Coaching to Success

Our business is your success

Neil Nutburn

It will only happen if you decide to make that change!

Holiday blues are inevitable if you enjoyed a great break. We return wishing things could be different, a change in career, a move forward in your existing organisation. But we accept what is before us, just ‘wishing’ things could change.

“By changing nothing, nothing changes” (Tony Robbins). The only person who can make those steps forward is you. You can allow others to plan your journey and destination but you do have choices. They may not be easy, but there are choices nonetheless.

I was made redundant in 2008 while working in the building industry! I was also recovering from Cancer. Unable to work full time and no work in my field, I had to make changes. Through hard work, perseverance and the support of those close to me, I pushed not only through illness but also developed and grew my business.

Let me share one of the tools I used to help me gain the focus I needed. And that is a big clue to making change, ‘Focus’ on what you want to change. I refer to it as the Wheel of Progress.

Firstly, think of the area you want to change, for example, managing a work team. Look at all the components within this, ie (1)Relationships (2)Leadership (3)Influence (4)Work skills (5)Management skills (6)Stress.

Take each subject and give yourself a score marking from 1 (couldn’t be worse) through to 10 (Perfect).

Draw a wheel with increments from 1 to 10, being the outer wheel. Divide it equally into the number of segments you are considering, ie example is 6 equal slices. On the outside, write your subject header against each slice. Use the inner circles to highlight your given score, ie if 7 in relationships, count 7 from the centre circle out towards the rim and highlight that part of the circle within your given slice.

Continue for each subject. See how uneven your wheel is, then consider how uncomfortable the journey would be if this was the construction of your bike’s wheel! Ideally all would be at 10 but this will rarely ever be the case. The best approach is to make the ‘rim’ as even as possible, even if the overall score is just 6 or 7.

For each subject ask these questions:

  • What is the Final Goal you wish to achieve? …
  • What are the 1st and subsequent journey goals to move you forward?
  • What Barriers do you foresee that may hinder or prevent you from achieving these initial steps or the ultimate goal?
  • What actions are required to move you forward?
  • What are your strengths that you can call on to help you along the route?
  • When do you intend reaching your Final Goal, what date specifically?
  • When are you going to complete each journey goal, when will you review them?

A business coach will ask those questions you will avoid. We look hard at each area and push questions deeper than if left to your own device. The surface questions and consequent actions you plan to take will certainly help you start that journey of change.

Coaching to Success are here to help you dive deeper and retrieve those answers to help you make those changes more succinctly and motivate you along the journey. When you’re ready to make those changes, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you of a smoother, quicker transition of change for the positive.

How do I even start to get motivated?

I was asked to do a presentation in Winchester based around ‘Motivation’ and it was received well with many asking for the slides after the event.

This then made me think that maybe as a nation, motivation may be under a little pressure and having done some research, yep, it is. That drive, that energy, that impetus to push forward and make those changes have dwindled due to work overloads or draining energy to obtain dwindling work.

So Coaching to Success decided it might prove beneficial to write a feature on this subject and here we have it.

What motivates people in the world of work? One BIG motivator is clarity.  People need to know…

  • Exactly what it is that they are supposed to do.
  • Why they are supposed to do it.
  • How it fits into the big picture.
  • How it will be measured.
  • When it is due.
  • What standard of quality is expected
  • How their efforts affect the work of others.

“The greater the clarity that a person has about their assignment and the order of priority in which it’s to be done, the happier and more empowered they feel right from the start.”

However, all too often we visit clients to find, at least in part, the opposite applies. With clarity, yes, something as simple as this, can offer a direction for people to aim towards, even if it’s yourself, find that clarity and you gain the motivation to reach it.

Self-motivation is complex but there are four main factors

  • Confidence
  • Positive Thinking
  • Focus and Tangible Goal Setting
  • Motivating environment

You need ALL FOUR to help move self-motivation forward quickly so let’s take each in turn:

5 steps to help you improve Confidence…

  • Think about the achievements in your life
  • Set achievable and realistic goals (S.M.A.R.T.)
  • Seek those who model the competencies, skills, attributed that you desire
  • Examine your Strengths to understand what you can build on
  • Ascertain what others see as your strengths and key capabilities

Think positively … Not just about ‘now’ but also ‘positively’ about the future!

