Coaching to Success

Our business is your success

Beliefs

An alternative ‘Coach’ to ‘driving’ your career forward…

Everyone experiences a moment in their career path that raises questions about whether they are suited to the role they are in, whether they wish to continue in the organisation they are currently working for or the fact that we sometimes simply feel stuck, not progressing as others appear to move forward.

There are two types of coach … one has wheels and transports you to your destination, the other has belief in you reaching your destination by your own actions. In case you were wondering, I’m the latter!

So how can I help you drive yourself forward? Read on for some useful guidelines that will start this journey.

Firstly, look at your situation from an outsider’s perspective and then ask yourself:

  • How do you see this person in relationship to their job/role
  • What could they do to better themselves
  • Where do they need to go to carry out this improvement
  • Who can they call upon, use, hire to help this improvement happen

Look at things objectively and attempt to move your emotional self away from the equation.

Consider these areas:

  • How has my career progressed
  • Where is my career path heading
  • How is my relationship with my line manager
  • What is my fit within the company
  • What opportunities for career development are there within the organisation (Think objectively and realistically, which can be hard if you dislike your current role)
  • What do I anticipate my place to be within 5 years’ time

From here, list what you believe to be your Strengths. What areas in your life are you proud of and what are your good qualities.

Ascertain what Weaknesses you may have. What areas need to be worked on or improved?

Establish what Opportunities are there for you or that appear interesting. What openings are there within your own business? What associations or network groups that you could explore?

Consider what Threats there are outside of your control but be truthful about whether you can change that outcome? How strong is the likelihood that this will affect your objective and what can you do about it?

It would help to ask others to contribute to your SWOT analysis. Ask friends, Family and work colleagues. State you are looking to improve and understand that this could be a useful tool to help you along the way. If you are looking to develop within the organisation, let the relevant parties who can help you along this path know and ask them.

Now look to set goals relating to your future journey:

  • What is your Goal – be specific
  • Steps needed to take move your career forward
  • What do you need to learn/develop to reach your goal
  • What is your drive and motivation
  • What is the timescale
  • What are the true barriers in the way and how can you overcome them
  • What sacrifices are you prepared to make to obtain your goal
  • Your CV … how current is it and how specific is it towards the career path you wish to take

Answering these questions and truly looking at yourself is just the start of your career journey. Once you start travelling this path, you can really focus on where you want to be.

As a coach, I help numerous people from a variety of walks of life to move forward in their chosen career path both internally and also outside of their organisations.

If are looking for help in moving your career forward, then take the first step and contact Neil at neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or 07761 187238 to arrange a free consultation on how Coaching to Success can help you. Also, to get a feel for the person, check out our short ‘interview’ video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

Challenge your Motivation by being SMART

How often do we find ourselves looking to the future and imagining a better outcome, whether personal, such as fitting into that suit/dress, or career path, only to find a few months later the outfit still sits in the wardrobe and the CV is exactly the same.

At that time of making the all-important decision to change things, motivation was running wild but as time goes by, motivation wanes with willpower following closely.

Reflect on the following, “A dream is but a dream but a goal is a dream with a deadline!”. There are many other factors to consider insuring we keep motivated along the way to realising your goal.

There’s a great acronym that some will recognise, and that’s all about setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Relevant-Timely).

By setting SMART Goals, and we can help create these, the motivation can be re-vitalised along the way as each part is covered. Usually motivation loses its way with the passing of time if no significant development has been noticed. The objective may be a long term one such as building an extension to a house and this isn’t such a bad example and having rescomdesigns do the home designs by adding some glow in the dark stones as well to make the decoration even better.

Consider what is involved. Drainage, groundworks, foundation, brickwork, windows, roof etc. You have the finished product incorporating many elements to making it up, therefore, each one is a goal in its own right. As each is accomplished, recognition for doing so helps keep the motivation fed.

