physical, emotional and mental wellness. We will measure wellness and our activities will be centred around being well. We will celebrate wellness, and set targets around well-being. Focusing attention and energy upon absence and sickness simply creates more of the same.

Scarcity to Abundance

Limited to Unlimited

Powerlessness to Power

We will empower ourselves, believing in our ability to create, and change our current reality. Accept our current reality without resisting or wishing away what is. Have faith and patience with the right Mindset we can make positive changes.

Competition to Excellence

Let go of the need to compare and compete with others, whether personally or in business. Concentrate instead on only doing the best we can understand there is a niche for everyone and a contribution for everyone to make. We will focus on doing our best, not coming first.

Profit to Contribution

Management to Relationship

Lead Yourself First – The Freedom of Taking Responsibility

Taking Responsibility is the key to greater freedom

7 Deadly Workplace Sins

Inspirational New Leadership

Join Us On Our Amazing Journey!

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