Quote by an unknown author…

“Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and choices you make today”

To help with moving your thoughts forwards, try the following:

  • Create a strong vivid picture of what it would be like to achieve your goal
  • Become aware of your daily thoughts. Write them down throughout the day. Stick them in a jar!?
  • Develop positive affirmations about yourself. Repeat these to yourself throughout the morning, day, evening.
  • Challenge negative thoughts – Replace with positive outcomes
  • Practice ‘positive’ thinking about events, people, situations, the world and yourself every day until it becomes automatic!

With regards Goal Setting, Edwin A. Locke, established that ‘Goals’ should have the following characteristics:

  • Clarity – Effective goals are clear, measurable, specific, and based on behaviour, not outcomes.
  • Challenge – Goals should be difficult enough to be interesting, but not so difficult that you can’t reach them.
  • Commitment – Goals should be attainable, and should be relevant –contribute significantly towards the major objectives.
  • Regularity of Feedback – Monitor progress regularly to maintain sense of momentum/enthusiasm. Enjoy the progress.
  • Sufficient Respect For Complexity – If the goal involves complex work, make sure that you don’t over-commit yourself.

With regards Motivational Environment, it’s best that we don’t rely entirely on those around us but we can occasionally look to them for support, and here are some things you could try:

  • Ask or Look for interesting assignments
  • Set up some ‘Easily Achievable’ goals (quick wins are great motivators)
  • Look for ‘Team Work’ opportunities (makes you accountable to others)
  • Ask or Look for ‘Specific’ targets and objectives (these help measure your success)
  • Buddy up with someone you trust (there’s both support and accountability)
  • Try not to work alone! Balance time spent working from home with time spent working with others.

In summary, no one can motivate anyone to do anything. All they can do is provide the incentive to motivate themselves! So here’s 9 effective strategies to help towards un-tapping your potential:

  1. Cease indulging in self-limiting thinking
  2. Train yourself to finish what you started
  3. Live ‘fully’ today – refrain from dwelling what was in the past or simply ‘dreaming’ of things yet to come
  4. Be willing to leave your comfort zone.
  5. Choose to be happy! Don’t let others influence this, happy people are easily motivated.
  6. Don’t fear making mistakes – Wisdom helps us avoid them and comes from making a million of them!
  7. Never quit when you experience a setback or frustration
  8. Spend an hour a day on self-development – Listen to inspiring MP3s, CDs or audio files, read good books etc
  9. Dare to dream BIG! – Reach for the stars, the worst that can happen is you’ll hit the moon.

Coaching to success is renowned for the motivation it offers individuals in the coaching/training/workshop sessions so if you or members of your team are looking for that lift with ideas to get you going and believe in what you’re aiming for, contact Neil on  07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you the buzz you need and to be amazed at what you will be able to achieve.

Pink Floyd had it “Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way”

As summer has now descended, this season affects us all in many ways where ‘time’ is concerned. Some businesses may find trade is a little slack, others find it turns exceedingly busy along with the added pressure of people being on holiday to complicate matters further.

Other areas include consideration of how you’ll effectively handle the workload you already have before going on holiday yourself. Then there’s that bugging question of maybe taking just a little with you!

However we look at time, we cannot change the fact there are always 60 minutes to an hour and 24 hours in a day. Time has value! Consider this:

  • 1 Year to a student who just failed their exams
  • 1 Month to a mother who gave birth to a premature baby
  • 1 Week to a weekly magazine editor
  • 1 Hour to lovers waiting to meet
  • 1 Second to someone who just avoided a car accident
  • 1 Millisecond to an Olympic athlete

Managing what we have to achieve in the time we have and to maximise the return on that time will forever be a changing. The key is realising the signs, priorities and the importance, so here are a few tips to help you.

Often we do all those little jobs with the intention of approaching those larger projects later. Funny how that larger project either constantly gets put off or, worse still, suddenly looms over us demanding our immediate attention. I was guilty of that until I realised it’s best to deal with the larger job and fit the other items around it.