There are numerous ways to keep motivated according to what works for you. Here are a few ideas to help you:

  • Find inspiration – others who have achieved similar topics. Read features. Converse with those who will likely support you (avoid negative peole)
  • Start small and build – Much like exercising, don’t look to do 100 press-ups straight of, start with 10 and build on this. Look at some of the smaller elements to begin and with each success, recognise and move onto the next. Review how closer you are towards your objective and how much you’ve accomplished.
  • Know your ebb and flow – motivation is not constant! Different times of the day, week, month will prove easier to feel inspired. Know when you’re at your best and channel your energy.
  • Stick with it – writers get writer’s block but they carry on. I sometimes struggle with the flow of these features but sticking at it, suddenly I break the barrier and it flows again. Don’t give up when hitting a tough spot.
  • Change the mind-set – positive affirmations all the way. Refrain from looking at the difficulties of the task and concentrate on what you have achieved thus far. A ‘Positive’ mind will encourage further motivation.
  • Rewards – Reward accordingly. Make them appropriate for the task. For me, a nice cappuccino having completed these features is my treat. One client bought himself an iPad for accomplishing a project.

Once you know what feeds your motivation, look to other ways of committing to it:

  • Don’t do it alone.
  • Choose goals that interest you or that you can make interesting.
  • Announce your goal to others.
  • Break the goal into manageable components.
  • Plot the progress.
  • Look back and celebrate achievements.

Coaching to Success help their clients with setting SMART(ER) goals and offer the support to insure the motivation doesn’t lose sight of the overall objective. If you or your team are looking for that motivation, 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.

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.

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.

Let’s look at challenging beliefs that hold you back…

Sometimes our belief in being able to perform a certain task or achieve an objective can be influenced either negatively or positively. For those with a self-belief, the chances of obtaining that outcome is greatly increased, however, situations throughout our lives can have a massive bearing on us.

 

As an adolescent, I was told I would have to do an office job, that I would be unable to take up sport seriously, that I would be unable to do manual work! Why? Because I have type1 diabetes.

As I progressed towards the end of my teens, I began to question this ‘sound advice’ from those more knowledgeable (apparently) and took up martial arts by means of doing some exercise … and this is where I found that good advice was unfounded!

I trained hard. Minimum 3 times a week. Sessions lasting in excess of 2.5hrs and when I achieved Black Belt, trained harder still to maintain that level and I still train now (but maybe not to the same degree!).

So what has this got to do with this feature? My beliefs were being moulded by THEIR beliefs in MY capabilities. So I challenged and created my OWN beliefs and that was that having Diabetes would not stop me from being active!

Find out how negative and positive external influences have on you by carrying out some interesting exercises.

FIRST – Create 2 lists. The first being all the positive beliefs you have about yourself. The second with any negative.

SECOND – Look at every item in each category. Spend some time assessing and writing down the positive and negative things that have happened to create these beliefs.

THIRD – Take the top three ‘Negative’ beliefs and ask yourself

  1. Where did this belief originate?
  2. What effect is this belief having on me?
  3. What will the long term consequence be to remain holding onto it?
  4. Who provided me this belief?
  5. Is this person always right? Do you respect them?
  6. How would life be if you were to let go of it?

FORTH – Re-write the negative belief as a positive affirmation. (eg: “I am too old to change my job” to “The knowledge and expertise I will bring to a new employer can only be gained from the wealth of knowledge learned”

FIFTH – Focus your attention on 3-5 people who appear a positive influence on you and another 3-5 negative ones. Ask yourself these questions about each in their outlook:

  • What do they say and how do they relay it?
  • What actions portray them as positive?

SIXTH – What ‘Empowering’ beliefs do people hold? Make a list.

SEVENTH – What ‘Dis-empowering’ beliefs do people hold? Make a list.

EIGHTH – Create 6 sentences all beginning “I can’t..”

NINTH – Against each, ask yourself “What’s stopping me?”

TENTH – Against each, compile a list of things you can do to turn this into positive actions.

All too often our progress is hindered by our own negative beliefs. Those that know me will be familiar with my phrase “Evidence based” meaning that just because we believe in something, it doesn’t mean it’s a fact. Look at the evidence.

THINK positive. BE positive.

At Coaching to Success, we truly believe (and it’s evidence based) that our clients are capable of more than they think they can achieve so if you’re looking to move forward and break some of those beliefs that hold you back, 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 re-affirmed positive beliefs.