When next online, look up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38U_rLLW-qM to see how important it is to plan around the significant things in our life/work first, then the necessary areas, then minor/leisure and finally the usual stuff that takes up time.

When we prioritise on the bigger things, allowing the diminishing importance items to fill in around, we find we use time more efficiently.

One of the biggest time thieves is ‘Procrastination’. To help you understand what affects you, look at these following questions…

  1. Overwhelming – What appears insurmountable at this moment in time? How could you break it into manageable parts?
  2. Unclear flow – Look to set ‘Clear’ tasks with defined outcomes. What questions do you need to ask to make yours clearer?
  3. Unclear Goals – Obtain clear objectives! What outcome are you looking for?
  4. Overcommit – Some will take on more workload when they have enough already. Be honest with yourself and search deep, when found, what would be the outcome of turning work away?
  5. Fear of Failure –What are your areas that you may not feel confident about? What is the driving fear behind simply getting on with it?
  6. Fear of Change – What areas of work/life could you start to make small constant changes to allow you to become more open to larger changes?

These are some areas Coaching to Success help their clients with. Often it is easier to have someone ask these questions rather than working through them on our own. We can avoid those questions we don’t wish to answer but are okay to open up (almost like giving yourself permission) if someone else asks.

Should you be looking to find ways to improve your own time management, or, in reality, managing tasks within a given time frame!, contact Neil on  07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you a little out to work on this, you’ll be amazed at what you will be able to achieve.

Change! Communication is key

Change! Hmm, not something we, as a human race, embrace. I know there will be some who openly state that they encompass it in what they do, my hand is up for that concept… well, as long as it is something I ‘wish’ to change. But how much do you embrace it when it is something unappealing?

Worse still, what happens if this change is forced upon you or if informing others that change will take place knowing the resistance you are likely to receive.

Change isn’t simple like changing a tyre on a car. With this, all you are doing is replacing ‘Old’ with exactly the same but a newer variety. Change affects our mental state of wellbeing, beliefs or values so we have to be careful in our approach.

But do we actually need to change? The simple answer to that is YES! Look at Kodak, Encyclopaedia Britannica or Woolworths and you see what happens to those who don’t embrace change. It is inevitable and those who are at the forefront to change are the ones who lead in business.

Now look at the reason for change. Will it truly improve the effectiveness of the business? If unsure, this ‘clarity’ needs to be established first, and clarity is the key.

I know some who think information is power and best kept close to the chest, then wonder why morale is down, people aren’t being open, conversations are secretive etc. This then comes back to how clear communication is paramount to the success of change needed. The element of the unknown causes anxiety, distrust and barriers the delay of shift.

So how is change communicated? See the following just for a starter…

The Grapevine; Notice Boards; Appraisals; Email/Intranet; Face to face meeting; Briefings; Rallies; Presentations; PR Agency/Dept; Conference calls; Annual report; Internal memo; Letter; Telelphone and many more. Think of these and other means by which the message can and should be relayed. NEVER rely on just one format.

I know someone who sends out all important information via FB Messenger, and no matter how many times I advise him that he should also consider text and email, he still uses just the one media form and wonders why some people don’t get to know about his updates!

Make your message sufficient in content, clear and not dependant on the grapevine. If it affects specific people, directly address them and before they find out from someone else.

Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology is known for his publications on the relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages. This said, 55% is through gesticulation, 38% tonality but only 7% in the words used. Think on this when communicating only through writing.

People read things in the frame of mind that they are in and not necessarily that of the writer so care is needed when using only words as the simple sentence “Standards need to be raised and more focus is required” could be interpreted by a reader as “Are you saying I’m ineffective?”, “Is the company under threat?” or “Are you threatening me?”

To ensure we feel valued and connected, base wording around being:

  • Clear and directional
  • Focused with steps
  • Reassuring to reduce worry/anxiety
  • Motivational

And tie the relevant informer to the relevant party! Well, that includes everyone doesn’t it? Not necessarily, think strategically as to who can relay the message better, for example:

  • Staff to Suppliers
  • Staff to Customers
  • Team Leader/Supervisor to Team
  • Director to Manager
  • Board to Stakeholder…

Some can be more relevant to pass the message on than others. Who would be best to relay the information in your organisation?

John P. Kotter developed 8 steps for successful change, these being

  1. Increase urgency – this helps motivate and move people
  2. Build the guiding team – the people who see things are driven through
  3. Get the vision right – Back to clear communication and strategy
  4. Communicate for buy-in – Make it clear and people start to but into the idea
  5. Empower action – Support rather than micromanage
  6. Create short-term wins – Keeping the momentum going
  7. Don’t let up – Change ideas, adapt but keep focused on the end goal.
  8. Make change stick – Avoid the pull of ‘tradition’. Ensure new and winning behaviour continues.

Change encompasses so much from communication, concept, behaviours, values, planning, strategy, the emotion journey of those affected, resilience and engagement just to mention.

If it was easy, we would have done it ages ago but change isn’t as simple as the tyre, it is so much more complex and clear communication is essential in the development.

If you are in the process of considering change, call Neil on  07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you of a smoother and probably quicker transition so all benefit.

Do you associate with these business struggles…

I am no different than any other company in areas of a coaching/mentoring that I offer to that of other businesses when it comes to struggling. However, I recognise what they are and do something about it and would like to share some with you.

So in this feature we cover recognisable areas whether you head an organisation or work within one and come up with methods by which to address them.

On the Verge – All too often we work, work, work all hours possible. Warning! We are NOT robots and you will burn out. Do not be a martyr to the cause, look to see what can seriously be delegated. Learn to let go.

Using your head – Oh I have been there. I know best and it will take too long to explain to others as it’s all in my head. As well as this, tasks get done when you remember them (poor time management). Look to create your own protocols and procedures for consistency in what you do. If you have a team, insure they too follow the procedures which helps keep track of any element through its life cycle.

Fear of failure – Things seem alright, why rock the boat? Why take unnecessary chances for fear of potential failure as opposed to moving with your desire for success. This is a mind-set area not based on fact. Work with a positive ‘I chose to make the best of an un known rather than fearing it’. Try it a few times and see what positive affirmations can give you and your business.

Marketing ROI – What IS your Return On Investment? Be honest with yourself. Don’t know! Well I would strongly recommend assessing the time and money outlaid on marketing. Too many organisations rely on you simply throwing money at them without really giving what you expect. Look, monitor, re-evaluate.

Research – Do you really know the market you are aiming at? If your target market seems unclear, rather than attempting to sell to all, look at the Psychographics (personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles) of the Demographics (quantifiable characteristics of a given population) of your target market.

Constantly doing the same task – Look to see how repetitive tasks can be formalised with little input to create the overall masterpiece. This can be anything from quoting to copying and pasting messages. Look to formalise it. Use Mail Merge for creating a standard letter or quote with information extracted from a spread sheet. Copying and pasting cannot only be time consuming but is inherently open to mistakes (as I have found out to my cost historically!). Think Time Management.

Go it alone – Politically this is a bit of a hot subject at the moment, however, in business, I look to Aristotle’s wise words, “The sum of the total is greater than the sum of its parts”. Look to share your knowledge base and gain knowledge from others. Networking or Mind dump groups are great to accomplish this.

Stationary Skill-Set – To be blunt, it is a vicious market out there. If you stand still, not only will you miss the train but others will catch it! Never stop learning or looking forward to new ways. For those of you old enough to remember, look at Encyclopaedia Britannica or Kodak for examples of companies who thought the modern digital era would not affect them. Keep up with or ahead of the game. Look at every aspect from software enhanced presentations to innovative ways of pushing forward using time saving elements that will have a positive effect on everyone within the organisation.

Although some may appear obvious, we can easily get caught in the day-to-day running of the business. Step back occasionally, view what is going on. Treat yourself to regular reviews and learn to develop ways to get around what sometimes appear insurmountable problems that when broken down, can be manageable chunks.

Coaching to Success specialise in addressing ‘clarity’, you could say we demystify the foggy screen of your business’ windscreen. Should you or members of your team be looking to gain some direction in the organisation, first contact Neil either by mail at neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or direct via phone 07761 187238. Our business is Your success, let us help you move on to turn Struggles into challenges and challenges into positive rewards.